Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost - St. Francis Day
October 4, 2009
The Gospel: Mark 10:2-16
Sermon: "St. Francis Day"
The Rev. Dr. Vicki L. Smith, Rector
The Gospel: Some Pharisees came, and to test Jesus they asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" He answered them, "What did Moses command you?" They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her." But Jesus said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female.' 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate."
Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."
People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, "Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it." And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.Mark 10:2-16
Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost - St. Francis Day Today we celebrate St. Francis’ Day—an opportunity for us to emulate Francis by rejoicing in the wonder of creation and thanking God, our generous Creator, for the wonderful world around us. The beautiful fall days we’ve been having make giving thanks today seem especially appropriate. So, with St. Francis, we give thanks to God for Brother Sun and Sister Moon; we give thanks for purple mountains majesty and amber waves of grain, for raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens; for all the vast variety and wonder of creation, we thank our God.
And because Francis treasured them so, we pay special attention to animals this day. Later on this afternoon, we’ll gather to bless our animals, but I want to take time this morning to thank God especially for animals, and for the many gifts their presence brings into our lives and our world.
When God created this world, He surrounded Adam with animals, who in their variety of domestic and wild, large and small, enrich our world today. They bring us beauty and elegance. They pique our interest and puzzle us; some provide us food, others companionship. Our pets touch us emotionally, loving us and asking for our love in return.
All the animals God created call forth responsibility from us, both for direct care and for broader environmental stewardship. How many of us first learned to tend and care for another creature by having a goldfish or a turtle? Animals often offer us our first chance to be responsible for the well-being of another creature, preparing us for the day when we are responsible for other people. Bradley Miller said, “Teaching a child not to step on a caterpillar is as valuable to the child as it is to the caterpillar.”
Learning kindness toward animals teaches us kindness toward people. It is in learning to curb our power over powerless animals that we learn to curb our power over other people. Statistics show that children who bully or abuse animals often grow up to bully and abuse people—they start with weaker animals and move on to weaker people. Charles Duran said, “Folks will know how large your soul is by the way you treat a dog.”
There are other things, too, to learn from animals. Humanity may be the pinnacle of creation, but there is much for us to learn from others of God’s creatures. What follows are some of the lessons that I have learned from animals.
Lesson 1: Be who God made you to be. Shelties herd things, terriers chase things, labs retrieve things, cats hunt things and birds sing—that’s what they were created to do and they do it. There is something very important about knowing who you are, who God made you to be, and then being that person. Animals, for the most part, don’t try to be something that they are not; they seem to know that only leads to frustration and disappointment. Fish gotta swim and birds gotta fly, as the old song says, and we must be who God made us to be; whether that is a scientist, musician, caregiver, priest, teacher, accountant or hairdresser—be who God made you to be, that always works out best.
Lesson 2: Let people know that you love them. This one I learned mostly from dogs. Greet your loves ones at the door when they come home and announce their arrival with great enthusiasm.
Also, know the value of simply being with a loved one, cherish the opportunities to lie with your head in their lap or sit quietly beside them. Know too, that sometimes you have to get into their face and demand attention, and that’s ok too. Don’t take the relationship for granted—let your people know you love them, every single day.
Lesson 3: Enjoy every day. Play a little; sleep a little; enjoy your food and a treat now and then. Feel the gentle rain on your face or shuffle your feet through a pile of fallen leaves; smell the new mown grass, and maybe even roll in it. Enjoy each day, simply and with abandon.
Lesson 4: It’s okay to growl when you hurt or are afraid but don’t make a habit of it.
Most animals don’t have the habit of grumpiness. If they could be asked how they were, they wouldn’t automatically reply with a listless “okay.” We, on the other hand, are often unthinkingly negative. Perhaps we would do better to be like our animal friends --- see the good and expect to be happy. The only excuse for being cranky is fear or pain, otherwise, be good natured.
Lesson 5: give people the benefit of the doubt. See them positively and expect them to want to be friends. Run right up to welcome new people into your life and rejoice in the chance to get to know them. Expect the best of others, receive them with open hearts and open hands and welcome them joyously into your life.
And Lesson 6 I learned from Niko, who lives next door: to love and be loved is the best thing going.
So on this St. Francis Day, we rejoice in God’s creation and give thanks to God, our creator, for all the gifts he has given us. Let us pray:
We thank you God for the sun and moon, the stars and planets. We thank you for wind and cloud, rain and snow. We thank you God for water- to drink, to play in, to bathe in and for baptism. We thank you for fire that gives us warmth and light in darkness. We thank you for Mother Earth who feeds us and protects us. We thank you for flowers, trees, grass and bushes. We thank you for our pets that you have entrusted to us. They bring us joy, they calm us, they make us laugh, play with us and keep us safe. We thank you Lord, for all the animals of the earth, for the animals, fish and birds that give us food, help us with our work and entertain us. Help us to be good stewards of your creation and continually to find joy and wonder in all your works. These things we ask in your Son’s name.
Amen. (borrowed from Blessing of the animals, diocese of Texas)