Help- Our hunt has its annual Blessing of the Hounds on Sunday and I can’t find the Prayer used. Does anyone have a blessing or can you let me know where to find one? googling St. Hubert has only gotten me a history of his life, no prayer.
Thanks!
an idear!
While I’m looking for ours somewhere around here; why not ask the Masters of Foxhounds website. Bet they have it. Everyone uses the same one around here…just gotta find it!
May it please the Masters:
Since time immemorial, it has been the custom of English/Irish fox hunting to “Bless the Hounds” on the day of opening meet.
Today it is my hope to keep the tradition alive, and being so honored, I take license to include others:
So, if you will,
We ask our heavenly father to bless the Masters and staff of ______ Hounds for providing good sport and festivity.
To bless the owners and keepers of the land over which we hunt, for their permission and friendship.
We pray that these spirited horses, galloping over this rough and challenging country, bring their riders safely home.
Also that the wiley fox, without whom this sport would not exist, runs to live and give good chase another day.
This tradition we do keep in asking our heavenly father to bless and watch over the Hounds of _______.
Amen.
James B Henderson MFH.(ret.)
Shamrock Hounds.
Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGoQbrA7CaM&feature=related
Blessing starts @ 2:15
That certainly is great - is that you, Equibrit, or is it from James Henderson of Shamrock Hounds?
I’ve got the entire rite down in the barn.
I’d be happy to fetch it and type the whole thing out. It’s got the prayer, responses, etc.
Equibrit - lovely prayer.
Thank you Equibrit- this is perfect.
It is Jim - who has since left us - he was a lovely man. I just happened to have an old hunt directory in my desk drawer, and that is inside the front cover.
You might try looking in the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer. It seems they have a rite for everything in the back of the book. I think I might have seen one when flipping through the back of the book when the sermon was boring.
It’s not in the BCP.
I’d thought it might be in the Book of Occasional Services, but I couldn’t find it in there either.
I’m guessing it’s one of our Episcopal services, but I can’t find a source for it. Anyone know?
The blessing for our hounds was on St George’s Day - the text is on the video, here: http://www.vimeo.com/12148219
PS: Its an English service - possibly Book of Common Prayer, so might not be what you are looking for…
