(This was printed by our Frontiersman yesterday. I'm particularly fond of this one.)
I acted the devil’s advocate. “So here we are, driving to
the animal shelter to volunteer when people are hungry. Shouldn’t we be helping
at the Food Bank?” I grinned so she knew I was playing a bit. She pursed her
sassy, thirteen-year-old lips and dodged. “Well, you can go there with one of
the boys (She has five brothers.); I want to walk the dogs and help people find
their perfect pets.” Fair enough. We marched in and donned our aprons and name
tags.
My daughter and I volunteered for the first time a few weeks
ago at the Mat Su Animal Shelter. I am not allowed to call it the pound. We exercised and goofed off with three dogs, tested
to see if they knew any commands, cleaned up after them, wrote down our
observations in the special notebook, and stacked some dishes. Then, joy of
joys, we assisted a couple with the adoption of one of the dogs we’d taken out
that very morning. My girl was able to explain just what she’d done, how the
dog responded, and because she reads so much about dogs, to describe what she
knew of the breeds that made up the adorable mutt. The world seemed a little
sweeter on the drive home and our conversation was as cheerful as any I have ever
known. I was sorry I had dragged my feet in scheduling time there. It was a
good day.
And I am not a dog person. I deal with the three dogs we
have at home because my husband and this daughter of ours love them. But I have
learned to see the goodness that pets bring to lives; both in terms of
practical responsibilities that parents relish in child raising, and in terms
of existential connections that humans cherish in creation. I cannot yell at our dogs because one of them
gets nervous and tinkles on the floor. See? Good for home life, too. I was
surprised at the peaceful delight in my soul after our hours there. I felt
close to my daughter, my community, and my Lord. Of course, it helped that the
the staff (and dogs!) were friendly and appreciative and that we were able to
actually aid an adoption our first day. It affected me deeply.
Stimulated by our excellent conversation and experience at
the shelter, I pored through our catechism for support and theology. The
Catechism of the Catholic Church is “offered to every individual who asks us to
give an account of the hope that is in us and ... to know what the Catholic
Church believes” (from the introduction). I found several paragraphs to share
with my daughter.
“Animals, like plants and inanimate beings, are by nature
destined for the common good of past, present, and future humanity. Man’s dominion
over living beings granted by the Creator is not absolute; it is limited by
concern for the quality of life of his neighbor, including generations to come;
it requires a religious respect for the integrity of creation.
Animals are God’s creatures. He surrounds them with his
providential care. By their mere existence they bless him and give him glory.
Thus men owe them kindness. We should recall the gentleness with which saints
like Saint Francis of Assissi or Saint Philip Neri treated animals (# 2415-16).”
(My daughter hustled off to look up Philip Neri, whom she
had never heard of.)
“Human work proceeds directly from persons created in the
image of God and called to prolong the work of creation by subduing the earth,
both with and for one another... Work honors the Creator’s gifts and the
talents received from him... (#2427).
My daughter’s work with these animals and the people who
happily bring them home is good. She is
helping to raise the quality of life for her neighbors and respecting the
integrity of creation by actively aiding these dogs kindly and gently and
connecting people with prospective pets. She is using her gifts and talents in
all her human dignity. God is pleased
with her work and I am honored to toil beside her in our town. It doesn’t have
to be either/or; it can be both/and. We volunteer away some of our food and we
volunteer away some of our time at the shelter. People are blessed. The world
is a little better. God is glorified and creation is respected.
When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was in
Matthew 22:36-40, He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, and with all your mind.” And then, “Love your neighbor as
yourself.” We do love God and His love moves us to action. By volunteering at
the animal shelter, we are putting love of neighbor back into our community. I
am actually looking forward to our next morning there.
Love, Allison
