Animal Service Prayers
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.)
God of the universe
all creatures praise you;
the sun setting on the lake,
the birds flying upward toward the heavens;
the growl of the bear;
the darting of the stickleback;
the purring of the cat,
the wide eyes of the tiger;
the swift legs of the cheetah,
the dance of the hare;
the lapping of the dog,
the descent of the dove.
God of a thousand ears
the music of your creatures
resounds throughout creation
and in heaven a symphony is made.
-- From the RSPCA Service for Animal Welfare
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.
Hear our humble prayer, O God, for our friends the animals, especially for animals who are suffering; for any that are lost or deserted or fightened or hungry; that we entreat them all the mercy and pity, and for those who deal with them we ask a heart of compassion and gentle hands and kind words. Make us to be true friends to animals and to share the blessings of the merciful.
-- by Albert Schweitzer
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.
Let us rejoice with the Creator at the wonderful creation around us. O God, you love all things that exist, and despise none of the things which you have made, for you would have made nothing you didn’t love. You spare all things for they are yours – O Lord who loves all, for your immortal Spirit is in all things. Amen
Lord God, through Your Word you created all that is. In all Creation, Your word resonates, so that even the stones proclaim You as Lord. The whales and all that move in the waters, the birds of the air, and the beasts of the wild, You call all creation to praise and glorify You. But our lips are often silent, our praise unspoken, and our thankfulness forgotten. O Lord, our creator, touch our lips and let us speak for you. You made the earth a home for all creatures, and made it holy by Your presence among us, teaching us to learn of Your kingdom by loving and caring for the creatures of the earth. But we often pass by and turn away from those creatures weaker and poorer than ourselves, and from those we fear. Come, Lord Jesus, among us, and reveal your kingdom in our midst. In You all creatures find the wellspring of life and You give us water from the earth to sustain us. You give Your creatures eyes to see and ears to hear but we are often blind and deaf to their pain because of our indifference, greed and carelessness. Come Holy Spirit, and kindle in us the fire of your love, Come Holy Spirit and renew the
face of the earth. Amen.