Humans and Dogs!

All Creatures Bless the Lord

I never cease to marvel at how God created the whole universe with such variety and diversity,   earth, oceans, sky and all living beings from the tiniest insect to the complexities of the human person. What is God trying to teach us? There is a lovely canticle we recite on Sunday which begins with ‘O all you works of the Lord, O bless the Lord. To him be highest glory and praise for ever.’ And the canticle continues to praise God in sun, moon, stars, night day, mountains, plants, earth, fish, birds, beasts wild and tame, all creatures, humans and angels. Everything from heaven to earth, ‘bless the Lord’.

Our photo shows Sr. Teresa (Roebuck Carmel) with Shula the community dog. When you visit Roebuck monastery Shula will not run to meet you she charges out the door and shows how excited she is to see you. She lifts the heart. She accepts you whoever you are and whatever way you are. St. Thérèse before she entered had a dog called Tom. One day Thérèse was answering the door in the convent and the next thing Tom came bouncing in and hid under skirts. Thérèse was touched by this and said ‘our families may understand us leaving home but our dogs don't!

Shula and Tom often remind me of another dog Eddie. Eddie and his human companion Mary visit critically ill patients in the intensive care unit in their local hospital. Mary has often told me very moving stories about what happens. There is no plan in place. In a strange way Eddie makes the decision and Mary is there to accompany him and the patient. Mary will start by asking the patient would they like to pet Eddie or would they like Eddie to sit on the bed. From there on unusual things happen. Eddie will sense the need of the patient and react accordingly.

The nurses noticed an improvement in one very ill girl, who had regular visits from Eddie. She was well enough to be moved out of ICU. If Eddie has been with a very ill patient Mary would sense his need to leave and have a rest. There are many stories of dogs who work in therapeutic settings like this. We are all aware of guide dogs and there are dogs trained to accompany children with special needs and take care of them. I have read about a dog who can detect low insulin and warn his companion to take action.

Maybe the lesson for us is that being with someone in need can be powerful and healing and a lot of words may not be necessary. Also being comfortable not to use many words is challenging for us. Instead, just reassuring another person with sensitivity and your presence is powerful.

Maybe we are slow learners and God puts an array of different creatures before us to wake us up to the joy of our beautiful world. All creatures bless the Lord.

“The Sweetness of Dogs”

… Thus, we sit, myself
thinking how grateful I am for the moon’s perfect beauty and also, oh! how rich
it is to love the world. Percy, meanwhile,
leans against me and gazes up into
my face.

 As though I were just as wonderful
as the perfect moon.                     Mary Oliver