Posted in memory of my first goat, a nubian wether, Cloud, who died on Thursday. I rescued him from the meat market when he was one day old. He was the most gentle and sweet boy for all of his life.
Posted on 02/28/2004 7:00:00 PM PST by MarMema
"Sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all men sinned" (Romans 5:12, RSV)
Lady, our beloved dog and friend for almost eleven and one half years, died two days before Forgiveness Sunday. Although she had been sick with cancer, she had just started treatment and her death was quite sudden and shocking to us, happening at 3:00 a.m. in a strange emergency animal hospital. As my wife and I stroked her beautiful coat for the last time and shed our tears as we said goodbye, a few thoughts came to my mind - all of which connect with our celebration of the Lord's Resurrection.
My first thought as I looked at her lifeless body was just how fallen, corrupt and sinful this world really is. The only reason death reigns in this world is because of sin. As St. Paul reminds us in his letter to the Romans, sin was brought into this world by man, and by sin death. Sin so permeates creation that nothing remains untouched by sin and death - even animals. Despite the fact that our dog did nothing except offer love and companionship, despite the fact that our dog (and all of creation except for human beings) was sinless, she still shared in the fate that awaits everyone and everything in this created world. She died.
For the first time in my life, I truly understood the agony that Christ felt when He stood at the tomb of His friend Lazarus and wept. He did not weep because He was not sure if Lazarus was going to be raised. Nor because He wanted to show His friends and family the grief He felt. He wept because He saw His creation - so lovingly crafted, so lovingly cared for, so lovingly created for divine communion with Him - lying dead and corrupting in a tomb. Sin and death had brought the divine creation to the point where creation preferred the tomb to the Kingdom of God.
As a priest for twenty years, I have dealt with suffering and death on a fairly regular basis. Somehow, I can understand the correlation between my own sins and death. I can understand the correlation between the sins of every person created and death. But to see the correlation between sin and the death of all of creation was something I understood, and even taught, in an analytical sense, but never understood and felt in my heart and soul - until now. As I looked at our beloved friend lying there, I understood. My sins, and the sins of everyone created, have corrupted this world to the point where she had to suffer the consequences. She had no choice in the matter. She also had no guilt.
Resurrection, however, is a reality that we believe and trust in. Christ wept over the tomb of Lazarus, but He also raised Lazarus. He wept over Jerusalem, but gave us the Church. He saw that we prefer the tomb to the Kingdom of God, but redeemed us. The resurrection of Christ begins the re-creation of the world. Everything and everyone will be made anew in Him. St. Paul reminds us that God has made Christ "the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fulness of him who fills all in all." (Ephesians 1:22-23, RSV). The risen Christ fills everything with Himself. All of creation will be redeemed and sanctified.
I am no theologian, but my cursory examination of the question of animals and the Resurrection brings commentary down on both sides at best. Animals (as well as the rest of created nature except for humans) do not have souls and do not sin, therefore they also have no need of redemption. But there is commentary that would tell us that animals (indeed, the whole world and all of creation) will share in the coming again of Christ and the eternal reign of the Kingdom of God. The corruption that they face because they exist in this fallen world will be washed away in the re-creation of the world in Jesus Christ. St. John of Damascus says that "the earth that is to be the possession of the holy is immortal." (Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, Chapter X).
We also believe that anyone who experiences a truly loving relationship experiences the presence of God. I do not believe for one second that God placed such creatures as our dog on earth as "throwaway" creatures who simply cease to exist when they fulfill their purpose and then die. All of creation is part of God's divine plan and all of creation will be redeemed in Christ Jesus.
There was a kid's movie a few years back that proclaimed: "All Dogs Go to Heaven." I have no doubt.
Lady placed her absolute trust in us for everything. We did our best for her, but it was not enough. Luckily, blessedly, we can place our trust in Someone better than us. Unconditional love and loyalty are divine qualities.
Thank you, Lady.
Q. My kitten got hit by a car, and Daddy told me she went to cat heaven. Where is cat heaven? Will I see her again?
A great saint by the name of St. Isaac the Syrian said that heaven is the presence and love of God. Heaven is not a place high above the earth, like a planet or a star. God is everywhere, and heaven is the enjoyment of the sunshine of his love.
Do animals survive beyond death and go to heaven? That's a hard question. In the lives of saints, we are told that many, like you, had animals as good friends. In Orthodox icons, St. Gerasimos is shown with a lion. The saint has just pulled a thorn from the lion's paw, which he holds tenderly. Both the man and the lion gaze happily toward Christ, who is in heaven. St. Seraphim of Sarov, who lived in a forest for many years, is shown peacefully feeding a huge grizzly bear. I have no doubt that these saints would rejoice in seeing their animal friends in heaven.
What does the Bible say about this? Not much explicitly. The Bible's focus is on people, the salvation of their souls, their resurrection at the end of time, and the fullness of life in God's eternal light.
However, the first and last books of the Bible tell us something hopeful about all creatures of the earth. The book of Genesis says that "God made the wild animals...and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good" (Genesis 1:25)! In the book of Psalms we read: "Every wild animal of the forest is mine.... I know all the birds of the air, and all that moves in the field is mine" (Psalm 50:10). Would not a loving God want all things that he has made to live with him forever? A hint of this is in the book of Revelation, which teaches that evil and the power of death, which are a corruption of all that is good, will be completely defeated and a new world more glorious than ours will arise. God's promise is: "See, I make all things new" (Revelation 21:5).
Why should death finally win out and swallow up any of God's good creatures? Would not God then be defeated, and death prove stronger than God? Because God is the ruler of all creation, and loves everything in it with a love that never fails, I have hope that you will see your kitten again somehow, just as St. Gerasimos will see his lion, and St. Seraphim the grizzly.
Posted in memory of my first goat, a nubian wether, Cloud, who died on Thursday. I rescued him from the meat market when he was one day old. He was the most gentle and sweet boy for all of his life.
You Orthodox have a much more rational approach to animal death and afterlife than my Catholic Church does.
The absolute GARBAGE I remember reading as a kid, where the Church said that animals have finite souls and that, therefore, when they die we will never see them again (some dopey theologian actually wrote that in response to a child's letter like the one above) almost warped me.
Then, as an adult, I realized that heaven, in order to be heaven, for me, would have to include those innocent creatures I held dear in life.
God draws ALL THINGS unto Himself, animals included.
I lost a rabbit, once, and cried for days. I still think about that rabbit and his distinctive little personality.
You'll see your goat again. Guaranteed.
That is what my priest said once to me. After which he informed me that he had every intention of seeing his pets again someday. :-)
Thanks for your post.
Look at this...
Bullfight
"BULLFIGHT CONTRADICTS TO OUR SPIRITUAL TRADITION"
Letter of Alexy II, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia to Vera I. Maximova, President of the Russian Society for Animal Protection
Dear Vera Ivanovna,
With attention and concern I read your letter about the plans of carrying out a bullfight in Russia.
I am sure that such a spectacle will make its evil contribution into the obtrusive propaganda of violence, with which our society, through centuries brought up in the ideals of love and charity, has lately faced. Our Church bless human creative work, but it says that human activities are not welcomed by God if "they are directed on satisfaction of sinful needs of spirit and flesh" (Basis of the Social Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church).
I shall not repeat that the spectacles, that expose lives of animals and moreover of people to danger on purpose are immoral and dangerous to the society. Even if the life and health risk is reduced to minimum, the kindling of violence cult damage morale of a person especially one of a child or youth. Bullfight is more and more condemned in the countries of its birth. It contradicts to the Russian law as well as to our spiritual tradition.
Therefore Iwould like to join my voice to that of those, who resolutely disagree with penetration of such public spectacles in Russia and especially with their obtrusive advertisement.
With respect and wishes of God's help in every good undertaking,
+Alexy, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia
here is a site you may enjoy visiting.
Also I don't know if you are aware of her, but there is a Greek Orthodox veterinarian who has written a book or two.
Joanne Stefanatos
She has written two books. "Animals and Man", and Animals Sanctified". I understand she prays for animals in her office from a Greek Orthodox perspective.
But not a big enough sin, IMO.
We Catholics have some things to learn in this area, obviously, though Francis of Assisi was a strong advocate of the sanctification of all creatures, great and small.
And, so are you.
We have about 15 goats. About 25 chickens, including one rooster whom we love. His name is Sport. He is huge. He is an Old English rooster.
We have three dogs and three cats. All rescued from one situation or another. :-)
Cruelty is tying a dog on a leash so short the dog can't lay down, and leaving the dog there for days, as was done in a puppy mill I helped invade and rescue this poor dog from.
My priest specifically detailed domesticated and pets when he spoke to me. It's the relationship thing with us.
Though it looks like Alexy was not too thrilled with bull fighting...
Plus, I work with an animal rescue group that backs up police in invading puppy mills (which are illegal in Texas). It's sad work, but rewarding because we free up some wonderful animals for adoption.
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