Blue Jay / Cyanocitta cristata

 

I saw this Blue Jay near our house.
I took these pictures this morning.

Blue Jays form long-lasting monogamous pairs. The bond usually lasts until one of the pair dies. Both the male and female feed their nestlings and both parents actively defend their nest against predators.

These birds are omnivorous. They eat everything from fruit and nuts to insects, mice, frogs and small song birds. They're very aggressive and noisy, driving other birds away from their food sources and their territory.

As I watched this Blue Jay I remembered reading the thoughts of Friar Jack Wintz regarding St Francis preaching to birds.  The Friar's ruminations were worth reading, so I'm passing them on to you.

He wrote:

In reading St. Bonaventure’s Life of St. Francis recently, I was surprised by where Bonaventure positioned what was Francis’ most famous story of preaching to birds. He has the story occurring right at the point in Francis’ life where Francis is struggling with a deep personal dilemma: Should he retire from the world and devote himself entirely to prayer or should he continue traveling about as a preacher of the gospel? To answer this question, St. Francis sends brothers to seek the advice of two of his most trusted colleagues: Brother Sylvester and the holy virgin Clare and her sisters.

The word comes back very quickly from both Sylvester and Clare that it is their clear judgment that God wants Francis to keep proclaiming the good news of God’s saving love. No sooner does Francis hear their response than he immediately stands up, and in the words of St. Bonaventure, “without the slightest delay he takes to the roads, to carry out the divine command with great fervor.”

The typical reader at this juncture, I believe, would expect St. Bonaventure to portray St. Francis as rushing off to the nearest village or marketplace to begin preaching the gospel to the people gathered there. But where does Francis actually go? Francis’ very next stop, according to Bonaventure, is this: “He came to a spot where a large flock of birds of various kinds had come together. When God’s saint saw them, he quickly ran to the spot and greeted them as if they were endowed with reason….

“He went right up to them and solicitously urged them to listen to the word of God, saying,  ‘Oh birds, my brothers and sisters, you have a great obligation to praise your Creator, who clothed you in feathers and gave you wings to fly with, provided you with pure air and cares for you without any worry on your part.’…The birds showed their joy in a remarkable fashion: They began to stretch their necks, extend their wings, open their beaks and gaze at him attentively.

“He went through their midst with amazing fervor of spirit, brushing against them with his tunic. Yet none of them moved from the spot until the man of God made the sign of the cross and gave them permission to leave; then they all flew away together. His companions waiting on the road saw all these things. When he returned to them, that pure and simple man began to accuse himself of negligence because he had not preached to the birds before.”

Thomas of Celano, who wrote an earlier biography of St. Francis, told this same story of Francis’ sermon to the birds, including Francis’ admission of “negligence,” but Celano adds this sentence: “From that day on, [Francis] carefully exhorted all birds, all animals, all reptiles, and also insensible creatures, to praise and love the creator…” (see I Celano XXI)

I wonder if St. Bonaventure’s Life of St. Francis positioned St. Francis' story of preaching to birds to shock us into deeper appreciation for the entire creation. St. Francis believed all creation mattered. Was he right? Has God charged us with great responsibility for all creation?

Indeed, He has.

"So God created human beings, making them to be like himself. He created them male and female, blessed them, and said, "Have many children, so that your descendants will live all over the earth and bring it under their control. I am putting you in charge of the fish, the birds, and all the wild animals." - Genesis 1:27-28

Comments

[Marty]

Just curious what kind of camera you have?

[Monster Beats]

Thank you, teacher. Admonish your friends privately, but praise them openly. You are the best!!*_*