What I have mind most at this moment, and why I offer this pleading introduction, appealing to your kindness, compassion, frankly, indulgence at the start. On this, the Sunday nearest St. Francis' Day, the Sunday many of us will gather in the Close to bless our companion animal and asks God's protection on them through the intercession of Blessed Francis's. On this Sunday, I will preach on the sanctity and significance, the virtuous natural fidelity of animals, the unmistakable presence of a spiritual aspect in them, with the mark of a loving Creator upon them. If I am not yet mushy enough, or flabby enough or human enough or, most likely, wise enough, to declare from an Anglo-Catholic pulpit my conviction that animals possess eternal souls. Still, I will come as close as I think I dare. Whether Christ came to save animals as well as humans I cannot say - but you cannot read his Gospel comments about lambs, about wandering and lost and forgotten sheep without wondering - there is too much love and regard and tenderness there for them ever to be forgotten by our Lord. When we are as well-intentioned, but a little vague, as most Episcopalian clergy usually are, we say our Lord came to redeem all creation. So be it them, all creation. Us humans, and yes, "all creatures that earth do dwell." If not a baptizable soul, then surely an abiding life, a mystical core that endures, and can express, and feel, both hurt and love, and which seems quicker at absolute forgiveness than any human. Now I don't normally get this evangelical about things, more's the pity probably, but I don't want to leave you with the impression that I am just standing up here slinging around mish-mash of sentimental musings. This is all biblically-based, and biblically - attested and - affirmed. So, overdone as this may be, it's probably best to lay out one biblical text after another to establish the credentials for our reverence and regard for our companion animals. Jack Webb of the old Dragnet TV series would be proud: "Just the facts." Here they are: (NB: I rely on a list compiled by Fr. Rayner Hesse and Anthony Chiffolo in their excellent volume, We Thank you God, for These; Paulist Press. However, commentary on the meanings is dependent on my own understanding of these passages.) The Flood and Noah's Ark are so well known, we all surely know that God preserved Noah and his family, the only righteous humans on earth, but also, the animals - especially the animals. Despite silly popular songs about the unicorns missing the boat, God preserved every single species - the text is quite clear - every single one. And one human family. Huge Ark, massive Ark, completely ridiculous for one family - so, obviously designed from start to provide room for all the animals of the old earth, so that they would still dwell on the new one, and also, a human family. Noah knew that the Flood was over when he released a dove and it did not return to the Ark. So clear, so very clear - God has already provided the dove with a home in his new world. The Dove, first with the new home, the dove first off the Ark, not Noah. Later, Noah, his wife, their children, and all the animals of all creation, safe and sound and preserved somewhat by the care of the human, but really more by the mercy and intention of God, who appointed and instructed a human to take care of God's own animals. Numbers aren't everything, sometimes timing is. And God created the heavens and the earth. On the fifth day of creation, God said: "Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures and let birds fly above the earth across the firmament of heaven." And God said: "Let the earth bring forth living creature's, and so God made the beasts of earth, and God blessed them, and God said, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. And God saw that it was good." Then God said: (I'm quoting, not adding) then God said: "Let us make man in our image, male and female created he them." (Gn 1:20f) First the animals, then us, we are not an afterthought, I know, God does not have afterthoughts. But, still, still - first the animals - blessed and declared so very good. And then, later, soon, but ... later, after they were safely and well created, blessed, and declared good, then, then, you and I. And what about the Law given on Sinai? "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." We all know that. Do we all remember what follows? "Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest, so that your ox and your donkey may have relief." (Ex 23:12) Beasts of Burden huh? Brute beasts, huh? Evidently, obviously, not in God's eyes. Of course there is more to the full body of Divine Law than the Ten Commandments. There are others commandments and statutes, and ordinances. "You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey yoked together." (Deu 22:10) And later, "You shall not muzzle an ox while it is treading grain." (Deu 25:4) Maybe it's not immediately obvious what is going on there, in those two prohibitions. Animals are not to be over-worked, they are not to be set at tasks with others who do not match them. Their work-load must be balanced, matched to their stature, and strength, not mismatched, thereby making work more difficult for them. And an ox must have the right and the ability, unimpeded, to snack on the grain while he is treading it into useful flour. He must get his just payment for his labor. If he wants a treat, you are not allowed to prevent that. That is the Law, the Divine Law given from on High. And finally an admittedly stray comment in the Old Testament, but telling one: Proverbs: "The righteous know the needs of their animals, it is only the wicked whose mercy is cruel." (Prov 12:10) And what of Jesus himself? When he speaks to reassure us of our value and preciousness to God, when he wants us to trust and relax, he uses that glorious image of sparrows: "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them falls to the earth without tour Father's regard. Are you not of more value than sparrows?" (Matt 10:29) This is his supreme compliment to me, and his best assurance: I am of more value, even, than sparrows. Imagine, And he expects it will be hard to imagine that. Not sure that's the best compliment I've ever had, but that is our Lord's. That is what he wants me to know and believe, hard as it may be, that I am loved even more, of even greater value, than the sparrows he so treasures, and his Father watches over always. And what a good example for me, when I seek, and have such trouble finding, how best to be faithful and finding I am not quite sure -putting in a lot of effort, and still wondering, "Am I on the right track?” An example, familiar of course, given by our Lord about this, whereby he set a child in their midst and said: "Unless you become like a little child, you shall not enter the Kingdom of Heaven." (Lk 18:17) But when Jesus is at his lyrical, comforting, compassionate best, he gives us one of the best known images of all: "Consider the lilies of the field ... Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Consider the grass of the field, which today is green and flourishing, and tomorrow is burned up - will not God provide for you, man of little faith?" (Matt 6:30) Unaccountably, I count for more than grass and lilies an sparrows. And Jesus wants me to know that, and accept it. Now, not every animal or bird fares always as well, a fig tee is cursed, and so withers to the root, but only for promising much and delivering nothing. And there is of course that scathing comment to the Pharisees, intended as an insult: "You brood of vipers!"And there is, famously, that serpent in the Garden if Eden, "cursed above all creatures" it says. But that is Satan, not a snake, not a real, true, genuine, snake. That sort of snake, the sort of snakes we see, and mean, fares quite differently in Scripture. A bronze image of that sort of snake is fixed to a pole, which Moses lifted up over the people in the Sinai desert, the symbol and means given by God to heal the people, and held aloft as a sign of their faith and wholeness, health and rescue. And St. John the Evangelist remembers that detail: He says "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up." (John 3:14) Jesus's atonement and redemption, pictured by St. Paul in the language of the image of the snake of Sinai. Startling, I agree, but biblically true: Jesus - the glorious snake of our salvation and health. I'm not making this up! And I am not misquoting. On this Sunday nearest the Feast of Blessed Francis of Assisi, heeding that saint's actions, and taking his example, we commit ourselves to a similar care and concern for all creatures - animals, birds, reptiles, plants, all the creatures of God's earth, fashioned by him and precious to him, and held up to us, his people, as examples of decency, goodness, and righteousness. And we are forbidden by Law from Sinai to hurt or abuse or neglect them. This afternoon, we will very specifically call all this to mind, as many of us gather in the Garden to thank God for all his creatures, especially those entrusted to our direct care. If you cannot join us here, please join us spiritually in your own home, sometime today, quietly and devoutly, in that same home you share with them, and thank God for his gifts that he entrusts to your love, and sets forth for us as images of his love for us. Ask a blessing on your companion animals as our God so clearly hopes and intends for us to do, as we know full-well from his Holy Word. Here today, we will ask God to bless them, while deeply rejoicing that their presence will surely also bless us.