Ceremony of Farewell for a Pet

A Ceremony of Farewell for a Pet

The liturgies, celebrations, ceremonies, prayers, and reflections offered on this blog are the result of my thoughts, reflections, and experiences,

woven together using my own words

and sometimes adapting the words others have used:

I am indebted to their wisdom.

Please note that the Rites of Passage liturgies are offered as templates,

and should be adapted as appropriate for your particular gathering.

This ceremony of farewell is appropriate for use by any group of people,

or by any individual, saying good bye to a beloved pet animal who has died.

Everyone is invited to join in saying the words in large bold type.

Opening Words (from Ecclesiastes 3):

For everything there is a season,

and a time for every purpose under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die;

a time to mourn and a time to dance.

We meet here today because N has died and the life we shared with her has come to an end. This is a time of parting, loss, and sadness, but it can also be a time of thankfulness, as we remember N’s life and all she means to us and shared with us.

The sadness and pain that we feel is because N has crossed over the boundary between the life God gives us in this world and the new life beyond death, which lies beyond our seeing, our hearing, or our imagining; and we cannot cross that threshold to be with N, and all those whom we love, until our own time comes.
N put her trust in us to do what was best always, and we enjoyed her companionship every day, so let us celebrate all she shared with us.

A tribute is given

Prayer:

God of all creatures, hear us as we remember our beloved N, 

for everything she meant and will always mean to us.

We thank you for giving N to be with us,

and for all we have shared with her here.

We praise you that for N all pain is over, death itself is past,

and she lives for ever in your love and care.

     Amen.

The Committal:

Everything that ever existed and will ever exist originated in the

burst of heat and light which created our universe billions of years ago.

All creatures are made of the same stuff as the stars, the planets,

and this earth itself, which we know in this life as our home.

And so, reverently, lovingly, and trustingly,

we return N's body to the elements,

which welcome us all at the time of our death,

earth to earth, ashes to ashes, star-dust to star-dust;

and we commit her being to all that is eternal.

Parting Words:

Into the freedom of wind and sunshine:

     We let you go.

Into the dance of the stars and the planets:

     We let you go.

Into the wind’s breath and the hands of the star maker:

     We let you go.

Words of Blessing:

The peace of this ancient earth to you,
of the high blue heavens which embrace it,
and the winds which blow freely over it;
the peace of splintered light sparkling on leaves,
and gentle rain falling on dry earth;
the peace of star-jewelled skies, of full-orbed moons,
of breathless dawns and splendid dying suns;

and the peace of God, who creates us all and loves us all, to you.

     Amen.