Just the other day I came across my copy of The Hound of Heaven. It’s a poem about God’s untiring pursuit of us, a chase inspired by God’s great love. The poem was written around 1900, by Francis Thompson.
The hound image made me think of a song that one of my sisters recently told me about, “God and Dog.” Like the poem, the song is also about God’s persistent love, which takes many shapes in our life, such as our pets.
So today I give thanks for pets, especially Abby and Bailey (two of my favorite dogs) and of course Chloe the Convent Cat. Do you have a prayer of thanksgiving for a pet you know or one you fondly remember? If so, please add their names (in the comment box below) to our Litany of Pets! We’ll pray the litany at prayer tonight.
Archived Comments
Tami August 19, 2010 at 9:18 am
Nellie, my 13 year old Jack Russell Terrier and very best friend who I love more than words can say. Oliver, my former Jack Russel Terrier…I still love him dearly.
LeeAnn August 19, 2010 at 9:25 am
Thanks Sisters! What a great idea. Two AWESOME golden retriever’s, Gus and Maggie. And my sister’s beloved collie Abby, who died this week.
Sister Julie August 19, 2010 at 9:07 am
Chloe is number one on my list! Followed by Mr. Daddy Long Legs in my shower.
Also:
Mister the cat
Lilly and Julie the rats
Elmo and Buttons the cats
Creamy and Rocky the guinea pigs
Rusty (RIP), Ares, Rocky, and Nikki the dogs
Maggie August 19, 2010 at 9:13 am
Peaches the canary, Odie my dog, Gracie the bunny, Gilligan the goldfish, and Silvio and Ninja the cats.
deb August 19, 2010 at 9:16 am
Gracie, Saralee, and Cuddles, our departed (2 dogs/1 cat), Melchizedek, Mr. Beasley, and D, our dogs, and Mr. Kitty and Bo, our cats.
deb August 19, 2010 at 9:17 am
And the video, which I had seen before and loved then, is still as awesome this time as it was then. God is so good.
Carla August 19, 2010 at 9:19 am
My babies: Elliott, Ranger, Lucy and Silas (all dogs). Thank you!
Katie August 19, 2010 at 9:19 am
Scarlett, Gus, Gabriel, Sonny, and Sugarplum Faery the cats, and Daffodil the dog.
Lori Faraone August 19, 2010 at 9:19 am
Cokie, was my loving dog when I was a child. We rescued her from Lollypop Farm. She kept me safe, when no one else would.
kathy pacherille August 19, 2010 at 9:22 am
Please pray for my dog, Moose. He is a rottweiller that most people are afraid of. He is a very sweet dog, never vicious. Loves to lay on our chair on his back as most rotties do. Thank you.
Sister Maxine August 19, 2010 at 9:31 am
I love all the different pets’ names! I should add a couple more pets that I fondly remember from my childhood: Pepper the collie, Daisy the hampshire pig, and Susie the Stubborn Appoolosa
Susan Mitchell August 19, 2010 at 9:33 am
Monarch, Sunny (horses) Lucy, Dessie (dogs) Rascal (cat)
Mary Ann Jennings August 19, 2010 at 9:52 am
I would like prayers said for our Golden Retriever, Marley, who means so much to all of us, especially our autistic son. Also special in our lives are Holly the cat and Faye and Charlotte, our rats. Thank you for the wonderful idea! I will also say a prayer for everyone else’s pets.
Kathy August 19, 2010 at 10:01 am
Bridgey (my rescued Beagle who corssed over the Rainbow Bridge) and Liffey, my loving rescued Beage who is with me now.
michaelene August 19, 2010 at 10:02 am
My cats sinamon and smokey, my 5 rabbits, my 2 dogs baby and buddy. Also mr. T the tortoise. And my pets that have died. Most recently my 2 year old tabby sailor. He was my baby. A coyote killed him one night back in may and I still am sad about it. I love my pets, they have unconditional love. Thank you
Patricia August 19, 2010 at 10:51 am
Please pray for Annie, my 18 year-old cat, who is living with renal failure.
marla August 19, 2010 at 11:11 am
My sweet babies, Sleeper and Oreo, who died in February and March, respectively, and whom I grieve horribly even now. And my new dogs, Sophie and Jasper.
Renee LaMarca August 19, 2010 at 11:44 am
My family and I had three dogs. Beauty was a mutt. Sebastian and Nala were Golden Retrievers. I miss snuggling up to them and hearing their happy barks when they saw me at home.
JoyceElaine August 19, 2010 at 12:12 pm
Lucy, Dollar, Goddess, Sadie, Hopper, Tookie, Magic, Nitro, Bud, Lucy, Oz, Coco, Irish, Brandon, and Knuckles. Snoopy, Rosie, Munchkin, and Cliche who are with God.
JoyceElaine August 19, 2010 at 12:13 pm
Lollypup and Ralph as well.
Sister Gayle OSF August 19, 2010 at 12:29 pm
My first cat Cinders, Asti my baby girl cat and the best birthday present ever, Big Rat the guinea pig. Miss you all still and I’ll you all in heaven!
Sister Gayle OSF August 19, 2010 at 12:30 pm
oops, see you all in heaven. Got a little teary there…
Pat (Patricia) Shechter August 19, 2010 at 12:30 pm
My cats Spooky & Geoffrey; my mother’s cat Sam; and the cats I loved who have gone to the place where all good kitties go : Merlin, Velcro, and Valentino.
Christine H August 19, 2010 at 12:40 pm
My two cats: Francis (tabby) and Vinnie (siamese mix)
Patrice August 19, 2010 at 1:41 pm
My Sweet Dogs Abby who passed away this week and Molly who passed away three weeks ago.
Another Sister Julie, CSSF August 19, 2010 at 1:54 pm
I give thanks for all service animals for the disabled, for search and rescue dogs, for drug- and bomb-sniffing dogs who risk tail and paw to keep us safe.
I thank God for the sound of the birds who wake me up each morning as they sing their own Lauds to their Creator.
I thank God for all the fish in the convent tank who mesmerize our sisters suffering with dementia.
I thank God for Kiki the cat who was such a loving companion to our Sister Amidea in her final illness (even though he tried to push me into the fish pond on Easter morning!!!)
All praise be Yours, my Lord, for all your creatures of air, land and sea who share this beautiful world with us and teach us about Your unconditional love.
(What can you expect? I’m a Franciscan, and you *know* how Francis was about animals!)
Shannon August 19, 2010 at 2:03 pm
Bailey, our 12 year old Sheltie. She survived cancer and is now 3-legged,but has kept her bright personality and is a treasured member of our family.
LeeAnn August 19, 2010 at 3:52 pm
Another Sister Julie… Love that you have a fish tank for your Nuns who suffer from Dementia!
Suze August 19, 2010 at 3:04 pm
Liam the black cat with amazing personality who read me like a book, Luna the luney Labrador Retreiver, Molly my sweet Dachshund who has breast cancer, and Ruby and Fiona kitty-cats extraordinaire, Norton our resident service dog at work, and my Duchess, a rough Collie, who let me pull myself up by her ears as I learned to walk.
Sister Julie August 19, 2010 at 3:05 pm
Prayers and love for each and everyone of your critters! Will be praying tonight for all.
Redbud August 19, 2010 at 3:40 pm
Isabelle my current kitty (or as I call her the sweetest kitty in the world!) and Triscuit my first kitty. Both totally different personalities, and both well loved.
Kathleen August 19, 2010 at 4:45 pm
While I don’t know any of their names, I appreciate the many animals that appear and sometimes even surprise me during my evening walks … birds, bunnies, squirrels, deer, cats, dogs etc. I thank God for these beautiful creatures. They make my walk so much more pleasant and enjoyable. I’ll say “Prayer of St. Francis” with and for them during tonight’s walk.
~E August 19, 2010 at 5:29 pm
Sister Maxine – what a great post! I, like many others, agree that pets are a true blessing and have such a presence in our lives and in our hearts. It’s most deserving to acknowledge them and be grateful for the love and comfort that they provide as well as their protection and affections. I currently have a fish name “FinnE” and 2 dwarf frogs named “RockE” and “LocA” and can’t wait until I can get an English bull dog!!! My heart still misses my beloved “Droopy” (a pure bred basset hound who was a sick puppy) and the comfort I have is imagining him up in heaven keeping my grandmas and grandpa company!
Pondering August 19, 2010 at 8:19 pm
I know that I missed prayers but I wanted to add 6 adorable and sweet (and sometimes tempermental) llamas to the list: Prairie Angel, Darby, Chili, Coco, Haley, and Carmel.
Michelle August 19, 2010 at 9:48 pm
Prego and Gemma – two most beloved dogs; and Sascha – our beautiful cat who is no longer with us. Thank you very much, Sisters!
Sister Julie August 20, 2010 at 8:52 am
We will pray in thanksgiving for all other pets added here including all of the llamas, fish, frogs, dogs, and creatures whom we see each and every day!
Another Sister Julie, CSSF August 20, 2010 at 9:29 am
LeeAnn, our Senior Center in Milwaukee has a huge tank and a couple of wall sized birdcages for the residents to enjoy. The one in our convent is small, but love must certainly be in the air (Or as I like to call it, “hanky-panky in the tank-y”!) because there are so many baby fish there now!
Barbara August 20, 2010 at 9:41 am
I may be too late, but prayer transcends time. Please add my two rescue Persian cats, the brothers Humphrey and Bogart. They are extremely sweet, friendly and loving.
JoyceElaine August 20, 2010 at 10:52 am
Barbara, I love those names!
Anne B. August 20, 2010 at 1:45 pm
Molly, my 5 year old rescued lab mix, and all the dogs longing for their forever homes.
Sarah W. August 20, 2010 at 9:00 pm
My cat, Princess and my two dogs, Duchess and Bandit.
Karen August 24, 2010 at 12:37 pm
I know the prayers are long over but here is my list: Daisy, Hershey, Chloe, Reilly, Francis, Grey-Grey and Oakley (all in the Great Meadow now) and the ones still with us: Lily, Timber, Lager, Foster, Calvin, Walter, Thomas and Squeak. Without them my house would smell a lot better, but it would not be as full of the presence of God.
Anna September 2, 2010 at 10:53 am
Thank you for this opportunity–my heart is still aching at the loss of my beloved furry ones. For Sophie, my two year-old miniature maltese who suffered so terribly and my Bichon Frise Sunny who so loved all humans unconditionally and who I am grieving for now.
marla September 2, 2010 at 2:02 pm
prayer never ends, guys. i’ll pray. i’m so sorry for your losses. losing my pets has nearly killed me. prayers begun.
Daisy September 2, 2010 at 7:54 pm
Adding my name to the prayer list. I’m really glad I found my forever home; and my human is glad she found me. My sympathies to all those who are grieving the death of beloved ones.
Sister Julie September 3, 2010 at 11:44 am
Continued prayers for all of your furry, feathered, scaly friends!
