The Grief Page + Prayers for the Dying + Prayers at the Graveside
All Souls Regulations + Blessing of Parents after a Miscarriage
Scripture Readings for Catholic Funerals
May their souls and the souls of
all the Faithful Departed
through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
During November, the Church celebrates the communion of saints, intercedes for those who have died, and prepares to welcome the one Saint Francis called "Sister Death." These prayers are appropriate all through November, or any time throughout the year.
Prayers after Death
The following prayers may be prayed immediately after
death
and may be repeated in the hours that follow.
Saints of God, come to his/her aid!
Come to meet him/her, angels of the Lord!
[Response] Receive his/her soul and present him/her to God the Most High.
May Christ, who called you, take you to himself;
may angels lead you to Abraham's side. [Response]
Receive . . .
Give him/her eternal rest, O Lord,
and may your light shine on him/her for ever. [Response] Receive . . .
Let us Pray.
All-powerful and merciful God,
we commend to you, N., your servant.
In your mercy and love,
blot out all the sins he/she has committed through human weakness.
In this world he/ she has died: let him/her live with you for ever.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
AMEN.
These verses may also be used.
V/.
Eternal rest grant unto him/her, O Lord.
R/.
And let perpetual light shine upon him/her.
V/. May he/she rest in peace.
R/. Amen.
V/. May
his/her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R/. Amen.
Gathering in the Presence of the Body
When the family first gathers around the body, before or after it is prepared for burial, all or some of the following prayers may be used. It is most fitting that family members take part in preparing the body for burial.
All make the sign of the cross:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
R/. Amen.
Then one member of the family reads:
Jesus says: "Come to me, all you who labor and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light."
The body may be sprinkled with holy water.
The Lord God lives in his holy temple and yet
abides in our midst.
Since in baptism N. became God's temple and the Spirit of God lived in him/her, with
reverence we bless his/her mortal body.
Then one member of the family may say:
With God there is mercy and fullness of redemption; let us pray as Jesus taught us:
Our Father, who art in Heaven . . .
Then this prayer is said:
Into your hands, O Lord
we humble entrust our brother/sister N.
In this life you embraced him/her with your
tender love;
deliver him/her now from every evil
and bid him/her enter eternal rest.
The old order has passed away:
welcome him/her then into paradise,
where there will be no sorrow, no weeping nor pain,
but the fullness of peace and joy
with your Son and the Holy Spirit
for ever and ever.
R/. Amen.
All may sign the forehead of the deceased with the sign of the cross. One member of he family says:
Blessed are those who have died in the Lord;
let them rest from their labors
for their good deeds go with them.
V/.
Eternal rest grant unto him/her, O Lord.
R/.
And let perpetual light shine upon him/her.
V/. May
he/she rest in peace.
R/.
Amen.
V/. May
his/her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in
peace.
R/.
Amen.
All make the sign of the cross as one member of the family says:
May the love of God and the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ bless and console us and gently wipe every tear from our eyes: in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
R/. Amen.
Prayers for Mourners
Lord, God
you are attentive to the voice of our pleading.
Let us find in your Son comfort in our sadness,
certainty in our doubt,
and courage to live through this hour.
Make our faith strong through Christ our Lord.
R/. Amen.
Lord,
N. is gone now from
this earthly dwelling,
and has left behind those who mourn his/her absence.
Grant that we may hold his/her memory dear,
never bitter for what we have lost
nor in regret for the past,
but always in hope of the eternal kingdom
where you will bring us together again.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
R/. Amen.
For those who mourn the death of a child
Lord, whose ways are beyond understanding,
listen to the prayers of your faithful people:
that those weighed down by grief
at the loss of this [little] child
may we find reassurance in your infinite goodness.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
R/. Amen.
Blessing of Parents after a Miscarriage
When a baby dies before birth, the parents may seek the prayers of the Church. A priest, deacon, lay minister of the parish, or a member of the family may lead this blessing.
All make the sign of the cross. The leader begins:
Let us praise the Father of mercies, the God of all consolation. Blessed be God for ever.
All respond:
Blessed be God for ever.
The leader may use these or similar words to introduce the blessing:
For those who trust in God,
in the pain of sorrow there is consolation,
in the face of despair there is hope,
in the midst of death there is life.
N. and N., as we mourn the death of your
child,
we place ourselves in the hands of God and ask strength,
for healing, and for love.
Then the Scripture is read:
Listen to the words of the book of Lamentations:
My soul is deprived of peace,
I have forgotten what happiness is;
I tell myself my future is lost,
all that I hoped for from the Lord.
But I will call this to mind,
as my reason to have hope:
The favors of the Lord are not exhausted,
his mercies are not spent;
They are renewed each morning,
so great is his faithfulness.
My portion is the Lord, says my soul;
therefore I will hope in him. Lamentations 3:17-18, 21-24
The reader concludes:
The Word of the Lord.
All respond:
Thanks be to God.
After a time of silence, all join in the prayers of intercession, all join in prayers of intercession. These conclude with the Lord's Prayer. Then the leader may invite all to extend their hands over the parents in blessing.
Father and Creator,
in whom all life and death find meaning,
we bless you at all times,
especially when we have need of your consolation.
N. and N. entrust to your care a life
conceived in love.
May your blessing come upon them now.
Remove all anxiety from their minds
and strengthen this love
so that they may have peace in their hearts and home.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
R/. Amen.
All make the sign of the cross as the leader concludes:
May the almighty and merciful God bless and protect us,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
R/. Amen.
Prayers at the Graveside
During the time of mourning, the following prayers may be prayed at the graveside.
Lord Jesus Christ,
by your own three days in the tomb,
you hallowed the graves of all who believe in you
and so made the grave a sign of hope
that promises resurrection
even as it claims our mortal bodies.
Grant that our brother/sister, N.,
may sleep here in peace
until you awaken him/her to glory,
for you are the resurrection and the life.
Then he/she will see you face to face
and in your light will see light
and know the splendor of God,
for you live and reign for ever and ever.
R/. Amen
O God,
by whose mercy the faithful departed find rest,
send your holy angel to watch over this grave.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
R/. Amen.
Into your hands, O Lord,
we humbly entrust our brothers and sisters.
In this life you embraced them with your tender love;
deliver them now from every evil
and bid them enter eternal rest.
The old order has passed away:
welcome them then into paradise,
where there will be no sorrow, now weeping nor pain,
but the fullness of peace and joy
with your Son and the Holy Spirit
for ever and ever.
R/. Amen.
Lord, support us all the day long,
until the shadows lengthen,
and the evening comes,
and the busy world is hushed,
and the fever of life is over,
and our work is done.
Then in your mercy,
grant us a safe lodging,
and a holy rest,
and peace at the last.
John Henry Newman
Bless the Lord, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him,
For he knows how we are formed;
he remembers that we are dust.
Our days are like those of grass;
like a flower of the field he blooms;
The wind sweeps over him and he is gone,
and his place knows him no more.
But the kindness of the Lord is from eternity to
eternity
toward those who fear him,
And is justice toward children's children
among those who keep his covenant
and remember to fulfill his precepts.
Psalm 103: 1-2, 11-18
The following verses may be sing to any appropriate tune such as "The Old Hundredth" [Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow]:
I know that my Redeemer lives,
and on that final day of days,
His voice shall bid me rise again:
Unending joy, unceasing praise!
This hope I cherish in my heart:
To stand on earth, my flesh restored,
And, not a stranger but a friend,
Behold my Savior and my Lord.
These prayers can also be found in "Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers," a book of prayers by the Bishops' Committee on the Liturgy, National Conference of Catholic Bishops, United States Catholic Conference, Inc. Washington, D.C. ©1988
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