10 Animals (and Saints) God Used to Show His Glory
There’s a line in the Gospels after Jesus calms a storm that always sends me into contemplating this question: “Who then is this whom even the wind and sea obey?” (Mark 4:41)
What must it have been like to watch the strength of the waves and the wind settle at the mere sound of a Man’s voice? While it calmed the outside forces, it likely brought a peaceful stirring in the hearts of those who observed the miracle.
Psalm 19:2 assures us, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament proclaims the works of his hands.” We see these glories throughout all of Scripture. God uses all parts of His created realm to reveal His Truth and Love to every generation, from Genesis through Revelation, and all throughout Church history—including today! It is impossible to get through a single book of the Bible without reading a miraculous story involving nature—and it’s not just the weather! This includes the animals. From a ram showing up at the opportune moment (see Genesis 22:13), to a whale swallowing Jonah (see Jonah 1:17), to a donkey speaking to Balaam (see Numbers 22:28), God uses all His creation to reveal His presence. When we look at the lives of the Saints, the same reality is present. In congruence with National Wildlife Week, let’s take a look at ten times God has used animals to display His glory!
Saint Mammes and Lions
Saint Mammes of Caesarea was born in the third century in the prison where his Christian father died. Both he and Mammes’ mother were awaiting execution for refusing to abandon their faith. Raised and loved by a wealthy widow, he grew up Christian and was given a good education. The faith of his parents seemed to run in Mammes’ veins, and as a teen he converted many of his friends to Christianity.
His evangelistic skill made him a target of the government’s persecution. With the help of an angel, he escaped and dwelt in a cave in the wilderness. There he preached to the animals and survived off of the produce in the region. When soldiers eventually came hunting for him, Mammes agreed to be taken without a fuss. While many attempts had been made to kill him before, he finally died due to an abdominal wound from a trident.
Mammes’ identifier in sacred art is the presence of a lion comrade, as he seemed to have influence over them. For example, the lions would not touch him when he was thrown to the beasts as a form of intended execution. Another time, soldiers who had arrested him came across a lion chasing a group of sheep. Mammes called out to the lion who abandoned his hunt and did Mammes’ bidding, even allowing the man to ride him to the town where he was going to be imprisoned. What a sight that must have been for those who saw him as a Christian slated for martyrdom!
Saint Anthony of Padua and a Donkey
In the thirteenth century, Saint Anthony of Padua, the patron Saint of lost things, assisted an adversary in finding his belief in the True Presence of the Eucharist.
This man, Bononillo, not only refused to believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Sacrament, he publicly ridiculed those who did. Anthony tried to instill faith in him through explanations of Scripture and doctrine, but Bononillo remained hard-headed. What happened next depends on the source. Some claim it was Bononillo who suggested the plan, others that it was Anthony. Regardless, the two agreed that if Anthony could convince a donkey to bow before the Eucharist, Bononillo would be forced to accept the truth.
Bononillo gave his animal no food or drink for three days. Anthony fasted willingly. At the planned time, the adversaries met in the town square as agreed. The hungry donkey was presented with the option of a consecrated host held by Anthony, or a pile of fresh hay directly under his own nose. To everyone’s surprise—most especially Bononillo’s—the donkey ignored the hay, walked to Anthony and bent his front knee in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament!
Saint Fabian and the Dove
Within our faith, we give precedence to the writings of the early Church Fathers, those men who were the earliest successors of the Apostles. Their proximity to the Apostolic teaching grants them more direct knowledge of teachings and events in the early Church that we cannot possess ourselves. One of these Fathers, Eusebius, shared the following story in his writings.
When the nineteenth successor of Saint Peter had died and a new pope needed to be chosen, bishops and laymen flocked to Rome for the funeral, camaraderie, and prayer. Fabian—an unordained layman—was one such person. In the midst of discussions, a dove descended from the ceiling and rested on Fabian’s head. Eusebius remarked that all those present sensed it was a clear imitation of the dove which descended upon Jesus at His Baptism. The Church took it as a sign of God the Father’s will and Fabian was elected the twentieth pope.
It is also interesting to note that doves are symbols of peace, and Fabian’s papal reign was a time of fewer persecutions and greater acceptance of Christians.
Saint Daria and the Lion
Saint Daria had been a priestess of a pagan religion in the third century in Rome when she married her husband, Chrysanthus, a Christian convert. His passion and love for the faith changed Daria’s heart, and she, too, was baptized. The duo were looked to by the local men and women as faithful religious leaders. Their eloquence converted many and caught the attention of Rome, which led to their arrests.
Daria was sent to a brothel, a common tactic used by Rome for Christian women who had devoted themselves to celibacy. When the first man was sent into her room to abuse her, a lion appeared and attacked the man, pinning him to the ground. The lion then looked to Daria as if she were supposed to direct him further. She instructed the man to be released and he fled from the room. Unwilling to accept defeat, two more men experienced this process before Daria’s captives angrily set the room on fire with Daria and the lion inside. The Saint made the sign of the cross over the lion and instructed him to jump through the flames and escape. The room burned completely to the ground while Daria remained inside, and she was saved from any injuries.
Chrysanthus had endured his own tortures while they were apart, but the two were reunited and died together in martyrdom.
Saint Ambrose and Bees
The words of Saint. Ambrose was known to be sweet and soothing, assisting many in “swallowing” some of the difficult teachings of Catholicism. It is said that his honey-tongued capabilities were hinted at as a baby when his nanny took him outside to nap in the fresh air. Asleep with his mouth open, bees came, landed on his face in great numbers, and were crawling in and out of his mouth without harming him. Though this initially alarmed the nearby adults, they ended up marveling at the situation and took it as an omen of the great things God intended to do with Ambrose’s life.
Saint Gall and the Bear
This sixth-century missionary found himself in Switzerland during the colder months and was warming himself near a fire. A hungry bear hid in the trees, charging at the moment he saw to be most opportune. Gall was barely startled by the bear and simply rebuked him. The bear heeded Gall’s words and went back into the woods. After a bit of time passed, the bear returned, carrying wood to add to the fire. From that point on, the bear was the constant companion of the Saint, and they are often depicted together in sacred art.
Centuries later, a city stands bearing the name of the Saint, with a black bear honoring this story on its coat of arms.
Saint Hubert and the Stag
Saint Hubert suffered the great tragedy of losing his spouse in the midst of childbirth. He sought solace in another passion: hunting. In fact, the woods became the place of refuge and Hubert spent the majority of his time and effort tracking down deer and dissociating from reality.
One Good Friday, Hubert ignored the masses of people headed to church and once again rode into the forest to hunt. In the quiet, he came across a beautiful stag and was about to shoot it when the deer turned and looked in his direction. Between the antlers was a magnificent cross, the sight of which caught Hubert off guard. Even more so did the voice which assured him, “Hubert, unless thou turnest to the Lord, and leadest a holy life, thou shalt quickly go down into hell.” When asked for further direction, Hubert immediately responded to the instructions to go seek out his local bishop, and then learned to find solace in God instead.
Saint Joseph of Cupertino and the Sheep
Saint Joseph is well known for many things, but his miraculous events surrounding sheep are not typically at the top of the list. There are two stories in which Joseph’s direction over sheep is astounding. In the first, Joseph went out into the fields when his own parishioners failed to show up for catechesis due to the harvest. He decided to preach to the sheep instead. He called to the sheep, encouraging them to come learn about Mary, the Mother of God. The sheep left their fields, jumping over fences, ditches, and streams, and came to the chapel door in an orderly fashion. They listened to his teaching, and even prayed a litany with him, ‘baaing” in unison at the proper time to respond. At the end of the lesson, the sheep returned to their homes without any help.
Another time, a hail storm occurred so suddenly that people at a farm had been unable to shelter their sheep and save them. The hail stones were so severe they had killed the entire flock. Joseph went out into the field, picked them up one by one and commanded, “Rise in the name of God.” Each sheep was brought back to life.
Saint Marcarius and the Hyena
A fourth-century Egyptian hermit, Saint Marcarius, was in the midst of prayer one day when he heard a knocking at the door. Upon opening it, he found a mother hyena who had been using her head as a knocker. In her mouth was a cub which she placed in Marcarius’ hands. The hermit could see that the cub was blind and deduced that the hyena was asking for a miracle. He spit and made the Sign of the Cross over the defective eyes, and sight was granted to the little creature.
The next day, the grateful mother returned with a gift for Marcarius, a sheep’s skin. Marcarius made her promise not to harm any animals that belonged to the poor, and promised that if she was hungry and she left them alone, he would feed her. These were his conditions for accepting her gift. She made a gesture of agreement, and Marcarius made the sheepskin his bed.
Saint Patrick and the Horses
When thinking of Ireland’s patron, it is likely the first creature one would associate with him is one of a reptilian nature. However, there are other miraculous stories surrounding Saint Patrick and animals—one of them includes a domesticated herd of horses.
The story goes that Patrick had requested a bit of land from a local chieftain to build a small church and cell. The chieftain Daire only partially granted the request, giving Patrick access to land in a valley and not the hilltop so as to not have his view obstructed. Further upon the finishing of the construction, Daire still saw the land as his, not as something sacred and set apart. He permitted his horses to graze there; Patrick’s response was to cause the death of the horses (similar to others being struck dead upon entering sacred spaces incorrectly in Scripture).
Furious, Daire was gathering men to drive Patrick and his followers from what he saw as his land when he was struck with a severe illness. Humble and wise, Daire’s wife asked Patrick for assistance. He sent her holy water with the instruction for it to be sprinkled upon Daire and the horses. Daire was healed and the horses were resurrected. Patrick showed no ill-will towards the clan, even when Daire’s temper continued.
All Creatures Great and Small
Both faith and reason assure us that God can be seen within His creation. May we join our Saintly brothers and sisters in appreciating and marveling in God’s handiwork!
Grace is a regular contributor to the BIS Blog. She had planned to be a nurse until an encounter with Christ in Confession ignited a spark that resulted in an ongoing career as a high school Theology teacher. Though a cradle Catholic, she continues to be amazed at the depth of peace and joy that can be found within the Faith and can’t help but share that passion with others as a teacher, writer, and speaker. Outside of ministry, she dabbles in a bit of everything, excels in almost nothing, and like most moms, cannot survive without at least one cup of coffee a day. Grace resides in Charleston, SC with her hunky husband and their daughter who looks just like him. You can find out more about her here. Read all of Grace's posts here.
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