Since 1931, World Animal Day has been celebrated every year on St. Francis' Memorial Day, October 4. This day is the day of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. Today, on World Day, attention is drawn not only to the protection of wildlife, but to all animals.
Saint Francis preaches to the birds (Jókai Codex 1430 – detail):
"To the birds Saint Francis said: Yes, you owe God, my sister, birds. And you must always praise the way for freedom, whom you confess to flight everywhere, for double clothes or for three, for keeping you as God in Noah's ark, for giving you life in heaven. You neither bought nor reaped, and God gives you life, and gives you rivers of water and springs of wells to drink, mountains and mounds for nests. And because you can neither spin nor weave, you yourself will give you and your sons pleasant clothing. However, the Creator loves you very much, who gave you this good. Take care of yourselves, my sister, little birds, so that you are not ungrateful, but praise God as you please. At the words of this drunken father, the birds began to open their noses, spread their wings, extend their necks, and politely bowed their heads to the ground. And with their singing and acting, they showed that they rejoiced in many ways at the speech that the Holy Father had given them. But when the holy father would keep them, he would be wonderfully happy and marvel at this multitude of birds and their various beauty and gentle multitudes, and he would call them sweetly to praise the Creator."
image: Facebook
(Header image: Slovak Kindergarten – Békéscsaba )
