Paul W Kelly
FUNERAL - BIBLE READING CHOICES
· A FIRST READING FROM NUMBERS 1 – 37
· A RESPONSORIAL PSALM FROM NUMBERS 38-42
(PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU MAY REPLACE THE PSALM WITH A HYMN, FOR EXAMPLE ‘THE LORD’S MY SHEPHERD.’)
· A GOSPEL (TO BE READ BY THE PRESIDER OF THE FUNERAL) FROM NUMBERS 43-63
· THEN, PLEASE CHOOSE A SELECTION OF PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL
Thank you for your assistance.
FIRST READING OPTIONS
NO.1.
A reading from the book of Revelation (14:13)
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.
NO.1 B (variation)
A reading from the book of Revelation (14:13)
I, John, heard a voice from heaven say to me, ‘Write down: Blessed are those who die in the Lord! Blessed 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.
NO. 2.
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 Lord himself will come down from heaven; those who have died in Christ will be the first to rise, and then 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 for ever. With such thoughts as these you should comfort one another.
The word of the Lord.
NO 3A
A reading from the second letter of St Paul to Timothy (2 Timothy 4:6b-8)
The time has come for me to be gone. I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith; all there is to come now is the crown of righteousness reserved for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that Day; and not only to me but to all those who have longed for his Appearing.
The word of the Lord.
NO 3B
A reading from the second letter of St Paul to Timothy (2 Timothy 4:6-8)
As for me, my life is already being poured away as a libation, (a sacrifice), and the time has come for me to be gone. I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith; all there is to come now is the crown of righteousness reserved for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that Day; and not only to me but to all those who have longed for his Appearing.
The word of the Lord.
NO 3C
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, a banquet of fine wines,
of food rich and juicy, of fine strained wines.
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 God 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 we rejoice
that he has saved us;
The word of the Lord.
NO 3D
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Philippians (1:1-7a, 9-11)
I thank my God whenever I think of you; and every time I pray for all of you, I pray with joy, remembering how you have helped spread the Good News from the day you first heard it right up to the present. I am quite certain that the One who began this good work in you will see that it is finished when the Day of Christ Jesus comes. You have a permanent place in my heart, and God knows how much I miss you all, loving you as Christ Jesus loves you. My prayer is that your love for each other may increase more and more and never stop improving your knowledge and deepening your perception so that you can always recognise what is best. This will help you to become pure and blameless, and prepare you for the Day of Christ, when you will reach the perfect goodness which Christ Jesus produces in us for the glory and praise of God.
The word of the Lord.
NO. 4
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans (8:31-35. 37-39)
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, 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.
NO. 5.
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans (14:7-9, 11)
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. As scripture says: By my life – it is the Lord who speaks – every knee shall bend before me, and every tongue shall praise God.
The word of the Lord.
NO. 5b
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. This is also why you should never pass judgement on a brother or sister or treat them with contempt, as some of you have done. 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 themselves.
The word of the Lord.
NO. 6
A reading from the book of Wisdom (4:7-10a, 14-15)
The virtuous person, though they die before their time, will find rest.
Length of days is not what makes age honorable,
nor number of years the true measure of life;
understanding, this is a person’s grey hairs,
untarnished life, this is ripe old age.
He has sought to please God, so God has loved him;
Coming to perfection in so short a while, he achieved long life;
his soul being pleasing to the Lord,
he has taken him quickly.
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.
NO 7
A reading from the prophet Isaiah (25:6-9)
The Lord God has invited us to rejoice with him, and he will wipe away the tears from every face.
On this mountain,
the Lord of hosts will prepare for all peoples
a banquet of rich food, a banquet of fine wines,
of food rich and juicy, of fine strained wines.
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 God 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 we rejoice
that he has saved us;
The word of the Lord.
NO 8.
From the First Letter of John (1 John 3:14,-16)
We have passed out of death and into life,
and of this we can be sure
because we love our brothers and sisters.
If you refuse to love, you must remain dead;
This has taught us love –
that he gave up his life for us;
and we, too, ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.
The word of the Lord.
NO. 9
A reading from the book of Revelation (7:9-10, 15-17)
I, John, saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands. They shouted aloud, ‘Victory to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ They now stand in front of God’s throne and serve him day and night in his sanctuary; and the One who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. They will never hunger or thirst again; neither the sun nor scorching wind will ever plague them, because the Lamb who is at the throne will be their shepherd and will lead them to springs of living water; and God will wipe away all tears from their eyes.’
The word of the Lord.
No. 10
A reading from the book of Wisdom (3:1-6a,9).
The souls of the virtuous are in the hands of God,
no torment shall ever touch them.
In the eyes of the unwise, they did appear to die,
their going looked like a disaster,
their leaving us, like annihilation;
but they are in peace.
If they experienced punishment as people see it,
their hope was rich with immortality;
slight was their affliction, great will their blessings be.
God has put them to the test
and proved them worthy to be with him;
he has tested them like gold in a furnace.
They who trust in him will understand the truth,
those who are faithful will live with him in love;
for grace and mercy await those he has chosen.
The word of the Lord.
No. 11
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Philippians (3:20-21)
For us, our homeland is in heaven, and from heaven comes the saviour we are waiting for, the Lord Jesus Christ, and he will transfigure these weak mortal bodies of ours into copies of his glorious body. He will do that by the same power with which he can subdue the whole universe.
The word of the Lord.
NO 12
A reading from the second letter of St Paul to the Corinthians (4:14 - 5:1)
We know that he who raised the Lord Jesus to life will raise us with Jesus in our turn, and put us by his side and you with us. You see, all this is for your benefit, so that the more grace is multiplied among people, the more thanksgiving there will be, to the glory of God.
That is why there is no weakening on our part, and instead, though this outer man of ours may be falling into decay, the inner man is renewed day by day. Yes, the troubles which are soon over, though they weigh little, train us for the carrying of a weight of eternal glory which is out of all proportion to them. And so we have no eyes for things that are visible, but only for things that are invisible; for visible things last only for a time, and the invisible things are eternal.
For we know that when the tent that we live in on earth is folded up, there is a house built by God for us, an everlasting home not made by human hands, in the heavens.
The word of the Lord.
NO 13
A reading from the second letter of St Paul to Timothy (2:8-13)
Remember the Good News that I carry, ‘Jesus Christ risen from the dead, sprung from the race of David’; it is on account of this that I have my own hardships to bear, even to being chained like a criminal – but they cannot chain up God’s news. So I bear it all for the sake of those who are chosen, so that in the end they may have the salvation that is in Christ Jesus and the eternal glory that comes with it.
Here is a saying that you can rely on:
If we have died with him, then we shall live with him.
If we hold firm, then we shall reign with him.
If we disown him, then he will disown us.
We may be unfaithful, but he is always faithful,
for he cannot disown his own self.
The word of the Lord.
NO. 14
A reading from the first letter of St John (3:1-2)
Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us,
by letting us be called God’s children;
and that is what we are.
Because the world refused to acknowledge him,
therefore it does not acknowledge us.
My dear people, we are already the children of God
but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed;
all we know is, that when it is revealed
we shall be like him
because we shall see him as he really is.
The word of the Lord.
NO 15
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Ephesians (1:3-5)
Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us with all the spiritual blessings of heaven in Christ.
Before the world was made, he chose us, chose us in Christ,
to be holy and spotless, and to live through love in his presence,
determined that we should become his adopted sons and daughters,
through Jesus Christ for his own kind purposes.
The word of the Lord.
NO 16
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Philippians (1:1-7a, 9-11)
From Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus. We wish you the grace and peace of God our Father and of the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God whenever I think of you; and every time I pray for all of you, I pray with joy, remembering how you have helped spread the Good News from the day you first heard it right up to the present. I am quite certain that the One who began this good work in you will see that it is finished when the Day of Christ Jesus comes. You have a permanent place in my heart, and God knows how much I miss you all, loving you as Christ Jesus loves you. My prayer is that your love for each other may increase more and more and never stop improving your knowledge and deepening your perception so that you can always recognise what is best. This will help you to become pure and blameless, and prepare you for the Day of Christ, when you will reach the perfect goodness which Christ Jesus produces in us for the glory and praise of God.
The word of the Lord.
NO 17
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans (6:3-5, 8-11)
Do you not know
that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into his death?
Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death,
so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father,
so we too might walk in newness of life.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his,
we will certainly be united with him
in a resurrection like his.
If we have died with Christ,
we believe that we will also live with him.
We know that Christ, being raised from the dead,
will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.
The death he died, he died to sin, once for all;
but the life he lives, he lives to God.
So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin
and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
The word of the Lord.
NO 17 B (SHORTER VERSION)
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans (6:3-9)
When we were baptised in Christ Jesus we were baptised in his death; in other words, when we were baptised we went into the tomb with him and joined him in death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the Father’s glory, we too might live a new life.
If in union with Christ we have imitated his death, we shall also imitate him in his resurrection. We must realise that our former selves have been crucified with him to destroy this sinful body and to free us from the slavery of sin. When a man dies, of course, he has finished with sin.
But we believe that having died with Christ we shall return to life with him: Christ, as we know, having been raised from the dead will never die again. Death has no power over him any more.
The word of the Lord.
NO 18
From the Song of Songs (8:6-7)
Set me as a seal upon your heart,
as a seal upon your arm;
for love is strong as death,
passion fierce as the grave.
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
a raging flame.
Many waters cannot quench love,
neither can floods drown it.
If one offered for love
all the wealth of his house,
it would be utterly scorned.
The Word of the Lord
NO. 19
From the Song of Songs (2:8-10,14,16a;8:6-7a)
My beloved is mine and I am his;
He said to me:
Set me as a seal upon your heart,
as a seal upon your arm;
for love is strong as death,
passion fierce as the grave.
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
a raging flame.
Many waters cannot quench love,
neither can floods drown it.
The Word of the Lord.
NO 20
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans (8:31-35. 37-39)
Nothing can come between us and the love of Christ. For I am certain of this: neither death nor life, no angel, 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.
NO 21
A reading from the book of Lamentations (3:21-26)
This is what I shall tell my heart,
and so recover hope:
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.
NO 21 B (LONGER VERSION)
A reading from the book of Lamentations (3:17-26)
My soul is shut out from peace;
I have forgotten happiness.
And now I say, ‘My strength is gone,
that hope which came from the Lord.’
Brooding on my anguish and affliction
is gall and wormwood.
My spirit ponders it continually
and sinks within me.
This is what I shall tell my heart,
and so recover hope:
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.
NO 22
A reading from the book of the Revelation (21:1-5)
I, John, saw a new heaven and a new earth; the first heaven and the first earth had disappeared now, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the holy city, and the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, as beautiful as a bride all dressed for her husband. Then I heard a loud voice call from the throne, ‘You see this city? Here God lives among people. God will make his home among them; they shall be his people, and he will be their God; his name is ‘God-with-them.’ He will wipe away all tears from their eyes; there will be no more death, and no more mourning or sadness. The world of the past has gone.’
Then the One sitting on the throne spoke: ‘Now I am making the whole of creation new.’
The word of the Lord.
NO 23
A reading from the book of the Revelation (7:9, 14-17)
I, John, saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands. One of the elders said to me, ‘These are the people who have been through the great ordeal. They now stand in front of God’s throne and serve him day and night in his sanctuary; and the One who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. They will never hunger or thirst again; neither the sun nor scorching wind will ever plague them, because the Lamb who is at the throne will be their shepherd and will lead them to springs of living water; and God will wipe away all tears from their eyes.’
The word of the Lord.
NO 24
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans (Romans 8:14-23)
Everyone moved by the Spirit is a son or a daughter of God. The spirit you received is not the spirit of slaves bringing fear into your lives again; it is the spirit of sons, and it makes us cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’ The Spirit himself and our spirit bear united witness that we are children of God. And if we are children we are heirs as well: heirs of God and coheirs with Christ, sharing his sufferings so as to share his glory.
I think that what we suffer in this life can never be compared to the glory, as yet unrevealed, which is waiting for us. The whole creation is eagerly waiting for God to reveal his sons. It was not for any fault on the part of creation that it was made unable to attain its purpose, it was made so by God; but creation still retains the hope of being freed, like us, from its slavery to decadence, to enjoy the same freedom and glory as the children of God. From the beginning till now the entire creation, as we know, has been groaning in one great act of giving birth; and not only creation, but all of us who possess the first-fruits of the Spirit, we too groan inwardly as we wait for our bodies to be set free.
The word of the Lord.
NO 25
From the First Letter of John (1 John 3:14-16)
We have passed out of death and into life,
and of this we can be sure
because we love our brothers.
If you refuse to love, you must remain dead;
to hate your brother is to be a murderer,
and murderers, as you know, do not have eternal life in them.
This has taught us love –
that he gave up his life for us;
and we, too, ought to give up our lives for our brothers.
The word of the Lord.
NO 26
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans (5:5-11)
Hope is not deceptive, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given us. We were still helpless when at his appointed moment Christ died for sinful men. It is not easy to die even for a good man – though of course for someone really worthy, a man might be prepared to die – but what proves that God loves us is that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. Having died to make us righteous, is it likely that he would now fail to save us from God’s anger? When we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, we were still enemies; now that we have been reconciled, surely we may count on being saved by the life of his Son? Not merely because we have been reconciled but because we are filled with joyful trust in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have already gained our reconciliation.
The word of the Lord.
NO 27
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans (5:17-21)
If it is certain that through one man’s fall so many died, it is even more certain that divine grace, coming through the one man, Jesus Christ, came to so many as an abundant free gift. If it is certain that death reigned over everyone as the consequence of one man’s fall, it is even more certain that one man, Jesus Christ, will cause everyone to reign in life who receives the free gift that he does not deserve, of being made righteous. Again, as one man’s fall brought condemnation on everyone, so the good act of one man brings everyone life and makes them justified. As by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous. But however great the number of sins committed, grace was even greater; and so, just as sin reigned wherever there was death, so grace will reign to bring eternal life, thanks to the righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The word of the Lord.
NO 28
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles (10:34-43)
Peter addressed Cornelius and his household:
‘The truth I have now come to realise’ he said, ‘is that God does not have favourites, but that anybody of any nationality who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to him.
‘It is true, God sent his word to the people of Israel, and it was to them that the good news of peace was brought by Jesus Christ – but Jesus Christ is Lord of all men. You must have heard about the recent happenings in Judaea; about Jesus of Nazareth and how he began in Galilee, after John had been preaching baptism. God had anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and because God was with him, Jesus went about doing good and curing all who had fallen into the power of the devil.’
Now I, and those with me, can witness to everything he did throughout the countryside of Judaea and in Jerusalem itself: and also to the fact that they killed him by hanging him on a tree, yet three days afterwards God raised him to life and allowed him to be seen, not by the whole people but only by certain witnesses God had chosen beforehand. Now we are those witnesses – we have eaten and drunk with him after his resurrection from the dead – and he has ordered us to proclaim this to his people and to tell them that God has appointed him to judge everyone, alive or dead. It is to him that all the prophets bear this witness: that all who believe in Jesus will have their sins forgiven through his name.’
The word of the Lord.
NO 29
A reading from the book of Revelation (20:11 – 13, 21:1a 21:1-4a)
I, John, saw a great white throne and the One who was sitting on it. In his presence, earth and sky vanished, leaving no trace. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing in front of his throne, while the book of life was opened, and other books opened which were the record of what they had done in their lives, by which the dead were judged.
The sea gave up all the dead who were in it; Death and Hades were emptied of the dead that were in them; and every one was judged according to the way in which he had lived. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; the first heaven and the first earth had disappeared now. I saw the holy city, and the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven. Then I heard a loud voice call from the throne, ‘You see this city? Here God lives among men. He will make his home among them; they shall be his people, and he will be their God; his name is God-with-them. He will wipe away all tears from their eyes; there will be no more death, and no more mourning or sadness.
The word of the Lord.
NO 30
A reading from the first letter of Peter (1:3-9)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead:
a birth into an inheritance
that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading,
kept in heaven for you,
who are being protected by the power of God through faith
for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
In this you rejoice,
even if now for a little while
you have had to suffer various trials,
so that the genuineness of your faith
—being more precious than gold that,
though perishable, is tested by fire—
may be found to result in praise and glory and honour
when Jesus Christ is revealed.
Although you have not seen him, you love him;
and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him
and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy,
for you are receiving the outcome of your faith,
the salvation of your souls.
The word of the Lord.
NO 31
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Philippians (1:20-24, 27)
My brothers and sisters:
It is my eager expectation and hope
that I will not be put to shame in any way,
but that by my speaking with all boldness,
Christ will be exalted now as always in my body,
whether by life or by death.
For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain.
If I am to live in the flesh,
that means fruitful labour for me;
and I do not know which I prefer.
I am hard pressed between the two:
my desire is to depart and be with Christ,
for that is far better;
but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you.
Live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ,
so that, whether I come and see you
or am absent and hear about you,
I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit,
striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel.
The word of the Lord.
NO 32
A reading from the second letter of St Paul to the Corinthians (4:6-11)
.
Brothers and sisters:
The Scriptures say, “God commanded light to shine in the dark.”
Now God is shining in our hearts
to let you know that his glory is seen in Jesus Christ.
We are like clay jars in which this treasure is stored.
The real power comes from God and not from us.
We often suffer,
but we are never crushed.
Even when we don’t know what to do,
we never give up.
In times of trouble, God is with us,
and when we are knocked down,
we get up again.
-We face death every day because of Jesus.
Our bodies show what his death was like,
so that his life can also be seen in us.
The word of the Lord.
NO 33
A reading from the second letter of St Paul to the Corinthians (5:1, 6-10)
We know that when the tent that we live in on earth is folded up, there is a house built by God for us, an everlasting home not made by human hands, in the heavens.
We are always full of confidence when we remember that to live in the body means to be exiled from the Lord, going as we do by faith and not by sight – we are full of confidence, I say, and actually want to be exiled from the body and make our home with the Lord. Whether we are living in the body or exiled from it, we are intent on pleasing him. For all the truth about us will be brought out in the law court of Christ, and each of us will get what he deserves for the things he did in the body, good or bad.
The word of the Lord.
NO 34
A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Corinthians (15:54-57)
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 death is sin, 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.
NO 35
A reading from the book of Job (19:1, 23-27)
Job said:
‘Ah, would that these words of mine were written down,
inscribed on some monument
with iron chisel and engraving tool,
cut into the rock for ever.
This I know; that my Avenger lives,
and he, the Last, will take his stand on earth.
After my awaking, 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.
NO 36
A reading from the prophet Daniel (12:1-3)
I, Daniel, was doing penance, when I received this message from the Lord:
‘At that time Michael will stand up, the great prince who mounts guard over your people. There is going to be a time of great distress, unparalleled since nations first came into existence. When that time comes, your own people will be spared, all those whose names are found written in the Book. Of those who lie sleeping in the dust of the earth many will awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting disgrace. The learned will shine as brightly as the vault of heaven, and those who have instructed many in virtue, as bright as stars for all eternity.’
The word of the Lord.
NO 37
A reading from the second book of Maccabees (12:43-45)
The leader of the community, took a collection from the people individually, amounting to nearly two thousand drachmae, and sent it to Jerusalem to have a sacrifice for sin offered, an altogether fine and noble action, in which he took full account of the resurrection. For if he had not expected the fallen to rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead, whereas if he had in view the splendid recompense reserved for those who make a pious end, the thought was holy and devout. This was why he had this atonement sacrifice offered for the dead, so that they might be released from their sin.
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALMS (PLEASE NOTE; THIS CAN BE REPLACED BY A SUITABLE HYMN SETTING OF A PSALM)
NO. 38
PSALM 22(23)
R. 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 shall follow me
all the days of my life.
In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell
for ever and ever. R.
NO 38 B
(This version of the same Psalm printed above is recited in a different manner in order to allow more people to participate; it does not have a responsorial antiphon. Rather, the whole Psalm is printed in the order of service completely and it is recited in unison by everyone)
Psalm 22(23)
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.
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.
You have prepared a banquet for me
in the sight of my foes.
My head you have anointed with oil;
my cup is overflowing.
Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me
all the days of my life.
In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell
for ever and ever.
NO. 39
PSALM 24:6-7. 17-18. 20-21
R. To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.
Remember your mercy, Lord,
and the love you have shown from of old.
In your love remember me,
because of your goodness, O Lord. R.
Relieve the anguish of my heart
and set me free from my distress.
See my affliction and my toil
and take all my sins away. R.
Preserve my life and rescue me.
Do not disappoint me, you are my refuge.
May innocence and uprightness protect me:
for my hope is in you, O Lord. R.
NO 40
PSALM 62 (63)
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
O God, you are my God, for you I long;
for you my soul is thirsting.
My body pines for you
like a dry, weary land without water. R.
So I gaze on you in the sanctuary
to see your strength and your glory.
For your love is better than life,
my lips will speak your praise. R.
So I will bless you all my life,
in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul shall be filled as with a banquet,
my mouth shall praise you with joy. R.
You have been my help;
in the shadow of your wings I rejoice.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand holds me fast. R.
NO 41
PSALM 26: 1.4.7-9.13-14
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The Lord is my light and my help;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
before whom shall I shrink? R.
There is one thing I ask of the Lord,
for this I long,
to live in the house of the Lord,
all the days of my life,
to savour the sweetness of the Lord,
to behold his temple. R.
O Lord, hear my voice when I call;
have mercy and answer.
It is your face, O Lord, that I seek;
hide not your face. R.
I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness
in the land of the living.
Hope in him, hold firm and take heart.
NO 42
PSALM 114 (115)
R. I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living.
How gracious is the Lord, and just;
our God has compassion.
The Lord protects the simple hearts;
I was helpless so he saved me! R.
I trusted, even when I said:
‘I am sorely afflicted.’
and when I said in my alarm:
‘No one can be trusted.’ R.
O precious in the eyes of the Lord
is the death of his faithful.
Your servant, Lord, your servant am I;
you have loosed my bonds. R.
GOSPEL OPTIONS
(PLEASE CHOOSE A TEXT FOR THE PRESIDER TO READ OUT)
NO 43 A
The Lord be with you
And with your spirit.
A reading from the Holy Gospel According to John (6:38-40)
Glory to You, O Lord.
Jesus said to the crowd:
The will of him who sent me
is that I should lose nothing
of all that he has given to me,
and that I should raise it up on the last day.
Yes, it is my Father’s will
that whoever sees the Son and believes in him
shall have eternal life, and that I shall raise them up on the last day.’
The Gospel of the Lord.
NO. 43
The Lord be with you
And with your spirit.
A reading from the Holy Gospel According to John (6:37-40)
Glory to You, O Lord.
Jesus said to the crowd:
‘All that the Father gives me will come to me,
and whoever comes to me
I shall not turn him away;
because I have come from heaven,
not to do my own will,
but to do the will of the one who sent me.
Now the will of him who sent me
is that I should lose nothing
of all that he has given to me,
and that I should raise it up on the last day.
Yes, it is my Father’s will
that whoever sees the Son and believes in him
shall have eternal life, and that I shall raise them up on the last day.’
The Gospel of the Lord.
NO 44 A
The Lord be with you
And with your spirit.
A reading from the Holy Gospel According to Luke (2:22-35)
Glory to You, O Lord.
‘Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace,
just as you promised;
because my eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared for all the nations to see,
a light to enlighten the Gentiles
and the glory of your people Israel.’
The Gospel of the Lord.
NO 45
The Lord be with you
And with your spirit.
A reading from the Holy Gospel According to John (14:1-6)
Glory to You, O Lord.
Jesus said to the disciples:
‘Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Trust in God still, and trust in me.
There are many rooms in my Father’s house;
if there were not, I should have told you.
I am going now to prepare a place for you,
and after I have gone and prepared you a place,
I shall return to take you with me;
so that where I am
you may be too.
You know the way to the place where I am going.’
Thomas said, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ Jesus said:
I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.
No one can come to the Father except through me.’
The Gospel of the Lord.
NO 46
The Lord be with you
And with your spirit.
A reading from the Holy Gospel According to Matthew (5:1-12)
Glory to You, O Lord.
Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was joined by his disciples. Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:
‘How happy are the poor in spirit;
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Happy the gentle:
they shall have the earth for their heritage.
Happy those who mourn:
they shall be comforted.
Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right:
they shall be satisfied.
Happy the merciful:
they shall have mercy shown them.
Happy the pure in heart:
they shall see God.
Happy the peacemakers:
they shall be called sons of God.
Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right:
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
‘Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.’
The Gospel of the Lord.
NO 46 B (VARIATION)
The Lord be with you
And with your spirit.
A reading from the Holy Gospel According to Matthew (5:1-12)
Glory to You, O Lord.
Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was joined by his disciples. Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:
‘How blessed are the poor in spirit;
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed the gentle:
they shall have the earth for their heritage.
Blessed those who mourn:
they shall be comforted.
Blessed those who hunger and thirst for what is right:
they shall be satisfied.
Blessed the merciful:
they shall have mercy shown them.
Blessed the pure in heart:
they shall see God.
Blessed the peacemakers:
they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed those who are persecuted in the cause of right:
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
‘Blessed are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.’
The Gospel of the Lord.
NO 46 C
The Lord be with you
And with your spirit.
A reading from the Holy Gospel According to John (15: 1,4-5, 7-8)
Glory to You, O Lord.
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘I am the true vine,
and my Father is the vinedresser.
Make your home in me, as I make mine in you.
As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself,
but must remain part of the vine,
neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine,
you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me, with me in him,
bears fruit in plenty;
for cut off from me you can do nothing.
If you remain in me
and my words remain in you,
you may ask what you will
and you shall get it.
It is to the glory of my Father that you should bear much fruit,
and then you will be my disciples.’
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
NO 47
The Lord be with you
And with your spirit.
A reading from the Holy Gospel According to Mark (10:13-16)
Glory to You, O Lord.
People were bringing little children to Jesus, for him to touch them. The disciples turned them away, but when Jesus saw this he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. I tell you solemnly, anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’ Then he put his arms around them, laid his hands on them and gave them his blessing.
The Gospel of the Lord.
NO 48
The Lord be with you
And with your spirit.
A reading from the Holy Gospel According to John (11:17-27)
Glory to You, O Lord.
On arriving at Bethany, Jesus found that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days already. Bethany is only about two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to sympathise with them over their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus had come she went to meet him. Mary remained sitting in the house. Martha said to Jesus, ‘If you had been here, my brother would not have died, but I know that, even now, whatever you ask of God, he will grant you.’ ‘Your brother’ said Jesus to her ‘will rise again.’ Martha said, ‘I know he will rise again at the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus said:
‘I am the resurrection and the life.
If anyone believes in me, even though he dies he will live,
and whoever lives and believes in me
will never die.
Do you believe this?’
‘Yes, Lord,’ she said ‘I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who was to come into this world.’
The Gospel of the Lord.
NO 48 b (SHORTER)
The Lord be with you
And with your spirit.
A reading from the Holy Gospel According to John (11:23-27)
Glory to You, O Lord.
‘Your brother’ said Jesus to Martha ‘will rise again.’
Martha said, ‘I know he will rise again at the resurrection on the last day.’
Jesus said: ‘I am the resurrection and the life.
If anyone believes in me, even though he dies he will live,
and whoever lives and believes in me
will never die.
Do you believe this?’
‘Yes, Lord,’ she said ‘I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who was to come into this world.’
The Gospel of the Lord.
NO 49
The Lord be with you
And with your spirit.
A reading from the Holy Gospel According to John (12:23-24)
Glory to You, O Lord.
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘Now the hour has come
for the Son of Man to be glorified.
I tell you, most solemnly,
unless a wheat grain falls on the ground and dies,
it remains only a single grain;
but if it dies,
it yields a rich harvest.
The Gospel of the Lord.
49 (B)
The Lord be with you
And with your spirit.
A reading from the Holy Gospel According to John (12:23-26,32)
Glory to You, O Lord.
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘Now the hour has come
for the Son of Man to be glorified.
I tell you, most solemnly,
unless a wheat grain falls on the ground and dies,
it remains only a single grain;
but if it dies,
it yields a rich harvest.
Anyone who loves his life loses it;
anyone who hates his life in this world
will keep it for the eternal life.
If a man serves me, he must follow me,
wherever I am, my servant will be there too.
If anyone serves me, my Father will honour him.
And when I am lifted up from the earth,
I shall draw all men to myself.’
The Gospel of the Lord.
NO 50
The Lord be with you
And with your spirit.
A reading from the Holy Gospel According to Matthew (6:25-34)
Glory to You, O Lord.
Jesus taught his disciples, saying.
“do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or what you will drink,
or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more than food,
and the body more than clothing?
“Look at the birds of the air;
they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns,
and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not of more value than they?
And can any of you by worrying
add a single hour to your span of life?
“And why do you worry about clothing?
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow;
they neither toil nor spin,
yet I tell you,
even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.
But if God so clothes the grass of the field,
which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven,
will he not much more clothe you—
you of little faith?
“Therefore do not worry,
saying, ‘What will we eat?’
or ‘What will we drink?’
or ‘What will we wear?’
For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things;
and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given to you as well.
“So do not worry about tomorrow,
for tomorrow will bring worries of its own.
Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
NO 51
The Lord be with you
And with your spirit.
A reading from the Holy Gospel According to John (19:25-30)
Glory to You, O Lord.
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, ‘Woman, this is your son.’ Then to the disciple he said, ‘This is your mother.’ And from that moment the disciple made a place for her in his home.
After this, Jesus knew that everything had now been completed, and to fulfil the scripture perfectly he said:
‘I am thirsty.’
A jar full of vinegar stood there, so putting a sponge soaked in vinegar on a hyssop stick they held it up to his mouth. After Jesus had taken the vinegar he said, ‘It is accomplished’; and bowing his head he gave up the spirit.
The Gospel of the Lord.
NO 51 B (LONGER VERSION)
The Lord be with you
And with your spirit.
A reading from the Holy Gospel According to John (19:17-18. 25-39)
Glory to You, O Lord.
Carrying his own cross Jesus went out of the city to the place of the skull, or, as it was called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified him with two others, one on either side with Jesus in the middle.
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, ‘Woman, this is your son.’ Then to the disciple he said, ‘This is your mother.’
After this, Jesus knew that everything had now been completed, and to fulfil the scripture perfectly he said:
‘I am thirsty.’
A jar full of vinegar stood there, so putting a sponge soaked in vinegar on a hyssop stick they held it up to his mouth. After Jesus had taken the vinegar he said, ‘It is accomplished’; and bowing his head he gave up the spirit.
It was Preparation Day, and to prevent the bodies remaining on the cross during the sabbath since the sabbath was a day of special solemnity the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken away. Consequently the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with him and then the other. When they came to Jesus, they found that he was already dead, and so instead of breaking his legs one of the soldiers pierced his side with a lance; and immediately there came out blood and water. This is the evidence of one who saw it trustworthy evidence, and he knows he speaks the truth and he gives it so that you may believe as well. Because all this happened to fulfil the words of scripture:
Not one bone of his will be broken,
and again, in another place scripture says:
They will look on the one whom they have pierced.
After this, Joseph of Arimathaea, who was a disciple of Jesus though a secret one because he was afraid of the Jews asked Pilate to let him remove the body of Jesus. Pilate gave permission, so they came and took it away. Nicodemus came as well the same one who had first come to Jesus at night-time and he brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds.
The Gospel of the Lord.
NO 52
The Lord be with you
And with your spirit.
A reading from the Holy Gospel According to Luke (23:44-46. 50. 52-53. 24:1-6)
Glory to You, O Lord.
It was now about the sixth hour and, with the sun eclipsed, a darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. The veil of the Temple was torn right down the middle; and when Jesus had cried out in a loud voice, he said, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’ With these words he breathed his last.
Then a member of the council arrived, an upright and virtuous man named Joseph. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. He then took it down, wrapped it in a shroud and put him in a tomb which was hewn in stone in which no one had yet been laid.
The Gospel of the Lord.
NO 53
The Lord be with you
And with your spirit.
A reading from the Holy Gospel According to Matthew (11:25-30)
Glory to You, O Lord.
Jesus exclaimed, ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
‘Come to me, all you who labour 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 Gospel of the Lord.
NO 54
The Lord be with you
And with your spirit.
A reading from the Holy Gospel According to John (11:32-45)
Glory to You, O Lord.
Mary, the sister of Lazarus, went to Jesus, and as soon as she saw him she threw herself at his feet, saying, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ At the sight of her tears, and those of the Jews who followed her, Jesus said in great distress, with a sigh that came straight from the heart, ‘Where have you put him?’ They said, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept; and the Jews said, ‘See how much he loved him!’ But there were some who remarked, ‘He opened the eyes of the blind man, could he not have prevented this man’s death?’ Still sighing, Jesus reached the tomb: it was a cave with a stone to close the opening. Jesus said, ‘Take the stone away.’ Martha said to him, ‘Lord, by now he will smell; this is the fourth day.’ Jesus replied, ‘Have I not told you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?’ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus lifted up his eyes and said:
‘Father, I thank you for hearing my prayer.
I knew indeed that you always hear me,
but I speak for the sake of all these who stand round me,
so that they may believe it was you who sent me.’
When he had said this, he cried in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, here! Come out!’ The dead man came out, his feet and hands bound with bands of stuff and a cloth round his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, let him go free.’
Many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary and had seen what he did believed in him.
The Gospel of the Lord.
NO 55
The Lord be with you
And with your spirit.
A reading from the Holy Gospel According to Luke (2:22-35)
Glory to You, O Lord.
In Jerusalem there was a man called Simeon. He was an upright and devout man; he looked forward to Israel’s comforting and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he had set eyes on the Christ of the Lord. Prompted by the Spirit he came to the Temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the Law required, he took him into his arms and blessed God; and he said:
‘Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace,
just as you promised;
because my eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared for all the nations to see,
a light to enlighten the pagans
and the glory of your people Israel.’
As the child’s father and mother stood there wondering at the things that were being said about him, Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘You see this child: he is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is rejected - and a sword will pierce your own soul too - so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare.’
The Gospel of the Lord.
NO 56
The Lord be with you
And with your spirit.
A reading from the Holy Gospel According to John (10: 11-18)
Glory to You, O Lord.
Jesus said:
‘I am the good shepherd:
the good shepherd is one who lays down his life for his sheep.
The hired man, since he is not the shepherd
and the sheep do not belong to him,
abandons the sheep and runs away
as soon as he sees a wolf coming,
and then the wolf attacks and scatters the sheep;
this is because he is only a hired man
and has no concern for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd;
I know my own
and my own know me,
just as the Father knows me
and I know the Father;
and I lay down my life for my sheep.
And there are other sheep I have
that are not of this fold,
and these I have to lead as well.
They too will listen to my voice,
and there will be only one flock
and one shepherd.
The Father loves me,
because I lay down my life
in order to take it up again.
No one takes it from me;
I lay it down of my own free will,
and as it is in my power to lay it down,
so it is in my power to take it up again;
and this is the command I have been given by my Father.’
The Gospel of the Lord.
NO 57
The Lord be with you
And with your spirit.
A reading from the Holy Gospel According to John (10: 14,27-30)
Glory to You, O Lord.
Jesus said to his disciples:
“I am the Good Shepherd. My sheep know my voice, and I know them.
They follow me,
and I give them eternal life,
so that they will never be lost.
No one can snatch them out of my hand.
My Father gave them to me,
and he is greater than all others.
No one can snatch them from his hands,
and I am one with the Father.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
NO 58
The Lord be with you
And with your spirit.
A reading from the Holy Gospel According to Matthew (25:31-40)
Glory to You, O Lord.
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels, then he will take his seat on his throne of glory. All the nations will be assembled before him and he will separate men one from another as the shepherd separates sheep from goats. He will place the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right hand, “Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.” Then the virtuous will say to him in reply, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you; or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome; naked and clothe you; sick or in prison and go to see you?” And the King will answer, “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
NO 59
The Lord be with you
And with your spirit.
A reading from the Holy Gospel According to Luke (23:33. 39-43)
Glory to You, O Lord.
When the soldiers reached the place called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there and the two criminals also, one on the right, the other on the left.
One of the criminals hanging there abused him. ‘Are you not the Christ?’ he said. ‘Save yourself and us as well.’ But the other spoke up and rebuked him. ‘Have you no fear of God at all?’ he said, ‘You got the same sentence as he did, but in our case we deserved it: we are paying for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong. Jesus,’ he said ‘remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ ‘Indeed, I promise you,’ he replied ‘today you will be with me in paradise.’
The Gospel of the Lord.
NO 60
The Lord be with you
And with your spirit.
A reading from the Holy Gospel According to Luke (24:13-35)
Glory to You, O Lord.
On the first day of the week, two of the disciples of Jesus were on their way to a village called Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking together about all that had happened. Now as they talked this over, Jesus himself came up and walked by their side; but something prevented them from recognising him. He said to them, ‘What matters are you discussing as you walk along?’ They stopped short, their faces downcast.
Then one of them, called Cleopas, answered him, ‘You must be the only person staying in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have been happening there these last few days.’ ‘What things?’ he asked. ‘All about Jesus of Nazareth’ they answered ‘who proved he was a great prophet by the things he said and did in the sight of God and of the whole people; and how our chief priests and our leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death, and had him crucified. Our own hope had been that he would be the one to set Israel free. And this is not two whole days have gone by since it all happened; and some women from our group have astounded us; they went to the tomb in the early morning, and when they did not find the body, they came back to tell us they had seen a vision of angels who declared he was alive. Some of our friends went to the tomb and found everything exactly as the women had reported, but of him they saw nothing.’
Then he said to them, ‘You foolish men! So slow to believe the full message of the prophets! Was it not ordained that the Christ should suffer and so enter into his glory?’ Then, starting with Moses and going through all the prophets, he explained to them the passages throughout the scriptures that were about himself.
When they drew near to the village to which they were going, he made as if to go on; but they pressed him to stay with them. ‘It is nearly evening’ they said ‘and the day is almost over.’ So he went in to stay with them. Now while he was with them at table, he took the bread and said the blessing; then he broke it and handed it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognised him; but he had vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?’
They set out that instant and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven assembled together with their companions, who said to them, ‘Yes, it is true. The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.’ Then they told their story of what had happened on the road and how they had recognised him at the breaking of bread.
The Gospel of the Lord.
NO 61
The Lord be with you
And with your spirit.
A reading from the Holy Gospel According to John (5:24-29)
Glory to You, O Lord.
Jesus said to the Jews:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
whoever listens to my words,
and believes in the one who sent me,
has eternal life;
without being brought to judgement
he has passed from death to life.
I tell you most solemnly,
the hour will come - in fact it is here already -
when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God,
and all who hear it will live.
For the Father, who is the source of life,
has made the Son the source of life;
and, because he is the Son of Man,
has appointed him supreme judge.
Do not be surprised at this,
for the hour is coming
when the dead will leave their graves
at the sound of his voice:
those who did good
will rise again to life;
and those who did evil, to condemnation.’
The Gospel of the Lord.
NO 62
The Lord be with you
And with your spirit.
A reading from the Holy Gospel According to John (6:51-58)
Glory to You, O Lord.
Jesus said to the Jews:
‘I am the living bread which has come down from heaven.
Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever;
and the bread that I shall give
is my flesh, for the life of the world.’
Then the people started arguing with one another: ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ they said. Jesus replied:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man
and drink his blood,
you will not have life in you.
Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood
has eternal life,
and I shall raise him up on the last day.
For my flesh is real food
and my blood is real drink.
He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood
lives in me
and I live in him.
As I, who am sent by the living Father,
myself draw life from the Father,
so whoever eats me will draw life from me.
This is the bread come down from heaven;
not like the bread our ancestors ate:
they are dead,
but anyone who eats this bread will live for ever.’
The Gospel of the Lord.
NO 63
The Lord be with you
And with your spirit.
A reading from the Holy Gospel According to John (17:24-26)
Glory to You, O Lord.
Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said:
‘Father,
I want those you have given me
to be with me where I am,
so that they may always see the glory
you have given me
because you loved me
before the foundation of the world.
Father, Righteous One,
the world has not known you,
but I have known you,
and these have known
that you have sent me.
I have made your name known to them
and will continue to make it known,
so that the love with which you loved me may be in them,
and so that I may be in them.’
The Gospel of the Lord.
PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL
PREPARING THE PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL
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You are invited to compose some of your own prayers. There is a FORMAT to be used when writing these prayers. The format is set out below, for your guidance.
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Usually people choose between 5 and 9 prayers. You are invited to choose a person to read these. Alternatively, more than one person may be called to share these prayers.
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If more than one person reads these prayers, all should come to the microphone together, and return to their places together, after all the prayers are read.
(Read by............................................................)
1. Let us pray for the comfort and consolation of N’s............................. family, relatives and friends. (Pause). Lord hear us.
All Respond: Lord, hear our Prayer.
(Read by............................................................)
2. Let us Pray that God will give us consolation, peace and encouragement as we continue along the journey of life. (Pause). Lord hear us.
All Respond: Lord, hear our Prayer.
(Read by.......................................................)
3. For our deceased relatives and friends and for all who have helped us: that they may now be enjoying a Heavenly reward for their goodness and kindness. . (Pause). Lord hear us.
All Respond: Lord, hear our Prayer.
(Read by...............................)
4. For people everywhere who are grieving. That the pain they endure may not be too much to bear. And that they may experience consolation from Christ who suffered, died and rose again to eternal life. (Pause). Lord hear us.
All Respond: Lord, hear our Prayer.
(Read by........................................................)
5. Let us pray for the virtues of faith, hope and love. That we may be strengthened and reassured on our own journey through life. (Pause). Lord hear us.
All Respond: Lord, hear our Prayer.
(Read by............................................................)
6. Let us pray that God’s love and strength may be strong in the hearts of the young people. That they may be inspired by the values they cherished in N’s life, and continue those qualities in their own. (Pause). Lord hear us.
All Respond: Lord, hear our Prayer.
(Read by............................................................)
7. For N., who began eternal life with Jesus in Baptism: That Our merciful and loving God will grant N. a place of peace and light in God’s heavenly Kingdom. (Pause). Lord hear us.
All Respond: Lord, hear our Prayer.
(Read by............................................................)
8. For ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Lord hear us.
All Respond: Lord, hear our Prayer.
*Funerals and Eulogies
We have been leading funerals for many, many years. We have seen what is helpful and what is not helpful in a funeral.
Drawing on our experiences of many different funerals we have learnt that the handling of eulogies makes or breaks a good experience of a funeral. The way eulogies are conducted makes an enormous difference to how positively people experience a funeral.
A lot of unusual and unhelpful practices have crept into funerals in the last few years. Many people are not aware of the protocols of a good funeral and come with all sorts of expectations. So, in order to help make this funeral very special and consoling, we have put down some clear principles.
Because some things have gone wrong in the past and in order to allay the fears of people preparing a funeral, we need to say some of these things. We do live in unusual times, so we hope you will bear with us as we share these thoughts.
The single biggest worry that we hear from many people (both family members and also friends and acquaintances who attend the ceremony) is when the eulogies go too long, or cannot be heard or when there is a long line of eulogies. People often comment that this is too much and it truly makes them hesitate in attending future ceremonies if the experience is going to be protracted. We share some thoughts below to help make the experience helpful and beautiful for everyone.
Firstly, many people have a completely incorrect idea of what a funeral is.
It is not a piece of music at the beginning and end and a string of eulogies and speeches.
Eg: Funeral= OpeningMusic + Eulogy1 +Eulogy2+ Music+ Eulogy3+ Eulgogy4+ Final Music.
The above idea can become terribly repetitive, as well as emotionally and physically exhausting for everyone involved. It also can lack cohesiveness and overlook or make into an afterthought the Christian hope to which we are called.
We appreciate that many people may be unfamiliar with a religious funeral or may not regard themselves as ‘overly religious’, however, we provide a sensitive religious ceremony that does not go on and on, and with a carefully balanced structure which gives time for eulogy but is structured into an overall flowing plan. We are very aware of the varying degrees of familiarity which people have with funeral prayer services. However, don’t be put off by these initial hesitations. In the end, what we offer is not at all over the top or excessive. It is really quite beautiful and focused. It will not actually be “too much religion” at all. It will actually be fitting and seemly commendation for a person who is a beloved son or daughter of God who was created by God. People invariably come away from the ceremonies very pleased and comforted by them and the age-old structure that they bring. The Catholic funeral ceremony is a product of literally two-thousand years of experience and ritual.
Please speak with your celebrant before making any definite plans about the eulogies or the things you might be wanting in the ceremony. We try to be helpful, reasonably flexible within our jurisdiction, and sensitive. At the same time, we must also be faithful to the structure which has proven to work time and time again. Many other ceremonies that do not follow the traditional structure do not end up holding together coherently and often evoke a lot of negative comment (quietly) afterwards.
The structure and balance of the Catholic Funeral Prayer is shown in an attached sheet. The Priest has some samples to help you with choices from approved texts.
The Eulogy is an important part but only one part of the whole ceremony. The eulogy section of the ceremony ought to be no longer than ten minutes. This might appear to be not a lot of time, but in fact an enormous amount of very important qualities of your loved one can be spoken of in this time. Even if you feel there needs to be more than one eulogy, all eulogies when added together in length need to be no longer than 10-15 minutes in TOTAL. Actually, we have noticed on countless occasions that the more concise the eulogy the better the response from all people. One should never fal into the trap of thinking that the length of the eulogy or the number of words used is a sign of how loved they were. Too many words can actually lose the focus.
If for some reason you really feel you need four speeches, (which we do not recommend), nevertheless, each person should speak for only two or so minutes each.
It is not appropriate to ask the assembly if there might be anyone who wants to “say a few words” and it is also not appropriate in this kind of ceremony to have people speaking without a prepared speech and without comparing what they are planning to say to see if it matches or repeats what the other speakers are saying.
It is extremely disruptive if a line of people just turn up to the ceremony each expecting to speak without arranging this with the celebrant and the family well before the funeral day. If one thinks about it, it is completely unreasonable to do this, and we have seen funerals go “off the rails” because of this.
Please support the celebrant in preventing this from happening. No one is going to argue with the family if you tell them, “we are wanting to keep the ceremony simple and consoling, so we have specifically requested only one (or two) eulogies which we have approved in advance, so you can save your speech for the cuppa afterwards.” Please don’t feel forced into allowing pushy people force you into agreeing to letting them all speak. If they were really sensitive to the needs of people who are grieving, they would not be putting themselves first.
The funeral is a formal, public, religious prayer service. So, please be aware that it is not appropriate or polite for people to turn up a few minutes before the ceremony and tell the celebrant that they are ‘going to say a few words.” What other formal ceremony would have people thinking in their heads that they are going to say something without arranging it beforehand? This is where the whole structure of the funeral gets turned on its head and it is not permitted. Please assist the celebrant to be able to lead an orderly and dignified ceremony. The elements of the ceremony need to be arranged carefully in consultation with the celebrant and prior to the event.
IF the eulogies go closer to half an hour or longer, the whole thing is way too long and distorts the flow of the whole funeral. Anyone who is planning to give a eulogy needs to be made aware of this. They have a limited time to speak and also need to be aware of the overall structure of the ceremony of which their speech is only one small part. As we say, we have learnt this lesson many times from many hundreds of funerals. We do know what we are speaking of and we do hear from and speak with many people who attend these ceremonies and we are very aware of their views and experiences.
If you have queries about this view, please have a chat with the celebrant. We are sure that we can be of one mind about what everyone is hoping for, whilst still respecting the form of ceremony that is appropriate when led by the church. If you find you want only a memorial with speeches avoiding religious elements, then you are probably looking for a secular memorial service. We understand and appreciate it if you would then contact the funeral director and re-arrange another celebrant and another location if you have booked a priest and the church. We think you will agree that it is understandable that it would not be appropriate to have a secular, non-religious memorial service in a church or led by a priest. The church does not permit a civil celebrant to lead a non-religious memorial in the church for understandable reasons.
We are religious and specialize in religious ceremonies but we are very sensitive and experienced in dealing with people with varying religious practice. This is only trying to be fair and honest to all parties. We need to be faithful to the types of ceremonies that we can, in conscience, lead and which we are permitted by our church to conduct. However, we firmly believe that we can lead a respectful and simple prayer service that will be very appropriate. All we need to do is work closely and respectfully together.
In relation to music featured in a ceremony. Please feel free to speak with the celebrant. Ideally the music should be either a familiar religious hymn or appropriate instrumental music.
We do sometimes agree to secular music, however, we ask you to consider carefully your choice and positioning of this music. Even if we were to perhaps agree to some music, if it is not deemed appropriate by those attending it might evoke negative comment.
It is not appropriate to play music that is anti-Christian or opposite to the values of the Gospel.
The quieter and more reflective and beautiful and comforting, the better.
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What is a Eulogy? (also called “words of Remembrance”)
A eulogy is a speech or written text in honour of a person who has died. It is a respectful “word picture” of your loved one’s most important qualities and personality. When the text is carefully prepared and written, it is amazing how much can be said in only a few minutes without loss of quality.
Who is to present the Eulogy?
By far the most effective eulogy is one single speech delivered by a family member (or a friend on behalf of the whole family). A unified and balanced eulogy is a powerful message. Sometimes, two or more people may take it in turns to read different parts of the one unified eulogy. It is important to avoid repetition and not to double or triple the length. More than one eulogy can actually lessen the impact of the original speaker, who is often a family member. The dignity and value of the person should never be measured by the number of speakers.
How to prepare the Eulogy.
When writing the eulogy, the family is encouraged to gather together and also consult with absent family members by phone. The family can then suggest important qualities or details that they want mentioned. This ensures that when the eulogy is given it truly represents the thoughts of everyone.
Important Practicalities
· It is essential that the speaker has a strong voice and speaks clearly and at a reasonable pace. The speaker needs to speak clearly into the microphone. There is nothing more disappointing than a eulogy that no one can hear. Choose someone who feels that they will be able to deliver the eulogy without being overcome with emotion.
· The total time for the Eulogy segment of the funeral rite is about three to six minutes. (E.g. one to two typed A4 sheets in size twelve font). It is important that the speaker has a good concept of time and an appreciation of the balance of the whole ceremony. The eulogy is a very special moment in the service, and yet it is not the only element. It is one element in what is a balanced and powerful religious ritual.
· Please ensure that the person who is to give the eulogy writes it down and prepares carefully (this is not a time for ad-libbing). Avoid too many details, examples or dates. Do not blur your message with too much information. Be selective of the facts and details you present..
· If the eulogy is too long, or too detailed, it can actually be hard to take in and can become distressing for those present.
· There are often people present who are very anxious and unfamiliar with funerals and church services. We are very respectful of this. It is important to give people a positive experience by keeping the whole ceremony flowing smoothly.
· It is not appropriate in a formal religious ceremony to ask if anyone else present would like to say a few words. These kinds of speeches are best suited to less formal settings such as where refreshments are served. Consultation with the hosts for the refreshments is recommended to judge what is most workable and what time is available.
Other Suggestions.
Funerals are short services of commendation and remembrance. In a Catholic funeral ritual, there is the opportunity for a brief sharing of a person’s life story, but there is not time for a lengthy sharing of their life journey. This is advisable because funerals occur at times when people are emotionally strained, exhausted and distressed. So, from our years of experience in these matters we strongly advise a short but respectful Eulogy. If you desire to share with people a more in-depth story of your loved one’s life, it is best to print and make available copies of a written life-story that people can take home and read at length in their own time.
* GUIDELINES FOR A EULOGY
· Place of Birth
· Parent’s names
· Names of brothers and sisters
· Place of childhood
· Schools attended
· Share a brief example of their character or personality or of their environment when growing up?
· Occupation(s), field of work
· Service in the Defence Forces?
· If married, where and when did he/she meet or marry their spouse.
· Any children and their names
· Name some of the most important personality qualities of your loved one. What are some of the aspects of their life that you really want to say “thank you” for? Is there a brief example of a time when they most displayed these qualities?
· Membership in any clubs, groups or associations?
· Special interests or hobbies?
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION FUNERALS
Alleluia, alleluia!
Happy are those who have died in the Lord;
let them rest from their labours for their good deeds go with them.
Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom.
Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia!
Come, you whom my Father has blessed, says the Lord;
inherit the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world.
Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia!
God loved the world so much, he gave us his only Son,
that all who believe in him might have eternal life.
Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia!
This is the will of my Father, says the Lord,
that I should lose nothing of all that he has given to me,
and that I should raise it up on the last day.
Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia!
This is the will of my Father, says the Lord,
that all who believe in the Son have eternal life,
and I will raise them up to life again on the last day.
Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the living bread from heaven, says the Lord;
whoever eats this bread will live for ever.
Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord;
whoever believes in me will not die for ever.
Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia!
If we die with Christ, we shall live with him,
and if we are faithful to the end, we shall reign with him.
Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia!
Jesus Christ is the first-born from the dead;
glory and kingship be his for ever and ever. Amen.
Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia!
Happy are those who have died in the Lord;
let them rest from their labours for their good deeds go with them.
Alleluia!
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lenten funeral acclamations:
Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
Happy are those who have died in the Lord;
let them rest from their labours for their good deeds go with them.
Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom.
Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
Come, you whom my Father has blessed, says the Lord;
inherit the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world.
Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
God loved the world so much, he gave us his only Son,
that all who believe in him might have eternal life.
Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
This is the will of my Father, says the Lord,
that I should lose nothing of all that he has given to me,
and that I should raise it up on the last day.
Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
This is the will of my Father, says the Lord,
that all who believe in the Son have eternal life,
and I will raise them up to life again on the last day.
Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
I am the living bread from heaven, says the Lord;
whoever eats this bread will live for ever.
Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord;
whoever believes in me will not die for ever.
Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
If we die with Christ, we shall live with him,
and if we are faithful to the end, we shall reign with him.
Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
Jesus Christ is the first-born from the dead;
glory and kingship be his for ever and ever. Amen.
Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
Happy are those who have died in the Lord;
let them rest from their labours for their good deeds go with them.
Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
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