God and Dog

Today in NOTL:  At 10 a.m., clear blue skies with a light breeze and temps at a delicious 73F/23 with a predicted high of still-comfortable 84F/29C.  Another NOTL weather-winner of a day! ;)

What a cafufle in Toronto over a dog and God this morning!  A kind and gentle priest, being presented with a smiling dog at communion, gave the dog the sacrament.  A parishioner, shocked and horrified that the body/blood/soul/divinity of Christ would be shared with a fiilthy dog, has filed a formal complaint with the bishop and left the church.

Ok, I can see the person's point: the dog is certainly not a baptized Christian with full understanding of the sacrament, which could equally be said of the apostles at the last supper, I expect.  But the apostles were not dogs, but humans.

I think the person who complained, whom I feel sure thought that s/he was defending the sanctity of Eucharist, is missing the point of Jesus' life and ministry, which is love.  I feel equally sure that the priest in question was acting out of a loving inspiration, and I am utterly convinced that the action was powerful and moving to many of the congregation.  I suspect that there were some moist eyes among the smiling observers.

Jesus died for love, we are told.  Is there anything he wouldn't do for love?  I cannot imagine that there is, so when the priest responded to the communicant's love for his dog, I believe it was a divine inspiration to do so.

Wouldn't be beautiful if we were all equally responsive to the impulses of Love?

I am off to give Mr. Murphy a great big hug!  Have a lovely day, all!