01162021 – Pet Blessing – Epiphany II Eve of St. Anthony Abbot
So, it is the NEW SEASON of EPIPHANY-week two! And we have a pet blessing…
It’s all about new “revelations…”
New “things” being “SHOWN” to us!
New things “revealing themselves” to us.
New “Understandings…”
New “Clarity”
“Light bulb moments…”
“AHA Moments…”
A moment of DISCOVERY
A moment of recognition
“Mountain top experiences…”
A moment of “SUDDEN INSIGHT”
I think you “get it…”
So, what does a talking sheep dog, a garden gnome and cold water have to do with Epiphany?
It soon will be revealed…
After “a talking sheepdog” gets “all the sheep in the pen,” he reports back to the farmer:
“All 40 accounted for, sir.”
“But I only have 36 sheep,” says the farmer.
“I know,” says the sheepdog. “But I “ROUNDED THEM UP!”.
Get it, 36 to 40 …rounded them up?
A gnome is in the garden busily destroying some bushes when a house cat appears.
“What are you?” asks the cat.
“A gnome,” comes the reply.
“I steal food from humans, I kill their plants, I make annoying music at night to drive them crazy, and I love all kinds of mischief.
And what, may I ask, are you?”
The cat replies, “Um, I’m a GNOME, too.”
And the third and final one…
John went to visit his old grandfather in a secluded area of Georgia…
After chatting all night John’s grandfather made a breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast.
However, John noticed a slimy film on his plate, and questioned his grandfather, “Are these plates clean?”
His grandfather replied, “They’re as clean as “cold water” can get them. Just finish your meal!”
For lunch John worried that the plates would still have dried egg on them and so he asked again, “Are you sure these plates are clean?”
The old man said, “I told you those dishes are as clean as “cold water” can get them. Now I don’t want to hear any more about it!”
Later that afternoon, as John was leaving, his grandfather’s dog started to growl, not letting him pass.
John yelled, “Grandfather, your dog won’t let me get to my car.”
The old man shouted, “Coldwater, go lie down!”
Animals, like children, live in the present moment. What would it be like for you to notice and appreciate more of the present?
Animals use “all of their senses” available to them and trust their instincts. What about you?
Animals are reminders of how much we value connecting “with others” and “sharing our hearts” even when we are exhausted and spent. And you?
Humans often rely on “words,” but our animal friends and Creation teaches us that there are “multiple ways to communicate.” Consider other options.
We are so often in a rush. The dog or cat THAT naps reminds us that napping isn’t a luxury, it is a necessity.
“The creatures around us routinely play to invent, discover, and bring JOY to their day.” Shouldn’t we?
Dogs and cats at play are “fully absorbed” and not “inwardly critical” of “themselves or others.” Stop being so critical.
For animals, “the continuity of their lives – takes precedence over reliving the past.” They move on…shouldn’t we?
Anyone who has been greeted at the door by a cat or dog, small human, or even a pet pig knows that animals and little people are much less likely than adults to “impose conditions on our love.”
Maybe, just maybe, we need to take a clue from the animal world around…
Now there’s a revelation or two, for you!
Amen.