Whether a dog, cat, bird, rabbit or any other of God’s many creatures, pets bring unconditional love and companionship into our lives, making them valued members of the family. It is for these reasons that pet owners want them to receive the same spiritual blessings as the human members of the family.
On September 12, Adopt-a-Pet of Fenton held its seventh annual “Pet Blessing” on the front lawn of the shelter’s Fenton Rd. facility. According to director Jody Maddock, it was seven years ago that one of their “amazing volunteers” reached out to Fr. Gabriel Bilas of Fenton’s St. Mary Magdalene Orthodox Church and asked if he would be willing to preside over this special event for the community. Maddock said he welcomed the invitation with open arms and has been doing it ever since.
“Fr. Gabriel delivers the blessing,” she said, in an outdoor ceremony that is usually short and to the point. “It involves each pet being blessed, as they are gently sprinkled with holy water.”
Why do they do it?
“In the ups and downs of life, one of the greatest blessings our Lord bestows upon mankind is our pets,” Maddock shared. “They teach children how to care for others, and they supply a certain kind of affection and companionship that we find consoling and attractive. When we bless them, we seek to foster all these things with a blessing on the help, sustenance, assistance and consolation they can provide.”
Fr. Gabriel commented, ‘We are in our seventh year of partnering with Adopt-A-Pet to bless all of the pets that are currently housed there, as well as all of the animals brought to the event from the community. Over the years, we have had the opportunity to bless a great number of pets. We have had not only dogs and cats, but also squirrels, skunks, ferrets, guinea pigs, hedgehogs and others.
Fr. Gabriel Bilas, his wife Laura and their son Elijah
“Even in Old Testament times, both living and inanimate things have been blessed in the Church for one reason: to make them holy and to set them apart for use by God,” Fr. Gabriel added. “In the Orthodox Church, we bless our homes, icons, cars, fire trucks, ambulances, food, beehives, livestock, our pets, our schools and backpacks – anything in this world that can be used to manifest the glory to God in our lives can be blessed and sanctified for His use.”
Fr. Gabriel notes all the wonderful blessings that God has poured out upon mankind through our pets. “A dog who senses its owner’s sadness or anxiety over life’s difficulties will often snuggle up next to them to calm them. A cat chasing a toy mouse or a fly in the window might provide someone with comic relief at a time when it’s needed most.”
“In the ups and downs of life, one of the greatest blessings our Lord bestows upon mankind is our pets.”
Jody Maddock, Director, Adopt-A-Pet of Fenton
The service that is used for the blessing is one that was written in honor of St. Mamas, one of the patron saints of animals.
“In terms of what the service is all about, I think the final prayer offers the most potency,” said Fr. Gabriel. It is:
“O Lord and author of all creation, You made the heavens and the earth and all they contain. You commanded the waters and the earth to bring forth all manner of living creatures. The fish of the sea, the birds of the air, which neither sow nor reap, nor gather into barns, and have given them to us as an example of Your providential care. Out of that same love, O Master, bless and protect these animals here presented. Through the prayers of Your Holy Martyr Mamas, drive out from them all sickness and malady. Let them be a constant source of joy in their homes, a comfort to those in sorrow, and a therapy to those who are sick. Send Your grace upon their owners, veterinarians and all of those who care for them. May the example of Saint Mamas inspire us and all Your people to deal kindly and mercifully with all animals. For before You, O Lord, all beings in heaven and on earth and under the earth bend their knees, and everything that lives and that breathes gives praise to Your glory beyond reach, for You are the one true God, full of mercy, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.”
St. Mary Magdalene belongs to the Eastern Orthodox Church, which along with the Roman Catholic Church, dates back to the Apostles themselves. It is the ancient Christian Church that still exists in the world today. Its services, which date back to the first centuries of Christianity, and beliefs are unchanged and unaffected by the ebbs and flows of secular society.
What does the Bible say about pets?
“The Bible was written to point the way to the coming of Jesus Christ, who came to destroy death and unite fallen mankind to God,” said Fr. Gabriel. “With that as its focus and purpose, there aren’t many things that are written specifically about pets. I don’t believe at the time of Christ that animals were domesticated as much as they are now.
“This blessing of animals, just like all of the services of the church, is another way for us to take a pause from the rest of the world and give thanks for all that God has given us – even our furry friends.”
Fr. Gabriel Bilas
“All that being said, the Bible speaks often about animals as a part of God’s created order, especially in the Psalms. In one of my favorite scripture verses, Christ uses the examples of birds to describe God’s love for us, and how we shouldn’t be anxious about the cares of life:
‘Look at the birds of the air: They neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not more valuable than they are? And which of you, by being anxious, can add one cubit to his span of life?’ (Matthew 6:26-27)
“In a world that is so completely full of wars, politics and chaos, we sometimes forget to stop and give thanks for everything we have been given,” he added. “Most people in our country attempt to do this one day of the year (at least until dinner is over) on Thanksgiving; but this simply isn’t enough. This blessing of animals, just like all of the services of the church, is another way for us to take a pause from the rest of the world and give thanks for all that God has given us – even our furry friends.”
