A Prayer for Animals on Armistice Day

Loving Lord, Today we pray for all creation and especially today for all animals wounded and killed as a result of warfare. We remember the many animals, horses and donkeys, elephants and camels, dogs and pigeons which have served in war. We recall their bravery and faithfulness, their fortitude and love and we ask your blessing on them.

Loving Lord, we remember the particular cost played by horses and mules in the First World War, we ask that reflecting on the debt we owe to them, our species should remember their sacrifice and realise that cruelty to horses, is a disservice to the many thousands of horses who died in Flanders for us. May we remember what we owe to them and repay our debt with kindness and love. 

Loving Lord, we pray for dogs, who have so often served in war, both in service, detecting mines, and as companions to men and women in peril. We give particular thanks for Nowzad dogs. For dogs which have been rescued, for those who have rescued them from more recent wars such as in Afghanistan and Ukraine. We thank you for the love, generosity and faithfulness of people and dogs, which points the way to a more peaceful world. 

Loving Lord, we pray for sea creatures, for whales and porpoises, turtles, fish and other creatures suffering from naval warfare, from the sounds of explosions, from the pollution caused by maritime conflict. We remember that you made the great whales to sport in the waves, and the ships to sail calmly over the surface. For the sea was to be a realm of peace and not a battleground. We pray for all creatures of the sea, victims of warfare and the testing of weapons. 

Loving Lord, warfare ravages environments and we pray for wild creatures, killed, maimed or displaced by warfare and military activity. The world belongs to you and not to us, and we ask for forgiveness and pray for peace that the world may be restored to the innocence and pristine sanctity of Eden.

And finally we pray for the peace of all creation, when humans will respect and love each other and we will be joined by all animals, by all creation in one great hymn of praise to you, to your Son, the Prince of Peace, and to the Holy Spirit. World without end. Amen.