Prayer for the Dead
Prayer for the Dead
The leader begins:
In this moment of sorrow
the Lord is in our midst
and comforts us with his word:
Blessed are the sorrowful; they shall be consoled.
Let us pray
Almighty and eternal God
hear our prayers for your son/ daughter N.,
whom you have called from this life to yourself.
Grant him / her light, happiness, and peace.
Let him / her pass in safety through the gates of death,
and iive for ever with all your saints in the light you promised
to Abraham and to all his descendants in faith.
Guard him / her from all harm
and on that great day of resurrection and re- ward
raise him / her up with all your saints.
Pardon his I her sins
and give him / her eternal life in your king dom.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen .
OR
Loving and merciful God,
we entrust our brother I sister to your mercy .
You loved him / her greatly in this life:
now that he I she is freed from all its cares,
give him I her happiness and peace for ever.
The old order has passed away: welcome him I her now into paradise where there will be no more sorrow, no more weeping or pain, but only peace and joy with Jesus, your Son, and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever.
Amen .
READING
The word of God is proclaimed by one of those present or by the minister. :
+ A reading from the holy gospel according to Luke 23:44-46
It was now around midday, and darkness came over the whole land until midafternoon with an eclipse of the sun. The curtain in the sanctuary was torn in two. Jesus uttered a loud cry and said, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”. After he said this, he expired.
The Gospel of the Lord.
OR
+ A reading from the holy gospel according to John
11:3-7, 17, 20-27, 33-36, 41-44
The sisters sent word to Jesus to inform him, "Lord, the one you love is sick." Upon hearing this, Jesus said: "This sickness is not to end in death rather it is for God's glory, that through it the Son of God may be glorified." Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus very much. Yet, after hearing that Lazarus was sick, he stayed on where he was·for two days more. Finally he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea." When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming she went to meet him, while Mary sat at home. Martha said to Jesus "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would never have died. Even now I am sure that God will give you whatever you ask of him." "Your brother will rise again," Jesus assured her. "I know he will rise again ,, Martha replied, "in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus told her:
"I am the resurrection and the life: whoever believes in me,
though he should die, will come to life; and whoever is alive and believes in me will never die.
Do you believe this?" "Yes, Lord," she replied. "I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God: he who is to come into the world."
When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had accompanied her also weeping, he was troubled in spirit, moved by the deepest emotions. "Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Lord, come and see," they said. Jesus began to weep, which caused the Jews to remark, "See how much he loved him
Then Jesus looked upward and said:
"Father, I thank you for having heard me. I know that you always hear me
but I have said this for the sake of the crowd, that they may believe that you sent me."
Having said this he called loudly, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, bound hand and foot with linen strips, his face wrapped in a cloth. "Untie him," Jesus told them, "and let him go free."
The Gospel of the Lord.
LITANY
Then one of those present may lead the others in praying a brief form of the litany of the saints. Other saints may be added, including the patron saints of the dead person, of the family, and of the parish; saints to whom the deceased person may have had a special devotion may also be included.
Saints of God, come to his/ her aid!
Come to meet him / her, angels of the Lord!
Holy Mary, Mother of God pray for him I her
Abraham, our father in faith pray for him I her
David, leader of God's people pray for him I her
All holy patriarchs and prophets pray for him I her
Saint John the Baptist pray for him I her
Saint Joseph pray for him I her
Saint Peter and Saint Paul pray for him I her
Saint Andrew pray for him I her
Saint John pray for him I her
Saint Mary Magdalene pray for him I her
Saint Stephen pray for him I her
Saint Ignatius pray for him I her
Saint Lawrence pray for him I her
Saint Perpetua and Saint Felicity pray for him I her
Saint Agnes pray for him I her
Saint Gregory pray for him I her
Saint Augustine pray for him I her
Saint Athanasius pray for him I her
Saint Basil pray for him I her
Saint Martin pray for him I her
Saint Benedict pray for him I her
Saint Francis and Saint Dominic pray for him I her
Saint Francis Xavier pray for him I her
Saint John Vianney pray for him I her
Saint Catherine pray for him I her
Saint Teresa pray for him I her
Saint Vincent de Paul pray for him I her
Other saints may be included here.
All holy men and women pray for him I her
Lord, be merciful Lord, save your people
From all evil From every sin Lord, save your people
From Satan's power Lord, save your people
At the moment of death Lord, save your people
From everlasting death Lord, save your people
On the day of judgment Lord, save your people
By your coming as man Lord, save your people
By your suffering and cross Lord, save your people
By your death and rising to new life Lord, save your people
By your return in glory to the Father Lord, save your people
By your gift of the Holy Spirit Lord, save your people
By your coming again in glory Lord, save your people
Be merciful to us sinners Lord, save your people
Bring N. to eternal life,
first promised to him I her
in baptism Lord, save your people
Raise N. on the last day,
for he I she has
eaten the bread of life Lord, save your people
Let N .share in your glory,
for he I she has shared
in your suffering and death Lord, save your people
Jesus, Son of the living God Lord, hear our prayer
Christ, hear us Lord, hear our prayer
Lord Jesus, hear our prayer Lord, hear our prayer
God of mercy,
hear our prayers and be merciful
to your son / daughter N., whom you have called from this life.
Welcome him / her into the company of your saints,
in the kingdom of light and peace.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
THE LORD'S PRAYER
With God there is mercy and fullness of redemption;
let us pray as Jesus taught us to pray:
All say :
Our Father . . .
PRAYER OF COMMENDATION
Lord Jesus, our Redeemer,
you willingly gave yourself up to death so that all people might be saved
and pass from death into a new life.
Listen to our prayers,
look with love on your people
who mourn and pray for their brother I sister N.
Lord Jesus, holy and compassionate: forgive N. his / her sins.
By dying you opened the gates of life for those who believe in you:
do not let our brother I sister be parted from you,
but by your glorious power .
give him / her light, joy, and peace m heaven where you live for ever and ever.
W Amen .
For the solace of those present the leader of prayer may conclude these prayers with a simple blessing or with symbolic gesture , for example, signing the forehead with the sign of the cross .
O God, almighty Father,
our faith professes that your Son died
and rose again;
mercifully grant, that through this mystery
your servant,who has fallen asleep in Christ,
may rejoice to rise again through him.
Funeral Liturgies
Gathering of Family & Friends
Catholic Cemetery
Life Beyond Loss
Creamation
