Heh, Higgins needs to meet Mr. Magnum P.I.!
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I've always been a sucker for beautiful eyes, a finely-sculpted shape, a docile personality, and most of all, a state of unconditional love, as in: "OK honey, I know you acted like an oaf today, but I love you anyway."
So when yours truly was assigned to cover this weekend's Blessing of the Pets, what would any lover of labradors, German shepherds, golden retrievers, kitty cats, and anything else that has fur, scales, and barks, purrs or roars, do? I immediately jumped at the opportunity.
I found many more of my same kind of people during this weekend's Blessing of the Animals at both San Marco Catholic Church and St. Mark's Episcopal Church. To say it was an eye-opening experience as to how pet owners view their darlings and what they wish best for them would be an understatement.
But thanks to a 12th Century treasure trove of love * St. Francis of Assisi * Rover, Fido, Mittens and their four or non-legged friends, participated in the festivities of the feast day for Francis Bernardone, a.k.a. St. Francis of Assisi, at the two parishes on Marco Island.
"I always thought when you mentioned a dog, it had sauerkraut and mustard on it," said Father Pat Boylan before administering his holy water blessing to the assembled throng at San Marco Church on Saturday. "But, even if somebody brought in a python, I'd bless it too."
And even though Saturday's crowd consisted mostly of very well-behaved canines, the three or four cats on hand were also gently sprinkled. Dignity rode rampant throughout the ceremony although one or two of the cats flattened their ears a bit as the drops of water lightly pelted them.
Francis is known as the patron saint of the environment and animals along with being the lover of all creation. Only when he was imprisoned in Perugia after a life as a soldier and streetbrawler did Francis receive a message from Christ to leave the world behind and take up a life of religious teaching.
Visiting hospitals, replete with lepers, Francis began to attract followers in 1209 and later founded the Franciscan religious order in addition to living, loving animals and working with his hands.
As many of the pet owners at both San Marco Catholic and St. Mark's agreed, the bond between person and pet is like no other relationship The communication between fellow creatures is at its most basic: Eye-to-eye, a man and his dog, or a woman and her cat, are two creatures of love. Much like many of the folk who brought their pets for the blessings.
"He's a real killer," smiled Sal Sciarrino gazing down at his beloved Sam, a tiny 12-week-old maltese mix at San Marco Catholic, or Marianne Riordan's five-year-old pure maltese Lily, or Eddie, a six-month-old toy poodle who Lily Sullivan's family took in to try and balance the four-to-one female advantage in the household.
Love and pets were pretty much the same at St. Mark's on Sunday, especially when Sam and Marina Simpson presented Magnum, P.I., a 12-year-old Yorkshire terrier and pouch-sitting Captain Peacock, also a 12-year-old Yorkie.
"We've had the Captain for most of his 12 years after we saw him abandoned at a pet shelter because his bill couldn't be paid," Marina revealed. "As for 'Magnum, P.I., we've had him for about 10 years and they're both our family."
Some individuals criticize the cost and care given to pets. People are more important according to their philosophy. Care for poor people instead of poodles should be the norm and certainly our needy fellow humans should not be neglected. However, according to God's plan, every creature is important. The love we impart to a pet and receive from a pet, can draw us more deeply into the circle of life and into the wonder of our common relationship to our creator.
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