[Originally posted 10/6/2006]
Some dogs are just not as fortunate as others. Solomon (pet of Desmond Fuller] and Scooter are lamenting the insensitivity of their narrow-minded, fundamentalist owners who take such a literal view of Scripture that they see no justification for participating in Pet Blessing Day.
Pets of many Roman Catholic owners were much more privileged as they had the presiding priest sprinkle them with holy water and pronounce all types of blessing over their shaggy manes.
Pet blessings pay homage to Saint Francis of Assisi (1182-1226), the Catholic patron saint of animals and the environment. . .
The blessings are more symbolic than a way to protect an animal’s soul from sin, but it brings comfort to their owners.
Scooter actually has very little sensitivity to sin — even though he is as selfish as they come. His view of life definitely centers around his own well-being. He demands being the center of attention and contributes very little in the way of sacrificial service. I am not sure what type of blessing I could seek out for him. I just figure that being included in such a top notch human family should be reward enough for the critter. The news articles on the subject seem to indicate that Desmond and I are the ones missing out on some level of comfort. I’ll just have Scooter snuggle a little closer this Monday night for the Ravens game against Denver.