Thanking St Francis

I love St Francis of Assisi. He is the patron saint of animals and ecology and ecologists. As my husband and I have planted saplings for our new baby and have been working on a garden, St Francis has been close to my mind. He believed in simplicity and seeing God in all things.

I thank St Francis often for helping to protect our earth through his intercession with God when I tour state parks and go on nature trails or enjoy mornings at the beach. I can't help but think that if it weren't for St Francis' intervention, we wouldn't have so much natural beauty to enjoy.

This week I thank St Francis especially for protecting my dogs. Charlie suffered an injury this week when, while playing outside, he accidentally was stabbed by a stick. Luckily the injury was not life threatening and he is expected, with stitches and antibiotics, to make a full recovery. Charlie, like Gilligan--our beagle--, wears a St Francis medal on his collar. We also have a St Francis statue in our backyard where our dogs play. Our vet advised us that if Charlie was to get an injury like this, he got it in the best possible place. It missed all his vital organs and bounced off the bone. The injury happened just inches from where his St Francis medal hangs on his collar. I prayed all night while we waited to take Charlie to the vet that St Francis would protect Charlie. And he did.

St Francis has also protected Gilligan. Gilligan has suffered seizures since he was almost two years old. His seizures have been controlled by medication and now that Gilligan has lost all the weight the medication caused him to gain, he is a very healthy beagle!

Many people question Catholics as to their belief in saints. I do not pray to a saint the way I pray to God. Instead, in much the same way that many people "talk" to friends and relatives who have passed on, I "talk" with these men and women whom I consider friends, and ask them to intercede on my behalf with God. It's just like asking my family here on earth to pray for me.

I believe God answered both my prayers and the prayers of St Francis of Assisi for Charlie's recovery this week.

So I thank you God for your miracle.

And I thank you, St Francis, for your powerful prayer and intercession.