Dear Lord, please open your gates
and call St. Francis
to come escort this beloved companion
across the Rainbow Bridge.

Assign him to a place of honour,
for he has been a faithful servant
and has always done his best to please us.

Bless the hands that send him to you,
for they are doing so in love and compassion,
freeing him from pain and suffering.

Grant us the strength not to dwell on our loss.
Help us remember the details of his life
with the love he has shown us.
And grant us the courage to honour him
by sharing those memories with others.

Let him remember us as well
and let him know that we will always love him.
And when it's my time to pass over into your paradise,
please allow him to accompany those
who will bring us home.

Thank you, Lord,
for the gift of his companionship
and for the time we've had together.

And thank you, Lord,
for granting us the strength
to give him to you now.

Amen.