Blessing of the Animals at Holy Mass
Yes, bring your beloved pets to Holy Mass with you Sunday, October 1st at either the 10am or Noon Holy Mass
Bring your dogs, cats, hamsters, gerbils, birds, fish, ferrets, turtles, lizards, bunnies, for a special St. Francis blessing.
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
UhOh! It’s October. Pumpkin spice, apple pie and crisps, gourds, the colors of Fall, and all that goes with it. That means we will shortly be bombarded with the need to shop for our Christmas gifts. The disciples gathered (Acts 1:1-11) and asked Jesus a lot of questions. They wanted to know the times and occasions for various future events. Jesus spoke to them rather about gifts. Our knowledge of what is to come is indeed influenced by our experiences, plans, and calendars. We prepare for Holy Synod, decorations, the covering of flower beds in anticipation of frost. Yet we can never fully know our tomorrow. Jesus was not interested in tomorrow or what was coming. That was for His Father (Matthew 24:36). Jesus was interested in and wanted to prepare us for action now. So in addressing His disciples (yes, us), He promised the Holy Spirit, Who would outpour gifts on us.
Gifts are wonderful, aren’t they? God’s gifts are particularly special. But just as with every gift we must make decisions. Will I use it, leave it unused, misuse it, or ignore it. The Holy Spirit has indeed come. We celebrated that fact on June 5th this year. We momentarily reflected on the outpouring of the Spirit’s sevenfold gifts. Perhaps some of us were moved to more deeply explore those gifts, to see where they were active in our lives and the life of our parish and wider Church. And yes, the Holy Spirit has been busy while we reflected! Never doubt that. We have been granted wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. Of course we should give thanks, but more-so we should be active in setting those gifts to work in our lives, in the life of our parish, and in the wider Church.
Jesus wants us to rightly use the gifts we possess and make ourselves visible in doing His work in the world. No worry about tomorrow. Decide to put the Spirit’s sevenfold gifts to work today and urgently work so that all their qualities shine from us as we show Jesus to the world.
Welcome to October and all the beauty and grace God offers to His faithful!!!
In October we stand as an ally during Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). We celebrate the month of the Holy Rosary, honor St. Francis with the Blessing of Pets, stand with St. Clare of Assisi in our devotion to the Most Blessed Sacrament, prepare for the XXVI Holy Synod of our Church and the grand celebration of the 125th Anniversary of the Organization of our Church. We continue our series of devotions to the Infant of Prague in the Polish Language — Koronka do Praskiego DzieciÄ…tka Jezus w Waszych intencjach w każdy wtorek o godz. 12:30 po poÅ‚udniu. We celebrate the Solemnity of the Christian Family. Also, note the reminder concerning All Souls Day.
Get you tickets for our Christmas Vigil Raffle with a chance to win $2,500 and check out the great insurance special being offered by our sister organization, the Polish National Union.
Check that and more in our October 2022 Newsletter.
In commemoration of St. Francis of Assisi, Holy Name of Jesus at 1040 Pearl Street, Schenectady, will hold a Blessing of the Pets on Sunday, October 6th at both 9:30am and 11:30am Holy Mass.
People often ask: Is it ok to bring my pet to church with me? Can they actually come in the church? Our answer is YES! You Can. Yes! They can.
Bring your pet (dogs, cats, hamsters, gerbils, birds, fish, ferrets, turtles, lizards, any beloved animal) with you to Holy Mass or a special St. Francis blessing. They will be blessed individually as part of a special service that honor God’s creation and also recalls those beloved pets we may have lost.
Blessed are you, Lord God, Maker of all living creatures, On the fifth and sixth days of creation you called forth fish in the sea, birds in the air and animals on the land. You inspired St. Francis to call all animals his brothers and sisters. We ask you to bless these animals. By the power of your love enable them to live according to your plan. May we always praise you for all your beauty in creation. Blessed are you, Lord our God, in all your creatures! Amen.
If you wish, bring a pet food or treat to donate. They will be donated to a local humane rescue shelter.
Lord, increase my…
faith, soften my heart!
If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Francis began his life as a confirmed sinner. His father was a wealthy cloth merchant who owned farmland around Assisi. Francis wanted for nothing and was spoiled. He indulged in fine food, wine, and women, and left school at the age of 14. By this time, he was well known as a wild teenager who partied and broke the city curfew. He was also known for his charm with women and for being a great dresser.
Francis did learn the skills of archery, wrestling and horsemanship. While expected to follow his father into the family textile business, he dreamed of other pursuits. Instead of planning a future as a merchant, he daydreamed of being a knight; and if Francis had any ambition, it was to be a war hero like the knights he admired. In 1202, war broke out between Assisi and Perugia, and Francis eagerly took his place with the cavalry.
People aren’t very good at softening their hearts. We are, unfortunately, pretty good at hardening them. Think of someone who holds a grudge, hasn’t spoken with a family member in years, or has closed their heart to the needs of others. We don’t often see them have a change of heart, a softening, unless someone intervenes…
Francis and the men of Assisi came under heavy attack by superior forces and ran. Many were killed. Most of the surviving Assisi troops were put to death. Dressed like an aristocrat and worthy of a decent ransom, Francis was captured. Francis spent nearly a year in a miserable prison cell waiting for his father to ransom him. It was there that he first heard God’s call…
The One who can soften our hearts, who intervenes, is Jesus. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, Jesus calls us to listen, to repent, and to soften our hearts – to have deeper faith. Like Francis, we have to listen for God’s call. We have to accept Him in faith and allow Him to soften our hearts and build our faith. Today’s psalm speaks of the life Francis went on to live once his heart was softened:
Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD; let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation. Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us joyfully sing psalms to him. Come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the LORD who made us. For he is our God, and we are the people he shepherds…
The Holy Spirit worked to plant the seed of faith in Francis. We all have that seed of faith in us, the whole world does, but like Francis we have to open our ears to God’s call. We have to let Him soften our hearts, build our faith, so that like Francis we can serve Him in joy.
October 4th is the Commemoration of St. Francis of Assisi. If you wish, please bring your pets to church on Sunday, October 6th during our regular worship at 9:30am. We will hold a special blessing for our furry, feathered, and scaled friends. If you wish, you may also bring in some pet supplies for donation to local pet shelters.
Blessed are you, Lord God, Maker of all living creatures, On the fifth and sixth days of creation you called forth fish in the sea, birds in the air and animals on the land. You inspired St. Francis to call all animals his brothers and sisters. We ask you to bless this animal. By the power of your love enable it to live according to your plan. May we always praise you for all your beauty in creation. Blessed are you, Lord our God, in all your creatures! Amen.
As you may have heard, there have been many pets and animals that were abandoned in the flooded areas around us and in our state’s southern tier. Various agencies in and around our area have taken up the search and rescue and rehabilitation of those animals found homeless. Although we could not be involved with the agencies that are trying to match up the animals with their owners, we could be helpful in those plans that will help to provide care until that reunion may take place.
Therefore, we are asking that if you have a pet or not, to stop by and add your prayers during a short service on Saturday, October 1st (the actual Feast-day is the 4th), at 10am. Also, if you could bring along some items to donate: dry or canned pet food, cat litter, leashes, or other items (no perishable food) you would like to donate. Some early contact with these agencies has been made.
Our prayer this year will have special import since there are a number of animals we will ask St. Francis to intercede for and ask God to protect and re-unite with their caregivers. Please add your prayer, voice, and donation. In advance, THANKS!
As you may have heard, there have been many pets and animals that remain abandoned in the storms and severe weather that had plagued our nation over the past year. Various agencies in and around our area have taken up the search and rescue and rehabilitation of those animals found homeless. Although we could not be involved with the agencies that are trying to match up the animals with their owners, we could be helpful in those plans that will help to provide care until that reunion may take place.
Therefore, we are asking that if you have a pet or not to stop by and add your prayers during the short service on Saturday, October 2nd, 10 am. Also, if you could bring along some items to donate: dry or canned pet food, cat litter, leashes, or other items (no perishable food) you would like to donate. Some early contact with these agencies has been made.
Our prayer again this year will have special import since there are animals we will ask St Francis to intercede for and ask God to protect and reunite these pets with their care-givers. Please add your voice and donation. In advance, THANKS!
Our Parish family came together to assist Hannah Bilinski in her Scouting project. Her work and the Parish’s generosity are on display at the Spring Farm CARES website.
Food and homemade flannel blankets were delivered to Spring Farm CARES a not-for-profit organization that goes well beyond the typical definition of a shelter or animal resure organization. They are the world’s first “public center for animal communication.”
Błogosławieństwa zwierząt, za wstawiennictwem świętego Franciszka z Asyżu
La BendicioÌn de los Animales recordando y honrando a San Francisco
As you may have heard, There have been many pets and animals that remain abandoned in the fires of last year and those of this year. Various agencies in and around our area have taken up the search and rescue and rehabilitation of those animals found homeless.
Although we could not be involved with the agencies that are trying to match up the animals with their owners, we could be helpful in those plans that will help to provide care until that reunion may take place. Therefore, we are asking that if you have a pet or not to stop by and add your prayers during the short service on Saturday, October 7th, 10 am. Also, if you could bring along some items To donate: dry or canned pet food, cat litter, leashes, or other items (no perishable food) you would like to donate. Some early contact with these agencies has been made.
Our prayer again this year will have special import since there are a number of animals we will ask St. Francis to intercede for and ask God to protect and re-unite with their caregivers. Please add your voice and donation.
In advance, THANKS!