St. Basil's Prayer for Animals
I received this prayer from an internet friend:
I found this prayer some number of years ago. I am of the Eastern
Orthodox Christian tradition, and found this prayer, attributed to St. Basil the Great of Cappadocia to be particularly touching,
esp. since I deal with people who think that God's Kingdom is a "Humans Only" affair. There are teachings of the Church Fathers
that speak of a state of blessedness between man and all of God's creation, and there are many touching stories from the lives
of the saints which bare this out.
Here is the prayer:
"The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof.
God, enlarge within us the sense of fellowship with all living things, our little brothers,
to whom Thou hast given this earth as their home in common with us.
May we realize they they live not for us alone, but for themselves and for Thee, and that they
love the sweetness of life even as we and that they serve Thee better in their place, than we in ours".
Amen
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