Animal Blessings

Prayers for Animals

To commemorate the feast of St. Francis, Assisi, October 4.

Almighty and Merciful Father, whose care and loving kindness are over all thy creation, breathe forth into us thy spirit of compassion and tenderness towards all creatures thou hast

made and in whom thou are the indwelling life. Teach us, O Lord, to look upon our younger brethren as a trust from thee, that the day may be hastened when men shall neither

hurt nor destroy in all thy holy mountain; through Christ our Lord.

--From The Liturgy of the Liberal Catholic Church ( London : St Alban Press.)

O God, I thank thee

for all the creatures thou has made,

so perfect in their kind--

great animals like the elephant and the rhinoceros,

humorous animals like the camel and the monkey,

friendly ones like the dog and the cat,

working ones like the horse and the ox,

timid ones like the squirrel and the rabbit,

majestic ones like the lion and the tiger,

for birds with their songs.

O Lord give us such love for thy creation,

that love may cast out fear,

and all they creatures see in man

their priest and friend,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

--George Appleton in The Oxford Book of Prayer , Oxford University Press, 1985.

Prayer of St. Basil

O God, enlarge within us the sense of fellowship with all living things, for

our brothers and sisters, the inarticulate beasts, to whom Thou gave the

earth as their home in common with us. We remember with shame that in the

past we have exercised the high dominion of humanity with ruthless cruelty

so that the voice of the earth, which should have gone up to thee in song

has become a groan of anguish and a cry of torment. May we realize that they

live not for us alone, but for themselves and for Thee, and that

they too love the sweetness of life. Amen.

For all animals...

Blessed are you, Lord God,

maker of all living creatures.

On the fifth and sixth days of creation,

you called forth fish in the sea,

birds in the air and animals on the land.

You inspired St. Francis to call all animals

his brothers and sisters.

We ask you to bless this animal.

By the power of your love,

enable it to live according to your plan.

May we always praise you

for all your beauty in creation.

Blessed are you, Lord our God, in all your creatures!

Amen.