The Blessing of the Animals service occurred here at St Mark Lutheran Church on Oct 13, 2019. Following is the Litany of Thanksgiving for Animals and Creation recited at that service and some pictures taken at that service.
“Gracious and loving God, today we give thanks for the gift of creation and for the beauty of the universe. We pray for your blessings upon our planet Earth and all living things that inhabit it.
May it be blessed as it blesses us.
We give thanks for all the animals who bring love and happiness into our lives. We pray for their good health.
May they be blessed as they have blessed us.
We give thanks for the animals we have loved and lost.
May they be blessed, as they have blessed us.
We give thanks for all the animals who live in fields and on farms, in the seas and on the desert, who depend on human kindness for their well-being and on our foresight for their habitats and homes. We especially pray for all the species on the verge of extinction and for those we have yet to discover.
May they be blessed, as they have blessed us.
We pray that we are good stewards of your creation and that we treat the land, water, air, vegetation, animals, and people with appreciation and holy care. In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen.”
