O God, enlarge within us
the sense of fellowship with all living things,
our brothers the animals
to whom thou gavest the earth
as their home in common with us.
We remember with shame
that in the past
we have exercized the high dominion of man
with ruthless cruelty
so that the voice of the earth,
which should have gone up to thee in song,
has been a groan of travail.
May we realize that they live
not for us alone
but for themselves
and for thee,
and that they love
the sweetness of life.
--St. Basil the Great (330-379), one of the "Cappadocian fathers," bishop, theologian, and father of Eastern monasticism, from Celtic Nature Prayers, Vol. 1
 |
| Costa Rican monkey |
No comments:
Post a Comment