04/10/2026
Happy Feast of Saint Francis tomorrow! This blessing comes with gratefulness for Francis’s heart toward the creatures, whom he considered our kin. This blessing comes also with gratitude for the Franciscan folks whose hospitality has been a pivotal gift in my life, and for the animals whose companionship has been a grace and a joy. I’ll include a photo of one of them in a comment below and would love to see any you’d like to share. Many blessings to you!
BLESSING THE ANIMALS
You who created them
and called them good:
Bless again these creatures
who come to us
as a blessing,
fashioned of fur
or feather
or fin,
formed of flesh
that breathes with
your own breath,
that you have made
from sheer delight,
that you have given
in dazzling variety.
Bless them
who curl themselves
around our hearts,
who twine themselves
through our days,
who companion us
in our labor,
who call us
to come and play.
Bless them
who will never be
entirely tamed
and so remind us
that you love
what is wild,
that you rejoice
in what lives close
to the earth,
that your heart beats
in the heart of these creatures
you have entrusted
to our care.
—Jan Richardson
from How the Stars Get in Your Bones: A Book of Blessings
janrichardson.com/books
Image: “Even the Sparrow”
© Jan Richardson
janrichardsonimages.com
