Most of the snow melted away before we had a chance to enjoy it, so no skiing or 'joring for us, but we had a nice walk around Musher's Hall and I built a little bitty snowman. A snow dwarf.
Today is the feast day of St. Francis, so tomorrow we are going to the Blessing of the Animals at St. Matthews, and the girls are going to be blessed. I used to attend the Blessing of the Animals at Grace Cathedral, in San Francisco. It is always a lovely ceremony. It is lovely fun to sit in church with dogs lolling in between the pews and cats mewing and parrots squawking! The mounted police almost always show up to have the horses blessed, and a few people drive in from outside the city with their more rural animals like goats and sheep and llamas.
I remember one sermon in particular. The Very Reverend Alan Jones, a very warm and charismatic man, said something that I really like--that we are all born with "the universal eligibility to be noble," a quote from Saul Bellow's The Adventures of Augie March. I love especially the choice of the word "eligibility" over "ability" or "freedom" because it implies that good behavior is desirable, is worthy of choice. Whereas the "ability" to be noble sounds more like we can take it or leave it, whatever.
"Eligibility" implies that we not only have the ability, but that it is an honor! When I normally hear the word "eligible" it implies that you have met some condition to reap a reward. Like, you have worked for this company for ten years so you are eligible for a better benefits package. Or, you are now fifty years old and are eligible for this retirement plan. "You are eligible to win a prize!" The prize in this case is nobility, morality! It removes the feeling that behaving with integrity is a chore, and replaces it with a feeling that it is an honor.
We are born with an unearned blessing, the eligibility to be noble, and if we throw it away, it is as rude and disrespectful to God as it would be to throw any gift away in front of the giver. May we all rise to our unearned blessings!
Hug your pets today! It is the Feast Day of St. Francis!
8 comments:
Ahhh, I could give Minnie a hug, but then I would probably be eligible for a big scratch and a bite!
Naw, I don't mean to make fun of your very nicely written entry. Hope you have a good time at the ceremony - it sounds really fun.
Today it rained here in the bay area - the first of the season. Alan and Rika spent the afternoon running around outside in the rain and splashing in the puddles. Happy like your doggies in the snow!
Minnie? Hm, I always heard it as "Meanie." :)
You are excused from hugging Minnie, as I am from hugging Bunn. :)
There is a Prop. 2 in the Nov election. Prop 2 is for all farm animals to be raised in cages that they can at least stretch their legs and turn around before being slaughtered. All California voters should vote for it. If passed, it is not enforceable until 2012 or later (cannot remember exact time), so farmers have enough time and money to correct their cages.
There might be slightly higher egg price, but it should not last long since the capital improvement (cages) is only a one time cost.
Have fun and good time in the animal blessing
How topical. Thank you for letting people know!
WTF? No blessings for Mr. B and Millie? sniff sniff.
They got blessed just once at Grace Cathedral. I don't like to subject them to unnecessary car rides. :)
What beautiful thoughts!
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