How can you not love this guy?

Today is the Feast Day of Saint Francis of Assisi. This is a saint who was never too busy to chat with the birds or to befriend a wolf. He introduced the crèche to Christmas, complete with livestock. He even lobbied for a special law so that people would provide for the birds and the beasts.

Regardless of one’s creed, no one, I should think, would take umbrage at the idea of love and respect for the natural world. Take a moment today to be kind to the animals. Hug your pet. Water the birds. Let a cricket out of the house. Then join me at 4:00 on The Classical Network for music inspired by Saint Francis and friends.

We’ll hear Franz Liszt’s “Saint Francis of Assisi’s Sermon to the Birds,” Kenneth Fuchs’ horn concerto “Canticle to the Sun,” and Paul Hindemith’s Saint Francis ballet “Nobilissima Visione.”

Cats will waltz. Grasshoppers will dance. Dogs will eat pancakes. And sheep may safely graze.

At 6:00, you’ll have a chance to expand your affection to the cryptozoological realm, with music from movies about dragons, on “Picture Perfect.”

What’s not to love? The music will have legs – four of them! – from 4 to 7 p.m. EDT, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.