Good God,
we, your little fish and turtle, want to praise you.
Yes, to praise together with everything that has breath (Ps 150:6),
with all the wild and domestic animals (Dan 3:81),
with all the beasts and cattle,
with reptiles and winged birds (Ps 148:10),
for you created us like all your works with love.
How could it be otherwise, since you yourself are Love.
And besides, you created us good,
indeed very good (Gn 1:31).
Good not for the plate, but good because you are good.
Everything you have created, you love,
for you could not make something,
that you would have in hatred (Wis 11:24).
We praise you for the fact that even we can tell
of your glory
and proclaim the work of your hands (Ps 19:2).
You are gracious to us and above all that you have made,
you show compassion (Ps 145:9).
We also want to thank you, God.
For giving us food (Ps 147:9),
giving us nourishment at the right time,
opening your hand and feeding us with kindness,
like all living things (Ps 145:15n).
For you love the life that belongs to you (Wis 11:26),
you are its source, you yourself are Life.
We thank you for the fact that with everything that lives,
yes, even with us,
you have made a covenant,
a covenant of your love (Gn 9:9-11), which you will never revoke.
And so you, God, loved the world,
for you gave your only Son,
who became human,
and his Holy Spirit through our
human brothers
continues the work of salvation in the world (4th Eucharistic Prayer),
when he makes Christ present in the Eucharist.
And with the mouth of man, we too, when celebrating
the Most Holy Eucharist,
can praise you with all creation (4th Eucharistic Prayer).
And so we ask you, God, for ourselves and for our human friends.
May everyone understand,
that even though you love them with a very special love,
for you created them in your image,
you also love us.
After all, we are created through Christ
and for Christ (Col 1:16)
and you will also bring us together with everything that is in heaven and on earth,
to unity in him, until the fullness of time (Eph 1:10).
May we therefore praise you one day in your kingdom
together with the whole universe,
liberated from sin and death (4th Eucharistic Prayer)
forever and ever.
Amen.
(quoted from the book by P. Matúš Kocian,
I bless all of God's creatures, KNA 2023)
