Yahoo – AFP,
January 18, 2016
 |
| A priest blesses a dog to mark San Anton Abad's Day in Churriana, near Malaga on January 17, 2016 (AFP Photo/Jorge Guerrero) |
Madrid
(AFP) - Dogs, cats, rabbits and even iguanas, many decked out in colourful
sweaters to keep warm, trooped into Spanish churches for a blessing on the Day
of Saint Anthony, patron saint of animals.
Pet-owners
lined up around the block of the Church of San Anton in central Madrid to wait
for a priest who stood at the entrance of the building to sprinkle holy water
on their animals.
"For
those of us who are believers we believe it provides health and well-being to
the animal as well as their owner," said 40-year-old waiter Francisco
Javier Carvajal Aceves as he waited in line with his 13-month-old Chihuahua
Lula cradled in his arms.
 |
Spanish
churches offered the traditional
blessing on the Day of Saint Anthony,
patron saint of animals (AFP Photo/
Jorge Guerrero)
|
Aceves said
he has come to the church every year to have his pets blessed since he moved to
Madrid from Mexico 16 years ago.
He dressed
his dog in a red and white sweater, while other pet-owners brought their dogs
in brightly-coloured coats or with bows in their fur.
One woman
brought a grey rabbit inside a red gym bag to be blessed, an elderly man
cradled a white dove in his hand and a young man took an iguana in a shoebox.
Blanca, a
54-year-old decorator, waited for half an hour for her turn to have her
Labrador Retriever blessed by a priest.
"You
always have to wait because a lot of people in Madrid have pets and everyone
wants to come to have them blessed," she said.
"You
have to come every year to be blessed so they will live for many more years. A
dog, an animal provides great company, gives you much pleasure, they behave
better than humans sometimes. If you don't have a dog you don't
understand."
After
having their pets blessed, the faithful lined up outside a church window to buy
bread rolls that were baked according to a secret recipe that keeps them soft.
 |
People wait
with their dogs to be blessed by a priest on San Anton Abad's Day
(Saint
Anthony), in Churriana, near Malaga on January 17, 2016 (AFP Photo/
Jorge
Guerrero)
|
Each
parishioner received three buns, one of which is traditionally kept for a year
alongside a coin to ensure work and health and to guarantee the blessing of the
saint.
The church
celebrated several masses throughout the day in honour of Saint Anthony which
were attended by pets and their owners.
The
festival has been celebrated in Madrid largely uninterrupted since the 19th
century. It is also held in other parts of Spain, such as the Balearic Islands
in the Mediterranean and the northern city of Burgos.
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Question: Dear Kryon: I live in Spain. I am sorry if I will ask you a question you might have already answered, but the translations of your books are very slow and I might not have gathered all information you have already given. I am quite concerned about abandoned animals. It seems that many people buy animals for their children and as soon as they grow, they set them out somewhere. Recently I had the occasion to see a small kitten in the middle of the street. I did not immediately react, since I could have stopped and taken it, without getting out of the car. So, I went on and at the first occasion I could turn, I went back to see if I could take the kitten, but it was to late, somebody had already killed it. This happened some month ago, but I still feel very sorry for that kitten. I just would like to know, what kind of entity are these animals and how does this fit in our world. Are these entities which choose this kind of life, like we do choose our kind of Human life? I see so many abandoned animals and every time I see one, my heart aches... I would like to know more about them.
Answer: Dear one, indeed the answer has been given, but let us give it again so you all understand. Animals are here on earth for three (3) reasons.
(1) The balance of biological life. . . the circle of energy that is needed for you to exist in what you call "nature."
(2) To be harvested. Yes, it's true. Many exist for your sustenance, and this is appropriate. It is a harmony between Human and animal, and always has. Remember the buffalo that willingly came into the indigenous tribes to be sacrificed when called? These are stories that you should examine again. The inappropriateness of today's culture is how these precious creatures are treated. Did you know that if there was an honoring ceremony at their death, they would nourish you better? Did you know that there is ceremony that could benefit all of humanity in this way. Perhaps it's time you saw it.
(3) To be loved and to love. For many cultures, animals serve as surrogate children, loved and taken care of. It gives Humans a chance to show compassion when they need it, and to have unconditional love when they need it. This is extremely important to many, and provides balance and centering for many.
Do animals know all this? At a basic level, they do. Not in the way you "know," but in a cellular awareness they understand that they are here in service to planet earth. If you honor them in all three instances, then balance will be the result. Your feelings about their treatment is important. Temper your reactions with the spiritual logic of their appropriateness and their service to humanity. Honor them in all three cases.
Do animals know all this? At a basic level, they do. Not in the way you "know," but in a cellular awareness they understand that they are here in service to planet earth. If you honor them in all three instances, then balance will be the result. Your feelings about their treatment is important. Temper your reactions with the spiritual logic of their appropriateness and their service to humanity. Honor them in all three cases.
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