Prayer to All Animals

A poem by the Kingston, NY poet Maureen O'Sullivan read by Pastor Dora at The Blessing of the Animals in The Yard Beside the Church, Oct 4, 2009 at 3:30 P.M.

PRAYER TO ALL ANIMALS

We gather together to celebrate the sacredness of our animal relations,

to rejoice in the beauty, grace and magnificence of all animals everywhere.

To the cats, birds, dogs and other creatures who share our homes,

We honor you and bless you.

To those running free in great herds across the African plains...

to those in rainforests… on rugged mountaintops...

and in feedlots and labs…

We send you our love, and bless you.

We honor the sacredness and holiness of all animals everywhere,

and together in loving remembrance

of the countless generations of animal companions of fur, feather or fin

who shared their lives with humankind from our earliest days on Earth.

They who blessed our homes with their affection, beauty and joy

In every land and through long eons.

You who were our most loving and faithful companions

always and everywhere.

Though your names may now be long forgotten through the mists of time;

we honor your memory and celebrate your earthly lives.

Most blessed and beloved children of our Divine Creator,

Divine Light shines down upon you always,

and lights the path of your life's journey.

Though you may walk unsteady in a crowded feedlot

Or gaze out at the world through cold cage bars,

you are never truly alone.

We behold the full range of your intelligence,

goodness, and sentience,

And rejoice in the full glory of your innate dignity,

compassion, and depth of feeling.

May you grace our world with your holy presence

now and forever.