Blessing of the Animals
Julie: Welcome! Today is the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, who understood that our Creator God loves all the creatures of this earth, including those with fur and feathers and scales. Inspired by Saint Francis, we join today with all our brothers and sisters of creation. We rejoice with all living things, to give thanks to God, Creator of Heaven and Earth, of all things visible and invisible. We sing with all creatures of the earth that make our lives richer because of their presence. We sing with all God’s beautiful creation.
Opening Prayer: “But ask the animals, and they will teach you;
the birds of the air, and they will tell you;
...and the fish of the sea will declare to you.
In God’s hand is the life of every living thing...” (Job 12: 7, 8b, 10a)
AMEN
Opening Song: Canticle of the Feathered Ones, video by Denise Hackert-Stoner
“Canticle of the Creatures” by St. Francis of Assisi (adapted)
Holy One, Yours are the praises, the glory, the honor, and all blessing. To You alone, Holy One, do they belong, and no one is worthy to mention Your name.
Be praised, Holy One, through all your creatures, especially through my Brother Sun,
who brings the day; and you give light through him. And he is beautiful and radiant in all his
splendor! Of you, Holy One, he bears the likeness.
Praise be You, Holy One, through Sister Moon and the stars, in heaven you formed them clear
and precious and beautiful.
Praised be You, Holy One, through Brother Wind, and through the air, cloudy and serene, and
every kind of weather through which You give sustenance to Your creatures.
Praised be You, Holy One, through Sister Water, which is very useful and humble and precious
and chaste.
Praised be You, Holy One, through Brother Fire, through whom you light the night and he is
beautiful and playful and robust and strong.
Praised be You, Holy One, through our Sister Mother Earth, who sustains us and governs us
and who produces varied fruits with colored flowers and herbs.
Praised be You, Holy One through those who give pardon for Your love, and bear infirmity
and tribulation. Blessed are those who endure in peace for by You, Holy One, they shall be
crowned.
Praised be You, Holy One, through our Sister Bodily Death, from whom no living man can
escape. Woe to those who die in mortal sin.
Blessed are those whom death will find in Your most holy will, for the second death shall do
them no harm.
Praise and bless you Holy One, we give you thanks and serve you with great humility.
These are the inspired words of Saint Francis of Assisi and we affirm them by saying AMEN.
A Reading from Genesis 1:
“God said, ‘Let the waters bring forth swarms of living
creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.’ So God created
the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the
waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good. And God
blessed them. And God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind, cattle
and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.’ And it was so. And God saw
that it was good. Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind.’ And God blessed them. God saw
everything that God had made, and indeed, it was very good.”
These are the inspired words of an anonymous storyteller and we affirm them by saying AMEN.
A Version of Psalm 148
ALL: Praise God!
Presider: All rabbits, hamsters, and guinea pigs:
ALL: Praise God!
L: All creatures of the waters, the goldfish, guppies, and swimming creatures:
ALL: Praise God!
L: All of the winged ones, robins, wrens, and singing birds:
ALL: Praise God!
L: All bats, squirrels, and raccoons:
ALL: Praise God!
L: All horses, cows, wolves, and sheep:
ALL: Praise God!
L: All lizards, snakes, cockroaches, and creeping things:
ALL: Praise God!
L: Every animal in the sky, the sea, and the forest:
ALL: Praise God!
Gospel: (Matthew 6: 25-26)
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat [or drink], or
about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than
clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns,
yet Abba God feeds them. Are not you more important than they?”
These are the inspired words of the anonymous storyteller we call Matthew and we affirm them by saying AMEN.
Julie: Let us now bless our beloved animals, the embodiment of unconditional love for which we are so very grateful.
ALL: Blessed creature of God, you were created by God, and you are loved by God and your humans. May you and your human family experience joy and companionship together and continue to be a blessing to each other. AMEN
Remembrance of Those Who Have Died
Julie: We remember our animal companions who have crossed the Rainbow Bridge and are no longer with us physically but are always in our hearts. We give thanks for the gifts they gave us and the variety of ways they enriched and blessed our lives. We are confident that our Creator continues to care for them just as we continue to love them.
ALL: AMEN.
Intentions: We bring to the table the people dedicating their lives to the welfare of animals and
the ecosystems in which they live, the farmers and veterinarians, that they may always be
guided by You to treat the animals in their care with dignity and respect.
We bring to the table those who are working at policy and project levels, and for those tending to the
needs of all of creation, which is threatened by climate change and environmental destruction.
We bring to the table all who see the interconnectedness of creation, that we may mend the brokenness
that has led to exploitation and even extinction, of some of Your Creation.
Closing Blessing
Julie: Please extend your hands as we pray our blessing together.
May we serve our common home, the Earth, by caring for all creation.
May Sophia Wisdom guide us as we nurture our pets and all animal kin!
May we celebrate the circle of love and life with them! AMEN
Closing Song: Brother Sun (Giving Glory)-Liz Vice from The Porter’s Gate, Climate Vigil Songs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbLI_8kTyPY
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