LINK to share: https://hanglberger-manfred.de/tierbestattung-gebete-english.htm

HOME

Design elements and Prayers for a burial of companion animals

 

Psalm prayer

 

Refrain: Lord, you are near all your creatures - in life and in death.

Or:

Prayer: Be present here, light of our life

All: Be present here in our center

 

 1. From the depths of my soul, I call to you.

    You hear my voice, you god of life.

 

 2. You turn your ear to me,

    you hear my desperate call.

 

 3. You hear my cries and complaints,

    you are near the pain of my heart.

 

 4. You do not leave us alone on our path,

    you accompany us through all ups and downs.

 

 5. By you, the humans find each other with all creatures,

    our trust grows in your hand.

 

 6. You look at us with kind eyes

    and solve the hardening of our hearts.

 

 7. We can breathe in your arms,

    find comfort for the wounds of the soul.

 

 8. You show us the ways to life again,

    Lead us out of night and desperation.

 

 9. I hope for you, you God of my life,

    I trust in you and venture my steps.

 

10. I feel my fear and need,

    but you awaken new strength and hope in me.

 

11. For you are the living God,

    You love your creatures and stay close to them.

 

12. Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

 

13. As in the beginning, so now and always and eternity. Amen

 

 

Prayer

 

God, creator of all beings,

The physical life of the .................. has come to an end.

We trust that the companion animals are also included in the hope of resurrection - and that the redemptive act of Jesus Christ extends not only to mankind but to all creatures.

 

God, you also gave the companion animals a soul.

They are sentient beings like us humans.

They also experience joy and pain, fear and grief, friendship and anger, love and individuality, ....

They, too, experience an internal connection with other animals and with us humans.

They too want to be noticed, spoken to and loved.

They too want to be accepted and allowed to belong.

God, we believe

that you are internally connected with each of your creatures and that you stay connected with them beyond their death.

 

That's why we pray to you in mourning for our beloved N.N .:

 

Kind father, in your hands we recommend our deceased N.N.

We thank you for all the vitality, for all the joy of life and love that he (she) has brought into our lives.

May all our love, which we have so gladly bestowed on him, be preserved in his heart - just as he always keeps a loving place in our hearts.

With you, O God, all creatures find perfection and eternal peace.

But those who stay behind give us the strength to comfort each other and to continue to accept our lives in gratitude to you and to form them in responsibility and love.

So bless, O God, our deceased N.N.

(this urn / tomb, with the mortal remains of ......).

Let us recognize that the spiritual bond between man and companion animals is preserved in your world of eternity, and that the spiritual significance for each other is torn away from transitoriness.

So we pray in the spirit of Jesus Christ, our Lord and our brother. Amen.

 

 

Possible ritual farewell gestures:

 

Sprinkling the grave (the urn) with holy water:

This holy water means life and blessings.

It reminds us that the life of the soul, the inner communion, is stronger than death and transience - and that we all, human and companion animals, are embraced by God's life-affirming power - in life and in death. The blessing of the eternal God be with you!

 

Bowl of coal and incense:

(or warmer with tea light, metal bowl and incense):

As this incense ascends to the visible heaven, so ascend your soul into the eternal world of God, through which all its creatures are internally interconnected - even beyond death. Your soul finds security in the temple of its creation!

 

Throw small piles of soil on the grave:

Humans and companion animals have become from the dust of the earth.

The earth gave you food, breathing air and home for body and soul.

Today she becomes the resting place of your body. Rest in peace!

 

Place flowers at the grave:

Flowers are signs of friendship and love.

Their colors and their beauty remind us of the liveliness and beauty of loving togetherness.

They tell you today that you always live in the hearts of your people.

 

 

Beg prayers:

 

Eternal God, all life comes from you. You love all your creatures.

Today we have to say goodbye to .... who lived with his people in loving community ... years. So hear our requests.

 

1. Join and strengthen the people in their grief who say goodbye to their little friend today.

(Join and strengthen us in our grief, who we say goodbye to our little friend today)

 

2. Receive in them (us) the thankful memory of many beautiful experiences with their (our) companion animal friend.

 

3. Let us trust that man and companion animals will be taken into death in a deeper communion with you and with all of your creation and that we are all called to find eternal joy in happy fellowship.

 

4. Let us not be blind in mourning pain for the many companion animals that had to suffer due to the behavior of people.

Wake in all of us a loving responsibility towards companion animals.

 

Living with animals often makes us laugh heartily and moves us to deep compassion when we see that they are suffering.

You have given us humans the mission to care for the great nature community in a loving way. Make us sensitive, attentive, and dedicated, so that we truly prove to be your human children. Amen.

 

Our father

God is the father of all creatures; so let us pray together as Jesus taught us to pray:

Father our ...

 

Final blessing:

God bless us, the Father who gives life and development to all life.

All: Amen.

 

God bless us, the Son,

who gives us the consciousness of our human dignity and love for all creatures.

All: Amen.

 

God bless us, the Holy Spirit,

who comforts us in every affliction, and keeps our fellowship between man and companion animals beyond death.

All: Amen.

 

Give us the eternal God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

Let us go in peace. - Thank God the Lord.

 

Musical elements would be

possible between different Prayer sections

 

 

Text from the book Trauergebete, Traueransprachenby

Manfred Hanglberger – Catholic priest and family therapist (www.hanglberger-manfred.de )

 

LINK to share: https://hanglberger-manfred.de/tierbestattung-gebete-english.htm

Why a religious ritual for a burial of companion animals? >>>

 

Prayer for the bullfighters >>>

Other prayers and texts in English >>>

HOME