Blessing of the Animals

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God bless the animals.

Let us remember to give thanks for all of the significant animals in our lives, past and present, and for the wonderful lessons we learn from all of your wondrous creatures.

Give us, God, the gentleness of the rabbit,
the working ability of the beaver, the courage of the lion,
the cunning of the fox,
the bravery of the tiger
and the fortitude and resiliency of the coyote.

May we always have the lovely family life of the wolf,
whose members care for one another with sincere devotion.

Grant us the common sense of the horse,
the strength of the ox
and especially, God,
we ask for the humor, comedy and playfulness
of the sea otters and the squirrels.

Bless us each with the mastery of good grooming and relaxation of our cats
and with the loyalty and devotion of our dogs.

Best of all, God, fill us with the sheer joy of the songbirds at dawn,
heralding a new day and forgetting the past.


Help us to awaken to and learn from their wisdom
and their sweetness,
their loyalty
and particularly
their seeming inability to judge human beings unkindly.

Amen.

- by The Rev. Lauren McLaughlin
from the book Blessing the Animals: Prayers and Ceremonies to Celebrate God’s Creatures, Wild and Tame. Edited by Lynn L. Caruso

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