Windows Into God's Joy

Father Bill reflects on the blessing of animals at the outdoor service concluding our celebration of Season of Creation: "It is as not as if our companion animals are outside God's blessing and we are somehow bringing them in... they already shine with God's life."

Preached at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church (Ojai, California) on October 5, 2025.

What is What We Heard?

A weekly sermon podcast from Ojai, California. Grounded in scripture and open to the world, these reflections invite you to listen, wonder, and live the story.

Friends, it is good to be outdoors today, surrounded by fur and feather, paw and hoof, by all the creatures who share this world with us. They are probably more interested in sniffing one another than listening to me -- and that’s just as it should be.

We gather at the end of the Season of Creation, a time of remembering that this world is not ours alone. The psalms tell us: “The earth is the Lord’s, and all that is in it.” That means every oak tree, every hummingbird, every lizard on a warm stone, every cat curled in the sun, every dog with a wagging tail.

St. Francis, whom we honor today, understood this. He looked at the sun and called it brother, at the moon and called it sister. He sang with the birds, cared for the poor, and lived simply so that others -- human and non-human alike -- could thrive.

Our pets remind us of God’s love in a very ordinary, everyday way. Think of the unconditional welcome of a dog at the door, or the purring of a cat who trusts you enough to rest on your lap. Think of how holding a guinea pig, or watching fish in a tank, or hearing a bird’s song can bring us peace. In their eyes and gestures, we glimpse something of the Creator’s delight.

And so today, when we bless these animals, it’s not as though they are outside of God’s blessing and we are somehow bringing them in. They already shine with God’s life. What we are really doing is giving thanks -- noticing, naming, and celebrating the goodness of God revealed through them.

May this day remind us of the responsibility we carry: to care for the earth, to protect habitats, to treat animals with kindness, and to live more gently in this beautiful, interconnected world.

So, as we prepare to acknowledge this blessing in a few moments, I invite you to do what Francis himself might urge you to do: look into the eyes of your companion animal -- and see a window into God’s joy.

Amen.