I love this statue of St. Francis, and enjoy seeing it every day. I hope you like it, too. I pray to him every day, and ask Him to take care of my pets.

Today, October 4, 2019, is St Francis of Assisi’s feast day. I am so fortunate to be alive to celebrate his feast day. St. Francis is the patron saint of animals and the environment. Many churches and religious communities celebrate his life, and priests also bless people’s pets. (If you can’t take your pet to be blessed, it is okay to take a photograph of your beloved pet or pets to the priest. He will bless the photo and pray for your pets. My husband and I don’t take our foxhound, Twister, for the “blessing of the animals” ceremony because he would get too excited and might scare people and their pets. Twister’s a very nice dog, though. We’re just being cautious. Our rescue kitty, Mr. Martin, would be traumatized by the crowds. So we don’t take him, either)

I’ve had the following prayer for a long time, and say it every day. It helps me during difficult times.

Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive. It is in pardoning that we are pardoned. It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.