September
30, 2005
Blessing
Our Pets in the Spirit of St. Francis
… and Judaism?
by Jon
M. Sweeney
Francis
of Assisi performed the first “Blessing of the
Animals” (repeated each early October in churches around
the U.S.) almost 800 years ago, or did he?
St. Francis preached to the birds, cared for wolves and hens,
blessed fish, and used real animals when he created the very
first, live, Christmas nativity scene. But was he the first person
to bless the animals? Judaism, long home to blessings of all
kinds, may have come first.
Many
synagogues now have their own blessing of the animals ceremonies,
and,
they say, the idea originated in ancient Judaism. Without
reference to St. Francis, the Jewish ceremony is often performed
on the seventh day of Passover (in the Spring), as a celebration
of the Hebrews’ (and their animals’) emancipation
from slavery in Egypt more than 3,000 years ago.
But also, many Jewish congregations schedule blessings of the
animals in the Fall after the High Holy Days, centering their
ceremony around the second weekly Torah portion of the Jewish
New Year, Noah's Ark. This year, the Jewish celebration of Rosh
Hashanah happens during the same weekend that churches invite
pets into their sanctuaries: October 2-4. And so, this October,
the story of Noah will be read in synagogues around the U.S.
during October 16 services. Many Jewish blessings of animals
will be performed in the second half of the month.
For
example, Emanuel
Congregation, a synagogue of the Reform movement
in
Judaism, is hosting what they call the “Celebration
of Parashat Noach (Noah and the Ark)” on Sunday, October
30, at 12 p.m. Emanuel will have a “Celebration in Song,
Prayer and Blessing for the House Pets who fill our homes with
love and joy.” Their website reads that: “All are
welcome, with or without an animal.”
Other
synagogues, such as Temple
Emanu-El in San Jose, California,
will celebrate
their blessings of the animals on October 16 as
part of the Shabbat services (called Shabbat Noach on this particular
Saturday). They advertise to their members: “Read the story
of Noah while bringing your pet for a blessing after services.”
In
both the Christian ceremony performed this weekend, and in
Jewish ceremonies, which are becoming more and more common,
the
message to kids with pets is the same: Take care of them as you
would take care of yourself. Show gratitude; they are gifts from
God.
© 2005 Jon M. Sweeney
— Jon M. Sweeney is a writer
and editor living in Vermont. An Episcopalian and author
of The St. Francis Prayer Book,
he is speaking this weekend at Christ Church Cathedral
in Hartford, Connecticut, as part of their celebration
of the feast day of St. Francis.
More
by Jon Sweeney.
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