Reconciling the creation of God

Reconciling the creation of God

Every year around the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, many churches gather for one of the most joyful, and probably least predictable, traditions of the year: the Blessing of the Animals. Usually, the dogs arrive pulling on their leashes, the cats arrive clearly wishing they were somewhere else, the cows may very well finish whatever grass is left beside the parking lot, and I am sure the raccoons are already making plans for coffee table!
We remember

We remember

We remember. In our hearts, the lives lost and forever changed on September 11 inspire our prayer today. Receive our sorrow, our lament, the honor with which we hold their memories, and the grief that still remains in so many families and communities.