Prayer of Thanks

​Prayer of Thanks

(Oct 4 was the Feast Day of St Francis, the Catholic patron saint for animals and the environment, and so as it is celebrated on or close to our Canadian celebration of Thanksgiving, here is a prayer of gratitude for animals.)

Creator of all that lives and breathes,
we raise up a prayer of thanksgiving for 
the animals in our lives
and in our world.
For the great animals - 
elephants, whales, grizzly bears, wolves, wild cats...
For the endangered animals - 
bees, caribou, orcas, whip-poor-will...
For pets and companion animals - 
dogs, cats, horses, rabbits...
For forgotten and unpopular animals - 
rats, reptiles, fish, insects...
WE GIVE OUR DEEP THANKS.
We are grateful for a world of beauty and diversity,
for the role each animal in its ecosystem.
Stir us to action for creatures who have 
no voice or ability to 
save their habitat or
affect change in our world.
May we live lightly in this world
so that our more-than-human 
neighbours may also live.
With gratitude for the blessings
of this earth, and for all
God's creatures we pray.
Amen.

Wendy Janzen 2018