Funerals

Readings

First Reading (Choose one)

1)
A reading from the prophet Isaiah (43:1)
But now thus says the Lord who created you, who formed you.
Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you: I have called you by your name, you are mine.
Should you pass through the sea, I will be with you; or through the rivers, they will not swallow you up.
Should you walk through fire, you will not be scorched and the flames will not burn you.
For I am your God, the Holy One, your saviour.
Because you are precious in my eyes, because you are honoured and I love you.

The Word of the Lord.

2) (Male version)
A Reading from the Book of Wisdom (4,7-15)
The virtuous one, though he dies before his time, will find rest. Length of days is not what makes age honourable, nor number of years the true measure of life; understanding, untarnished life, this is ripe old age. He has sought to please God, so God has loved him; As he was living among sinners, he has been taken up. He has been carried off so that evil may not warp his understanding or treachery seduce his soul; For the fascination of evil throws good things into the shade, and the whirlwind of desire corrupts a simple heart. Coming to perfection in so short a while, he achieved long life; his soul being pleasing to the Lord, he has taken him quickly from the wickedness around him. Yet people look on, uncomprehending; it does not enter their heads that grace and mercy await the chosen of the Lord, And protection his holy ones.

The Word of the Lord.

2) (female version)
A Reading from the Book of Wisdom (4,7-15)
The virtuous one, though she dies before her time, will find rest. Length of days is not what makes age honourable, nor number of years the true measure of life; understanding, untarnished life, this is ripe old age. She has sought to please God, so God has loved her; As she was living among sinners, she has been taken up. She has been carried off so that evil may not warp her understanding or treachery seduce her soul; For the fascination of evil throws good things into the shade, and the whirlwind of desire corrupts a simple heart. Coming to perfection in so short a while, she achieved long life; her soul being pleasing to the Lord, she has taken her quickly from the wickedness around her. Yet people look on, uncomprhending; it does not enter their heads that grace and mercy await the chosen of the Lord, And protection his holy ones.

The Word of the Lord.

3)
A reading from the Book of Wisdom (Ecclesiastes 3:1-11)
For everything there is a season,
And a time for every matter under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones,
And a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to seek, a time to lose;
A time to keep, a time to cast away;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate;
A time for war, and a time for peace.
God has made everything beautiful in it’s own time.

The Word of the Lord.

4)
A Reading from the Book of Job (19,1.23-27)
Job said: “O that these words of mine were written down, inscribed on some monument with iron and chisel and engraving tool, cut into the rock for ever.
This I know: that my Avenger lives, and he, at last, will take his stand on earth.
After my awakening, he will set me close to him, and from my flesh I shall look on God.
He whom I shall see will take my part: These eyes will gaze on him and find him not aloof”.

The Word of the Lord

5)
A Reading from the book of Wisdom (3,1-6,9)
The souls of the righteous are in the hands of God, no torment shall ever touch them.
In the eyes of the foolish they did appear to die, and their departure was thought to be a disaster, and their going from us, to be their destruction, but they are at peace.
For though in the sight of others they were punished, their hope is full of immortality.
Having being disciplined a little, they will receive great good, because God tested them and found them worthy of himself; like gold in the furnace he tried them, and like a sacrificial burnt offering he accepted them.
Those who trust in him will understand the truth, and the faithful will abide with him in love; because grace and mercy are upon her holy ones, and he watches over her elect.

The Word of the Lord

6)
A Reading from the Prophet Isaiah (25, 6-9)
On this mountain, the Lord of hosts will prepare for all peoples a banquet of rich food.
On this mountain He will remove the mourning veil covering all peoples, and the shroud enwrapping all nations, He will destroy death for ever.
The Lord will wipe away the tears from every cheek; he will take away his people’s shame everywhere on earth, for the Lord has said so.
That day, it will be said: See, this is our God in whom we hoped for salvation; the Lord is the one in whom we hoped.
We exult and rejoice that he has saved us.

The Word of the Lord

7)
A reading from the book of Lamentations (3:22.26)
The favours of The Lord are not all past,
his kindnesses are not exhausted;
every morning they are renewed;
great is his faithfulness.
‘My portion is the Lord’ says my soul
‘and so I will hope in him.’
The Lord is good to those who trust him,
to the soul that searches for him.
It is good to wait in silence
for the Lord to save.

The Word of the Lord

8)
A reading from the prophet Isaiah (49:13-16)
Shout for joy, you heavens; exult, you earth! You mountains, break into happy cries!
For the Lord consoles his people
and takes pity on those who are afflicted.
For Zion was saying, ‘the Lord has abandoned me, the Lord has forgotten me’.
Does a woman forget her baby at the breast, or fail to cherish the son of her womb?
Yet even if these forget, I will never forget you. See I have carved you on the palm of my hands.

The Word of the Lord.

9)
A Reading from the Prophet Isaiah (41: 10, 44:22, 49:15 – 16)
Fear not, I am with you; be not dismayed; I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you, and uphold you with my right hand of justice. For I am the Lord your God who grasps your right hand; it is I who say to you “fear not, I will help you”.
I have brushed away your offences like a cloud, your sins like a mist, return to me, for I have redeemed you. Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child within her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you. See, upon the palm of my hand I have written your name. Yes, in joy you shall depart, in peace you shall be brought back.

The Word of the Lord.

10)
A Reading from the Prophet Isaiah (35: 3 – 6. 10)
Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the
feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
‘Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God.
He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense.
He will come and save you.’
Then the eyes of the blind will be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue
of the dumb sing for joy. And the ransomed of the Lord
will return, and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy and gladness, and sorrow
and sighing will flee away.

The Word of the Lord.

11)
A Reading from the Prophet Isaiah (61: 1 – 3)
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the
oppressed; to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim
liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners;
to proclaim the year of our God;
to comfort all who mourn,
to give them a garland instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning.

The Word of the Lord.

12)
A reading from the prophet Isaiah (12,2-6)
Truly, God is my salvation, I trust, I shall not fear, for the Lord is my strength, my song, he became my Saviour. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. Give thanks to the Lord, give praise to his name! Make his mighty deeds known to the peoples! Declare the greatness of his name! Sing a psalm to the Lord, for he has done glorious deeds, make them known to all the earth! People of Zion, sing and shout for joy for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

The Word of the Lord.

13)
A Reading from the prophet Micah (6: 6-8)
With what shall I enter God’s presence and bow down before God all-high? Shall I enter with burnt offerings, with calves one year old? Will he be pleased with rams by the thousand, with ten thousand barrels of oil? Shall I offer my eldest son for my wrong-doing, the child of my own body for my sin? You have already been told what is right and what God wants of you. Only this: to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with your God.

The Word of the Lord.

Second Reading (Choose one)

1) A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans 6:3-4, 8-9
Brothers and sisters:
Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into his death?
We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death,
so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father,
we too might live in newness of life.
If, then, we have died with Christ,
we believe that we shall also live with him.
We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more;
death no longer has power over him.

The word of the Lord.

2)
A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans 8:14-23
Those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit
that we are children of God
so that we may also be glorified with Christ.
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing
compared with the glory to be revealed for us.
God’s creation awaits with eager expectation
to be set free and to attain the glorious freedom of heaven above.
We too growing inwardly as we wait for our bodies to be set free.

The word of the Lord.

3)
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans 8:31-35. 37-39
Death cannot come between us and the love of Christ
With God on our side who can be against us? Since God did not spare his own Son, but gave him up to benefit us all, we may be certain after such a gift, that he will not refuse anything he can give. Could anyone accuse those that God has chosen? When God acquits, could anyone condemn? Could Christ Jesus? No! He not only died for us – he rose from the dead, and there at God’s right hand he stands and pleads for us. Nothing therefore can come between us and the love of Christ, even if we are troubled or worried, or being persecuted, or lacking food or clothes, or being threatened or even attacked. These are the trials through which we triumph, by the power of him who loved us. For I am certain of this: neither death nor life, no angel, no prince, nothing that exists, nothing still to come, not any power, or height or depth, not any created thing, can ever come between us and the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Word of the Lord

4)
A reading from the first letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians
Love does not come to an end.
If I have all the eloquence of men or of angels, but speak without love, I am simply a gong booming or a cymbal clashing. If I have the gift of prophecy, understanding all the mysteries there are, and knowing everything, and if I have faith in all its fullness, to move mountains, but without love, then I am nothing at all. If I give away all that I possess, piece by piece, and if I even let them take my body to burn it, but am without love, it will do me no good whatever. Love is always patient and kind; it is never jealous; love is never boastful or conceited; it is never rude or selfish; it does not take offence, and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people’s sins but delights in the truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes. Love does not come to an end. In short, there are three things that last: faith, hope and love; and the greatest of these is love.

The Word of the Lord

5)
A Reading from the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians (15,51-57)
I will tell you something that has been secret: that we are not all going to die, but we shall all be changed.
This will be instantaneous, in the twinkling of an eye, when the last trumpet sounds.
It will sound, and the dead will be raised, imperishable, and we shall be changed as well, because our present perishable nature must put on imperishability and this mortal nature must put on immortality.
When this perishable nature has put on imperishability, and when this mortal nature has put on immortality, then the words of Scripture will come true: Death is swallowed up in victory.
Death where is your victory?
Death where is your sting?
Now the sting of sin is death, and sin gets its power from the Law.
So let us thank God for giving us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Word of the Lord

6)
A Reading from the first letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians (4,13-18)
We want you to be quite certain, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, to make sure that you do not grieve about them like the other people who have no hope.
We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and that it will be the same for those who have died in Jesus: God will bring them with him.
We can tell you this from the Lord’s own teaching that any of us who are left alive until the Lord’s coming will not have any advantage over those who have died.
At the trumpet of God, the voice of the archangel will call out the command and the first to rise, and those of us who are still alive will be taken up in the clouds, together with them, to meet the Lord in the air.
So we shall stay with the lord forever. With such thoughts as these you should comfort one another.

The Word of the Lord

7)
A Reading from the First Letter of St John 3:1-2
See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are.
The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed.
What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.

The Word of the Lord

8)
A reading from the book of the Apocalypse 14:13
Happy are those who die in the Lord!
I, John, heard a voice from heaven say to me,
‘Write down: Happy are those who die in the Lord!
Happy indeed, the Spirit says;
now they can rest for ever after their work,
since their good deeds go with them.’

The word of the Lord

9)
A reading from the letter of St. Paul to Timothy
As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come.
I have fought the good fight,
I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge,
will give me on that day,
and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

The Word of the Lord

10)
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans.
Think of God’s mercy, and worship him,
living lives truly pleasing to God.
Do not let your love be a pretence,
but sincerely prefer good to evil.
Love each other as much as brothers and sisters should,
and have a profound respect for each other.
Work for the Lord with untiring effort
and with great earnestness of spirit.
If you have hope, this will make you cheerful.
Do not give up if trials come; and keep on praying.
If anyone is in need you must share with them;
and you should make hospitality your special care.

The Word of the Lord

11)
A Reading from the Second Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

The Word of the Lord

12)
A Reading from the first Letter of St. John
Let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.
God’s Love was revealed among us in this way: God sent His only Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and His love is perfected in us.

The Word of the Lord

13) A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Romans (8:35, 37-39)
Nothing can come between us and the love of Christ, even if we are troubled or worried, or being persecuted, or lacking food and clothes, or being threatened or even attacked. These are the trials through which we triumph, by the power of him who loved us.
For I am certain of this: neither death nor life, no angel, no prince, nothing that exists, nothing still to come, not any power, or height or depth, nor any created thing, can ever come between us and the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Word of the Lord

14)
A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Philippians (3:8,10-14)
I believe nothing can happen that will outweigh the supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. All I want is to know is Christ and the power of his Resurrection and to share his sufferings by reproducing the pattern of his death. That is the way I can hope to take my place in the resurrection of the dead. Not that I have become perfect yet: I have not yet won, but I am still running, trying to capture the prize for which Christ Jesus captured me. I can assure you, I am far from thinking I have already won. All I can say is that I forget the past and I strain ahead for what is to come; I am racing for the finish, for the prize to which God calls us upwards to receive in Christ Jesus.

The Word of the Lord

15)
A Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans. (14: 7 – 12)
The life and death of each of us has its influence on others;
if we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die,
we die for the Lord, so that alive or dead we
belong to the Lord.
This explains why Christ both died and came to life,
it was so that he might be Lord both of the dead
and of the living. We shall all have to stand
before the judgement seat of God; as scripture says:
By my life – it is the Lord who speaks –
every knee shall bend before me,
and every tongue shall praise God.
It is to God, therefore, that each of us must
give an account of ourselves.

The Word of the Lord

16)
A Reading from the Letter to the Hebrews. (11, 1-2. 13 -16)
Only faith can guarantee the blessings that we hope for, or prove the existence of the realities that at present remain unseen. It was for faith that our ancestors were commended.
All these died in faith, before receiving any of the things that had been promised, but they saw them in the far distance and welcomed them, recognising that they were only strangers and nomads on earth. People who use such terms about themselves make it quite plain that they are in search of their real homeland. They can hardly have meant the country they came from, since they had the opportunity to go back to it; but in fact they were longing for a better homeland.

The Word of the Lord

RESPONSORIAL PSALM (Choose one if not been sung)

Psalm 23

Response: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Fresh and green are the pastures where he gives me repose.
Near restful waters he leads me to revive my drooping spirit. R/

He guides me along the right path, he is true to his name.
If I should walk in the valley of darkness no evil would I fear.
You are there with your crook and your staff;
with these you give me comfort. R/

You have prepared a banquet for me
in the sight of my foes.
My head you have anointed with oil;
my cup is overflowing. R/

Surely goodness and kindness will follow me
all the days of my life.
In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell
forever and ever. R/

Psalm 27

Response:                  The Lord is my light and my help

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid? R/

One thing I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after:
to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the Lord,
and to inquire in his temple. R/

Hear me, O Lord, when I cry aloud,
be gracious and answer me!
Your face, Lord, do I seek.
Do not hide your face from me. R/

I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord; let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord! R/

Psalm 42-43

Response:                  My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life

As a deer longs for flowing streams,
so my soul longs for you, O God. R/

My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
When shall I come and behold
the face of God? R/

These things I remember,
as I pour out my soul:
how I went with the throng,
and led them in procession to the house of God,
with shouts of gladness and thankful songs
a multitude keeping festival. R/

O send out your light and your truth;
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
and to your dwelling. R/

Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God my exceeding joy;
and I will praise you with the harp,
O God, my God. R/

Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; I shall again praise him,
my helper and my God. R/

Psalm 103

Response:                  The Lord is compassion and love

The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities. R/

As a father has compassion for his children,
so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.
For he knows how we were made;
he remembers that we are dust. R/

As for mortals, their days are like grass;
they flourish like a flower of the field;
for the wind passes over it and it is gone,
and its place knows it no more. R/

But the steadfast love of the Lord is everlasting
upon those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children’s children,
to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments. R/

Prayers of The Faithful (Choose 4 – 6)

# 1
We pray for …………… may God be kind to him / her, release him / her from ways of death and welcome

him / her to heaven.

Lord Hear Us.

#2
We pray for ourselves and family who can’t be here with us today and for all

who mourn.  May you find comfort in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and the hope

of a new life.
Lord Hear Us.

#3
We pray for those who are kind and good to us throughout the course of life, may

God reward them in his own way.
Lord Hear Us.

#4

For those who have their own struggles in life that they may find the help and support

needed to help them on their way.
Lord Hear Us.

#5
We pray for ……….. family who have died down the years,
especially ………… and ……….
May they find rest together
and keep each other company in the peace of heaven
Lord Hear Us.

#6
We pray for all our frontline workers during this time of the

Coronavirus and
also to pray for those who are fearful and alone.
May the Lord God safeguard and protect them.
Lord Hear Us.

#7
We pray as a family in thanksgiving for the goodness, kindness

and care
shown to our ……………… over many years
especially so by the ICU and Palliative Care Team.
May God bless and reward them.
Lord Hear Us.

# 8
……………………………has departed his/her earthly home;
May he/she reach the Joy and Peace of the Fathers house.
Lord Hear Us.

#9
We pray that the Christ who rose from the dead on Easter
Sunday may have mercy on ……………………………………
Forgive his/her sins and bring him/her to Everlasting Life
Lord Hear Us.

#10
We pray for those who mourn his/her passing;
That they may be comforted in the knowledge that he/she has gone to

his/her everlasting home.
Lord Hear Us.

#11
For all our deceased relatives and friends that the Lord may
bring these and all the departed into the light of His presence.
Lord Hear Us.

#12
May God bless us as a family.
May his face shine upon us and be gracious to us.
And may we enjoy the light of His peace in our troubled hearts.
Lord Hear Us.

#13
We pray for any here today who may be in need of God’s help in their

lives at this time.
In the silence and quiet of our hearts we bring our prayer to God.
Lord Hear Us.

#14
We pray that all of us may be sensitive and caring to the troubled and

distressed in our midst.
Lord Hear Us.

#15
May God Bless ……………………………………………
May his face shine on them and be gracious to them
and may they enjoy the light of his peace in their lonely hearts.
Lord hear us.

#16
The pain and heartache of ……………………………………………………….
touches into the deep wounds of grief of many other parents who at some time

in the past have suffered the loss of a child.
Lord Hear Us

#17
In the comfort and care you show each other may you feel the comfort and

consolation of God
Lord Hear Us

#18
Lord, we pray that today you welcome __________ into your heavenly home where

he can rest from his/her labours.
Lord Hear Us.

#19
Lord, we pray that the example of __________’s life, a deep faith and love for

his/her family may be a guiding light to us all.
Lord Hear Us.

#20
We pray for __________’s family may the Lord console them, guide them

and protect them.
Lord Hear Us.

#21
We pray for __________’s relations, friends and all here present who mourn

his/her passing. May they be comforted in the knowledge that he is released from

his suffering and gone to his/her eternal reward.
Lord Hear Us.

#22
For all our departed relatives and friends, may the Lord bring them to share

in his kingdom.
Lord Hear Us.

#23
For all who cared for ___________ during his/her illness, may God reward them for

their gentleness and love and keep them safe from all harm.
Lord Hear Us.

#24
Lord, bless the poor, the sick and the lonely.
__________ showed great kindness to all in need, may we learn from

his/her example.
Lord Hear Us.

# 25
We pray for Nana/Granny/Grandad, may God be kind to her/him
and welcome her/him to heaven.
Lord Hear Us.

#26
We pray for our sadness in Nana/Granny/Grandad leaving us.
May we help and care for each other as a family
To heal the wounds of grief.
Lord Hear Us.

#27
We pray for those who are kind and good to us over the years of life
May God reward them in his own way.
Lord Hear Us.

#28
For those who have their own struggles in life that they may find the help

and support needed to guide them on their way.
Lord Hear Us.

#29
We pray for other family and friends who have died
May they come together in heaven
Lord Hear Us.