St Francis of Assisi Animal Day

Rosebud, a soul friend

Sunday was a perfect spring day - just blissful to be out of doors, surrounded by the magnificent trees, under clear blue sky. Jennifer led us in a reflection about animals and we had an engaged and thoughtful discussion. Craig pointed out that if someone from another planet was observing life on Earth they might conclude that humans were a pest - in the way that we might regard other destructive creatures. Others shared stories of their experiences of connection with their idiosyncratic non-human companions. I was reminded of Anatole France writing, "Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened". From the stories shared about animals we have known, it would seem that there is real truth in this notion. Our souls can be deeply nourished by a relationship with animals. However, as Little Terra reminds us in her comment on the last post - last week was National Vegetarian Week and so we cannot forget that animals are frequently not treated well. On a positive note, Jennifer had a great story from the paper of a six year old who, of her own volition, requested that friends invited to her birthday party make a donation to the Animal Welfare League instead of giving her a present, which we all thought was pretty impressive.

Last night the dog across the road barked for hours and hours. Her humans were away for the night. Her barking was stirring up other dogs in the neighbourhood. I couldn't sleep for the noise. No doubt, other neighbours were suffering the racket, too. Finally, at about 3am I could stand it no longer so I just got out of bed, walked across the road in my mis-matched pyjamas, hair a fright and stood in the front drive way and said in a loud, firm but I hope loving voice, "Molly! Go to sleep Molly". The dog was instantly quiet and there was not another peep out of her. I was surprised that she did respond by remaining quiet for the rest of the night. I think she just needed reassurance that she wasn't alone? Or maybe she was just shocked into being quiet. Anyway, wish I'd thought to do it earlier.

"Can we open our hearts to the animals? Can we greet them as our soul mates, beings like ourselves who possess dignity and depth? To do so, we must learn to revere and respect the creatures who, like us, are a part of God's beloved creation, and to cherish the amazing planet that sustains our mutual existence. We must join in a bio spirituality that will acknowledge and celebrate the sacred in all life." - Gary Kowalski