BE GREEN Mrs. Peterson phoned the repairman because her dishwasher stopped working. He couldn’t accommodate her with an “after-hours” appointment and since she had to go to work, she told him, “I’ll leave the key under the mat. Fix the dishwasher, leave the bill on the counter, and I’ll mail you a check. By the way, I have a large Rottweiler inside named Killer; he won’t bother you. I also have a parrot, and whatever you do, do not talk to the bird!” Well, sure enough Killer totally ignored the repairman, but the whole time he was there, the parrot cursed, screamed, and about drove him nuts. As he was preparing to leave, he couldn’t resist saying,“You stupid bird, why don’t you shut up!” To which the bird replied, “Killer, get him!!!” Today is the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi and, in many parts of the world, pets will be brought to church and blessed. Francis is known to be a gentle friend of animals. In Assisi, there is a statue of Francis that legend claims is never without a pigeon. I don’t know if it’s true but the last time I visited Assisi, there was indeed one and it never left the statue the whole time I was in the shrine. But Francis is more than a friend of animals. He is known to be a lover of all creation, a brother of the universe. He calls the sun “brother” and the moon “sister.” Pope Benedict XVI recently spoke of the “greening” of theology, i.e., ecological concerns are as much a concern of theology as other matters; thus, environmental degradation has been officially declared as a sin. Failure to revere and take care of creation is failure to follow the mandate the Creator has given us to cultivate the earth and prosper it. Let us not trivialize the feast of Francis of Assisi by turning it into a fashion show of pets dressed up and brought to church for public admiration. Let us ask pardon from God for our sins against nature. Let Francis inspire us to be lovers and defenders of God’s beautiful creation. Fr. Joel O. Jason, from Sabbath REFLECTION QUESTION: Is the “greening” of theology part of your own personal ideology? Make it so and seek St. Francis of Assisi’s intercession. With the psalmists, Lord, I declare: “The heavens proclaim the glory of God, and the firmament shows forth His majesty!” Amen.
Posted on: Fri, 04 Oct 2013 06:42:19 +0000
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