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Category |
Quotation |
Affection of the Mother
Hen |
"This
species [the hen] has the greatest affection for its brood, insomuch
that when they are sick the mother sickens also; and what you will
hardly find in any other animal, it will fight against the kite,
protecting its young with its wings." (St. Augustine, Doctor of
the Church)
Also
See: Love
of the Crow for its Young
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All Creatures Are
Ordered to God |
"All
things deriving from God are ordered to one another and to him. And that
is what makes the unity of the world." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor
of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church") "Since
therefore God is outside the whole order of creation, and all creatures
are ordered to Him, and not conversely, it is manifest that creatures
are really related to God Himself; whereas in God there is no real
relation to creatures, but a relation only in idea, inasmuch as
creatures are referred to Him." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the
Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
Also
See: All
Creatures Created / Sustained by God | Animals
Belong to God | Animals
Merit Respect & Love | Every
Being is Good | God's
Presence in All Things
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All
Creatures Called to Rejoice & Praise God |
"Let the heavens and the earth sing praise, the seas and
whatever moves in them!" (Ps. 69:35)
"Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice; let the sea and what fills it resound; let the plains be joyful and all that is in them.
Then let all the trees of the forest rejoice before the LORD who comes, who comes to govern the earth,
To govern the world with justice and the peoples with faithfulness."
(Ps. 96:11-13)
"Let
the sea and what fills it resound, the world and those who dwell there.
Let the rivers clap their hands, the mountains shout with them for joy,
Before the LORD who comes, who comes to govern the earth, To govern the
world with justice and the peoples with fairness." (Ps. 98:7-9)
"Praise the LORD from the
earth, you sea monsters and all deep waters; You lightning and
hail, snow and clouds, storm winds that fulfill his command; You
mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars; You animals
wild and tame, you creatures that crawl and fly; You kings of the
earth and all peoples, princes and all who govern on earth; Young
men and women too, old and young alike. Let them all praise the
LORD'S name, for his name alone is exalted, majestic above earth
and heaven." (Ps. 148:7-13)
"Let everything that has breath give praise to the LORD!
Hallelujah!" (Ps. 150:6)
"Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise from the
end of the earth: Let the sea and what fills it resound, the
coastlands, and those who dwell in them." (Isa. 42:10)
"Let the earth bless the
Lord, praise and exalt him above all forever. Mountains and
hills, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all
forever. Everything growing from the earth, bless the
Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. You springs,
bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. Seas
and rivers, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all
forever. You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the
Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. All you birds
of the air, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all
forever. All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the
Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever." (Taken
from Dan. 3:74-81)
Also
See: To
Love God is Natural to Every Nature | "Scripture
for Animal Lovers"
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All
Creatures Created / Sustained by God |
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Animals Belong to God
Also See:
Animals
/ Pets (Topic Page)
|
"The LORD spoke to Moses and said,
'Consecrate to me every first-born that opens the womb among the Israelites, both of man and beast, for it belongs to
me." (Ex. 13:1-2)
"When the LORD, your God, has brought you into the land of the Canaanites, which he swore to you and your fathers he would give you, you shall dedicate to the LORD every son that opens the womb;
and all the male firstlings of your animals shall belong to the LORD."
(Ex. 13:11-22)
"The LORD said to Moses,
'It is I who have chosen the Levites from the Israelites in place of every first-born that opens the womb among the Israelites. The Levites, therefore, are mine,
because every first-born is mine. When I slew all the first-born in the land of Egypt, I made all the first-born in Israel sacred to me, both of man and of beast. They belong to me; I am the
LORD.'" (Num. 3:11-13)
"Indeed, all the first-born among the
Israelites, both of man and of beast, belong to me; I consecrated
them to myself on the day I slew all the first-born in the land of
Egypt." (Num. 8:17) "For every animal of the
forest is mine, beasts by the thousands on my mountains. I know
every bird of the heavens; the creatures of the field belong to
me." (Ps. 50:10-11)
Also
See: All
Creatures Created / Sustained by God | Animals
Merit Respect & Love | Every
Being is Good | God's
Love & Care for Creation | God's
Presence in All Things | Love
of God's Creatures | "Scripture
for Animal Lovers"
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Animals Merit
Respect & Love
Also See:
Animals
/ Pets (Topic Page)
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"[Animals are] fruit of the creative action of
the Holy Spirit and merit respect" (Pope John Paul II)
"[A]nimals possess a soul and men must love and feel
solidarity with our smaller brethren" (Pope John Paul II) Also
See: All
Creatures Are Ordered to God | All
Creatures Called to Rejoice & Praise God | All
Creatures Created / Sustained by God | Animals
Belong to God | Care
of Animals (Scripture) | Creation
Teaches Us / Reminds Us About God | Every
Being is Good | God's
Presence in All Things | Love
of God's Creatures | Creatures
/ Creation (Misc.) | Animals
in Church History | "Scripture
for Animal Lovers"
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Biblical
Foretellings of Future Happiness Which Include Creatures |
"But a shoot shall sprout
from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall
blossom. The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him: a spirit
of wisdom and of understanding, A spirit of counsel and of
strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD, and
his delight shall be the fear of the LORD. Not by appearance
shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, But he shall
judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land's
afflicted. He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his
mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the
wicked. Justice shall be the band around his waist, and
faithfulness a belt upon his hips. Then the wolf shall be a guest
of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; The
calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little
child to guide them. The cow and the bear shall be neighbors,
together their young shall rest; the lion shall eat hay like
the ox. The baby shall play by the cobra's den, and the child
lay his hand on the adder's lair. There shall be no harm or ruin
on all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled with
knowledge of the LORD, as water covers the sea." (Isa. 11:1-9)
"Lo, I am about to create
new heavens and a new earth; The things of the past
shall not be remembered or come to mind. Instead, there shall
always be rejoicing and happiness in what I create; For
I create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a
delight; I will rejoice in Jerusalem and exult in my
people. No longer shall the sound of weeping be heard
there, or the sound of crying; No longer shall there be in
it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who
does not round out his full lifetime; He dies a mere youth
who reaches but a hundred years, and he who fails of a
hundred shall be thought accursed. They shall live in the houses
they build, and eat the fruit of the vineyards they plant;
They shall not build houses for others to live in, or plant
for others to eat. As the years of a tree, so the years of my
people; and my chosen ones shall long enjoy the produce
of their hands. They shall not toil in vain, nor beget
children for sudden destruction; For a race blessed by the
LORD are they and their offspring. Before they call, I will
answer; while they are yet speaking, I will hearken to them.
The wolf and the lamb shall graze alike, and the lion shall
eat hay like the ox (but the serpent's food shall be
dust). None shall hurt or destroy on all my holy
mountain, says the LORD." (Isa. 65:17-25)
"I will make a covenant
for them on that day, with the beasts of the field, With
the birds of the air, and with the things that crawl on the
ground. Bow and sword and war I will destroy from the
land, and I will let them take their rest in security. I will
espouse you to me forever: I will espouse you in right and in
justice, in love and in mercy; I will espouse you in
fidelity, and you shall know the LORD." (Hosea 2:20-22)
"For creation awaits with
eager expectation the revelation of the children of God; for
creation was made subject to futility, not of its own accord but
because of the one who subjected it, in hope that creation itself
would be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the
glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that all creation
is groaning in labor pains even until now; and not only that, but
we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we also
groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of
our bodies." (Rom. 8:19-23)
Also
See: All
Creatures Are Ordered to God | All
Creatures Called to Rejoice & Praise God | All
Creatures Created / Sustained by God | Animals
Belong to God | Animals
Merit Respect & Love | Christ's
Second Coming / Harmony Among Animals | Creation
& The Fall of Man / Redemption | Every
Being is Good | God's
Love & Care for Creation | God's
Presence in All Things | "Scripture
for Animal Lovers"
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Care of Animals
(Scripture)
Also See:
Animals
/ Pets (Topic Page)
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"When
you come upon your enemy's ox or ass going astray, see to it that it is
returned to him. When you notice the ass of one who hates you lying
prostrate under its burden, by no means desert him; help him, rather, to
raise it up." (Ex. 23:4-5)
"You shall not see your
kinsman's ass or ox foundering on the road without showing concern
about it; see to it that you help him lift it up." (Deut.
22:4)
"The just man takes care of his beast,
but the heart of the wicked is merciless." (Prov. 12:10) "Then [Jesus] said to
them, 'Who among you, if your son or ox falls into a cistern,
would not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day?'" (Lk. 14:5)
[Jesus said:]
"What
man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would
not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one
until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his
shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls
together his friends and neighbors and says to them, 'Rejoice with
me because I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you, in just the
same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who
repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of
repentance." (Lk. 15:4-7)
[Jesus said,]
"I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for
the sheep." (Taken from Jn. 10:11)
Also
See: All
Creatures Are Ordered to God
| All
Creatures Called to Rejoice & Praise God
| All
Creatures Created / Sustained by God | Animals
Belong to God | Animals
Merit Respect & Love | Creation
Teaches Us / Reminds Us About God | Every
Being is Good
| God's
Love & Care for Creation
| God's
Presence in All Things | Love
of God's Creatures | Prayers
for Animals
| "Scripture
for Animal Lovers"
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Christ's Second Coming / Harmony Among Animals
Also See:
Animals
/ Pets (Topic Page)
|
"As
to the union, harmony, and peace among the various animals which are by
nature mutually inimical and hostile, the elders say that
it will really be so, when Christ comes again to be King over all."
[St. Irenaeus (a disciple of St. Polycarp, a hearer of St. John the
Apostle), circa 190-200 A.D.]
Also
See: All
Creatures Are Ordered to God | All
Creatures Called to Rejoice & Praise God | All
Creatures Created / Sustained by God | Animals
Belong to God | Biblical
Foretellings of Future Happiness Which Include Creatures | Creation
& The Fall of Man / Redemption | Every
Being is Good | God's
Love & Care for Creation | God's
Presence in All Things | "Scripture
for Animal Lovers"
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Creation & The Fall of Man / Redemption |
"For
creation awaits with eager expectation the revelation of the children of
God; for creation was made subject to futility, not of its own accord
but because of the one who subjected it, in hope that creation itself
would be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious
freedom of the children of God. We know that all creation is groaning in
labor pains even until now; and not only that, but we ourselves, who
have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we
wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies." (Rom. 8:19-23)
"...[in]
irrational animals...there is not the stain of original sin." (St.
Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in
the history of the Church")
"Since
God 'wishes all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the
truth,' the Redemption includes all humanity and in a certain way all of
creation." (Pope John Paul II, 1986 A.D.)
"And animals share in Christ's redemption of all
God's creation." [Book of Blessings (approved by the USCCB &
confirmed by the Apostolic See)]
"[T]he
nurse who has brought up the king's son; when he succeeds to his
father's kingdom, she too is made all the better off... It is much the
same with all men; when a son of theirs is to appear in the splendor of
some new dignity, they let this very servants wear richer suits. So will
God vest in incorruption every creature when the day of the deliverance
and glory of His children shall come." (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor
of the Church)
"The
Canticle, in which the three children, in the fiery furnace of Babylon,
bid all creatures of God to bless his name, is sung by the Church in the
Lauds of every great feast. It gives a voice to all creatures, and
invites the whole universe to bless its divine author. How just it is,
that on this day [that is, Easter] heaven and earth should unite in
giving glory to the great God, who, by his Death and Resurrection,
repairs the injury done to them by sin!" (Gueranger)
"Moreover,
nothing in creation had erred from the path of God's purpose for it,
save only man. Sun, moon, heaven, stars, water, air, none of these had
swerved from their order, but, knowing the Word as their Maker and their
King, remained as they were made. Men alone having rejected what is
good, have invented nothings instead of the truth, and have ascribed the
honor due to God and the knowledge concerning Him to demons and men in
the form of stones." (St. Athanasius, Doctor of the Church)
"Christmas
gave us a Man-God; three days have scarcely passed since we witnessed
his infinitely precious Blood shed for our ransom; but now, on the day
of Easter, our Jesus is no longer the victim of death: He is a
conqueror, who destroys death, the child of sin, and proclaims life, the
undying life which he has purchased for us. The humiliation of his
swathing-bands, the sufferings of his agony and cross, these are passed;
all is now glory - glory for himself, and glory also for us. On the day
of Easter, God regains, by the Resurrection of the Man-God, his creation
such as he made it in the beginning; the only vestige now left of death
is sin, the likeness of which the Lamb of God deigned to take upon
himself." (Gueranger)
Also
See: Biblical
Foretellings of Future Happiness Which Include Creatures | Christ's
Second Coming / Harmony Among Animals | God's
Love & Care for Creation | God's
Presence in All Things | "Scripture
for Animal Lovers"
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Creation
Teaches Us / Reminds Us About God |
"For from the greatness and the beauty
of created things their original author, by analogy, is seen."
(Wisdom 13:5) "Creation
itself and its continuance and its government proclaim the greatness of
the Divine Nature." (St. John Damascene, Doctor of the Church, circa 8th century A.D.)
"[C]reation, as if in written characters and by means of its order
and harmony, declares in a loud voice its own Master and Creator"
(St. Athanasius, Doctor of the Church)
"The
songs of birds and the sound of music should remind us of the eternal
and ever new canticle of Heaven." (St. Anthony Mary Claret)
"In
all created things discern the providence and wisdom of God, and in all
things give Him thanks." (St. Teresa of Jesus, Doctor of the Church)
"If
things created are so full of loveliness, how resplendent with beauty
must be the One who made them! The wisdom of the worker is apparent in
His handiwork." (St. Anthony of Padua, Doctor of the Church)
"For each of these [His creatures or
elements of His creation], by which He speaks, declares that it leads us
to the knowledge of God, that it makes us know the Master better."
(St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church, circa 4th century A.D.)
"Since,
as the Apostle says, 'His eternal power and divinity are clearly seen,
understood through the creation of the world' all creation, therefore,
and above all, as the Scripture says, the orderly arrangement in the
heavens demonstrates the wisdom of the Creator through the skill
displayed in His works." (St. Gregory of Nyssa, circa 380 A.D.)
"Distinction
and variety in the world is intended by the First Cause. God brings
things into existence in order that His goodness may be communicated and
manifested. One solitary creature would not suffice. Therefore He makes
creatures many and diverse, that what is wanting in one may be supplied
by another." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and
"greatest theologian in the history of the Church", Summa Theologica)
"For
God, being good and loving to mankind, and caring for the souls which He
made, since He is by nature invisible and incomprehensible, and since
His existence transcends that of every created being, on which account
the human race, made out of nothing while He is not made at all, was
unlikely to reach a knowledge of Him, - for this reason God, by his own
Word, gave to creation such order as is found therein, so that while He
is by nature invisible, men might yet be able to know Him through His
works." (St. Athanasius, Doctor of the Church)
"Ask
the world, the beauty of the heavens, the splendor and arrangement of
the stars; the sun that suffices for the day; the moon, the comfort of
the night; ask the earth, fruitful in herbs and tress, full of animals,
adorned with men; ask the sea, filled with so many swimming creatures of
every kind; ask the air, replete with so many flying creatures. Ask them
all, and see if they do not, as if in a language of their own, answer
you: 'God made us.' Noble philosophers too have sought these things, and
have recognized the Artisan by the art." (St. Augustine, Doctor of
the Church, circa 5th
century A.D.)
"Creatures
of themselves do not withdraw us from God, but lead us to Him; for 'the invisible things of God are clearly seen, being understood by
the things that are made' (Romans 1:20). If, then, they withdraw
men from God, it is the fault of those who use them foolishly. Thus it
is said (Wisdom 14:11): 'Creatures are turned into a snare to the
feet of the unwise.' And the very fact that they can thus withdraw
us from God proves that they came from Him, for they cannot lead the
foolish away from God except by the allurements of some good that they
have from Him." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and
"greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
Also
See: All
Creatures Are Ordered to God | All
Creatures Called to Rejoice & Praise God | All
Creatures Created / Sustained by God | Animals
Belong to God | Animals
Merit Respect & Love | Every
Being is Good | God's
Love & Care for Creation | God's
Presence in All Things | "Scripture
for Animal Lovers"
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Every Being is Good |
"And so it happened. God looked at
everything he had made, and he found it very good. Evening came,
and morning followed - the sixth day." (Taken from Gen.
1:30-31)
"Every
being that is not God, is God's creature. Now every creature of God is
Good (1 Tm. 4:4), and God is the greatest good. Therefore every being is
good." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the
Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
"[A]ll
existing things, in so far as they exist, are good, since the existence
of a thing is itself a good" (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the
Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
Also
See: All
Creatures Are Ordered to God | All
Creatures Created / Sustained by God | Animals
Belong to God | Animals
Merit Respect & Love | Creation
Teaches Us / Reminds Us About God | God's
Love & Care for Creation | God's
Presence in All Things | "Scripture
for Animal Lovers"
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Excerpts
From St. Anthony
of Padua's Sermon to the Fish
Also See:
Animals
/ Pets (Topic Page)
|
"My brothers the fishes, you are
bound, as much as is in your power, to return thanks to your Creator,
who has given you so noble an element for your dwelling... you have many places of refuge
from the tempest; you have likewise a pure and transparent element for
your nourishment. God, your bountiful and kind Creator, when he made
you, ordered you to increase and multiply, and gave you his blessing. In
the universal deluge, all other creatures perished; you alone did God
preserve from all harm. He has given you fins to enable you to go where
you will. To you was it granted, according to the commandment of God, to
keep the prophet Jonas, and after three days to throw him safe and sound
on dry land. You it was who gave the tribute-money to our Savior Jesus
Christ, when, through his poverty, he had not wherewith to pay... Because of all these things
you are bound to praise and bless the Lord, who has given you blessings
so many and so much greater than to other creatures." [Note: After
this sermon, the fish were sent away "happy and rejoicing".]
(St. Anthony
of Padua, Doctor of the Church)
Also
See: All
Creatures Are Ordered to God | All
Creatures Called to Rejoice & Praise God | All
Creatures Created / Sustained by God | Saints
& Animals | Animals
in Church History | St.
Francis of Assisi to the Chattering Birds | St.
Francis of Assisi's Sermon to the Birds
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God's Love &
Care for Creation
Also See:
Animals
/ Pets (Topic Page)
|
"For you love all things
that are and loathe nothing that you have made; for what
you hated, you would not have fashioned. And how could a thing
remain, unless you willed it; or be preserved, had it not
been called forth by you? But you spare all things, because
they are yours, O LORD and lover of souls, for your
imperishable spirit is in all things!" (Wisdom 11:24-26, 12:1)
[Jesus
said:] "Are not two sparrows
sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground
without your Father's knowledge." (Mt. 10:29)
[Jesus
said:] "Are not five sparrows
sold for two small coins? Yet not one of them has escaped the
notice of God." (Lk. 12:6)
"God
loves all things that He has made" (St. Augustine, Doctor of the
Church)
"[Animals are] as near to God as men are"
(Pope John Paul II) "Although
creatures have not existed from eternity, except in God, yet because
they have been in Him from eternity, God has known them eternally in
their proper natures; and for that reason has loved them, even as we, by
the images of things within us, know things existing in
themselves." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and
"greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
Also
See: All
Creatures Are Ordered to God | All
Creatures Called to Rejoice & Praise God | All
Creatures Created / Sustained by God | Animals
Belong to God | Creation
& The Fall of Man / Redemption | Every
Being is Good | God's
Presence in All Things | To
Love God is Natural to Every Nature | "Scripture
for Animal Lovers"
Note:
Categories are subjective and may overlap. For more items related
to this topic, please review all applicable categories. For more
'Reflections' and for Scripture topics, see links below.
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God's Presence in All Things |
"For
you love all things that are and loathe nothing that you have
made; for what you hated, you would not have fashioned. And how
could a thing remain, unless you willed it; or be preserved, had
it not been called forth by you? But you spare all things, because
they are yours, O LORD and lover of souls, for your imperishable
spirit is in all things!" (Wisdom 11:24-26,12:1)
"Those who go down to the
sea tell part of its story, and when we hear them we are
thunderstruck; In it are his creatures, stupendous,
amazing, all kinds of life, and the monsters of the deep. For
him each messenger succeeds, and at his bidding accomplishes
his will. More than this we need not add; let the last word
be, he is all in all! Let us praise him the more, since we cannot
fathom him, for greater is he than all his works" (Sirach
43:25-29)
"God
is in all things; not, indeed, as part of their essence, nor as an
accident; but as an agent is present to that upon which it works."
(St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian
in the history of the Church")
Also
See: All
Creatures Are Ordered to God | All
Creatures Created / Sustained by God | Animals
Belong to God | Every
Being is Good | God's
Love & Care for Creation | "Scripture
for Animal Lovers"
Note:
Categories are subjective and may overlap. For more items related
to this topic, please review all applicable categories. For more
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Love of God's Creatures |
"Whosoever
loves God aright loves all God's creatures." (St. Bernard of
Clairvaux, Doctor of the Church)
"For
he who loves God, loves also His creature; but the chief of His
creatures is man" (St. Theophylact)
"This
devotedness to God, which results from the gift of godliness, and unites
the soul to her Creator by filial love, makes her love all God's
creatures, inasmuch as they are the work of His hands, and belong to
Him." (Gueranger)
Also
See: Animals
Merit Respect & Love | Care
of Animals (Scripture) | Creation
Teaches Us / Reminds Us About God | Every
Being is Good | God's
Presence in All Things | Prayers
for Animals | "Scripture
for Animal Lovers" | St.
Francis on Animals / Creatures
Note:
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to this topic, please review all applicable categories. For more
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Love of the Crow for its Young |
"The
love of the crow for its young is laudable! When they begin to fly, she
follows them, gives them food, and for a very long time provides for
their nourishment." (St. Basil the Great, Doctor of the Church)
Also
See: Affection
of the Mother Hen
Note:
Categories are subjective and may overlap. For more items related
to this topic, please review all applicable categories. For more
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Saints & Animals
Also See:
Saints (Topic Page)
|
Animals
/ Pets (Topic Page)
|
"Que me amat, amat et canem meum"
["Love me, love
my dog"] (St.
Bernard)
"Alas! The very serpents listen to
me, and
men refuse to hear me." (St.
Martin of Tours)
"Blessed
be the eternal God, for fish in water honor him more than heretics, and
creatures without reason hear his word better than infidels!" (St.
Anthony of Padua, Doctor of the Church, after preaching to the fish)
"The
Apostles, those Lights placed by the hand of Jesus himself upon the
candlestick of the Church, died out by martyrdom one after the other,
leaving St. John the sole survivor of the Twelve. His white hair, as the
early Fathers tells us, was encircled with a thin plate of gold, the
mark of episcopal dignity; the Churches treasured up the words which
fell from his inspired lips, and considered them as their rule of Faith;
and his prophecy of Patmos the Apocalypse, proves that the future of the
Church was also revealed to him. Notwithstanding all this, John was
humble and simple, like the Divine Infant of Bethlehem; and one cannot
read without emotion what the early writers tell us of him, how he was
often seen fondling a pet bird in his venerable hands." (Gueranger)
Also
See: Animals
in Church History | Excerpts
From St.
Anthony of Padua's Sermon to the Fish | St.
Francis of Assisi to the Chattering Birds | St.
Francis of Assisi's Sermon to the Birds | St.
Francis on Animals / Creatures
Note:
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To Love God is
Natural to Every Nature |
"[N]ature
cannot rise to an act exceeding the proportion of its strength. Now to
love God above all things is not such an act; for it is natural to every
creature" (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and
"greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
"Now
to love God above all things is natural to man and to every nature, not
only rational but irrational, and even to inanimate nature according to
the manner of love which can belong to each creature. And the reason of
this is that it is natural to all to seek and love things according as
they are naturally fit (to be sought and loved) since 'all things
act according as they are naturally fit' as stated in De Physica
ii,8. Now it is manifest that the good of the part is for the good of
the whole; hence everything, by its natural appetite and love, loves its
own proper good on account of the common good of the whole universe,
which is God. Hence Dionysius says (De Divinis Nominibus iv) that 'God leads everything to love of Himself.'" (St. Thomas
Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the
history of the Church")
Also
See: All
Creatures Are Ordered to God | All
Creatures Called to Rejoice & Praise God | All
Creatures Created / Sustained by God | Animals
Belong to God | God's
Presence in All Things | "Scripture
for Animal Lovers"
Note:
Categories are subjective and may overlap. For more items related
to this topic, please review all applicable categories. For more
'Reflections' and for Scripture topics, see links below.
Top |
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Catg.
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Creatures / Creation
(Misc.) |
Click here for 'Reflections' related to this topic
Note:
Categories are subjective and may overlap. For more items related
to this topic, please review all applicable categories. For more
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Also See... |
Animals
/ Pets (Topic Page) Animals
in Church History Prayers
for Animals Prayers
of St. Francis of Assisi "Scripture
for Animal Lovers"
St.
Francis of Assisi to the Chattering Birds St.
Francis of Assisi's Sermon to the Birds St.
Francis on Animals / Creatures |
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