Most High, omnipotent, good Lord, To thee be ceaseless praise outpoured, And blessing without measure. Let creatures all give thanks to thee and serve in great humility.

These words were written by St. Francis of Assisi in his “Canticle of the Sun.” We celebrate his feast day today and, tomorrow, will have our annual Blessing of the Animals in honor of St. Francis because of his devotion to all of God’s creatures. Feel free to bring as many pets and animals as you like to our north lawn at 11 a.m.

Sunday afternoon will be our annual Hymn Sing. It’s not too late to submit your favorite hymns. We will start at 3:30 p.m. and finish in time for the 5 p.m. service to begin.

Deacon Barbara, Fr. James, and I will be out the first part of next week for the Diocesan Clergy Retreat at Conception Abbey in Conception, MO. We always meet for a few days this time of year for rest, reflection, and prayer. Please note that we will not have our Wednesday Eucharist on Oct. 9 due to the retreat. Please keep all the clergy of the diocese in your prayers as we gather together next week.

I ask that we all continue to pray for those affected by hurricane Helene. The damage is so devastating and has reached farther than any of us could ever imagine. Parts of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, among others, are still trying to clean up from the storm. Restoration and recovery will take a long time. I have been in touch with clergy in affected areas and will let everyone know how and when we might be able to help. We can always donate money through Episcopal Relief and Development.

I would like to close with more words attributed to St. Francis:

Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

Please continue to pray for one another, for our Cathedral family, our nation, and the world.

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