IN Sure and Certain Hope: Liturgy, Rites and Prayers For The Dead

IN
SURE AND CERTAIN HOPE

Liturgy, Rites and Prayers for the Dead
Draft Text
CONTENTS
Rite of Gathering in the Presence of the Body 3

Vigil for the Deceased 11
Office for the Dead
Office of Readings 19
Morning Prayer 32
Evening Prayer 43
Prayers for the Dead
Introductory Prayers
Rosary in honor of the Faithful Departed
Chaplet of the Divine Mercy
Chaplet for the Dead
Novena for the Deceased
Concluding Prayers
52
57
88
93
105
125
Order of the Mass

Propers for the Masses for Dead
Eucharistic Prayer II
Eucharistic Prayer III
Eucharistic Prayer for Reconciliation I
Eucharistic Prayer for Reconciliation II
Memorial for the Dead
132
146
203
207
212
217
222
2
Rite of Transfer of the Body to the Church

Mass of Christian Burial
Rite of Final Commendation
Rite of Committal
Order for Visiting a Cemetary
232
238
259
263
272
RITE OF GATHERING
IN THE PRESENCE OF THE BODY
ORDER OF THE
CELEBRATION
3
Greeting
Invitation to Prayer
Scripture Reading
Sprinkling with Holy Water
Lords Prayer
Concluding Prayer
Prayer for the Mourners
Dismissal
Salve Regina
RITE OF GATHERING
IN THE PRESENCE OF THE BODY
Blessed are the sorrowing; they shall be consoled.
This rite may be used at the home of the deceased when the family gathers for the first
time around the body of the deceased. A priest or deacon may preside over the liturgy.
In case a priest or deacon is not present, a lay person may be asked to preside over
this rite. In such case, he shall omit the liturgical greeting and the final blessing at the
end of this rite.
Greeting
The priest and those present sign themselves with the sign of the cross and the priest
says:
Presider:
In the name of the Father,

4
All:
and of the Son, +

and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Then the priest extends his hands and greets all present:
Presider:
All:
The Lord be with you.

And with your spirit.
In these or in similar words, the priest invites all present to prayer

Presider:
In this moment of sorrow

the Lord is in our midst
and consoles us with his word:
Blessed are the sorrowful; they shall be comforted.
The priest then invites those present to pray in silence.
A brief Scripture reading is read.
Scripture Reading
Matthew 11:28-30
My brothers and sisters, Jesus says: Come to me, all you who
labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke
upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my
burden light.
Standing near the coffin, the priest says:
Presider:
The Lord is our shepherd

and leads us to streams of living water.
Let this water call to mind our baptism into Christ
who by his death and resurrection has redeemed us.
While the following psalm is sung or recited, the priest sprinkles the coffin with holy
water and, if desired, may also incense them.
All:
My soul hopes in the Lord.

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord
Lord, hear my voice!
O let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleading.
All:

If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt,
Lord, who would survive?
But with you is found forgiveness:
for this we revere you.
All:
My soul is waiting for the Lord,

I count on his word.
My soul is longing for the Lord
more than watchman for daybreak.
All:
Because with the Lord there is mercy

and fullness of redemption,
Israel indeed he will redeem
from all its iniquity.
All:
The Lords Prayer

The priest invites those present to pray the Lords Prayer.
Presider:
With God there is mercy

and fullness of redemption;
let us pray as Jesus taught us:
All:
Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Concluding Prayer
7
Then with hands extended the priest says the prayer for the deceased.
Presider:
All:
Let us pray
Holy Lord, almighty and eternal God,

hear our prayers for your servant N,
whom you have summoned out of this world.
Forgive his/her sins and failings
and grant him/her a place
of refreshment, light and peace.
Let him/her pass unharmed through the gates of death
to dwell with the blessed in light,
as you promised to Abraham
and his children for ever.
Accept N into your safe-keeping
and on the great day of judgment
raise him/her up with all the saints
to inherit your eternal kingdom.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Then the following prayer is said

Presider:
Let us pray
Loving and merciful God,
we entrust our brother/sister N to your mercy.
You loved him greatly in this life:
now that he/she is freed from all its cares,
give him/her happiness and peace for ever.
The old order has passed away:
welcome him/her now into paradise
where there will be no more sorrow,
no more weeping or pain,
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All:
but only peace and joy with Jesus your Son,

and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever.
Amen.
The priest may then say the following prayer for the mourners.
Presider:
Let us pray
Father of mercies and God of all consolation,

you pursue us with untiring love
and dispel the shadow of death
with the bright dawn of life.
Comfort your family in their loss and sorrow.
Be our refuge and our strength, O Lord,
and lift us from the depths of grief
into the peace and light of your presence.
All:
Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,

by dying has destroyed our death,
and by rising, restored our life.
Enable us therefore to press on toward him,
so that, after our earthly course is run,
he may reunite us with those we love,
when every tear will be wiped away.
Amen.
Blessing and Dismissal
The priest blesses the body of the deceased saying

Presider:
Blessed are those who have died in the Lord;

9
let them rest from their labors

for their good deeds go with them.
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
Eternal rest + grant unto N, O Lord.

And let perpetual light shine upon him/her.
May he/she rest in peace.
Amen.
May the soul of N
and the souls of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen.
With hands extended, the priest blesses all present saying

Presider:
All:

The priest blesses the people, saying

Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
May the love of God

and the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ
bless and console us
and gently wipe every tear from our eyes.
May almighty God bless you,
the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Go in the peace of the risen Christ.
Thanks be to God.
10
The antiphon, Salve Regina, is sung
Salve Regina
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy,

hail, our life, our sweetness, and our hope.
To thee do we cry, the children of Eve;
to you we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping
in this land of exile.
Turn, then, most gracious advocate,
your eyes of mercy toward us;
lead us home at last
and show us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus:
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
VIGIL FOR THE DECEASED

11
WITH THE CELEBRATION OF THE WORD
ORDER OF THE
CELEBRATION
Greeting
Liturgy of the Word
Homily
Prayers of Intercessions
Lords Prayer
Concluding Prayer
Dismissal
VIGIL FOR THE DECEASED

Do not let your hearts be troubled.
The vigil for the deceased is the principal rite celebrated by the Christian community in
the time following death and before the funeral liturgy. The Christian community keeps
watch with the family in prayer to the God of mercy and finds strength in Christs
presence. In this time of loss the family and community turn to Gods word as the
source of faith and hope, as light and life in the face of darkness and death.
Greeting
12
says:
Presider:
All:

and of the Son, +
Amen.
Presider:
All:
May the Father of mercies,

the God of all consolation, be with you.
In this or in similar words, the priest invites all present to prayer
My brothers and sisters, we believe that all the ties of friendship

and affection which knit us as one throughout our lives do not
unravel with death. Confident that God always remembers the
good we have done and forgives our sins, let us pray, asking
God to gather N to himself.
Opening Prayer
Then with hands extended the priest says the Opening Prayer.
Presider:
Let us pray
Lord our God,
the death of our brother/sister N
recalls our human condition
and the brevity of our lives on earth.
But for those who believe in your love
death is not the end,
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nor does it destroy the bonds

that you forge in our lives.
We share the faith of your Sons disciples
and the hope of the children of God.
Bring the light of Christs resurrection
to this time of testing and pain
as we pray for N and for those who love him/her
Through Christ our Lord.
All:
Amen.
LITURGY OF THE WORD
The Vigil continues with the Liturgy of the Word.

A reader proclaims the first reading.
First Reading
From the second letter of the apostle Paul to the Corinthians (5:6-10)
We have an everlasting home in heaven. We know that if our earthly
dwelling, a tent, should be destroyed, we have a building from God, a
dwelling not made with hands, eternal in heaven. So we are always
courageous, although we know that while we are at home in the body
we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yet we are
courageous, and we would rather leave the body and go home to the
Lord. Therefore, we aspire to please him, whether we are at home or
away. For we all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so
that each one may receive recompense, according to what he did in the
body, whether good or evil.
Reader:
All:
The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.
Psalm 27 is sung or said.
Responsorial Psalm
14
Response:
I rejoiced when I heard them say:

Let us go to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me
We will go up to the house of the Lord
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
Response:

Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord.
Response:

According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
Response:

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
May those who love you prosper!
May peace be within your walls,
prosperity in your buildings.
Response:

15
Because of my relatives and friends

I will say, Peace be within you!
Because of the house of the Lord, our God,
I will pray for your good.
Response:

Proclamation of the Gospel
The gospel reading is then proclaimed.
+ A reading from the holy gospel according to Luke (12:35-40)

Jesus told his disciples: Gird your loins and light your lamps and be
like servants who await their masters return from a wedding, ready to
open immediately when he comes and knocks: Blessed are those
servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to
you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait
on them. And should he come in the second or third watch and find
them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants. Be sure of this:
if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was
coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must
be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will
come.
Presider:
All:
The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Homily
A brief homily ordinarily follows; it usually expresses praise and gratitude to God for his
gifts, particularly the gift of a Christian life, to the deceased person. The homily also
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relates Christian death to the paschal mystery of the Lords death and resurrection and
to the hope of eternal life.
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
Litany of Intercession
The priest or a deacon leads those present in the following litany.
Presider:
All:
Minister:
All:
Minister:
All:
Minister:
All:
Minister:
All:
Let us turn to Christ Jesus

with confidence and faith
in the power of his cross and resurrection:
Lord, have mercy.
Risen Lord, pattern of our life forever:
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Promise and image of what we shall be:
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Son of God who came to destroy sin and death:
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Word of God who delivered us from the fear of death:
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
All:
Crucified Lord, forsaken in death, raised in glory:

Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Minister:
Lord Jesus, gentle Shepherd who bring rest to our souls,
Minister:
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All:
Minister:
All:
give peace to N for ever:

Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you bless those who mourn and are in pain.
Bless Ns family and friends who gather today:
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
The Lords Prayer

Presider:
Brothers and sisters

our true home is heaven.
Therefore let us pray to our heavenly Father
as Jesus taught us:
All:

thy kingdom come;
as it is in heaven.
Concluding Prayer
Then, with hands extended, the priest says following prayers
18
Presider:
Let us pray
O God, glory of believers and life of the just,
by the death and resurrection of your Son,
we are redeemed:
have mercy on your servant N,
and make him/her worthy to share the joys of paradise,
for he/she believed in the resurrection of the dead.
All:
Amen.

The priest may then say the following prayer for the mourners.
Presider:
Let us pray
Lord God,
you are attentive to the voice of our pleading.
Let us find in your Son
comfort in our sadness, certainty in our doubt,
and courage to live through this hour.
Make our faith strong through Christ our Lord.
All:
Amen.
Words of Remembrance
A member or a friend of the family may speak in remembrance of the deceased.

The priest blesses the body of the deceased saying
19
Presider:

Presider:

All:
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:

Amen.
May the soul of N
Amen.

Presider:
All:

The priest blesses the people, saying

Presider:
All:
May the love of God

Amen.
20
Presider:
All:

Thanks be to God.
21
OFFICE OF READINGS
FROM THE OFFICE FOR THE DEAD
ORDER OF THE
CELEBRATION
OFFICE OF
READINGS
From the Office for the
Dead
With the Lord, there is mercy
and fullness of redemption
Invitatory
Hymn
Psalmody
First Reading
Second Reading
Concluding Prayer
Dismissal
In the celebration of the Office

for the Dead, the Christian community gathers to offer praise and thanks to God
especially for the gifts of redemption and resurrection, to intercede for the dead and to
find strength in Christs victory over death through the prayer of the psalms. The psalms
are rich in imagery, feeling, and symbolism. They powerfully express the suffering and
pain, the hope and trust of people of every age and culture. Above all the psalms sing
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of faith in God, of revelation and redemption. They enable the assembly to pray in the
words that Jesus himself used during his life on earth.
The Office for the Dead may be celebrated during the Vigil for the Deceased.
Invitatory
All stand and make the sign of the cross over their lips, as the presider says
Presider:
All:
Lord, + open my lips.

And my mouth will proclaim your praise.
The invitatory psalm be said in responsorial manner, that is, with its antiphon said first,
repeated, and taken up again after each verse of the psalm.
Ant. Come,
let us worship the Lord, all things live for him.

Psalm 95 A call to praise God
Come, let us sing to the Lord

and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us.
Let us approach him with praise and thanksgiving
and sing joyful songs to the Lord.
Ant. Come,
The Lord is God, the mighty God,

the great king over all the gods.
He holds in his hands the depths of the earth
and the highest mountains as well.
He made the sea; it belongs to him,
the dry land, too, for it was formed by his hands.
Ant. Come,

23
Come, then, let us bow down and worship

bending the knee before the Lord, our maker.
For he is our God and we are his people,
the flock he shepherds.
Ant. Come,
Today, listen to the voice of the Lord:

Do not grow stubborn, as your fathers did
in the wilderness,
when at Meriba and Massah
they challenged me and provoked me,
Although they had seen all of my works.
Ant. Come,
Forty years I endured that generation.

I said, They are a people whose hearts go astray
and they do not know my ways.
So I swore in my anger,
They shall not enter into my rest.
Ant. Come,
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Come,
A suitable hymn is then sung or said together.
Hymn
24
Day of wrath! O day of mourning!

See fulfilled the prophets' warning,
Heaven and earth in ashes burning!
Oh what fear mans bosom rendeth,
when from heaven the Judge descendeth,
on whose sentence all dependeth.
Wondrous sound the trumpet flingeth;
through earth's sepulchers it ringeth;
all before the throne it bringeth.
Death is struck, and nature quaking,
all creation is awaking,
to its Judge an answer making.
Lo! the book, exactly worded,
wherein all hath been recorded:
thence shall judgment be awarded.
When the Judge his seat attaineth,
and each hidden deed arraigneth,
nothing unavenged remaineth.
With thy saints, God of majesty
Ever, glorious Trinity,
join us now, for eternity.
Psalmody
During the psalms and the canticles, all may sit.
The presider or another minister sings or recites the antiphon and all repeats it. There
are two ways of praying the psalms. The first manner is for the minister to sing or recite
the stanzas of the psalms, and all repeat the antiphon after each stanza. The second
manner is for all to be divided into two groups and to sing or recite the stanzas of the
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psalm alternately.
At the end of the psalm, the doxology and the antiphon is sung and recited by all.
Ant 1.
From the earth you formed me,

with flesh you clothed me;
Lord, my Redeemer,
raise me up again at the last day.
Psalm 40:2-14, 17-18
I waited, waited for the Lord;

and he stooped down to me;
he heard my cry,
He drew me from the deadly pit,
from the miry clay.
He set my feet upon rock,
and made my footsteps firm.
He put a new song into my mouth,
praise of our God.
Many shall see and fear
and shall trust in the Lord.
Happy the man who has placed
his trust is the Lord
and has not gone over to the rebels
who follow false gods.
How many, O Lord, my God,
are the wonders and designs
26
that you have worked for us;

You have no equal.
Should I proclaim and speak of them,
they are more than I can tell!
You do not ask for sacrifice and offerings,
but an open ear.
You do not ask for holocaust and victim.
instead, here am I.
In the scroll of the book it stands written
that I should do your will.
My God, I delight in your law
in the depth of my heart.
Ant 1.
From the earth you formed me,

with flesh you clothed me;
Lord, my Redeemer,
raise me up again at the last day.
Ant 2.
Lord, may it please you to rescue me;

look upon me and help me.
II
Your justice I have proclaimed

in the great assembly.
My lips I have not sealed;
27
you know it, O Lord.

I have not hidden your justice in my heart
but declared your faithful help.
I have not hidden your love and your truth
from the great assembly.
O Lord, you will not withhold
your compassion from me.
Your merciful love and your truth
will always guard me.
For I am beset with evils
too many to be counted.
My sins have fallen upon me
and my sight fails me.
They are more than the hairs of my head
and my heart sinks.
O Lord, come to my rescue,
Lord, come to my aid.
O let there be rejoicing and gladness
for all who seek you.
Let them ever say: The Lord is great,
who love your saving help.
As for me, wretched and poor,
the Lord thinks of me.
You are my rescuer, my help,
O God, do not delay!
28

Ant 2.
Lord, may it please you to rescue me;

look upon me and help me.
Ant 3.
My soul is thirsting for the living God;

when shall I see him face to face?
Psalm 42
Like the deer that yearns

for running streams,
so my soul is yearning
for you, O God.
My soul is thirsting for God,
the God of my life;
when can I enter and see
the face of God?
My tears have been my bread
by night, by day,
as I hear it said all the day long:
Where is your God?
These things will I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I would lead the rejoicing crowd
into the house of God,
amid cries of gladness and thanksgiving,
the throng wild with joy.
Why are you cast down, my soul,
29
why groan within me?

Hope in God; I will praise him still,
my savior and my God.
My soul is cast down within me
as I think of you,
from the country of the Jordan and Mount Hermon,
from the Hill of Mizar.
Deep is calling on deep,
in the roar of waters:
your torrents and all your waves
swept over me.
By day the Lord will send
his loving kindness;
by night I will sing to him,
praise the God of my life.
I will say to God, my rock:
Why have you forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning
oppressed by the foe?
With cries that pierce me to the heart,
my enemies revile me,
saying to me all the day long:
Where is your God?
Why are you cast down, my soul,
why groan within me?
Hope in God; I will praise him still,
my savior and my God.
30

Ant 3.
My soul is thirsting for the living God;

when shall I see him face to face?
The psalmody concludes with a responsory

Presider:
All:
Lord, countless are your mercies.

Give me life according to your word.
First Reading
From the first letter of the apostle Paul to the Corinthians (15:12-34)
The resurrection of Christ is the hope of the faithful
Tell me, if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how is it that
some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no
resurrection of the dead, Christ himself has not been raised. And if
Christ has not been raised, our preaching is void of content and your
faith is empty too. Indeed, we should then be exposed as false
witnesses of God, for we have borne witness before him that he raised
Christ; but he certainly did not raise him up if the dead are not raised.
Why? Because if the dead are not raised, then Christ was not raised;
and if Christ was not raised, your faith is worthless. You are still in your
sins and those who have fallen asleep in Christ are the deadest of the
dead. If our hopes in Christ are limited to this life only, we are the most
pitiable of men.
But as it is, Christ is now raised from the dead, the first fruits of those
who have fallen asleep. Death came through a man; hence the
resurrection of the dead comes through a man also. Just as in Adam all
die, so in Christ all will come to life again, but each one in proper order:
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Christ the first fruits and then, at his coming, all those who belong to
him. After that will come the end, when, after having destroyed every
sovereignty, authority and power, he will hand over the kingdom to God
the Father.
Christ must reign until God has put all his enemies under his feet and
the last enemy to be destroyed is death. Scripture reads that God has
placed all things under his feet. But when it says that everything has
been made subject, it is clear that he who has made everything subject
to Christ is excluded. When, finally, all has been subjected to the Son,
he will then subject himself to the One who made all things subject to
him, so that God may be all in all.
If the dead are not raised, what about those who have themselves
baptized on behalf of the dead? If the raising of the dead is not a reality,
why be baptized on their behalf? And why are we continually putting
ourselves in danger? I swear to you, brothers, by the very pride you
take in me, which I cherish in Christ Jesus our Lord, that I face death
every day. If I fought those beasts at Ephesus for purely human
motives, what profit was there for me? If the dead are not raised, Let
us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die! Do not be led astray any longer.
Bad company corrupts good morals. Return to reason, as you ought,
and stop sinning. Some of you are quite ignorant of God; I say this to
your shame.
1 Cor. 15:25-26; see Rv. 20:13, 14
Responsory
The celebration continues with the responsory

Presider:
All:
Christ must reign until God has brought

all enemies under his feet
And the last enemy to be destroyed is death.
32
Presider:
All:
Then death and Sheol will give up their dead,

death and Sheol will be cast into the fiery lake.
And the last enemy to be destroyed is death.
Second Reading
From a sermon by Saint Anastasius of Antioch, bishop

Christ will change our lowly body
To this end Christ died and rose to life that he might be Lord both of the
dead and the living. But God is not the God of the dead, but of the
living. That is why the dead, now under the dominion of one who has
risen to life, are no longer dead but alive. Therefore life has dominion
over them and, just as Christ, having been raised from the dead, will
never die again, so too they will live and never fear death again. When
they have been thus raised from the dead and freed from decay, they
shall never again see death, for they will share in Christs resurrection
just as he himself shared in their death.
This is why Christ descended into the underworld, with its imperishable
prison bars: to shatter the doors of bronze and break the bars of iron
and, from decay to raise our life to himself by giving us freedom in place
of servitude.
But if this plan does not yet appear to be perfectly realized for men
still die and bodies still decay in death this should not occasion any
loss of faith. For, in receiving the first-fruits, we have already received
the pledge of all the blessings we have mentioned; with them we have
reached the heights of heaven, and we have taken our place beside
him who has raised us up with himself, as Paul says: In Christ God has
raised us up with him, and has made us sit with him in the heavenly
places.
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And the fulfillment will be ours on the day predetermined by the Father,
when we shall put off our childish ways and come to perfect manhood.
For this is the decree of the Father of the ages: the gift, once given, is
to be secure and no more to be rejected by a return to childish
attitudes.
There is no need to recall that the Lord rose from the dead with a
spiritual body, since Paul, in speaking of our bodies bears witness that
they are sown as animal bodies and raised as spiritual bodies: that is,
they are transformed in accordance with the glorious transfiguration of
Christ who goes before us as our leader.
The Apostle, affirming something he clearly knew, also said that this
would happen to all mankind through Christ, who will change our lowly
body to make it like his glorious body. If this transformation is a change
into a spiritual body and one, furthermore, like the glorious boy of
Christ, then Christ rose with a spiritual body, a body that was sown in
dishonor, but the very body that was transformed in glory. Having
brought this body to the Father as the firs-fruits of our nature, he will
also bring the whole body to fulfillment. Fore he promised this when he
said: I, when I am lifted up, will draw all men to myself.
John 5:28-29; 1 Corinthians 15:52
Responsory

Presider:
All:
Presider:
All who are in their graves shall hear

the voice of the Son of God;
Those who have done good deeds
will go forth to the resurrection of life;
those who have done evil
will go forth to the resurrection of judgment.
In an instant, in the twinkling of an eye,
34
All:
at the final trumpet blast, the dead shall rise.

Those who have done good deeds
will go forth to the resurrection of life;
those who have done evil
will go forth to the resurrection of judgment.
Concluding Prayer
Then, with hands extended, the presider says the following prayer
Lord God,
you are the glory of believers
and the life of the just.
Your Son redeemed us
by dying and rising to life again.
Our brother/sister N was faithful
and believed in our own resurrection.
Give to him/her the joys and blessings
of the life to come.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever and ever.
All:
Amen.
Dismissal
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
Presider:

Amen.
May the soul of N
35
All:
Presider:
All:

Amen.
Let us praise the Lord.
And give him thanks.
36
MORNING PRAYER
ORDER OF THE
CELEBRATION
Invitatory
Hymn
Psalmody
Scripture Reading
Responsory
Canticle of Zechariah
Intercessions
Lords Prayer
Closing Prayer
Dismissal
37
MORNING PRAYER
From the Office for the Dead
Morning Prayer is a service of thanksgiving and praise to God, offered in and through
Christ. With each new dawn it recalled Christs resurrection and our sharing in this new
life. Psalms and hymns were sung and the prayers of intercession looked forward to the
day ahead, asking Gods blessing on its concerns.
All stand and make the sign of the cross, as the presider says
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
Introduction
God, + come to my assistance.

Lord, make haste to help me.
Hymn
What shall I, frail man, be pleading?

Who for me be interceding
When the just are mercy needing?
King of majesty tremendous,
38
Who dost free salvation send us,

Fount of pity, then befriend us.
Think, kind Jesus, my salvation
Caused Thy wondrous Incarnation,
Leave me not to reprobation.
Faint and weary thou hast sought me,
On the Cross of suffering bought me,
Shall such grace be vainly brought me?
Righteous Judge, for sins pollution
Grant thy gift of absolution,
Ere that day of retribution.
Guilty now I pour my moaning,
All my shame with anguish owning.
Spare, O God, thy suppliant groaning.
With thy saints, God of majesty
Ever, glorious Trinity,
join us now, for eternity.
Psalmody
psalm alternately.
Ant 1.
The bones that were crushed

shall leap for joy before the Lord.
Psalm 51
39
Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness.

In your compassion blot out my offense.
O wash me more and more from my guilt
and cleanse me from my sin.
My offenses truly I know them;
my sin is always before me.
Against you, you alone, have I sinned;
what is evil in your sight I have done.
That you may be justified when you give sentence
and be without reproach when you judge,
O see, in guilt I was born,
a sinner, was I conceived.
Indeed you love truth in the heart;
then in the secret of my heart teach me wisdom.
O purify me, then I shall be clean;
O wash me, I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear rejoicing and gladness;
that the bones you have crushed may revive.
From my sins turn away your face
and blot out all my guilt.
A pure heart create for me, O God,
put a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
nor deprive me of your holy spirit.
Give me again the joy of your help;
with a spirit of fervor sustain me,
that I may teach transgressors your ways
and sinners may return to you.
40
O rescue me, God, my helper,

and my tongue shall ring out your goodness.
O Lord, open my lips
and my mouth shall declare your praise.
For in sacrifice you take no delight,
burnt offering from me you would refuse,
my sacrifice, a contrite spirit.
A humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn.
In your goodness, show favor to Zion:
rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
Then you will be pleased with lawful sacrifice,
holocausts offered on your altar.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son
As it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be forever. Amen.
Ant 1.
The bones that were crushed

shall leap for joy before the Lord.
Ant 2.
At the very threshold of death,

rescue me, Lord.
Isaiah 38:10-14, 17-20
Once I said,
In the noontime of life I must depart!
To the gates of the nether world I shall be consigned
for the rest of my years.
I said, I shall see the Lord no more
41
in the land of the living.

No longer shall I behold my fellow men
among those who dwell in the world.
My dwelling, like a shepherds tent,
is struck down and borne away from me;
You have folded up my life, like a weaver
who severs the last thread.
Day and night you give me over to torment;
I cry out until the dawn.
Like a lion he breaks all my bones;
day and night you give me over to torment.
Like a swallow I utter shrill cries;
I moan like a dove.
My eyes grow weak, gazing heaven-ward:
O Lord, I am in straits; be my surety!
You have preserved my life
from the pit of destruction,
When you cast behind your back
all my sins.
For it is not the nether world that gives you thanks,
nor death that praises you;
Neither do those who go down into the pit
await your kindness.
The living, the living give you thanks,
as I do today.
Fathers declare to their sons,
O God, your faithfulness.
The Lord is our savior;
42
we shall sing to stringed instruments

In the house of the Lord
all the days of our life.
Ant 2.
At the very threshold of death,

rescue me, Lord.
Ant 3.
I will praise my God all the days of my life.

Psalm 146 (145)
My soul, give praise to the Lord;

I will praise the Lord all my days,
make music to my God while I live.
Put no trust in princes,
in mortal men in whom there is no help.
Take their breath, they return to clay
and their plans that day come to nothing.
He is happy who is helped by Jacobs God,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
who alone made heaven and earth,
the seas and all they contain.
Is it he who keeps faith for ever,
who is just to those who are oppressed.
It is he who gives bread to the hungry,
the Lord, who sets prisoners free.
43
The Lord, who gives sight to the blind,

who raises up those who are bowed down,
the Lord, who protects the stranger,
and upholds the widow and the orphan.
It is the Lord loves the just
but thwarts the path of the wicked.
The Lord will reign for ever,
Zions God, from age to age.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son:
Ant 3.
I will praise my God all the days of my life.

Scripture Reading
From the first letter of the apostle Paul to the Thessalonians (4:14)
If we believe that Jesus died and rose, God will bring forth with him
from the dead those also who have fallen asleep believing in him.
All brief period for silent reflection follows.
Responsory
All:
I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.

Presider:
You turned my sorrow into joy.
Presider:
44
All:
for you have rescued me.
Presider:

and to the Holy Spirit.
All:
All stand for the Benedictus

Ant.
Canticle of Zechariah
I am the Resurrection, I am the Life;

to believe in me means life, in spite of death,
and all who believe and live in me shall never die.
The Messiah and his forerunner (Luke 1:68-79)
Blessed + be the Lord, the God of Israel;

he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
45
You, my child, shall be called

the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness
and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Ant.
I am the Resurrection, I am the Life;

to believe in me means life, in spite of death,
and all who believe and live in me shall never die.
Intercessions
Presider:
All:
Let us pray to the all-powerful Father who raised

Jesus from the dead and gives new life to our
mortal bodies, and say to him:
Lord, give us new life in Christ.
All:
Father, through baptism we have been buried with

your Son and have risen with him in his resurrection
grant that we may walk in newness of life so that
when we die, we may live with Christ for ever.
Minister:
Provident Father, you have given us the living bread
Minister:
46
All:
Minister:
All:
Minister:
All:
Minister:
All:
that has come down from heaven and which should

always be eaten worthily,grant that we may eat this
bread worthily and be raised up to eternal life on
the last day.
Lord, you sent an angel to comfort your Son in his
agony, give us the hope of your consolation when
death draws near.
You delivered the three youths from the fiery
furnace, free your faithful ones from the punishment
they suffer for their sins.
God of the living and the dead, you raised Jesus
from the dead, raise up those who have died and
grant that we may share eternal glory with them.

Presider:
Remember us, Lord,

when you come into your kingdom
and teach us to pray:
All:

thy kingdom come;
as it is in heaven.
The Lords Prayer
47

Concluding Prayer
Then, with hands extended, the presider says the following prayer
Lord of mercy,
hear our prayer.
May our brother/sister N.
whom you called your son/daughter on earth,
enter the kingdom of peace and light,
where your saints live in glory.
All:
Amen.
The presider prays for departed relatives, friends, and benefactors
Father, source of forgiveness

and salvation for all mankind,
hear our prayer.
By the prayers of the ever-virgin Mary,
may our friends, relatives and benefactors
48
who have gone from this world

come to share eternal happiness with all your saints.
All:
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
Amen.
Dismissal

Amen.
May the soul of N
Amen.
Let us praise the Lord.
Presider:
May the Lord bless + us,

protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
All:
49
EVENING PRAYER
ORDER OF THE
CELEBRATION
Invitatory
Hymn
Psalmody
Scripture Reading
Responsory
Canticle of Mary
Intercessions
Lords Prayer
Closing Prayer
Dismissal
50
EVENING PRAYER
From the Office for the Dead
Evening Prayer is an act of remembrance and thanksgiving to God for the blessings of
the day that was passing. It brings to mind to Christs death and our Christian call to die
with him to sin and to live in holiness. Thus the whole of the day was encompassed
within the death and resurrection of Christ the paschal mystery through which we are
redeemed.
All stand and make the sign of the cross, as the presider says
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
Introduction
God, + come to my assistance.

Hymn
May flights of angels lead you on your way

To paradise and heavens eternal day!
May martyrs greet you after deaths dark night
and bid you enter into Zions light!
51
May choirs of angels sing you to your rest

With once poor Lazarus, now forever blest
Psalmody
psalm alternately.
Ant 1.
The Lord will keep you from all evil.

He will guard your soul.
Psalm 121 (120)
I lift up my eyes toward the mountains:

from where shall come my help?
My help shall come from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
May he never allow you to stumble!
Let him sleep not, your guard.
No, he sleeps not nor slumbers,
Israels guard.
The Lord is your guard and your shade;
at your right side he stands.
By day the sun shall not smite you,
nor the moon in the night.
The Lord will guard you from evil,
he will guard your soul.
52
The Lord will guard your going and coming

both now and for ever.
Ant 1.
The Lord will keep you from all evil.

He will guard your soul.
Ant 2.
If you kept a record of our sins, Lord,

who could escape condemnation?
Psalm 130 (129)
Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord,

Lord, hear my voice!
Let the watchman count on daybreak
and Israel on the Lord.
53

and fullness of redemption,
Israel indeed he will redeem
from all its iniquity.
Ant 2.
If you kept a record of our sins, Lord,

who could escape condemnation?
Ant 3.
As the Father raises the dead

and gives them life,
so the Son gives life to whom he wills.
Philippians 2:6-11
Though he was in the form of God,

Jesus did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped at.
Rather, he emptied himself,
and took the form of a slave,
being born in the likeness of men.
He was known to be of human estate,
and it was thus that he humbled himself,
obediently accepting even death,
death on a cross!
Because of this,
God highly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
54
above every other name,

So that at Jesus name
every knee must bend
in the heavens, on the earth
and under the earth,
and every tongue proclaim
to the glory of God the Father:
Jesus Christ is Lord!
Ant 3.
As the Father raises the dead

and gives them life,
so the Son gives life to whom he wills.
Scripture Reading
From the first letter of the apostle Paul to the Corinthians (15:55-57)
O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting
of death is sin, and sin gets its sting from the law. But thanks be to God
who has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
All brief period for silent reflection follows.

Presider:
Responsory
Lord, in your steadfast love, give them eternal rest.

55
All:
Presider:
You will come to judge the living and the dead.

Give them eternal rest.
All:
Presider:
All:

All stand for the Magnificat

Ant.
Canticle of Mary
All that the Father gives me will come to me,

and whoever comes to me I shall not turn away.
My soul rejoices in the Lord (Luke 1:46-55)
My + soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
56
He has come to the help of his servant Israel

for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Ant.

and whoever comes to me I shall not turn away.
Intercessions
Presider:
All:
Minister:
All:
Minister:
All:
Minister:
We acknowledge Christ the Lord through whom we

hope that our lowly bodies will be made like his in
glory, and we say:
Lord, you are our life and resurrection.
Christ, Son of the living God, who raised up
Lazarus, your friend, from the dead, raise up to life
and glory the dead whom you have redeemed by
your precious blood.
Christ, consoler of those who mourn, you dried the
tears of the family of Lazarus, of the widows son,
and the daughter of Jarius comfort those who
mourn for the dead.
Christ, Savior, destroy the reign of sin in our earthly
bodies, so that just as through sin we deserved
57
All:
Minister:
All:
Minister:
All:
Minister:
All:
punishment, so through you we may gain eternal

life.
Christ, Redeemer, look on those who have no hope
because they do not know you, may they receive
faith in the resurrection and in the life of the world to
come.
You revealed yourself to the blind man who begged
for the light of his eyes, show your face to the dead
who are still deprived of your light.
When at last our earthly home is dissolved, give us
a home, not of earthly making, but built of eternity
in heaven.
The Lords Prayer
Presider:
Remember us, Lord,

when you come into your kingdom
and teach us to pray:
All:

thy kingdom come;
as it is in heaven.
58

Concluding Prayer
Then, with hands extended, the priest says the following prayer
All:
God, our creator and redeemer,

by your power Christ conquered death
and returned to you in glory.
May brother/sister N
who have gone before us in faith
share his victory
and enjoy the vision of your glory for ever,
where Christ lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit,
Amen.
The presider prays for departed relatives, friends, and benefactors
Father, source of forgiveness

and salvation for all mankind,
hear our prayer.
By the prayers of the ever-virgin Mary,
may our friends, relatives and benefactors
who have gone from this world
come to share eternal happiness with all your saints.
All:
Amen.
59
Dismissal
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:

Amen.
May the soul of N
Amen.
Presider:

All:
60
PRAYERS FOR THE DEAD
ARRANGED FOR COMMUNITY CELEBRATION
ORDER OF PRAYER
Introductory Prayers
Rosary in Honor of the Faithful Departed
Chaplet of the Divine Mercy
Chaplet of the Passion for the Dead
Novena for the Deceased
Concluding Prayers
61
INTRODUCTORY PRAYERS
The Church prays for the dead, and this prayer says much about the reality of the
Church itself. It says that the Church continues to live in the hope of eternal life. Prayer
for the dead is almost a battle with the reality of death and destruction that weighs down
upon the earthly existence of man. This is and remains a particular revelation of the
Resurrection. In this prayer Christ himself bears witness to the life and immortality to
which God calls every human being.
The prayer service may begin with an opening song.
All make the sign of the cross.

Leader:
All:
Sign of the Cross

and of the Son, +
Amen.
The priest then invites those present to pray

Leader:
All:
God our Father, maker of heaven and earth,

you formed us from the dust of the earth,
by your breath, you gave us life:
into your presence, welcome our brother/sister N.
In your mercy, O Lord, listen to our prayers.
62
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Lord Jesus Christ, the resurrection and the life,

you suffered death for all humanity,
you rose from the grave to open the way to eternal life:
into your saving love, we entrust our brother/sister N.
Holy Spirit, author and giver of life,
the comforter of all who mourn,
our sure confidence and everlasting hope:
by your power, comfort us in our sorrows and pain.
Opening Prayer
lmighty God, in love * you created us from the dust of the

earth * and breathed life into us by your Spirit. * But even
when we refused your friendship, * by our disobedience, *
you did not abandon us to our sin. * Out of your great love
for us * you sent your Son * to scatter the darkness of sin * restore in us
your image * and open the way to eternal life. * In obedience to your will
* he gave up his life for us, * bearing in his body our sins on the cross. *
By his death on the cross, * he offered the one true sacrifice for sin, *
breaking the power of evil * and putting death to flight.
By your mighty power * you raised him from the grave, * and exalted
him to the throne of glory. * Through his resurrection from the dead *
you have given us new birth into a living hope, * into an imperishable,
undefiled * and unfading inheritance.
63
Leader:
All:
Lord, come to the aid of your people,

Bought with the price of your own blood.
Bring N with your saints to glory everlasting.
ather in heaven, * those who die in the faith of Christ * will

live in your everlasting presence. * Open the gates of
Paradise * to our brother/ sister N * who has passed from this
life to life eternal. * Reveal to him/her your innumerable
mercy, * free him/her from all his/her sins, * deliver him/her from the just
punishment * that his/her sins deserve * and grant him/her eternal rest.
* Grant us grace to entrust N * whom we remember to your never-failing
love * which sustained him/her in this life. * Enfold him/her in the arms
of your mercy, * and remember him/her according * to the favor you
bear for the people, * you have chosen for your own. * Do not let our
brother/sister N * be parted from you, * but in your unending love, *
transform the darkness of death * into the dawn of new life in heaven *
where sorrow and pain will be no more * but fullness of joy in your
presence.
Leader:
All:
Lord, your Son defeated the sting of death

and opened heaven to all who put their faith in you.
Remember N when you come to be our judge.
Everlasting God, * you are the Lord of all life. * Your mercy is boundless
and your love unending: * hear our prayers as we kneel before you, *
with hearts saddened by the death of our brother/sister N. * We know
without you we have nothing to hope for; * with you we have nothing to
fear. * Speak to us now your words of eternal life, Lord, * for in you is
the hope of our salvation. * You know our needs before we ask, * and
our ignorance in asking. * Lift us from anxiety and guilt * and in our grief
64
and sadness, * set the glory of your love before us. * Grant that by your
grace, * we may see the light of eternity * even as we shrink before the
mystery of death * Set our troubled hearts at rest. * Grant to us a
patient faith in this moment of sorrow * and help us to understand and
embrace your will. * Strengthen us in our hope that our brother/sister N
* is now with you forever. * Help us, we pray, * in the midst of things we
cannot understand, * to believe and trust in the communion of saints, *
the forgiveness of sins, * and the resurrection to life everlasting.
Help us to live * as those who are prepared to die. * When our days
here are accomplished, * enable us to die as those who go forth to live,
* so that living or dying, our life may always be in you, * and that
nothing in life or in death * will be able to separate us from you.
When at the end of this earthly journey, * unite us at last with them *
and with the company of the saints of every age. * into the joy of your
eternal home * where you live and reign * forever and ever. Amen.
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Lord Jesus Christ, you are the way to the Father

Help us to follow you.
Lord Jesus Christ, you are truth
Help us to know you.
Lord Jesus Christ, you are the life.
Give us that life with you, now and forever.
65
HOLY ROSARY
IN HONOR OF THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED
Devotion to the rosary is at the very center of Christian spirituality and is considered as
the finest and most praiseworthy traditions of Christian contemplation. While the
rosary is traditionally prayed in honor of Mary, it is directed to Christ, by meditating on
the mysteries of Christs incarnation, passion, death and resurrection.
66
Begin the Holy Rosary with the following acclamation

Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
O Lord, + open my lips

And my mouth shall declare your praise.
God come to my assistance.
All together pray the Apostles Creed.
The Apostles Creed
I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge
the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.
The Lords Prayer
67
Recite the Lords Prayer on the first large bead.
ur Father in heaven,
holy be your Name;
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us;
Amen.
The Hail Mary
Pray a Hail Mary for the grace to live out more faithfully the virtues of faith, hope and
charity on each of the three small beads.
ail Mary,
full of grace,
the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit
of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary,
Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of death.
Amen.
Recite the Glory Be on the next large bead.
The Doxology
68
lory be to the Father,

and to the Son,
As it was in the beginning,

is now,
and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
After each decade of the rosary, include the following acclamation
All:
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the

fires of hell and lead all souls to heaven, especially
N and those who are in most need of your mercy.
Leader:
Eternal rest grant unto N, O Lord.

and let perpetual light shine upon him/her.
All:
Leader:
All:

Amen.
THE MYSTERIES OF JOY
Mondays and Sundays of Advent
The First Joyful Mystery

The Annunciation
Begin the decade by recalling the appropriate mystery and then say the following prayer
ord Jesus Christ, through joyful obedience of Mary

and by the power of the Holy Spirit, you became one
like us in all things but sin. Forgive the sins that our
brother/sister N committed in disobedience to your
69
will and grant that he/she may be found worthy to share in your
unending glory.
Recite the Lords Prayer on the first large bead. The brief Scriptural passage is first
read, followed by the Hail Mary on each of the ten small beads.
1. In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of
Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose
name was Joseph; of the house of David; and the virgins name
was Mary. (Luke 1:26-27) Hail Mary.
2. And Gabriel came to her and said, Hail, full of grace, the Lord is
with you! (Luke 1:28) Hail Mary.
3. But she was greatly troubled at the saying and considered in her
mind what sort of greeting this might be. (Lk 1:29) Hail Mary.
4. And the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have
found favor with God. (Lk 1:30) Hail Mary.
5. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and
you shall call his name Jesus. (Lk 1:31) Hail Mary.
6. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High; and the
Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will
reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there will
be no end. (Lk 1:32-33) Hail Mary.
7. And Mary said to the angel, How can this be, since I have no
husband? (Lk 1:34) Hail Mary.
8. And the angel said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you and
the power of the Most High will overshadow you. (Lk 1:35) Hail
Mary.
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9. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.
(Lk 1:35) Hail Mary
10. And Mary said, Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to
me according to your word. (Lk 1:38) Hail Mary
The decade concludes with the Doxology and the acclamation.
The Second Joyful Mystery

The Visitation
ord Jesus Christ, even when Mary carried you in her

womb, she came in haste to visit Elizabeth to serve
her in her time of need. Grant that our brother/sister
N, who joyfully served you in this life, may have a
home in your everlasting kingdom.
1. In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country,
to a city of Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and
greeted Elizabeth. (Lk 1:39-40) Hail Mary.
2. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the child leaped in
her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. (Lk 1:41)
Hail Mary.
3. And she exclaimed with a loud cry, Blessed are you among
women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! (Lk 1:42) Hail Mary.
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4.
And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment

of what was spoken to her from the Lord. (Lk 1:45) Hail Mary.
5. And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices
in God my Savior, for he has regarded the low estate of his
handmaiden. (Lk 1:46-48) Hail Mary.
6.
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; for he

who is mighty has done great things for me. (Lk 1:48-49) Hail Mary.
7.
And holy is his name. And his mercy is on those who fear him from
generation to generation. (Lk 1:49-50) Hail Mary.
8.
He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in
the imagination of their hearts. (Lk 1:51) Hail Mary.
9. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those
of low degree. (Lk 1:52) Hail Mary.
10. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent
empty away. (Lk 1:53) Hail Mary.
The Third Joyful Mystery

The Nativity
ord Jesus Christ, you are the Word made flesh. By

your coming as man, you gave fullness of life to all
who put their faith in you. Grant that our brother/sister
N who believed in you may not perish but shall
rejoice forever in the vision of your glory.
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1. While Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem the time came for her to
be delivered. (Lk 2:6) Hail Mary.
2. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in
swaddling clothes. (Lk 2:7) Hail Mary.
3. And she laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them
in the inn. (Lk 2:7) Hail Mary.
4. And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping
watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared
to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they
were filled with fear. (Lk 2:8-9) Hail Mary.
5. And the angel said to them, Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you
news of a great joy which will come to all the people. (Lk 2:10) Hail
Mary.
6. For to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is
Christ the Lord. (Lk 2:11) Hail Mary.
7.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with
whom he is pleased! (Lk 2:14) Hail Mary.
8. And going into the house, the Wise Men saw the child with Mary his
mother. (Mt 2:1, 11) Hail Mary.
9. And they fell down and worshipped him. Then, opening their
treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.
(Mt 2:11) Hail Mary.
10. But Mary kept all these things pondering them in her heart. (Lk
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2:19) Hail Mary.

The Fourth Joyful Mystery

The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple
L
forever.
ord Jesus Christ, you were presented in the temple in

the substance of our flesh. Purify our brother/sister N
from all his/her sins and failings that having died to
the world, may he/she be alive in your presence
1. When the time came for their purification according to the law of
Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present
him to the Lord. (Lk 2:22) Hail Mary.
2. Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon and
this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of
Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. (Lk 2:25) Hail Mary.
3. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not
see death before he had seen the Lords Christ. (Lk 2:26) Hail
Mary.
4. Inspired by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the
parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the
custom of the law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God.
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(Lk 2:27-28) Hail Mary.

5.
Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your

word. (Lk 2:29) Hail Mary.
6. For my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in
the presence of all peoples. (Lk 2:30-31) Hail Mary.
7.
A light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people
Israel. (Lk 2:32) Hail Mary.
8. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, Behold,
this child is set for the fall and the rising of many in Israel, and for a
sign that is spoken against. (Lk 2:34) Hail Mary.
9.
And a sword will pierce through your own soul also, that thoughts
out of many hearts may be revealed. (Lk 2:35) Hail Mary.
10. And when they performed everything according to the law of the
Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And the
child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of
God was upon him. (Lk 2:39-40) Hail Mary.
The Fifth Joyful Mystery

The Finding of Jesus in the Temple
ord Jesus Christ, you lead those in darkness to the

light of salvation. Grant that our brother/sister N who
gone forth from this world in your peace, may stand
forever to see your face in the new and eternal
Jerusalem.
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1. Now Jesus parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the
Passover. And when Jesus was twelve years old, they went up
according to custom. (Lk 2:41-42) Hail Mary.
2. And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy
Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it. (Lk
2:43) Hail Mary.
3. And when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem seeking
him. After three days, they found him in the temple. (Lk 2:45-46)
Hail Mary.
4. He was sitting among the teachers, listening to them, and asking
them questions. (Lk 2:46) Hail Mary.
5. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his
answers. (Lk 2:47) Hail Mary.
6. And his mother said to him, Son, why have you treated us so?
Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously. (Lk
2:48) Hail Mary.
7. And he said to them, How is it that you sought me? Did you not
know that I must be in my Fathers house? (Lk 2:49) Hail Mary.
8. And they did not understand the saying which he spoke to them. (Lk
2:50) Hail Mary.
9. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was
obedient to them. (Lk 2:51) Hail Mary.
10. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, / and in favor with
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God and man. (Lk 2:52) Hail Mary.

THE MYSTERIES OF LIGHT
Thursdays and Sundays of Ordinary Time
The First Luminous Mystery

The Baptism in the Jordan
ord Jesus Christ, in the waters of the Jordan the

Father revealed you to be his own Son in whom he
was well-pleased. May our departed brother/sister N
who was born again in the waters of baptism may
share in the unending joy of rising to new life.
1. John the Baptist] said, I am the voice of one crying in the

wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as the prophet
Isaiah said. (Jn 1:23) Hail Mary.
2. And John preached, saying, After me comes he who is mightier
than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down
and untie. (Mk 1:7) Hail Mary.
3.
I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after
me will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. (Mt 3:11) Hail
Mary
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4. John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, Behold, the Lamb of
God, who takes away the sin of the world! (Jn 1:29) Hail Mary
5. Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized
by him. (Mt 3:13) Hail Mary.
6. John would have prevented him, saying, I need to be baptized by
you, and do you come to me? (Mt 3:14) Hail Mary.
7. But Jesus answered him, Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us
to fulfill all righteousness. Then John consented. (Mt 3:15) Hail
Mary.
8. And when Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the
water, and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit
of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. (Mt 3:16) Hail
Mary.
9. And behold, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son,
with whom I am well pleased. (Mt 3:17) Hail Mary.
10. The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness, and he
was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan. (Mk 1:12-13)
Hail Mary.
The Second Luminous Mystery

The Wedding at Cana
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ord Jesus Christ, at the wedding at Cana in Galilee,

you gave the first of your signs and revealed your
glory. Lead our brother/sister N into eternal peace
and bring him/her with the all the saints around the
table of your heavenly marriage feast.
1. There was a marriage at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus

was there. (Jn 2:1) Hail Mary.
2. When the wine failed, the mother of Jesus said to him, They have
no wine. (Jn 2:3) Hail Mary.
3. And Jesus said to her, O woman, what have you to do with me? My
hour has not yet come. (Jn 2:4) Hail Mary.
4. His mother said to the servers, Do whatever he tells you. (Jn 2:5)
Hail Mary.
5. Now six stone jars were standing there, for the Jewish rites of
purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. (Jn 2:6) Hail Mary.
6. Jesus said to them, Fill the jars with water. And they filled them to
the brim. (Jn 2:7) Hail Mary.
7. He said to them, Now draw some out, and take it to the steward of
the feast. (Jn 2:8) Hail Mary.
8. When the steward of the feast tasted the water now become wine,
and did not know where it came from, the steward of the feast called
the bridegroom. (Jn 2:9) Hail Mary.
9. And the steward of the feast said to the bridegroom, Every man
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serves the good wine first; and when men have drunk freely, then
the poor wine; but you have kept the good wine until now. (Jn 2:10)
Hail Mary.
10. This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and
manifested his glory, and his disciples believed in him. (Jn 2:11)
Hail Mary.
The Third Luminous Mystery

The Proclamation of the Kingdom
ord Jesus Christ, you proclaimed the coming of your

kingdom to this wounded world and revealed in signs
and miracles your saving love. Draw to yourself our
departed brother/sister N, and so bring him/her at
last with all the saints in your heavenly city.
1. Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching
the gospel of God (Mk 1:14) Hail Mary.
2. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in
the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (Jn 1:4-5) Hail
Mary
3. Jesus said, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand;
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repent, and believe in the Gospel. (Mk 1:15) Hail Mary.

4. And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer
room for them and he was preaching the word to them. (Mk 2:2)
Hail Mary
5. And when they could not get near Jesus because of the crowd, they
removed the roof above him; and when they had made an opening,
they let down the pallet on which the paralytic lay. (Mk 2:4) Hail
Mary.
6.
Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, Your sins are forgiven, or

to say, Rise, pick up your pallet and walk?' (Mk 2:9) Hail Mary
7.
But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth
to forgive sins - he said to the paralytic - I say to you, rise, take up
your pallet and go home. (Mk 2:10-11) Hail Mary.
8. And Jesus called to him his twelve disciples and gave them
authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every
disease and every infirmity. (Mt 10:1) Hail Mary.
9. These Twelve, Jesus sent out charging them to preach The
kingdom of heaven is at hand. (cf. Mt 10:5 & 7) Hail Mary.
10. And when Jesus had said this, he breathed on them and said to
them, Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they
are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained. (Jn
20:22-23) Hail Mary.
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The Fourth Luminous Mystery

The Transfiguration of our Lord
ord Jesus Christ, through your transfigured glory, you

confirm our faith and strengthen our hope that you
will transform our lowly bodies and make it like yours.
Grant that our brother/sister N may be delivered from
the chains of the sins which he/she has committed by human
frailty.
1. Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the
mountain to pray. (Lk 9:28) Hail Mary.
2. And Jesus was transfigured before them, and his face shone like
the sun, and his garments became white as light. (Mt 17:2) Hail
Mary.
3. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with
him. (Mt 17:3) Hail Mary.
4. Moses and Elijah spoke of Jesus exodus that he was to accomplish
in Jerusalem. (Lk 9:31) Hail Mary.
5. And Peter said to Jesus, Lord, it is well that we are here; if you
wish, I will make three booths here, one for you, one for Moses, and
one for Elijah. (Mt 17:4) Hail Mary.
6. As Peter said this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they
were afraid as they entered the cloud. (Lk 9:34) Hail Mary
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7. And a voice came out of the cloud, This is my Son, my chosen;

listen to him! (Lk 9:35) Hail Mary.
8. And suddenly looking around they no longer saw any one with them
but Jesus only. (Mk 9:8) Hail Mary.
9. And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus charged them
to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of man should have
risen from the dead. (Mk 9:9) Hail Mary.
10. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what the rising
from the dead meant. (Mk 9:10) Hail Mary.
The Fifth Luminous Mystery

The Last Supper
ord Jesus Christ, you commanded us to celebrate

the Eucharist as the memorial of your saving passion
and death until you come again. Grant that our
brother/sister N who was nourished by your body and
blood may receive the fullness of your redemption.
1. Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to

Jesus, saying, Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the
Passover? (Mt 26:17) Hail Mary.
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2. Jesus said, Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, The
Teacher says, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your
house with my disciples. (Mt 26:18) Hail Mary.
3. And when the hour came, he sat at table, and the apostles with him.
And he said to them, I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover
with you before I suffer. (Lk 22:14-15) Hail Mary
4. And as they were eating, he said, Truly, I say to you, one of you will
betray me. (Mt 26:21) Hail Mary.
5. Judas, who betrayed him, said, Is it I, Master? (Mt 26:25) Hail
Mary.
6. Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke
it, and gave it to the disciples and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
7. And he took a chalice, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to
them, saying, Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the
covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
(Mt 26:27-28) Hail Mary
8. For as often as you eat this bread and drink the chalice, you
proclaim the Lords death until he comes. (1 Cor 11:26) Hail Mary.
9.
I am the living bread which comes down from heaven; if any one
eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread which I shall
give for the life of the world is my flesh. (Jn 6:51) Hail Mary.
10. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I
will raise him at the last day. (Jn 6:54) Hail Mary.
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THE MYSTERIES OF SORROWS

Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays of Lent
The First Sorrowful Mystery

The Agony in the Garden
ord Jesus Christ, through your bloody sweat of fear

that you shed at the Garden of Gethsemane, we ask
you to have mercy on our brother/sister N. Deliver
him/her from their fear and pain and console him/her
with the cup of heavenly comfort.
1. Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane. And he

began to be sorrowful and troubled. (Mt 26:36-37) Hail Mary.
2. Then he said to them, My soul is very sorrowful, even to death;
remain here, and watch with me. (Mt 26:38) Hail Mary.
3. And he withdrew from them about a stones throw, and knelt down
and prayed. (Lk 22:41) Hail Mary.
4.
Father, if you are willing, remove this chalice from me;

nevertheless not my will, but yours, be done. (Lk 22:42) Hail Mary.
5. There appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him.

(Lk 22:43) Hail Mary.
6. And being in agony, he prayed more earnestly. (Lk 22:44) Hail Mary
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7. And his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down upon
the ground. (Lk 22:44) Hail Mary.
8. And he came back to his disciples and found them sleeping; and he
said to Peter, So, could you not watch with me even for one hour?
9. Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. (Mt 26:41)
Hail Mary
10. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. (Mt 26:41) Hail
Mary
The Second Sorrowful Mystery

The Scourging At The Pillar
ord Jesus Christ, through your painful scourging

which you endured so patiently for us, sinners, we
ask you to have mercy on our brother/sister N. Take
away from them the misery of sin and give them
eternal rest.
1. As soon as it was morning, the chief priests, with the elders and
scribes, and the whole council held a consultation; and they bound
Jesus and led him away and delivered him to Pilate. And Pilate
asked him, Are you the king of the Jews? (Mk 15:1-2) Hail Mary.
2. Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingship
were of this world, my servants would fight, that I might not be
handed over to the Jews; but my kingship is not from the world. (Jn
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18:36) Hail Mary.

3. Pilate said to him, So you are a king? Jesus answered, You say
that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into
the world, to bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth
hears my voice. (Jn 18:37) Hail Mary.
4. Pilate said to him, What is truth? After he had said this, he went
out to the Jews again and told them, I find no crime in him. (Jn
18:38) Hail Mary.
5. I will therefore chastise him and release him. Then Pilate took
Jesus and scourged him. (Lk 23:16, Jn 19:1) Hail Mary.
6. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and
acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (Is 53:3) Hail Mary.
7. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his
mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that
before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. (Is 53:7)
Hail Mary.
8. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our
iniquities. (Is 53:5) Hail Mary.
9. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows Yet we
esteemed him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. (Is 53:4)
Hail Mary.
10. Upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his
stripes we are healed. (Is 53:5) Hail Mary.
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The Third Sorrowful Mystery

The Crowning with Thorns
ord Jesus Christ, through your painful crowning

which you suffered so patiently for us sinners, we ask
you to have mercy on our brother/sister N, and give
him/her the crown of unending joy.
1. The soldiers led Jesus away to the Praetorium. And they stripped
him and put a scarlet robe upon him. (Mk 15:16-17, Mt 27:28) Hail
Mary.
2. And plaiting a crown of thorns, they put it on his head, and put a
reed in his right hand. (Mt 27:29) Hail Mary.
3. Kneeling before him they mocked him, saying, Hail, king of the
Jews! (Mt 27:29) Hail Mary.
4. And they spat upon him and took the reed and struck him on the
head. (Mt 27:30) Hail Mary.
5. Then Pilate took water and washed his hands before the crowd,
saying, I am innocent of this righteous mans blood; see to it
yourselves. (Mt 27:24) Hail Mary.
6. So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple
robe. (Jn 19:5) Hail Mary.
7. Pilate said to the Jews, Here is your King! They cried out, Away
with him, away with him, Crucify him! (Jn 19:15 ) Hail Mary.
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8. And Pilate said to them, Why, what evil has he done? But they
shouted all the more, Crucify him. (Mk 15:14) Hail Mary.
9.
Shall I crucify your king? The chief priests answered, We have

no king but Caesar. (Jn 19:15) Hail Mary.
10. So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas;
and having scouraged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. (Mk
15:15) Hail Mary.
The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery

The Carrying of the Cross
ord Jesus Christ, through your painful carrying of the

cross, which you suffered so patiently for us sinners,
we ask you to have mercy on our brother/sister N.
Remove from him/her the heavy burden of suffering
and lead him/her into eternal peace.
1. If any man would come after me, let him deny himself. (Lk 9:23)
Hail Mary.
2.
And take up his cross daily and follow me. (Lk 9:23) Hail Mary.
3. So they took Jesus, and he went out, carrying his own cross. (Jn
19:17) Hail Mary.
4. And as the led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who
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was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry
it behind Jesus. (Lk 23:26) Hail Mary.
5.
Take my yoke upon you. (Mt 11:29a) Hail Mary.
6. And learn from me for I am gentle and lowly in heart. (Mt 11:29b)
Hail Mary.
7.
And you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my
burden light. (Mt 11:29-30) Hail Mary.
8. And there followed him a great multitude of the people, and of

women who bewailed and lamented him. (Lk 23:27) Hail Mary.
9. But Jesus turning to them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, do not
weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. (Lk
23:28) Hail Mary.
10. For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when
it is dry? (Lk 23:31) Hail Mary.
The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery

The Crucifixion of Our Lord
ord Jesus Christ, through your painful crucifixion,

which you suffered so patiently for us sinners, we ask
you to have mercy on the brother/sister N. Turn your
sacred face toward him/her and let him/her be in
Paradise with you.
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1. And when they came to the place which is called The Skull, there
they crucified him. (Lk 23:33) Hail Mary.
2. And Jesus said, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they
do. (Lk 23:34) Hail Mary.
3. One of the criminals who were crucified with him said, Jesus,
remember me when you come in your kingly power. (Lk 23:39, 42;
Mk 15:32) Hail Mary.
4. Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise. (Lk
23:43) Hail Mary.
5. But standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and the disciple
whom he loved. (Jn 19:25-26) Hail Mary.
6. Jesus said to his mother, Woman, behold, your son. Then he said
to the disciple, Behold, your mother. (Jn 19:26-27) Hail Mary.
7. And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. (Jn 19:27)
Hail Mary.
8. And there was darkness over the whole land. And behold, the
curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the
earth shook. (Lk 23:44; Mt 27:51) Hail Mary.
9. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said Father, into your hands I
commit my spirit! (Lk 23:46) Hail Mary.
10. And he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (Jn 19:30) Hail Mary.
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THE MYSTERIES OF GLORY
Wednesday, Saturdays and Sundays of Easter
The First Glorious Mystery

The Resurrection
ord Jesus Christ, through your glorious resurrection,

you destroyed death forever and restored life
everlasting. May our brother/sister N whom you once
cleansed in the waters of baptism be purified from all
his/her sins and so attain the inheritance of eternal redemption.
1. Truly, Truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will
rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. (Jn
16:20) Hail Mary.
2. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one
will take your joy from you. (Jn 16:22) Hail Mary.
3. At the early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices which
they had prepared. (Lk 24:1) Hail Mary.
4. For an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and
rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. (Mt 28:2) Hail Mary.
5. Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.
He is not here. (Mt 28:5-6) Hail Mary.
6. For he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.
(Lk 24:6) Hail Mary.
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7.
He is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. (Mt 28:7)
Hail Mary.
8. And the women went out and fled from the tomb with fear and great
joy, and ran to tell his disciples. (Mk 16:8; Mt 28:8) Hail Mary.
9. I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he
die, yet shall he live. (Jn 11:25) Hail Mary.
10. And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. (Jn 11:26)
Hail Mary.
The Second Glorious Mystery

The Ascension
ord Jesus Christ, through your ascension into the

heavens, opened to us the gate of everlasting life.
Infuse into our hearts a yearning to be where you
have gone before us and in your mercy, lead into
your light our brother/sister N who have fallen asleep in the hope
of the resurrection.
1. Then Jesus led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands
he blessed them. (Lk 24:50) Hail Mary.
2. And Jesus came and said, All authority in heaven and on earth has
been given to me. (Mt 28:18) Hail Mary.
3. Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations. (Mt 28:19a) Hail
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Mary.
4. Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit. (Mt 28:19b) Hail Mary.
5. Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. (Mt
28:20) Hail Mary.
6. He who believes and is baptized will be saved. (Mk 16:16a) Hail
Mary.
7. But he who does not believe will be condemned. (Mk 16:16b) Hail
Mary
8. And behold, I am with you always, to the close of the age. (Mt
28:20) Hail Mary.
9. And when he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted
up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. (Acts 1:9) Hail Mary.
10. So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up
into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. (Mk 16:19) Hail
Mary.
The Third Glorious Mystery

The Descent of the Holy Spirit
ord Jesus Christ, you fulfilled your promise by

sending your Holy Spirit upon us and fill our hearts
with the fire of your love. Look with compassion upon
our departed brother/sister N, who has been sealed
with the same Spirit, and in your mercy welcome him/her into the
glory and joy of heaven.
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1. When the day of Pentecost day had come, they were all together in
one place. (Acts 2:1) Hail Mary.
2. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty
wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. (Acts 2:2)
Hail Mary.
3. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and
resting on each one of them. (Acts 2:3) Hail Mary.
4. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to tell the
mighty works of God. (Acts 2:4, 11) Hail Mary.
5. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem, Jews, devout men from
every nation under heaven. (Acts 2:5) Hail Mary.
6. But Peter, standing with the Eleven, lifted up his voice and
addressed them. (Acts 2:14) Hail Mary.
7. And Peter said to them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you
in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; / and
you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38) Hail Mary.
8. So those who received his word were baptized, and there were
added that day about three thousand souls. (Acts 2:41) Hail Mary.
9. Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created; and you shall
renew the face of the earth. (Pentecost Alleluia) Hail Mary.
10. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful; and kindle in them
the fire of your love. (Pentecost Alleluia) Hail Mary.
The Fourth Glorious Mystery

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The Assumption
ord Jesus Christ, through the assumption of Mary,

body and soul into heavenly glory, you have given us
a sign of hope in our earthly pilgrimage. Grant that
through her prayers, may our brother/sister N who
have been redeemed by his blood, share with her the glory of
your eternal kingdom.
1. My beloved speaks and says to me: Arise, my love, my dove, my

fair one, and come away. (Songs 2:10) Hail Mary.
2. For behold, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. (Songs
2:11) Hail Mary.
3. Let me see your face, let me hear your voice, for your voice is
sweet, and your face is comely. (Songs 2:14) Hail Mary.
4. Then Gods temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his
covenant was seen within his temple; and there were flashes of
lightning, loud noises, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy
hail. (Rev 11:19) Hail Mary.
5. And a great sign appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the
sun. (Rev 12:1a) Hail Mary.
6. With the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve
stars. (Rev 12:1b) Hail Mary.
7. The daughter of the king is decked in her chamber with gold-woven
robes; in many-colored robes she is led to the king. (Psalm 45:1314) Hail Mary.
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8. O daughter, you are blessed by the Most High God above all
women on earth. (Judith 13:18) Hail Mary.
9. Your hope will never depart from the hearts of men, as they
remember the power of God. (Judith 13:19) Hail Mary.
10. You are the exaltation of Jerusalem, you are the great pride of our
nation! (Judith 15:9) Hail Mary.
The Fifth Glorious Mystery

The Coronation
ord Jesus Christ, as you hang from the cross, you

gave us Mary to the be our mother and entrusted us
to her care. Grant that through her glorious
intercession, may our brother/sister N stand with all
the angels and the saints who know your love and unceasingly
praise your saving will.
1. Who is this that looks forth like the dawn, fair as the moon, bright as
the sun? (Songs 6:10) Hail Mary.
2. Like the rainbow gleaming in glorious clouds; like roses in the days
of the first fruits. (Sir. 50:7-8) Hail Mary
3. I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys. (Songs 2:1) Hail Mary.
4. My throne was in a pillar of cloud, and for eternity I shall not cease
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to exist. (Sir. 24:4,9) Hail Mary.

5. Come to me, you who desire me, and eat your fill of my produce.
(Sir. 24:19) Hail Mary.
6. Like a terebinth I spread out my branches, my teaching is sweeter
than honey. (Sir. 24:17,20) Hail Mary.
7. And now, my sons, listen to me; happy are those who keep my
ways. Hear instruction and be wise. (Prov 8:32-33) Hail Mary.
8. Happy are those who keep my ways, watching daily at my gates.
(Prov 8:32,34) Hail Mary
9. For he who finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord. (Prov
8:35) Hail Mary.
10. Hail, Mother of mercy, protect us from evil, and receive us at the
hour of death. Hail Mary.
Salve Regina
After the fifth decade, all together say or sing the Salve Regina
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy,

hail, our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To you do we cry, poor banished children of Eve:
to you do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious Advocate,
your eyes of mercy toward us,
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and after this our exile,

show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus,
O merciful, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!
Amen.
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary is then recited.
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us
Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of heaven,
Have mercy on him/her.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world,
God, the Holy Spirit,
Holy Trinity, one God,
After every invocation, all respond - *Pray
for him/her.
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Holy Mary,
Holy Mother of God,
Holy Virgin of virgins,
Mother of Christ,
Mother of the Church
Mother of divine grace,
Mother most pure,
Mother most chaste,
Mother inviolate,
Mother undefiled,
Mother most amiable,
Mother most admirable,
Mother of good counsel,
Mother of our Creator,
Mother of our Savior,
Virgin most prudent,
Virgin most venerable,
Virgin most renowned,
Virgin most powerful,
Virgin most powerful,
Virgin most merciful,
Virgin most faithful,
Mirror of justice,
Seat of wisdom,
Cause of our joy,
Spiritual vessel,
Vessel of honor,
Singular vessel of devotion,
Mystical rose,
Tower of David,
Tower of ivory,
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House of gold,
Ark of the covenant,
Gate of heaven,
Morning star,
Heath of the sick,
Refuge of sinners,
Comforter of the afflicted,
Help of Christians,
Queen of angels,
Queen of patriarchs,
Queen of prophets,
Queen of apostles,
Queen of martyrs,
Queen confessors,
Queen of virgins,
Queen of all saints,
Queen conceived without original sin,
Queen assumed into heaven,
Queen of the most holy Rosary,
Queen of families,
Queen of peace,
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world,

Grant him/her eternal rest, O Lord.
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
That we may be made worthy
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of the promises of Christ.
Sub Tuum Praesidium

All together pray
All:
We fly to your patronage,

O holy Mother of God;
despise not our petitions in our necessities,
but deliver us always from all dangers,
O glorious and blessed Virgin.
Amen.
Then the concluding prayer is said.
Concluding Prayer
Leader:
Let us pray
All:
O God whose only begotten Son,

by his life, death, and resurrection,
has purchased for us
the rewards of eternal life,
grant, we pray,
that meditating upon these mysteries
of the most holy Rosary
of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
we may imitate what they contain
and obtain what they promise,
through the same Christ our Lord.
Amen.
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CHAPLET OF THE DIVINE MERCY

The Chaplet of the Divine Mercy is a prayer of intercession for Gods divine mercy,
recalling how in Christs passion, death and resurrection God has revealed the depth of
his love. This prayer has its origins in the the private revelations to Saint Faustina
Kowalska. It is recited using ordinary rosary beads of five decades.
Begin the Chaplet with the following prayer
Opening Prayer
ou died, Jesus, * but the source of life * flowed out for

souls, * and an ocean of mercy * opened up for the whole
world. * O Fountain of Life, * immeasurable Divine Mercy,
* cover the whole world * and empty yourself out upon us.
The following shall be repeated thrice.
O Blood and Water, * which flowed out from the Heart of Jesus * as a
fountain of mercy for us, * I trust in You!
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Jesus, King of Mercy, * I trust in You!

Pray the Lords Prayer once, the Hail Marys thrice and the Apostles Creed once.
For each of the five decades, the following prayer is said on the first large bead.
Eternal Father, * I offer you the Body and Blood, * Soul and Divinity of
your dearly beloved Son, * Our Lord, Jesus Christ, * in atonement for
our sins and those of the whole world.
On the ten small beads, the following prayer is said.
Leader:
All:
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion,

Have mercy on us and on the whole world.
At the end of decade, the following prayer is repeated thrice.
Holy God, * Holy Mighty One, * Holy Immortal One, * have mercy on us
* and on the whole world.
Litany of the Divine Mercy
The Litany of the Divine Mercy is then recited.
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:

Christ, hear us
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Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:

After every invocation, all respond - *We
trust in you.
Divine Mercy, greatest attribute of God,

Divine Mercy, unfathomable love of the Sanctifier,
Divine Mercy, incomprehensible mystery,
Divine Mercy, expression of the greatest might of God,
Divine Mercy, in creation of heavenly spirits,
Divine Mercy, in calling us forth
from nothingness to existence,
Divine Mercy, from which wells forth
all life and happiness,
Divine Mercy, better than the heavens,
Divine Mercy, encompassing the whole universe,
Divine Mercy, endowing us with immortal life,
Divine Mercy, shielding us from deserved punishment,
Divine Mercy, lifting us from the misery of sin,
Divine Mercy, justifying us through the Person
of the Incarnate Word,
Divine Mercy, which flowed out
from the wounds of Christ,
Divine Mercy, gushing forth from
the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
Divine Mercy, giving us the Blessed Virgin Mary
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as Mother of Mercy,
Divine Mercy, in revealing the mysteries of God,
Divine Mercy, in the founding of the Holy Church,
Divine Mercy, in instituting the Holy Sacraments,
Divine Mercy, first of all in the sacraments
of Baptism and Penance,
Divine Mercy, in the Holy Eucharist
and the sacrament of Holy Orders,
Divine Mercy, in calling us to the holy faith,
Divine Mercy, in the conversion of sinners,
Divine Mercy, in our justification through Jesus Christ,
Divine Mercy, embracing us especially
at the hour of death,
Divine Mercy, fount of help for the sick and the suffering,
Divine Mercy, sweet relief for anguished hearts,
Divine Mercy, only hope of despairing souls,
Divine Mercy, accompanying us
in every moment of our life,
Divine Mercy, anticipating our needs with graces,
Divine Mercy, lifting us out of every misery,
Divine Mercy, repose of the dying,
Divine Mercy, heavenly delight of the saved,
Divine Mercy, respite and relief of the souls in purgatory,
Divine Mercy, crown of all saints,
Divine Mercy, inexhaustible source of miracles,
Divine Mercy, embracing all the works of his hands,
Divine Mercy, in which we are all immersed,
Divine Mercy, repose of hearts, peace amidst fear,
Divine Mercy, inspiring hope against all hope,
After every invocation, all respond - *Have
mercy on us
and on the whole world
In the agony in the garden,

In the scourging of our Lord,
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In the crowning with thorns,

In the trial and condemnation to death,
In the carrying of the cross on his wounded shoulder,
In the encounter with Mother Mary,
In the encounters with the Simon of Cyrene,
Veronica and the holy women
In the falls of Our Lord,
In the stripping of our Lords garments,
In the crucifixion,
In the sorrowful agony and death,
In the piercing of His Most Sacred Heart,
In the sorrows of Our Lady after the death of our Lord,
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Lamb of God, who revealed the greatest mercy

in redeeeming the world by dying on the cross,
Lamb of God, who offers yourself for our sake
in the celebration of holy mass,
Lamb of God, who takes away our sins
with inexhaustible compassion,
The mercy of God is above all his works.
Therefore, we will praise the Divine Mercy forever.
Then the concluding prayer is said.

Leader:
Let us pray
All:
Eternal God,
in whom mercy is endless
Closing Prayer
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and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible,

look kindly upon us and increase your mercy in us,
that in difficult moments
we might not despair nor become despondent,
but with great confidence
submit ourselves to your holy will,
which is love and mercy itself.
Amen.
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:

Amen.
CHAPLET OF THE PASSION FOR THE DEAD

The Christian meaning of death is revealed in the light of the Paschal Mystery of the
Death and Resurrection of Christ in whom resides our only hope. The Christian who
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dies in Christ Jesus is away from the body and at home with the Lord (2 Cor 5:8). The
Chaplet of the Passion is a meaningful traditional prayer for the faithful departed in the
light of the passion and suffering of Christ.
Begin the Chaplet with the following acclamation
Leader:
All:
O Lord, hear my prayer.

And let my cry come to you.
od of unending mercy and infinite compassion, * from

whom neither life nor death * can separate those who trust
in your love. * From one generation to the next, * you have
been our refuge and strength. * Even before the mountains
were formed * or the earth came to be, * you are God. * All things are of
your making, * all humanity are created in your likeness. * All life comes
from you * and from every harm or evil * you spare all creation, * for
they are yours.
Leader:
All:
Lord, in your mercy, turn the darkness of death

into the dawn of new life
And the sorrow of parting into the joy of heaven.
ord God of power and might, * graciously accept the prayers

we offer in sadness * for our brother/sister N * whom you
have called from this life. * Through the saving mystery * of
the passion, death and resurrection * of Christ your Son, *
free him/her from the bonds of all evil, * and deliver his/her soul from
death.
In your love for us, * grant him the pardon of all his sins * and in your
mercy, blot out all his offenses. * Number him/her among your saints *
and clothe him/her with the robe of salvation * to enjoy for ever the joys
of your kingdom. * Amen.
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Leader:
All:
Lord in your grace, grant rest to our brother/sister N

who now sleeps in the hope of rising again.
Raise him to your right hand
with the righteous and just.
The following prayer is said.
ord Jesus Christ, * you are the Lamb of God; * you take
away the sins of the world. * You willingly gave yourself up
to death, * so that all might be saved * and pass from death
to life. * Look gently on our brother/sister N * and in the
blood you shed for him/her, * cleanse him/her of every stain of sin * and
raise him/her to new life * for the glory of your name.
You who are mercy itself; * forgive the sins of our brother/sister N, * and
grant him/her a place * in your heavenly kingdom * where together with
all the saints of every age, * they will praise and bless you * forever and
ever. * Amen.
Act of Contrition
The following prayer is then said.
My God, * I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. * In choosing to do

wrong * and failing to do good, * I have sinned against you * whom I
should love above all things. * I firmly intend, with your help, * to do
penance, * to sin no more, * and to avoid whatever leads me to sin.
Leader:
All:
Our Saviour Jesus Christ suffered and died for us.

In his name, my God, have mercy.
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Prayer of Offering
ord Jesus Christ, * receive our prayers and supplications, *

for our brother/sister N * and we pray that by the motherly
love * bestowed on you * by your most holy Mother, * when
she followed you * on the way of sorrow * up to Mount
Calvary, * forgive whatever sins * he/she may have committed * and
grant to him/her and all the faithful departed, * light, happiness and
peace.
Open our lips and enflame our hearts * and cleanse them of
useless and evil thoughts. * Enlighten our minds * that we may
meaningfully recall * your sufferings and death for our redemption * and
the pains endured * by your most glorious Mother. * You who live and
reign * forever and ever. * Amen.
Decades of the Passion
At the beginning of each decade (in place of the Lords Prayer), pray the following
Leader:
Most merciful Jesus

look down with eyes of pity on the soul of N
for whom you have suffered
and died on the cross.
On the beads of the Rosary in each decade (in place of the Hail Mary), say the
following:
All:
My Jesus, through your bloody sweat in the garden,

Have mercy on the soul of N.
Leader:
My Jesus, through the blows
Leader:
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All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
you received on your sacred face

My Jesus, through the cruel scourging you endured
My Jesus, through the crown of thorns

that pierced your head,
My Jesus, through your carrying of the cross
on the path of bitterness
My Jesus, through your face covered with blood
which you allowed to be imprinted
on the veil of Veronica
My Jesus, through the bloody garments
that were cruelly removed from your wounded body
My Jesus, through your hands and feet
pierced with cruel nails
My Jesus, through your sacred side
pierced with a lance
and from which flowed blood and water
My Jesus, through your crucifixion
and death on the cross.
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All:
In place of the Doxology, the following invocation is said

Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Eternal rest grant unto N, O Lord

Amen.
First Decade of the Chaplet

Begin the decade by saying the following prayer
Leader:
All:
Jesus, bread from heaven,

you satisfy the hungry with good things:
grant us a share with all the faithful departed
in the banquet of your kingdom.
Lord, you are our resurrection and our life.
At the end of the decade, the following prayer is said
od of compassion, * you have promised us life eternal *

through the passion and death of Christ. * Lead our
brother/sister N * to a place of peace and refreshment; *
guide him/her to springs of life-giving water; * and bring
him/her to your heavenly home * where there is no more death, * no
more grief or crying or pain, * but joy and gladness forever in your
presence. * Amen.
Second Decade of the Chaplet

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Leader:
All:
Jesus, the light of the world,

you gave the man born blind the gift of sight
and opened the eyes of his faith:
bring those in darkness to your eternal light and glory.
od of faithfulness, * in our grief, we turn to you with hope. *

Grant to our brother/sister N the sure benefits * of your
Sons saving passion and glorious resurrection * so that, in
the last day, * when you gather up all things in Christ, * we
may with them * enjoy the fullness of your promises. * Amen.
Third Decade of the Chaplet

Leader:
All:
Jesus, crucified Saviour,

on the cross you entrusted each to the other,
Mary your mother and John your beloved disciple:
sustain and comfort all who mourn.
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od of all consolation, * you pursue us with untiring love *

and dispel the shadow of death * with the bright dawn of
life. * We entrust N to your mercy * and make her worthy *
to share in the joys of Paradise. * Give courage to our
family * in our loss and sorrow. * Be our refuge and strength, O Lord, *
reassure us of your continuing love. * Amen.
Fourth Decade of the Chaplet
Leader:
All:
Jesus, Son of the living God,

you summoned your friend Lazarus from death to life:
raise us at the last to full and eternal life with you.
od of love, * you sent your Son * to restore in us your

image. * In obedience to your will * he gave up his life for
us, * bearing in his body * our sins on the cross. * Grant
full pardon to our brother/sister N, * and in your all loving
mercy * blot out all the sins * he/she has committed during life * through
frailty of the flesh. * Amen.
Fifth Decade of the Chaplet
Leader:
All:
Jesus, our way and truth and life,

you drew your disciple Thomas from doubt to faith:
grant to the doubting and the lost
faith in the resurrection.
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God of grace and glory, * we praise you for the life of our brother/sister
N. * who is yours in death as in life. * Meet us in our sadness, * and fill
our hearts with thanksgiving * for the love he/she received from you *
and shared with us * her/his family and friends. * Console us who
mourn * and give us faith to see in death * the gate of eternal life, so
that in quiet confidence * we may continue our course on earth, * until,
by your call, * we are reunited with our brother/sister N * and all those
who have gone before. * Amen
At the end of the five decades, all together pray
od of infinite mercy and everlasting kindness * kindly and

graciously take to yourself * our brother/sister N, * as
he/she returns to seek mercy from you, * the very fountain
of compassion and love. * Mercifully wipe out, * lovingly
forgive, * and utterly forget * whatever sins our brother/sister may have
committed * in the course of his/her earthly pilgrimage, * casting them
all * into everlasting oblivion. * Deliver him/her from the torments of hell
* and clothe him/her * with a robe of heavenly glory * and with the
garment of life immortal. * Welcome him/her home * to a place of
peace and rest * and count him/her among the assembly of your saints
* to cherish forever * the joys of your home in heaven.
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:

Amen.
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Litany for the Faithful Departed

The Litany for the Faithful Departed is then recited.
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:

Christ, hear us
for him/her.
Holy Mary,
Holy Mother of God,
Holy Virgin of virgins,
Saint Michael,
Saint Gabriel,
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Saint Raphael,
All you holy angels and archangels,
Saint John Baptist,
Saint Joseph,
All you holy patriarchs and prophets,
Saint Peter,
Saint Paul,
Saint Andrew,
Saint James,
Saint John,
Saint Thomas,
Saint James,
Saint Philip,
Saint Bartholomew,
Saint Matthew,
Saint Simon,
Saint Thaddeus,
Saint Matthias,
Saint Barnabas,
Saint Luke,
Saint Mark,
All you holy apostles and evangelists,
All you holy disciples of our Lord,
Saint Stephen,
Saint Lawrence,
Saint Vincent,
Saints Fabian and Sebastian,
Saints John and Paul,
Saints Cosmas and Damian,
Saints Gervase and Protase
All you holy martyrs,
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Saint Sylvester,
Saint Gregory,
Saint Ambrose,
Saint Augustine,
Saint Jerome,
Saint Martin,
Saint Nicholas,
All you holy bishops and confessors,
All you holy doctors,
Saint Anthony,
Saint Benedict,
Saint Bernard,
Saint Dominic,
Saint Francis,
All you holy priests and deacons,
All you holy monks and hermits,
Saint Mary Magdalene,
Saint Agatha,
Saint Lucy,
Saint Agnes,
Saint Cecilia,
Saint Catherine,
Saint Anastasia,
Saint Lorenzo Ruiz,
Saint Pedro Calungsod,
Saint John Paul II,
Saint Theresa of Calcutta,
All you holy men and women,
After every petition, all respond O
Lord, deliver him/her.
From all evil,

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From your wrath,

From the rigor of your justice,
From the power of the devil,
From the gnawing worn of conscience,
From long enduring sorrow,
From eternal flames,
From horrible darkness,
From dreadful weeping and wailing,
Through your most cruel death,
Through your most holy wounds,
Through your holy resurrection,
Through the coming of the Holy Spirit,
In the Day of Judgment,
After every petition, all respond Lord,
hear our prayer.
You who have the keys of heaven,

Bring N to eternal life,
first promised to him/her in baptism,
Raise N on the last day,
for he/she has partaken of the Bread of Life
Let N share in your glory,
for he/she has shared
in your suffering and death,
That it may please you mercifully
to pardon all the sins of N,
That it may please you to deliver the souls
of our relatives and friends from the pains of hell,
That it may please you pleased to grant them,
all the pardon and remission of all their sins,
That it may please you to fulfill all their desires,
That it may please you to receive them
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into the company of the blessed,

That it may please you to bring us,
with N and all your saints to a joyful resurrection,
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Jesus, Son of the Living God

Lord, hear our prayer.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, hear us.
Lord Jesus, hear our prayer.
Amen.
Then all together pray the concluding prayer

Leader:
Concluding Prayer
Let us pray
Almighty and eternal God,

hear our prayers
for your son/daughter N
whom you have called from this life to yourself.
Grant him/her light, happiness, and peace.
Let him/her pass in safety
through the gates of death,
and live forever with all your saints
in the light you promised to Abraham
and to all his descendants in faith.
Guard him/her from all harm
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and on that great day of resurrection and reward

raise him/her up with all your saints.
Pardon his/her sins
and give him/her eternal life in your kingdom.
We ask this through Christ our Lord
All:
Amen.
NOVENA PRAYERS FOR THE DEPARTED

A novena is a Catholic tradition of praying which comes from the earliest days of the
church. After the ascension of Jesus, the Acts of the Apostles tells us that the Apostles
and Mary gathered together and joined in constant prayer (Acts 1:14). Finally on the
day of Pentecost, the Spirit of the Lord came to them. Based on this, Christians have
always prayed for various needs, trusting that God both hears and answers prayer. Over
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time, the custom of praying for nine consecutive days for a particular need came to be
called praying a novena, since novena means nine.
DAILY PRAYERS
The priest then invites those present to pray
Let us pray, dearly beloved brothers and sisters, for dear

brother/sister N. whom the Lord has taken from the trials of this
world. Together let us earnestly pray that our God, who is rich in
mercy, will forgive our brother/sister all his offenses and receive
him/her into his peace.
Daily Prayer for the Deceased
ather in heaven, * you invite sinners to call upon you in their

need. Listen to the prayers * we pour forth for our
brother/sister N * whom you have summoned * to leave this
world behind * and come to you. * In your mercy and
goodness * forgive our brother/sister whatever he/she may have done *
contrary to your will * by reason of his/her human weakness. * Refresh
him/her with the waters of life, * and let him/her experience the loving
kindness * of your merciful forgiveness.
ive joy, most merciful God, * to our brother/sister N, and

glorify him/her * in the abundance of your mercy. *
Refresh him/her * with the dew of your compassion. * Do
not remember, we beg you, * the sins of his/her past, * the
evil deeds or desires, * failures of anger or excess. * For though he/she
may indeed have sinned, * yet never did he deny you; * but, marked
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with the sign of faith, * he/she faithfully worshiped you * as his/her

Creator.
On that great and final day of judgment, * grant that his/her portion may
be among your saints * and your faithful ones, * and that he/she may
share in that eternal glory * which no eye has seen, * nor ear heard, *
nor the human heart conceived, * the glory you have prepared * for
those who love you.
racious God, * you love us from all eternity * and your love
is always with us. * You know the thoughts of our hearts, *
you share our joys and our sorrows; * deepen our faith and
sustain us * even when we enter * the dark mystery of
suffering and loss. * Draw near to us who mourn for N * and dry the
tears of all who weep. * Grant to all who mourn a sure trust * in your
fatherly care, * that casting all their grief on you, * we may know the
consolation of your love. * Grant this, O merciful Father, * through Jesus
Christ, * our mediator and redeemer. * Amen.
An appropriate song may be sung. The novena continues with the Scripture reading
and the prayer assigned for the day.
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FIRST DAY
Scripture Reading
Psalm 23.
The Lord is my shepherd.
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;
he revives my soul.
He guides me along the right path,
for the sake of his name.
Though I should walk
in the valley of the shadow of death,
no evil would I fear, for you are with me.
Your crook and your staff will give me comfort.
You have prepared a table before me
in the sight of my foes.
My head you have anointed with oil;
my cup is overflowing.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life.
In the LORDs own house shall I dwell
for length of days unending.
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Pause for silent reflection.
Intercessions
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Lord, receive your servant, N,

into your dwelling place.
Lord, you promised paradise to the repentant thief.
May he/she have a place in the bosom of Abraham.
Eternal rest grant unto him/her, O Lord
Amen.
Prayer of the Day
God, * whose nature is always * to forgive and to

show mercy, * we humbly implore you * for your
servant N, * whom you have called this day * to
journey to you, * and, since he/she hoped * and
believed in you, * grant that he/she may be led * to our true
homeland * to delight in its everlasting joys. * Through our Christ
our Lord. * Amen
Pray the Lords Prayer once, the Hail Marys thrice and the Doxology once.
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SECOND DAY
Scripture Reading
From the holy Gospel according to John (6:5158)
Anyone who eats this bread has eternal life, and I shall raise him up on the last day.
Jesus said to the crowd: 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
Jews 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.
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Intercessions
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:


Amen.
Prayer of the Day
God, * who alone are able to give life after death, *

free your servant N from all sins, * that he/she, who
believed in the Resurrection of your Christ, * may,
when the day of resurrection comes, * be united
with you in glory. * Through our Christ our Lord. * Amen.
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THIRD DAY
Scripture Reading
From the book of Wisdom (3:1-6, 9)
He accepted them as a holocaust.
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 men see it,
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their hope was rich with immortality;

slight was their affliction, great will their blessing 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,
and accepted them as a holocaust.
They who trust in him will understand the truth,
those who are faithful will live with him in love;
Intercessions
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:


Amen.
Prayer of the Day
130
God, * glory of the faithful and life of the just, * by

the death and resurrection * of whose Son we have
been redeemed, * look mercifully on your departed
servant N, * that, just as he/she professed * the
mystery of our resurrection, * so he/she may merit to receive *
the joys of eternal happiness. * Through Christ our Lord. *
Amen.
FOURTH DAY
Scripture Reading
From the holy Gospel according to John (5:2429)
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Whoever listens to my words and believes has passed from death to life.
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. I can do
nothing by myself; I can only judge as I am told to judge, and my
judging is just, because my aim is to do not my own will, but the will of
him who sent me.
Intercessions
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:

All:

Leader:
Leader:
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All:
Leader:

Amen.
All:
Prayer of the Day
God, almighty Father, * our faith professes * that

your Son died and rose again; * mercifully grant,
that through this mystery * your servant N, who has
fallen asleep in Christ, * may rejoice to rise again
through him. * Through our Christ our Lord. * Amen.
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FIFTH DAY
Scripture Reading
From the letter of the apostle Paul to the Romans (5:1721)
However great the number of sins committed, grace was even greater.
If it is certain that death reigned over everyone as the consequence of

one mans 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 mans fall brought
condemnation on everyone, so the good act of one man brings
everyone life and makes them justified. As by one mans disobedience
many were made sinners, so by one mans obedience many will be
made righteous. When law came, it was to multiply the opportunities of
falling, 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.
Intercessions
Leader:
All:

134
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:


Amen.
Prayer of the Day
rant, we pray, O Lord, * through the blessed

passion of your Son, * that your servant N may
receive * the forgiveness for his/her sins * he/she
always desired, * so that, knowing you in truth, *
he/she may be worthy to rejoice * at being called to behold you
for ever. * Through our Christ our Lord. * Amen.
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SIXTH DAY
Scripture Reading
From the holy Gospel according to Luke (23:33, 39-43)
Today you will be with me in paradise.
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.
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Intercessions
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:


Amen.
Prayer of the Day
od, almighty Father, * who have strengthened us *

by the mystery of the Cross * and promise us a
share * in the mystery of your Sons Resurrection, *
mercifully grant, we pray, * that your departed
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servant N may be gathered * into the company of your chosen

ones. * Through Christ our Lord. * Amen.
SEVENTH DAY
Scripture Reading
From the letter of the apostle Paul to the Romans (8:31-35, 37-39)
Nothing can 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
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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 Gods 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.
Intercessions
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:


139
Leader:
All:

Amen.
Prayer of the Day
ree your servant N, * we pray, O Lord, * from every

bond of sin, * that he /she, who in this world * was
found worthy to be conformed to Christ, * may be
raised to the glory of the resurrection * and draw the
breath of new life * among your saints. * Through our Christ our
Lord. * Amen.
EIGHTH DAY
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Scripture Reading
From the second letter of the apostle Paul to the Corinthians (6:1,6-10)
We have an everlasting home in heaven.
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, then, 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.
Intercessions
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:

141
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:

Amen.
Prayer of the Day
ncline your merciful ear to our prayers, O Lord, * and grant

to the soul of your servant N * the remission of all his /her
sins, * that he/she may have life * on the day of
resurrection * and may rest in the splendor of eternal light.
* Through our Christ our Lord.
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NINTH DAY
Scripture Reading
From the first letter of the apostle John (3:1-2, 14-16)
We shall see him as he really is.
Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us, by letting us be
called Gods 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.
We have passed out of death and into life because we love our
brothers. 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.
143
Intercessions
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:


Amen.
Prayer of the Day
od, in whose presence the dead are alive * and in

whom your saints rejoice full of happiness, * grant our
supplication, that your servant N, * for whom the
fleeting light of this world * shines no more, * may
enjoy the comfort of your light * for all eternity. * Through Christ our
Lord. * Amen.
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CONCLUDING PRAYERS
De Profundis (Psalm 130)
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Out of the depths I cry to you,

O Lord, Lord, hear my voice.
145

Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:

Let the watchman count on daybreak
and Israel on the Lord.
and fullness of redemption.
Israel indeed he will redeem from all its iniquity.
All:

Amen.
Leader:
Let us pray
Leader:
O God, whose nature is always

to have mercy and to forgive,
we humbly pray on behalf of the soul
of your servant, N
which has departed out of this world:
Do not deliver it into the hands of the enemy
or forget it at the last,
but command that it be received
146
All:
by your holy angels

and carried into the land of the living
and, since he hoped and believed in you,
count him worthy to rejoice
in the communion of your saints.
Amen.
The following prayer is said.
oly Lord, * almighty Father, * eternal God, * though we

cannot entreat you enough * for our own sins, * yet loving
devotion moves us to intercede for others. * Trusting,
therefore, * in your generous love and kindness, * we
earnestly pray * that you will mercifully receive our brother/sister N *
who returns to you.
Let Michael, the archangel be with him/her * and by the hands of your
holy angels * gather him/her * into the company of your saints and
chosen ones, * to the bosom of Abraham. * Rescue him/her from the
powers of darkness * and the place of punishment. * Let him/her not be
brought to shame * by any offenses committed * through ignorance or
human weakness, * whether by reason of his/her own iniquity * or
because of the fragile nature * that is common to us all. * Rather, may
he/she be recognized by your friends * as one of your own * and enjoy
the blessed repose of holy peace. Then, when the great and awesome
Day of Judgment comes, * raise him/her up with all your chosen ones *
to know for ever the joy and fulfillment * of beholding your glory face to
face. * Amen.
The following prayer is then said.
Prayer of Commendation
147
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
We commend to you, my dear N to almighty God,

and entrust you to your Creator.
May you rest in the arms of the Lord
who formed you from the dust of the earth.
May holy Mary, the angels and all the saints
welcome you now that you have gone forth from this life.
May Christ who was crucified for you,
bring you freedom and peace.
May Christ who died for you
admit you into his garden of paradise.
May Christ, the true Shepherd,
embrace you as one of his flock.
All:
May he forgive all your sins,

and set you among those he has chosen.
Leader:
May you see your Redeemer face to face,
Leader:
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All:
and enjoy the vision of God forever.

Prayer of Thanksgiving
ather, * you know our hearts and share our sorrows. * We are
hurt by our parting from N whom we loved: * when we are
angry at the loss we have sustained, * when we long for
words of comfort, * yet find them hard to hear, * turn our grief
to truer living, * our affliction to firmer hope. * Give us faith to see *
beyond touch and sight * and, where vision fails, * to trust your love
which never fails.
As we remember the life of our brother/sister N * and cherish his/her
memory, * we thank you for the years * we shared with him/her, * the
good we saw in him/her, * and the love we received from him/her. * Now
give us strength and courage * to leave him/her in your care. * With
your grace, good Lord, * enable us continue on * with our own lives *
and accept what must be laid to rest.
May our love for our brother/sister N * remind us that sharing one
anothers lives * brings both happiness and pain. * May our being
parted from him/her * remind us of our own mortality. * May our
affection for him/her * bring us closer together * and remind us always
of your enduring love. * Teach us to appreciate one another * and of the
beauty and fragility of relationships * which mirror your grace and
goodness to us.
Grant us the wisdom and the grace * to live meaningful lives, * and
draw us ever closer to you everyday. * Help us to realize * that it is only
149
through death * that we can achieve eternal life, * and be united with
those who have gone ahead of us.
Until at last, * may we come to your everlasting kingdom; * through
Jesus Christ our Lord, * who died and rose again * and opened the gate
of glory, * to whom be praise for all eternity. * Amen.
Prayer for the Forgotten Souls
merciful God, * take pity on those souls * who have no

particular friends to pray for them * and to commend them
to you, * who, either through the negligence of those who
are alive, * or through length of time * are forgotten by their
friends and by all. * Spare them, O Lord, * and remember your own
mercy, * when others forget to appeal to it. * Let not the souls * which
you have created * be parted from you, their Creator. * Amen.
Prayer for Deceased Parents
ord God * who commanded us to honor father and mother *

look kindly on your servants N and N, * have mercy upon
them * and let us see them again in eternal life. * Grant
them unending joy * and reunite us with them * in the
blessed company of the saints. * Amen.
Prayer for Relatives and Benefactors
150
ord God, * wellspring of forgiveness * and loving author of

our salvation, * in your mercy * hear our prayers * and
through the intercession * of the Blessed Virgin Mary and all
the saints, * bestow on the members of our community, *
our friends, relatives and benefactors * who have passed from this
world * a share in your everlasting happiness. * We ask this through
Christ our Lord. * Amen.
Prayer for the Holy Father

Leader:
Let us pray for our Holy Father, Pope N
All together pray
God, our Father, * we ask you to look with mercy and love * on your
servant, pope N, * whom you have chosen * to govern your Church *
and shepherd your people. * May he, through word and example, *
direct, sustain and encourage * the people in his care * so that with
them * he may share everlasting life in your kingdom. Amen.
Pray the Lords Prayer once, the Hail Marys thrice and the Doxology once for the
intentions of the Holy Father
Then, making the sign of the cross, the leader says

Leader:
Prayer of Blessing
May the love of God

and gently wipe every tear from our eyes:
151
All:
Leader:
All:
Leader:
All:
in the name of the Father, + and of the Son,

Amen.
May the divine assistance remain always with us
Amen.
May the soul of N
and all the souls of the faithful departed
through the mercy of God rest in peace.
Amen.
An appropriate concluding song is sung.
ORDER OF THE
MASS
152
AND THE PROPERS FOR REQUIEM

MASSES
ORDER OF CELEBRATION
Introductory Rite
Penitential Rite
Liturgy of the Word
Liturgy of the Eucharist
Communion Rite
Responsory for the Dead
Eucharistic Prayer II
Eucharistic Prayer for Reconciliation I
Eucharistic Prayer for Reconciliation II
ORDER OF THE MASS

153
Requiem Mass during the Vigil

When the people are gathered, the priest approaches the altar with the ministers while
the entrance chant is sung. When he has arrived at the altar, after making a profound
bow with the ministers, the priest venerates the altar with a kiss and, if appropriate,
incenses the cross and the altar. Then, with the ministers, he goes to the chair.
INTRODUCTORY RITES
When the entrance chant is concluded, the priest and the faithful, standing, sign
themselves with the sign of the cross, while the priest, facing the people, says:
Greeting
Presider:
All:

and of the Son, +
Amen.
Presider:
All:

the God of all consolation, be with you.
Then the priest, or a deacon, or another minister, may very briefly introduce the faithful
to the mass of the day.
Penitential Rite
Then follows the penitential act, to which the priest invites the faithful, saying:
154
Presider:
Brothers and sisters, let us acknowledge our sins,

and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred
mysteries.
A brief pause for silence follows. Then all recite together:

All:
I confess to almighty God

and to you, my brothers and sisters,
that I have greatly sinned,
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done and in what I have failed to do,
And, striking their breast, they say:
through my fault, through my fault,

through my most grievous fault;
Then they continue:
therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin,

all the Angels and Saints,
and you, my brothers and sisters,
to pray for me to the Lord our God.
The absolution by the Priest follows:
Presider:
All:
May almighty God have mercy on us,

forgive us our sins,
Amen.
Kyrie Eleison
The invocation, Kyrie Eleison, follows

Presider:
Presider:
Presider:
Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

All: Christ, have mercy.
All: Lord, have mercy.
All:
155
Collect
After the Kyrie Eleison, the priest, with hands joined, says:
Presider:
Let us pray
All pray in silence with the priest for a while. Then the priest, with hands extended, says
the Collect.
The assigned Collect may be found on pages 146 to 202.
Amen.
All:
LITURGY OF THE WORD
Then the reader reads the First Reading, while all sit and listen.
First Reading
The assigned Scripture Reading may be found on pages 146 to 202.
To indicate the end of the reading, the reader acclaims:

Reader:
All:

Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm
156
The psalmist or cantor sings or says the psalm, with the people making the response.
The assigned Psalm may be found on pages 146 to 202.
Second Reading
Then the reader reads the Second Reading, while all sit and listen.
The assigned Scripture Reading may be found on pages 146 to 202.

Reader:
All:

Thanks be to God.
After the second reading, the Allelluia follows

The priest, bowing before the altar, says quietly:
Presider:
Cleanse my heart and my lips, almighty God,

that I may worthily proclaim your holy Gospel.
Then he says:
Presider:
All:

And with your spirit
The priest continues and, at the same time, he makes the sign of the cross on the book
and on his forehead, lips, and breast.
157
Presider:
All:
+ A reading from the holy Gospel according to N

Glory to you, O Lord.
The assigned Gospel Reading may be found on pages 146 to 202.
At the end of the Gospel, priest, acclaims:

Presider:
All:

Then he kisses the book, saying quietly:

Presider:
Through the words of the Gospel

may our sins be wiped away.
Homily
A brief homily may follow.
General Intercessions
The assigned General Intercessions may be found on pages 146 to 202.
THE LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

158
Preparation of the Offerings

After the homily, or the General Intercessions, the ministers place the corporal, the
purificator, the chalice, the pall, and the missal on the altar. The priest, standing at the
altar, takes the paten with the bread and holds it slightly raised above the altar with both
hands, saying in a low voice:
Presider:
Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,

for through your goodness we have received
the bread we offer you:
fruit of the earth and work of human hands,
it will become for us the bread of life.
Then he places the paten with the bread on the corporal. If, however, the offertory chant
is not sung, the priest may speak these words aloud; at the end, the people may
acclaim:
All:
Blessed be God for ever.
The priest, pours wine and a little water into the chalice, saying quietly:
Presider:
By the mystery of this water and wine

may we come to share in the divinity of Christ
who humbled himself to share in our humanity.
The priest then takes the chalice and holds it slightly raised above the altar with both
Presider:

the wine we offer you:
fruit of the vine and work of human hands,
it will become our spiritual drink.
Then he places the chalice on the corporal. If, however, the offertory chant is not sung,
the priest may speak these words aloud; at the end, the people may acclaim:
159
All:
After this, the priest, bowing profoundly, says quietly:

Presider:
With humble spirit and contrite heart

may we be accepted by you, O Lord,
and may our sacrifice in your sight this day
be pleasing to you, Lord God.
Then the priest, standing at the side of the altar, washes his hands, saying quietly:
Presider:
Wash me, O Lord, from my iniquity

Standing at the middle of the altar, facing the people, extending and then joining his
hands, he says:
Presider:
Pray, brethren,
that my sacrifice and yours
may be acceptable to God,
the almighty Father.
All:
May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands

for the praise and glory of his name,
for our good
and the good of all his holy Church.
Prayer over the Offerings
Then the priest, with hands extended, says the Prayer over the Offerings
160
The assigned Prayer over the Offerings may be found on 146 to 202.
All:
Amen.
THE EUCHARISTIC PRAYER
Then the priest begins the Eucharistic Prayer. Extending his hands, he says:
Presider:
All:

The priest, raising his hands, continues:

Presider:
All:
Lift up your hearts.

We lift them up to the Lord.
The priest, with hands extended, adds:

Presider:
All:
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right and just.
Preface
The priest, with hands extended, continues the Preface.
The assigned Preface may be found on pages 146 to 202.
At the end of the Preface he joins his hands and concludes the Preface with the people,
singing or saying aloud:
All:
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.

161
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Eucharistic Prayer
The assigned Eucharistic Prayer may be found on pages 203 to 219.
THE COMMUNION RITE

After the chalice and paten have been set down, the priest, with hands joined, says:
Presider:
At the Saviors command

and formed by divine teaching,
we dare to say:
He extends his hands and, together with the people, continues:

All:

thy kingdom come,
thy will be done
and forgive us our trespasses,
162
With hands extended, the priest alone continues, saying:

Presider:
Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil,

graciously grant peace in our days,
that, by the help of your mercy,
we may be always free from sin
and safe from all distress,
as we await the blessed hope
and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
He joins his hands. The people conclude the prayer, acclaiming:

All:
For the kingdom,

the power and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Then the priest, with hands extended, says aloud:

Presider:
All:
Sign of Peace
Lord Jesus Christ,

who said to your apostles:
Peace I leave you, my peace I give you;
look not on our sins,
but on the faith of your Church,
and graciously grant her peace and unity
in accordance with your will.
Who live and reign for ever and ever.
Amen.
The priest, turned towards the people, extending and then joining his hands, adds:
Presider:
All:
The peace of the Lord be with you always.

163
Then, the priest, adds:

Presider:
Let us offer each other the sign of peace.
All offer one another a sign, in keeping with local customs, that expresses peace,
communion, and charity. The priest gives the sign of peace the ministers.
The Fraction
Then the priest takes the Host, breaks it over the paten, and places a small piece in the
chalice, saying quietly:
Presider:
May this mingling of the Body and Blood

of our Lord Jesus Christ
bring eternal life to us who receive it.
Meanwhile the following is sung or said:
Agnus Dei
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,

have mercy on us.
have mercy on us.
grant us peace.
Then the priest, with hands joined, says quietly:
Presider:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God,

who, by the will of the Father
and the work of the Holy Spirit,
through your death gave life to the world,
free me by this, your most holy Body and Blood,
from all my sins and from every evil;
keep me always faithful to your commandments,
and never let me be parted from you.
164
Communion
The priest genuflects, takes the host and, holding it slightly raised above the paten or
above the chalice, while facing the people, says aloud:
Presider:
Behold the Lamb of God,

behold him who takes away the sins of the world.
Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.
All:
Lord, I am not worthy

that you should enter under my roof,
but only say the word
and my soul shall be healed.
The priest, facing the altar, says quietly:

Presider:
May the Body of Christ keep me safe for eternal life.
And he reverently consumes the Body of Christ. Then he takes the chalice and says
quietly:
Presider:
May the Blood of Christ keep me safe for eternal life.
And he reverently consumes the Blood of Christ. After this, he takes the paten or
ciborium and approaches the communicants. The priest raises a host slightly and
shows it to each of the communicants, saying:
Presider:
All:
The Body of Christ.

Amen.
While the priest is receiving the Body of Christ, the Communion Chant begins. When
the distribution of Communion is over, the priest purifies the paten over the chalice and
also the chalice itself. While he carries out the purification, the priest says quietly:
Presider:
What has passed our lips as food, O Lord,

may we possess in purity of heart,
165
that what has been given to us in time

may be our healing for eternity.
Then the priest may return to the chair. If appropriate, a sacred silence may be
observed for a while, or a psalm or other canticle of praise or a hymn may be sung.
Prayer after Communion

Then, standing at the altar or at the chair and facing the people, with hands joined, the
priest says:
Presider:
Let us pray
the Prayer after Communion.
The assigned Prayer after Communion may be found on pages 146 to 202
All:
Amen.
RESPONSORY FOR THE DEAD
The Responsory for the Dead may be prayed before the concluding rite. The priest first
sprinkles the coffin with holy water. The he says the following acclamation.
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
Do not remember my sins, O Lord.

When you come to judge the world by fire.
Direct my way in your sight, O Lord, my God.
All:
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord,

and let your perpetual light shine upon him.
Presider:
Lord, have mercy
Presider:
166
All:
Lord, have mercy
Presider:
Christ, have mercy

Christ, have mercy
All:
Presider:
All:
Christ, have mercy

Christ, have mercy
All present say the Our Father as the presider sprinkles coffin with holy water.
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
And lead us not into temptation.

But deliver us from evil.
From the gates of hell.
Deliver his soul, O Lord.
Amen.
Lord, hear my prayer.
And let my cry come to you.
And also with you
Let us pray.
Lord, welcome into your presence
your son/daughter N,
whom you have called from this life.
Release him from all his/her sins,
bless him/her with eternal light and peace,
raise him/her up to live for ever
with all your saints in the glory of the resurrection.
Amen.
167
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:

Amen.
May the soul of N
and all the souls of the faithful departed
through the mercy of God rest in peace.
Amen.
CONCLUDING RITE
After the Responsory for the Dead, the blessing and the dismissal takes place. The
priest, facing the people and extending his hands, says:
Presider:
All:

The priest blesses the people, saying:

Presider:
All:

Amen.
Then the priest himself, with hands joined and facing the people, says:
Presider:
Go forth, the Mass is ended.

168
All:
Thanks be to God.
Then the priest venerates the altar as usual with a kiss, as at the beginning. After
making a profound bow with the ministers, he withdraws.
169
PROPER FOR THE REQUIEM MASS

For the First Day
Entrance Antiphon
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
Let us pray
Collect
O God,
whose nature is always to forgive
and to show mercy,
we humbly implore you for your servant N,
whom you have called this day to journey to you,
and, since he/she hoped and believed in you,
grant that he/she may be led to our true homeland
to delight in its everlasting joys.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
All:
Amen.
From the book of Wisdom (3:1-9)
First Reading
He accepted them as a holocaust.
170
The souls of the just are in the hand of God,

and no torment shall touch them.
They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;
and their passing away was thought an affliction
and their going forth from us, utter destruction.
But they are in peace.
For if before men, indeed they be punished,
yet is their hope full of immortality;
Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed,
because God tried them
and found them worthy of himself.
As gold in the furnace, he proved them,
and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself.
In the time of their visitation they shall shine,
and shall dart about as sparks through stubble;
They shall judge nations and rule over peoples,
and the Lord shall be their King forever.
Those who trust in him shall understand truth,
and the faithful shall abide with him in love;
Because grace and mercy are with his holy ones,
and his care is with his elect.
Responsorial Psalm
Response:
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.
Response:
Relieve the anguish of my heart

171
and set me free from my distress.

See my affliction and my toil
and take all my sins away.
Response:
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.
Response:

Second Reading
From the letter of the apostle Paul to the Romans (5:5-11)

Having been justified by his blood, we will be saved from Gods anger through him.
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 Gods 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.
Verse Before the Gospel
172
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom. Alleluia!
Gospel Reading
+ A reading from the holy Gospel according to John. (5:24-29)
Whoever hears my word and believes has passed from death to life.
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.
173
Presider:
Let us in faith call upon God the almighty Father, who

raised Christ his Son from the dead, as we pray for
the salvation of the living and the dead.
After each petition, all respond

All:
Listen to the prayers of your children, Lord.

That God may establish the Christian people in faith
and unity. Let us pray to the Lord,
That he may graciously help and comfort our brothers
and sisters who are suffering affliction. Let us pray to
the Lord,
That He may be pleased to admit forever to the
company of the saints his deceased servant N, who
once through Baptism received the seed of eternal
life. Let us pray to the Lord,
That on the last day he may raise up N, who fed on
the Body of Christ, the bread of eternal life. Let us
pray to the Lord,
That he may welcome into the light of his face all who
have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection. Let
us pray to the Lord,
That he may be pleased to gather into his glorious
Kingdom all who have gathered here in faith and
devotion. Let us pray to the Lord,
The priest says the concluding prayer

Presider:
May the prayer of those who cry to you benefit the

souls of your servant N, O Lord: free them, we pray,
174
All:
from all their sins and make them sharers in your

redemption. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
As we humbly present to you
these sacrificial offerings, O Lord,
for the salvation of your servant N,
we beseech your mercy,
that he/she, who did not doubt your Son
to be a loving Savior,
may find in him a merciful Judge.
Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
All:
Amen.
Preface
Preface II for the Dead

Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
Christ died so that we might live

It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,
always and everywhere to give you thanks,
Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God,
through Christ our Lord.
For as one alone he accepted death,
175
so that we might all escape from dying;

as one man he chose to die,
so that in your sight we all might live for ever.
And so, in company with the choirs of angels,
we praise you, and with joy we proclaim:
Eucharistic Prayer
Eucharistic Prayer II, page 203
Communion Antiphon
Eternal rest grant unto him/her O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon him/her,
with your saints for ever, for you are merciful.
Let us pray
Lord God, whose Son left us,

in the sacrament of his Body,
food for the journey,
mercifully grant that,
strengthened by it,
our brother/sister N may come
to the eternal table of Christ.
All:
Amen.

176
For the Second Day

Entrance Antiphon
Let us pray
Collect
O God,
who alone are able to give life after death,
free your servant N from all sins,
that he/she, who believed
in the Resurrection of your Christ,
may, when the day of resurrection comes,
be united with you in glory.
All:
Amen.
From the book of the prophet Isaiah (25:6-9)
First Reading
The Lord God will destroy death forever.
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,
177
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 peoples 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.
Responsorial Psalm
Response:
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.
Response:
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.
Response:
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,
178
my mouth shall praise you with joy.

Response:
You have been my help;

in the shadow of your wings I rejoice.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand holds me fast.
Response:

Second Reading

Alive or dead, we belong to the Lord.
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 treat him 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 himself.
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!
Gospel Reading
179
+ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke. (12:35-40)

Be like servants waiting for the arrival of their master.
Jesus said to his disciples: See that you are dressed for action and
have your lamps lit. Be like men waiting for their master to return from
the wedding feast, ready to open the door as soon as he comes and
knocks. Happy those servants whom the master finds awake when he
comes. I tell you solemnly, he will put on an apron, sit them down at
table and wait on them. It may be in the second watch he comes, or in
the third, but happy those servants if he finds them ready. You may be
quite sure of this, that if the householder had known at what hour the
burglar would come, he would not have let anyone break through the
wall of his house. You too must stand ready, because the Son of Man is
coming at an hour you do not expect.
Presider:
My dear friends, let us join with one another in

praying to God, not only for our departed
brother/sister, but also for the Church, for peace in
the world, and for ourselves.

All:
Lord, graciously hear us.

That the bishops and priests of the Church and all
who preach the Gospel, may be given the strength to
express in action the word they proclaim. Let us pray
to the Lord,
180
That those in public office may promote justice and

peace. Let us pray to the Lord,
That those who bear the cross of pain in mind or
body may never feel forsaken by God. Let us pray to
the Lord,
That God may deliver the soul of his servant N from
eternal punishment and from the powers of darkness
and call him/her to everlasting happiness in the
company of all the saints. Let us pray to the Lord,
That God in his mercy may blot out all his/her
offenses and grant him/her light and peace. Let us
pray to the Lord,
That God may welcome into his glory those of our
family and friends who have departed this life and
grant a place in the kingdom of heaven to all the
faithful departed. Let us pray to the Lord,
Presider:
All:
O God, creator and redeemer of all the faithful, grant

to the souls of your departed servants release from
all their sins. Hear our prayers for those we love and
give them the pardon they have always desired. We
ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Almighty and merciful God,
181
by means of these sacrificial offerings,

wash away, we pray, in the blood of Christ,
the sins of your departed servant N,
and purify unceasingly by your merciful forgiveness
those you once cleansed in the waters of Baptism.
All:
Amen.
Preface
Preface III for the Dead
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
Christ, the salvation and the life


For he is the salvation of the world,
the life of the human race,
the resurrection of the dead.
Through him the host of angels adores your majesty
182
and rejoices in your presence for ever.

May our voices, we pray, join with theirs
in one chorus of exultant praise, as we acclaim:
Eucharistic Prayer
Eucharistic Prayer III, page 207
Communion Antiphon
We await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
who will change our mortal bodies,
to conform with his glorified body.

Let us pray
Having received the sacrament
of your only begotten Son,
who was sacrificed for us and rose in glory,
we humbly implore you, O Lord,
for your departed servant N,
that, cleansed by the paschal mysteries,
he/she may glory in the gift
of the resurrection to come.
All:
Amen.

For the Third Day
183
Entrance Antiphon
Collect
Let us pray
OGod,
glory of the faithful and life of the just,
by the death and resurrection
of whose Son we have been redeemed,
look mercifully on your departed servant N,
that, just as he/she professed
the mystery of our resurrection,
so he/she may merit to receive
the joys of eternal happiness.
All:
Amen.
From the book of Wisdom (4:7-15)
First Reading
A blameless life is a ripe old age.
The virtuous man, though he die 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, this is mans grey hairs,
untarnished life, this is ripe old age.
He has sought to please God, so God has loved him;
184
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.
Responsorial Psalm
Response:
The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
The Lord is compassion and love,

slow to anger and rich in mercy.
He does not treat us according to our sins
nor repay us according to our faults.
Response:
As a father has compassion on his sons,

the Lord has pity on those who fear him;
for he knows of what we are made,
he remembers that we are dust.
Response:
As for man, his days are like grass;

he flowers like the flower of the field
the wind blows and he is gone
185
and his place never sees him again.

Response:
But the love of the Lord is everlasting

upon those who hold him in fear;
his justice reaches out to childrens children
when they keep his covenant in truth.
Response:

Second Reading
From the first letter of the apostle John (3:1-2)

We shall see him as he is.
Beloved: See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be
called the children of God. Yet so we are. The reason the world does
not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are Gods children
now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that
when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
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!
Gospel Reading
All who believe in Jesus will have eternal life
Jesus said to the crowd:

and whoever comes to me I shall not turn him away;
because I have come from heaven,
186
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 Fathers will that whoever sees the Son
and believes in him shall have eternal life,
and that I shall raise him up on the last day.
Presider:
My dear friends, we know that nothing can ever

separate us from the love of God made visible in
Christ Jesus our Lord. Let us therefore pray to our
loving God for our needs at this time.

All:
Lord, we put our trust in you.

That the Church may be a comforting witness to
Christ, our resurrection and our life. Lord, hear our
prayer.
That our brother/sister N who in baptism died with
Christ, may now share in fullness of his resurrection.
That God, in his mercy and compassion forgive N
any sins he/she committed through human frailty.
That those who mourn the death of N may find
strength and consolation in the hope that we have
187
through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

That N and all who have died may be judged in
mercy on the last day, and may all of us, the living
and the dead, rise in glory and grace on that great
day. Lord, hear our prayer.
Presider:
All:
Loving God, you listen in love to the cry of your

people, hear the prayers we offer for N and look on
him/her with your infinite love and bring him/her to the
fullness of life. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Look with favor, we pray, O Lord,
on the offerings we make
for the soul of your servant N,
that, being cleansed by heavenly remedies,
his/her soul may be ever alive
and blessed in your glory.
All:
Amen.
Preface
Preface IV for the Dead

Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
From earthly life to heavenly glory

188
Presider:
All:

For it is at your summons that we come to birth,
by your will that we are governed,
and at your command that we return,
on account of sin,
to the earth from which we came.
And when you give the sign,
we who have been redeemed by the death of your Son,
shall be raised up to the glory of his resurrection.
And so, with the company of angels and saints,
we sing the hymn of your praise,
as without end we acclaim:
Eucharistic Prayer

Communion Antiphon
I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord.
Whoever believes in me has eternal life
and does not come to condemnation,
but has passed from death to life.

Let us pray
189
Restored by these sacred mysteries,

we humbly beseech you, O Lord,
that your servant N
may be cleansed from all offenses
and merit for all eternity
the precious gift of the resurrection.
All:
Amen.

For the Fourth Day
Entrance Antiphon
190

Collect
Let us pray
OGod, almighty Father,
our faith professes
that your Son died and rose again;
mercifully grant, that through this mystery
your servant N, who has fallen asleep in Christ,
may rejoice to rise again through him.
All:
Amen.
From the book of Lamentations (3:17-26)
First Reading
It is good to wait in silence for the Lord to save.
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:
191
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.
Responsorial Psalm
Response:
My soul is thirsting for the living God:

When will I see him face to face?
Like the deer that yearns for running streams,

so my soul is yearning for you, my God.
Response:

My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life;

when can I enter and see the face of God?
Response:

These things will I remember as I pour out my soul:

how I would lead the rejoicing crowd
into the house of God, amid cries of gladness and thanksgiving,
the throng wild with joy.
Response:

192
Second Reading
Nothing can really 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 Gods 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. As scripture promised:
For your sake we are being massacred daily, and reckoned as sheep
for the slaughter. 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.
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!
Gospel Reading
193
There are many rooms in my Fathers house.
Jesus said to his disciples, Do not let your hearts be troubled. You
have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father's house there are
many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am
going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for
you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am
you also may be. Where I am going you know the way. Thomas said to
him, Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know
the way? Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life. No
one comes to the Father except through me. Whoever loves me will
keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him
and make our dwelling with him. Peace I leave with you; my peace I
give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your
hearts be troubled or afraid.
Presider:
We live in awareness of our fragile hold on life, in

awareness that the Lord can call us home at any
time, in this knowledge we pray.

All:

That our brother/sister N who was nourished at the
table of the Lord may be found worthy to enter into
the halls of the heavenly banquet. Let us pray to the
Lord.
194
That all who are assembled here in faith and

confidence to pray for our brother/sister N may be
strengthened in hope so that we may live in the
expectation of the coming of Christ. Let us pray to the
Lord.
That the present emptiness in the hearts of the family
of N, may find solace in the love and prayerful
assistance of many friends. Let us pray to the Lord.
That each of us, with whom N so generously shared

his/her many gifts, may grow in the ability to share
our gifts and lighten the burdens of others. Let us
pray to the Lord.
That all those who loved and were loved by N may
find comfort in our belief in the Lords promise to us
of eternal life. Let us pray to the Lord.
That God will bless richly each of us here present
with the gifts for he knows our need to fully celebrate
life and recognize the new beginning which he offers
us each day. Let us pray to the Lord.
Presider:
All:
God of our salvation, you reward the just and console

those who mourn. Hear our prayers in the name of
your risen Son, who lives and reigns forever and ever.
Amen.
195

Almighty and merciful God,
by means of these sacrificial offerings,
wash away, we pray, in the blood of Christ,
the sins of your departed servant N,
and purify unceasingly by your merciful forgiveness
those you once cleansed in the waters of Baptism.
All:
Amen.
Preface
Preface V for the Dead
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:

For even though by our own fault we perish,
yet by your compassion and your grace,
196
when seized by death according to our sins,

we are redeemed through Christs great victory,
and with him called back into life.
And so, with the powers of heaven,
we worship you constantly on earth,
and before your majesty
without end we acclaim:
Eucharistic Prayer
Communion Antiphon

Let us pray
Having received the sacrament
of your only begotten Son,
who was sacrificed for us and rose in glory,
for your departed servant N,
that, cleansed by the paschal mysteries,
he/she may glory in the gift
of the resurrection to come.
197

All:
Amen.

For the Fifth Day
Entrance Antiphon
198
Let us pray
Collect
Grant, we pray, O Lord,

through the blessed passion of your Son,
that your servant N may receive
the forgiveness for his/her sins
he/she always desired,
so that, knowing you in truth,
he/she may be worthy to rejoice
at being called to behold you for ever.
All:
Amen.
From the second book of Macccabees (12:43-46)
First Reading
He acted in an excellent and noble way as he had the resurrection of the dead in view.
Judas, the ruler of Israel,

took up a collection among all his soldiers,
amounting to two thousand silver drachmas,
which he sent to Jerusalem to provide for an expiatory sacrifice.
In doing this he acted in a very excellent and noble way,
inasmuch as he had the resurrection of the dead in view;
for if he were not expecting the fallen to rise again,
it would have been useless and foolish to pray for them in death.
But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward
199
that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness,

it was a holy and pious thought.
Thus he made atonement for the dead
that they might be freed from this sin.
Responsorial Psalm
Response:
Lord, listen to my prayer:

turn your ear to my appeal.
You are faithful, you are just; give answer.
Do not call your servant to judgement
for no one is just in your sight.
Response:
I remember the days that are past:

I ponder all your works.
I muse on what your hand has wrought
and to you I stretch out my hands.
Like a parched land my soul thirsts for you.
Response:
Lord, make haste and give me answer:

for my spirit fails within me.
In the morning let me know your love
for I put my trust in you.
Response:
Teach me to do your will

for you, O Lord, are my God.
let your good spirit guide me
in ways that are level and smooth.
Response:

200
Second Reading
From the second letter of the apostle Paul to the Corinthians (5:1,6-10)
We have a building from God, eternal in heaven.
Brothers and sisters: We know that if our earthly dwelling, a tent, should
be destroyed, we have a building from God, a dwelling not made with
hands, eternal in heaven. We are always courageous although we know
that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for
we walk by faith, not by sight.
Yet we are courageous, and we would rather leave the body and go
home to the Lord. Therefore, we aspire to please him, whether we are
at home or away. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of
Christ, so that each may receive recompense, according to what he did
in the body, whether good or evil.
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!
Gospel Reading
+ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke. (23:33, 39-43)
Today you will be with me in Paradise
When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified
Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. One
of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying,
Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!
201
But the other rebuked him, saying, Do you not fear God, since you are
under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been
condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds,
but this man has done nothing wrong. Then he said, Jesus, remember
me when you come into your kingdom. He replied, Truly I tell you,
today you will be with me in Paradise.
In this or in similar words, the priest invites all present to prayer
Presider:

your risen Son.

All:
Lord, let your kingdom come.

That our departed brother/sister N, whose baptism is
now complete in death and all who have died in the
peace of Christ, into his eternal joy and light.
That our brother/sister N, whom God has freed from
the trials of this life may finally rest from his/her labors
and enter into the light of Gods eternal rest. Let us
pray to the Lord.
That the family and friends of our brother/sister N
may have courage to follow Gods way through the
mystery of pain throughout the world. Let us pray to
the Lord.
202
That we may be filled with the peace and hope that

the resurrection of Christ gives to each of us. Let us
pray to the Lord.
That all of us gathered here may remember at all
times that we are loved by God especially in times of
grief and anxiety. Let us pray to the Lord.
Presider:
All:
O God, give us such faith that in all times and in all

places, we may without fear entrust those who are
dear to us to your never-failing love, in this life and in
the life to come. Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
We humbly offer you sacrifice, O Lord,
for N your servant,
that he/she, who by your gift
of the light of faith already knew you,
may rejoice in holding fast to you for ever.
All:
Amen.
Preface
Preface of the Eucharistic Prayer for Reconciliation I

Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:

203
Presider:
All:

It is truly right and just

that we should always give you thanks,
Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God.
For you do not cease to spur us on
to possess a more abundant life
and, being rich in mercy,
you constantly offer pardon
and call on sinners
to trust in your forgiveness alone.
Never did you turn away from us,
and, though time and again
we have broken your covenant,
you have bound the human family to yourself
through Jesus your Son, our Redeemer,
with a new bond of love so tight
that it can never be undone.
Even now you set before your people
a time of grace and reconciliation,
and, as they turn back to you in spirit,
you grant them hope in Christ Jesus
and a desire to be of service to all,
while they entrust themselves
more fully to the Holy Spirit.
And so, filled with wonder,
we extol the power of your love,
and, proclaiming our joy
at the salvation that comes from you,
204
we join in the heavenly hymn of countless hosts,

Eucharistic Prayer
Eucharistic Prayer for Reconciliation I, page 212
Communion Antiphon

Let us pray
Replenished by the food
that renews and gives life,
we pray, O Lord, that our brother/sister N,
strengthened by it and cleansed from all sins,
may pass over to the company of heaven.
All:
Amen.

For the Sixth Day
205
Entrance Antiphon
May the Lord open to him/her the gates of paradise,

that he/she may return to that homeland,
where there is no death, where eternal joy endures.
Collect
Let us pray
God, almighty Father,
who have strengthened us
by the mystery of the Cross
and promise us a share
in the mystery of your Sons Resurrection,
mercifully grant, we pray,
that your departed servant N may be gathered
into the company of your chosen ones.
All:
Amen.
From the book of Job (19:1, 23-27)
First Reading
I know that my Redeemer lives
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.
206
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.
Responsorial Psalm
Response:
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?
Response:
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.
Response:
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.
Response:
I am sure I shall see the Lords goodness

in the last of the living.
Hope in him, hold firm and take heart.
Hope in the Lord!
207
Response:
Second Reading
Where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more.
Brothers and sisters: If, by the transgression of the one, death came to
reign through that one, how much more will those who receive the
abundance of grace and of the gift of justification come to reign in life
through the one Jesus Christ.
In conclusion, just as through one transgression condemnation came
upon all, so, through one righteous act, acquittal and life came to all.
For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were
made sinners, so through the obedience of the one the many will be
made righteous.
The law entered in so that transgression might increase but, where sin
increased, grace overflowed all the more, so that, as sin reigned in
death, grace also might reign through justification for eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
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!
Gospel Reading
+ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew. (25:31-46)
Come, you whom my Father has blessed.
208
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 you 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.
Next he will say to those on his left hand, Go away from me, with your
curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you never gave me food; I was thirsty and you
never gave me anything to drink; I was a stranger and you never made
me welcome, naked and you never clothed me, sick and in prison and
you never visited me. Then it will be their turn to ask, Lord, when did
we see you hungry or thirsty, a stranger or naked, sick or in prison, and
did not come to your help? Then he will answer, I tell you solemnly, in
so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you
neglected to do it to me. And they will go away to eternal punishment,
and the virtuous to eternal life.
209
Presider:
Let us pray for N, his/her family and friends, and for

all Gods people.

All:
Lord, remember us in your kingdom.

That our brother/sister N may be received into the
loving embrace of our compassionate God, now and
for all eternity. Let us pray to the Lord.
That God may take N into his loving care and grant
him/her the rewards of his/her work and life. Let us
pray to the Lord.
That God may welcome N into Paradise so that
he/she might be with him forever. Let us pray to the
Lord.
That the family of N may find consolation, strength
and peace in the Holy Spirit. Let us pray to the Lord.
That all of us gathered here may prepare worthily for
the hour of our death, when God will call us by name
to pass from this world to eternity. Let us pray to the
Lord.

Presider:
All:
Lord hear the prayers we offer in our sorrow for the

loss of our brother/sister N. As we believe that he/she
is now living in your kingdom, so may we one day join
him/her and together share the joy of eternal life.
Amen.
210

Look with favor, O Lord, on your servant N,
for whom we offer you the sacrifice of praise,
humbly entreating that, reconciled with you
through these devoted offices,
he/she may merit to rise again to life
All:
Amen.
Preface
Preface of the Eucharistic Prayer for Reconciliation II
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:


that we should give you thanks and praise,
O God, almighty Father,
for all you do in this world,
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
For though the human race
is divided by dissension and discord,
211
yet we know that by testing us

you change our hearts
to prepare them for reconciliation.
Even more, by your Spirit you move human hearts
that enemies may speak to each other again,
adversaries may join hands,
and peoples seek to meet together.
By the working of your power
it comes about, O Lord,
that hatred is overcome by love,
revenge gives way to forgiveness,
and discord is changed to mutual respect.
Therefore, as we give you ceaseless thanks
with the choirs of heaven,
we cry out to your majesty on earth,
and without end we acclaim:
Eucharistic Prayer
Eucharistic Prayer for Reconciliation II, page 217
Communion Antiphon
Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, says the Lord,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me.

Let us pray
212
Renewed by this life-giving sacrament,

we pray, O Lord,
that the soul of our brother/sister N,
to whom you gave a part in your covenant,
may be purified by the power of this mystery
and rejoice without end in the peace of Christ.
All:
Amen.
213

For the Seventh Day
Entrance Antiphon
I know that my Redeemer lives,
and that he will at last stand forth upon the dust;
and from my flesh I shall see God.
Let us pray
Collect
Free your servant N,

we pray, O Lord,
from every bond of sin,
that he/she, who in this world
was found worthy to be conformed to Christ,
may be raised to the glory of the resurrection
and draw the breath of new life among your saints
All:
Amen.
From the book of the prophet Daniel (12:1-3)
First Reading
Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake.
In those days, I, Daniel, mourned and heard this word of the Lord: At
that time there shall arise Michael, the great prince, guardian of your
people; it shall be a time unsurpassed in distress since nations began
until that time. At that time your people shall escape, everyone who is
found written in the book. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the
214
earth shall awake; some shall live forever, others shall be an everlasting
horror and disgrace. But the wise shall shine brightly like the splendor
of the firmament, And those who lead the many to justice shall be like
the stars forever.
Responsorial Psalm
Response:
I will walk in the presence of the Lord

Gracious is the Lord and just;

yes, our God is merciful.
Response:

The Lord keeps the little ones;

I was brought low, and he saved me.
Response:

I believed, even when I said, I am greatly afflicted;

I said in my alarm, No man is dependable.
Response:

Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones.
O Lord, I am your servant, you have loosed my bonds.
Response:

Second Reading

There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ
215
Brothers and sisters: Hence, now there is no condemnation for those

who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus
has freed you from the law of sin and death. For what the law,
weakened by the flesh, was powerless to do, this God has done: by
sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for the sake of
sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteous decree of the
law might be fulfilled in us, who live not according to the flesh but
according to the spirit.
For those who live according to the flesh are concerned with the things
of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit with the things of
the spirit. The concern of the flesh is death, but the concern of the spirit
is life and peace. For the concern of the flesh is hostility toward God; it
does not submit to the law of God, nor can it; and those who are in the
flesh cannot please God.
But you are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only
the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of
Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body
is dead because of sin, the spirit is alive because of righteousness. If
the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the
one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies
also, through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Our true home is in heaven,
and Jesus Christ, whose return we long for,
will come from heaven to save us. Alleluia!
Gospel Reading
216
If a grain of wheat falls on the ground and dies
Jesus answered them, The hour has come for the Son of Man to be
glorified. Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the
ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it
produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates
his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. Whoever serves me
must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The
Father will honor whoever serves me.
Presider:

your Son who is our resurrection and our life.

All:
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

That God, who is full of mercy and compassion forgive
our brother/sister N of any sins that he/she committed
through human frailty. Let us pray to the Lord.
That the sorrowing family, relatives and friends of N may
find strength and consolation in our Christian faith and in
the love and support of this community. Let us pray to
the Lord.
That those who mourn the death of N find strength and
consolation in the hope that we have through the
217
resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Let us pray to the

Lord.
That God will help us to comfort one another in our grief,
finding light in time and he grant the dead who are dear
to us the just reward of their goodness. Let us pray to the
Lord.
That all parents who grieve over the death of their
children, for children who mourn their parents be
comforted in the knowledge that they rest in God. Let us
pray to the Lord
That all of us assembled here to worship in faith may be
gathered together again in Gods kingdom. Let us pray to
the Lord.
Presider:
All:
God, our shelter and our strength, you listen in love to

the cry of your people: hear the prayers we offer for N
and all our departed brothers and sisters. Cleanse them
of their sins and grant them the fullness of redemption.
Amen.
Almighty ever-living God,
whose Son has given himself to us
as the Bread of life
and has poured out his Blood
as the Chalice of salvation,
218
have mercy, we pray, on your servant N,

that the offering we make to you
may be for him/her the source of salvation.
All:
Amen.
Preface
Preface II for the Dead

Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
Christ died so that we might live


For as one alone he accepted death,
so that we might all escape from dying;
as one man he chose to die,
so that in your sight we all might live for ever.
And so, in company with the choirs of angels,
we praise you, and with joy we proclaim:
219
Eucharistic Prayer
Communion Antiphon
This is the bread that comes down from heaven, says the Lord;
so that one may eat it and not die.

Let us pray
May the sacrifice of your Church,
we pray, O Lord,
benefit the soul of your servant N,
so that he/she, who received
the sacrament of Christs mercy,
may enter his company,
together with your saints.
All:
Amen.

For the Eighth Day
220
Entrance Antiphon
Collect
Let us pray
Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, O Lord,
and grant to the soul of your servant N
the remission of all his/her sins,
that he/she may have life
on the day of resurrection
and may rest in the splendor of eternal light.
All:
Amen.
From the book of Sirach (2:1-11)
First Reading
For the Lord is compassionate and merciful; forgives sins and saves in time of trouble.
My child, when you come to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for trials.
Be sincere of heart and steadfast, and do not be impetuous in time of
adversity. Cling to him, do not leave him, that you may prosper in your
last days. Accept whatever happens to you; in periods of humiliation be
patient.
For in fire gold is tested, and the chosen, in the crucible of humiliation.
Trust in God, and he will help you; make your ways straight and hope in
him. You that fear the Lord, wait for his mercy, do not stray lest you fall.
221
You that fear the Lord, trust in him, and your reward will not be lost. You
that fear the Lord, hope for good things, for lasting joy and mercy.
Consider the generations long past and see: has anyone trusted in the
Lord and been disappointed? Has anyone persevered in his fear and
been forsaken? Has anyone called upon him and been ignored? For
the Lord is compassionate and merciful; forgives sins and saves in time
of trouble.
Responsorial Psalm
Response:
O Lord, hear my prayer;

hearken to my pleading in your faithfulness;
in your justice answer me.
And enter not into judgment with your servant,
for before you no living man is just.
Response:
I remember the days of old;

I meditate on all your doings;
the works of your hands I ponder.
I stretch out my hands to you;
my soul thirsts for you like parched land.
Response:
Hasten to answer me, O Lord;

for my spirit fails me.
At dawn let me hear of your mercy,
for in you I trust.
Response:

222
Teach me to do your will,

for you are my God.
May your good spirit guide me
on level ground.
Response:

Second Reading

There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ
Brothers and sisters: Hence, now there is no condemnation for those

who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus
has freed you from the law of sin and death. For what the law,
weakened by the flesh, was powerless to do, this God has done: by
sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for the sake of
sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteous decree of the
law might be fulfilled in us, who live not according to the flesh but
according to the spirit.
For those who live according to the flesh are concerned with the things
of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit with the things of
the spirit. The concern of the flesh is death, but the concern of the spirit
is life and peace. For the concern of the flesh is hostility toward God; it
does not submit to the law of God, nor can it; and those who are in the
flesh cannot please God.
223
But you are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only
the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of
Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body
is dead because of sin, the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,
the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal
bodies also, through his Spirit that dwells in you.

Alleluia, alleluia!
Gospel Reading
If a grain of wheat falls on the ground and dies
Jesus answered them, The hour has come for the Son of Man to be
Father will honor whoever serves me.
224
Presider:
God the almighty Father, raised Christ his Son from

the dead; with confidence we ask him to save all His
people, living and dead.

All:
Lord, keep us in your love.

That Pope Francis, the bishops, priests and all who
minister to the people of God may become authentic
examples of the love and compassion of God. Let us
pray to the Lord.
That God receive our brother/sister N, who has
completed his/her journey of faith, into the fullness of
his love and glory in heaven. Let us pray to the Lord.
That N and all who have died may be judged in
mercy on the last day, and may all of us, the living
and the dead, rise in glory and grace on that great
day. Let us pray to the Lord.
That the family of N experience the healing power of
Christ in the midst of their pain and grief. Let us pray
to the Lord.
That the friends of N who cared for him/her, that they
may be consoled in their loss and strengthened in
their love for one another. Let us pray to the Lord.
That our memory of N, whom we loved, inspire us
with a renewed love for all of our brothers and sisters.
Let us pray to the Lord.
225
Presider:
All:
God, your days are without end, your mercies beyond

counting. May your Holy Spirit lead us to live in
holiness and justice all our days. Then after serving
you in the fellowship of the church, with strong faith,
consoling hope and perfect love for all, may we
joyfully come to your kingdom. Through Christ our
Lord.
Amen.
Mercifully receive, we pray, O Lord,

the offering we trustingly present
that through this sacrifice,
which you ordained as the one true remedy for all,
you may grant him/her everlasting salvation.
All:
Amen.
Preface
Preface III for the Dead
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
Christ, the salvation and the life

226

For he is the salvation of the world,
the life of the human race,
the resurrection of the dead.
Through him the host of angels adores your majesty
and rejoices in your presence for ever.
May our voices, we pray, join with theirs
in one chorus of exultant praise, as we acclaim:
Eucharistic Prayer
Communion Antiphon
Let us pray
As we receive the pledge of eternal life,
that, freed from the bonds of mortality,
he/she may join the company of the redeemed.
All:
Amen.
227

For the Ninth Day
Entrance Antiphon
Let us pray
Collect
God, in whose presence the dead are alive

and in whom your saints rejoice
full of happiness,
grant our supplication, that your servant N,
for whom the fleeting light of this world shines no more,
may enjoy the comfort of your light for all eternity.
All:
Amen.
From the book of the prophet Ezechiel (37:12-14)
First Reading
O my people, I will open your graves
Therefore, prophesy and say to them: thus says the Lord God: Look! I
am going to open your graves; I will make you come up out of your
graves, my people, and bring you back to the land of Israel. You shall
know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and make you come
up out of them, my people! I will put my spirit in you that you may come
to life, and I will settle you in your land. Then you shall know that I am
the Lord. I have spoken; I will do it.
228
Responsorial Psalm
Response:
Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,

We will go up to the house of the Lord.
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
Response:
To it the tribes go up,

the tribes of the Lord,
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
Response:
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

May those who love you prosper!
May peace be within your walls,
prosperity in your buildings.
Response:
Because of my relatives and friends

I will say Peace be within you!
Because of the house of the LORD, our God,
I will pray for your good.
Response:

Second Reading
From the first letter of the apostle Paul to the Romans (15:20-28)
229
In Adam all die, so too if Christ shall all be brought to life.
Brothers and sisters: Christ has been raised from the dead, the
firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came
through a human being, the resurrection of the dead came also through
a human being.
For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life,
but each one in proper order: Christ the firstfruits; then, at his coming,
those who belong to Christ; then comes the end, when he hands over
the kingdom to his God and Father, when he has destroyed every
sovereignty and every authority and power.
For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The
last enemy to be destroyed is death, for he subjected everything under
his feet. But when it says that everything has been subjected, it is clear
that it excludes the one who subjected everything to him. When
everything is subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be
subjected to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may
be all in all.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Gospel Reading
+ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke. (24:13-35)
The Lord has truly risen.
Now that very day two of them were going to a village seven miles from
Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were conversing about all the
things that had occurred.
230
And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus
himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented
from recognizing him. He asked them, What are you discussing as you
walk along? They stopped, looking downcast. One of them, named
Cleopas, said to him in reply, Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who
does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?
And he replied to them, What sort of things? They said to him, The
things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet
mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, how our chief
priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and
crucified him. But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem
Israel; and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place.
Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were
at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; they came
back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who
announced that he was alive. Then some of those with us went to the
tomb and found things just as the women had described, but him they
did not see.
And he said to them, Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to
believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the
Messiah should suffer these things and enter into his glory? Then
beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what
referred to him in all the scriptures.
As they approached the village to which they were going, he gave the
impression that he was going on farther. But they urged him, Stay with
us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over. So he went in to
stay with them. And it happened that, while he was with them at table,
he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that
their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from
their sight. Then they said to each other, Were not our hearts burning
231
within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to

us?
So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found
gathered together the eleven and those with them who were saying,
The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon! Then the
two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made
known to them in the breaking of the bread.
Presider:
Let us bring our prayers before God that he may

bring our brother/sister N, those dear to us and all the
departed to the fullness of salvation in the splendor of
his glory.

All:
Lord, let your will be done.

That we may all face death with faith and the
conviction that we will see God face to face. Let us
pray to the Lord.
That we who await Jesus coming in glory may one
day be reunited with our loved ones. Let us pray to
the Lord.
That God may welcome N into heavenly peace and
rest. Let us pray to the Lord.
That we may live our lives in Christian service so as
to warrant Gods reward to the just. Let us pray to the
Lord.
232
For all the faithful departed that they may enjoy the
blessedness of eternal life and the brightness of
eternal light. Let us pray to the Lord.
Presider:
All:
Lord God of justice and mercy, hear our prayers. Give

our beloved dead the reward of their labors and grant
us your consolation in our loss. Through Christ our
Lord.
Amen.
May the offering of this sacrifice
be pleasing to you, Lord,
so that the soul of your servant N,
finding through your mercy
the pardon he/she sought for his/her sins,
may exult for ever with your saints
and praise your glory for all eternity.
All:
Amen.
Preface
Preface IV for the Dead

Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:

233

For it is at your summons that we come to birth,
by your will that we are governed,
and at your command that we return,
on account of sin,
to the earth from which we came.
And when you give the sign,
we who have been redeemed by the death of your Son,
shall be raised up to the glory of his resurrection.
And so, with the company of angels and saints,
we sing the hymn of your praise,
Eucharistic Prayer
Communion Antiphon

Let us pray
As we receive these heavenly gifts,
we give you thanks, O Lord,
and humbly pray that the soul
234
of your servant N,
freed through your Sons Passion
from the bonds of sin,
may come happily into your presence.
All:
Amen.
235
EUCHARISTIC PRAYER II
Although it is provided with its own Preface, the assigned Preface from the Proper for
the Dead in the Roman Missal is used.
After the Sanctus, the priest, with hands extended, says:
You are indeed holy, O Lord,

the fount of all holiness.
He joins his hands and, holding them extended over the offerings, says:
Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray,

by sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall,
He joins his hands and makes the sign of the cross once over the bread and the chalice
together, saying:
so that they may become for us

the Body and + Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He joins his hands.
In the formulas that follow, the words of the Lord should be pronounced clearly and
distinctly, as the nature of these words requires.
At the time he was betrayed

and entered willingly into his passion,
He takes the bread and, holding it slightly raised above the altar, continues:
236
he took bread and, giving thanks, broke it,

and gave it to his disciples, saying:
He bows slightly.
TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND EAT OF IT,

FOR THIS IS MY BODY,
WHICH WILL BE GIVEN UP FOR YOU.
He shows the consecrated host to the people, places it again on the paten, and
genuflects in adoration.
After this, he continues:
In a similar way, when supper was ended,

He takes the chalice and, holding it slightly raised above the altar, continues:
he took the chalice

and, once more giving thanks,
he gave it to his disciples, saying:
He bows slightly.
TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND DRINK FROM IT,

FOR THIS IS THE CHALICE OF MY BLOOD,
THE BLOOD OF THE NEW AND ETERNAL COVENANT,
WHICH WILL BE POURED OUT FOR YOU AND FOR MANY
FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS.
DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME.
He shows the chalice to the people, places it on the corporal, and genuflects in
adoration.
Then he says:
237
The mystery of faith.

And the people continue, acclaiming:
All:
We proclaim your death, O Lord,

and profess your resurrection
until you come again.
Then the priest, with hands extended, says:
Therefore, as we celebrate
the memorial of his death and resurrection,
we offer you, Lord,
the Bread of life and the Chalice of salvation,
giving thanks that you have held us worthy
to be in your presence and minister to you.
Humbly we pray
that, partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ,
we may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit.
Remember, Lord, your Church,
spread throughout the world,
and bring her to the fullness of charity,
together with Francis our pope
and N our bishop,
and all the clergy.
In Masses for the Dead, the following may be added
Remember your servant N,

whom you have called (today)
from this world to yourself.
238
Grant that he/she who was united with your Son in a death like his,
may also be one with him in his Resurrection.
Remember also our brothers and sisters
who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection,
and all who have died in your mercy:
welcome them into the light of your face.
Have mercy on us all, we pray,
that with the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God,
with blessed Joseph, her spouse
with the blessed apostles,
and all the saints who have pleased you throughout the ages,
we may merit to be coheirs to eternal life,
and may praise and glorify you
He joins his hands.
through your Son, Jesus Christ.

He takes the chalice and the paten with the host and, raising both, he says:
Through him, and with him, and in him,

all glory and honor is yours,
for ever and ever.
The people acclaim:
All:
Amen.
Then follows the Communion Rite
239
EUCHARISTIC PRAYER III

The assigned Preface from the Proper for the Dead in the Roman Missal is used.
You are indeed Holy, O Lord,

and all you have created rightly gives you praise,
240
for through your Son our Lord Jesus Christ,

by the power and working of the Holy Spirit,
you give life to all things and make them holy,
and you never cease to gather a people to yourself,
so that from the rising of the sun to its setting
a pure sacrifice may be offered to your name.
Therefore, O Lord, we humbly implore you:

by the same Spirit graciously make holy
these gifts we have brought to you for consecration,
He joins his hands and makes the sign of the cross once over the bread and chalice
together, saying:
that they may become the Body and + Blood

of your Son our Lord Jesus Christ,
He joins his hands.
at whose command we celebrate these mysteries.
For on the night he was betrayed

he himself took bread,

and, giving you thanks, he said the blessing,
broke the bread and gave it to his disciples, saying:
He bows slightly.

241


he took the chalice,

and gave the chalice to his disciples, saying:
He bows slightly.

adoration.
Then he says:

All:
When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup,

we proclaim your death, O Lord,
242
Therefore, O Lord,
as we celebrate the memorial
of the saving passion of your Son,
his wondrous resurrection
and ascension into heaven,
and as we look forward to his second coming,
we offer you in thanksgiving
this holy and living sacrifice.
Look, we pray,
upon the oblation of your Church
and, recognizing the sacrificial Victim
by whose death you willed to reconcile us to yourself,
grant that we,
who are nourished by the Body and Blood of your Son
and filled with his Holy Spirit,
may become one body, one spirit in Christ.
May he make of us
an eternal offering to you,
so that we may obtain an inheritance with your elect,
especially with the most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God,
with blessed Joseph, her spouse,
with your blessed apostles and glorious martyrs
(with Saint N)
and with all the saints,
on whose constant intercession in your presence
we rely for unfailing help.
May this sacrifice of our reconciliation,
243
we pray, O Lord,
advance the peace and salvation of all the world.
Be pleased to confirm in faith and charity
your pilgrim Church on earth,
with your servant Francis our pope
and N our bishop,
the order of bishops, all the clergy,
and the entire people you have gained for your own.
Listen graciously to the prayers of this family,
whom you have summoned before you:
When this Eucharistic Prayer is used in Masses for the Dead, the following may be said:
Remember your servant N

Grant that he/she
who was united with your Son in a death like his,
may also be one with him in his Resurrection,
when from the earth
he will raise up in the flesh those who have died,
and transform our lowly body
after the pattern of his own glorious body.
To our departed brothers and sisters, too,
and to all who were pleasing to you
at their passing from this life,
give kind admittance to your kingdom.
There we hope to enjoy for ever the fullness of your glory,
when you will wipe away every tear from our eyes.
For seeing you, our God, as you are,
we shall be like you for all the ages
and praise you without end,
244
He joins his hands.
through Christ our Lord,

through whom you bestow on the world
all that is good.

for ever and ever.
The people acclaim:
All:
Amen.
Then follows the Communion Rite.
245
EUCHARISTIC PRAYER FOR RECONCILIATION I

Presider:
All:


Presider:
All:


Presider:
All:

Preface
246

that we should always give you thanks,
Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God.
For you do not cease to spur us on
to possess a more abundant life
and, being rich in mercy,
you constantly offer pardon
and call on sinners
to trust in your forgiveness alone.
Never did you turn away from us,
and, though time and again we have broken your covenant,
you have bound the human family to yourself
through Jesus your Son, our Redeemer,
with a new bond of love so tight
that it can never be undone.
Even now you set before your people
a time of grace and reconciliation,
and, as they turn back to you in spirit,
you grant them hope in Christ Jesus
and a desire to be of service to all,
while they entrust themselves
more fully to the Holy Spirit.
And so, filled with wonder,
we extol the power of your love,
and, proclaiming our joy
at the salvation that comes from you,
we join in the heavenly hymn of countless hosts,
247
All:

The priest, with hands extended, says:
You are indeed holy, O Lord,

and from the worlds beginning
are ceaselessly at work,
so that the human race may become holy,
just as you yourself are holy.
Look, we pray, upon your peoples offerings

and pour out on them the power of your Spirit,
together, saying:

He joins his hands.
of your beloved Son, Jesus Christ,

in whom we, too, are your sons and daughters.
Indeed, though we once were lost
and could not approach you,
you loved us with the greatest love:
248
for your Son, who alone is just,

handed himself over to death,
and did not disdain to be nailed for our sake
to the wood of the Cross.
But before his arms were outstretched between heaven and earth,
to become the lasting sign of your covenant,
he desired to celebrate the Passover with his disciples.
As he ate with them,

He takes the bread
and, holding it slightly raised above the altar, continues:
he took bread
broke the bread and gave it to them, saying:
He bows slightly.


knowing that he was about to reconcile all things in himself
through his Blood to be shed on the Cross,
he took the chalice, filled with the fruit of the vine,

and once more giving you thanks,
249
handed the chalice to his disciples, saying:

He bows slightly.

adoration.
Then he says:

All:
Save us, Savior of the world,

for by your Cross and Resurrection
you have set us free.
Therefore, as we celebrate
the memorial of your Son Jesus Christ,
who is our Passover and our surest peace,
we celebrate his death and resurrection from the dead,
and looking forward to his blessed coming,
we offer you, who are our faithful and merciful God,
this sacrificial Victim
who reconciles to you the human race.
Look kindly, most compassionate Father,
on those you unite to yourself
by the sacrifice of your Son,
and grant that, by the power of the Holy Spirit,
250
as they partake of this one Bread and one Chalice,

they may be gathered into one Body in Christ,
who heals every division.
Be pleased to keep us always
in communion of mind and heart,
together with Francis our pope and N our bishop
Help us to work together
for the coming of your kingdom,
until the hour when we stand before you,
Saints among the saints in the halls of heaven,
with the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God,
the blessed apostles and all the saints,
and with our deceased brothers and sisters,
whom we humbly commend to your mercy.
Then, freed at last from the wound of corruption
and made fully into a new creation,
we shall sing to you with gladness
He joins his hands.
the thanksgiving of Christ,

who lives for all eternity.

for ever and ever.
The people acclaim:
All:
Amen.
251
EUCHARISTIC PRAYER FOR RECONCILIATION II

Presider:
All:


Presider:
All:


Presider:
All:

Preface

that we should give you thanks and praise,
for all you do in this world,
252
For though the human race

is divided by dissension and discord,
yet we know that by testing us
you change our hearts
to prepare them for reconciliation.
Even more, by your Spirit you move human hearts
that enemies may speak to each other again,
adversaries may join hands,
and peoples seek to meet together.
By the working of your power
it comes about, O Lord,
that hatred is overcome by love,
revenge gives way to forgiveness,
and discord is changed to mutual respect.
Therefore, as we give you ceaseless thanks
with the choirs of heaven,
we cry out to your majesty on earth,
and without end we acclaim:
All:

The priest, with hands extended, says:
You, therefore, almighty Father,

we bless through Jesus Christ your Son,
who comes in your name.
253
He himself is the Word that brings salvation,

the hand you extend to sinners,
the way by which your peace is offered to us.
When we ourselves had turned away from you
on account of our sins,
you brought us back to be reconciled, O Lord,
so that, converted at last to you,
we might love one another
through your Son,
whom for our sake you handed over to death.
And now, celebrating the reconciliation

Christ has brought us,
we entreat you:
sanctify these gifts by the outpouring of your Spirit,
together, saying:
that they may become the Body and + Blood of your Son,
whose command we fulfill when we celebrate these mysteries.
He joins his hands.
For when about to give his life to set us free,

as he reclined at supper,
he himself took bread into his hands,

254
He bows slightly:

In a similar way, on that same evening,

he took the chalice of blessing in his hands,

confessing your mercy,
He bows slightly.

He shows the chalice to the people, places it again on the corporal, and genuflects in
adoration.
Then he says:

All:
We proclaim your Death, O Lord,

and profess your Resurrection
255

Celebrating, therefore, the memorial

of the Death and Resurrection of your Son,
who left us this pledge of his love,
we offer you what you have bestowed on us,
the Sacrifice of perfect reconciliation.
Holy Father, we humbly beseech you
to accept us also, together with your Son,
and in this saving banquet
graciously to endow us with his very Spirit,
who takes away everything
that estranges us from one another.
May he make your Church a sign of unity
and an instrument of your peace among all people
and may he keep us in communion
with Francis our pope and N our bishop
and all the bishops
and your entire people.
Just as you have gathered us now
at the table of your Son,
so also bring us together,
with the glorious Virgin Mary, Mother of God,
with your blessed apostles and all the saints,
with our brothers and sisters
and those of every race and tongue
who have died in your friendship.
Bring us to share with them the unending banquet of unity
in a new heaven and a new earth,
256
where the fullness of your peace will shine forth

He joins his hands.
in Christ Jesus our Lord.


for ever and ever.
The people acclaim:
All:
Amen.
257
MEMORIAL FOR THE DE
A CELEBRATION OF PRAYERS, REFLECTIONS AN
ORDER OF THE
CELEBRATION
The Gathering
Introduction
Opening Prayer
Words of Remembrance and Prayers
Scripture Reading
Homily
Prayers of Intercession
The Lords Prayer
Concluding Prayer
258
MEMORIAL FOR THE DEAD

Prayers, Reflections and Remembrances
The Memorial for the Dead is a celebration of remembrance held before the funeral,
during which the family, relatives and friends of the deceased are invited to share words
of tribute and remembrances as well as songs, prayers and reflections that celebrate
the life of the deceased and recall his/her contributions to the community.
While the memorial celebration is not a strictly speaking a part of the funeral liturgy,
nonetheless, it should reflect a Christian understanding of death and it should express
the same hope in the resurrection of the dead. For this reason, the sharings are
interpersed with Scripture readings and prayers. It is oftentimes celebrated on the last
night of the vigil. However, it should not be combined with or replace any of rites of the
funeral liturgy. A priest, deacon or even a lay person may preside over the memorial.
The Gathering
The minister and those present sign themselves with the sign of the cross and the priest
says:
Presider:
All:

and of the Son, +
Amen.
The minister welcomes the people in these or similar words.

Presider:
We meet in the name of Jesus Christ,

259
who died and was raised

to the glory of God the Father.
An opening song may be sung.
Introduction
Then the minister introduces the service in these or other suitable words
Dearly beloved brothers and sisters, we look not to the things

that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that
are seen are transient but the things that are unseen are eternal.
Today we come together to remember before God our
brother/sister N, to give thanks for his/her life and to comfort one
another in our grief. May God grant us grace, that in pain we
may find comfort, in sorrow hope, in death the resurrection.
Opening Prayer
Then the minister says the Opening Prayer.
Presider:
Let us pray
Father in heaven,
we thank you
because you made us in your own image
and gave us gifts in body, mind and spirit.
We praise your name
for all who have finished this life
loving and trusting you,
for the example of their lives,
260
the life and grace you gave them

and the peace in which they rest.
We thank you now for N
for what he/she meant to each of us.
and for all that you did through him/her.
Meet us in our sadness
and fill our hearts with praise and thanksgiving.
As we honor his/her memory,
make us more aware that you are the one
from whom comes every perfect gift,
including the gift of eternal life
through Jesus Christ our risen Lord.
All:
Amen.
Words of Remembrance
Memories about the life and death of the deceased may be shared, a tribute or tributes
may be made. Psalms, hymns and other songs and readings from the Scriptures may
be used.
Before the sharing, the following prayer may be said
Presider:
All:
O God, all that you have given us is yours.

As first you gave N to us, now we give N back to you.
Receive N into the arms of your mercy.
Raise N up with all your saints.
Receive us also, and raise us into a new life
The first sharer begins by reading a Scripture passage.
261
I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord. Those who believe in
me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes
in me will never die. (John 1:25, 26)
The sharer begins with the reflection and tribute. After the sharing, the following prayer
is said.
od of mercy, Lord of life, you have made us in your

image to reflect your truth and light: we give you
thanks for N, for the grace and mercy he /she
received from you, for all that was good in his/her
life, for the memories we treasure today.
Pause for silent prayer. Then the sharing concludes with the acclamation
Presider:
All:
Lord, in your mercy.

Hear our prayer.
An appropriate song may be sung.

The second sharer begins by reading a Scripture passage.
I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor
things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the
love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38, 39)
is said.
262
od of mercy, Lord of life, you promised eternal life to

those who believe. Remember our brother/sister N.
Bring him/her and all who rest in Christ into the
fullness of your kingdom where sins have been
forgiven and death is no more.
Presider:
All:

Hear our prayer.

The third sharer begins by reading a Scripture passage.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. (Matthew 5:4)
is said.
od of mercy, Lord of life, our mighty power brings

joy out of grief and life out of death. Look in mercy
on the family of N and all who mourn. Give them
patient faith in times of darkness. Strengthen them
with the knowledge of your love.
Presider:
All:

Hear our prayer.
263

The fourth sharer begins by reading a Scripture passage.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to
an end; they are new every morning; great is his faithfulness.
(Lamentations 3:22,23)
is said.
od of mercy, Lord of life, you are tender towards

your children and your mercy is over all your works.
Heal the memories of hurt and failure. Give us the
wisdom and grace to use rightly the time that is left
to us here on earth, to turn to Christ and follow in his steps in the
way that leads to everlasting life.
Presider:
All:

Hear our prayer.
The following prayer is said before the Scripture Reading

Presider:
Scripture Reading
Help us, Lord,

to receive and understand your word,
so that we may find light in our darkness,
faith in our doubt, and comfort for one another
in your saving words;
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All:
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.
The gospel reading is then proclaimed.
+ A reading from the holy gospel according to John (12:23-28)

Jesus told his disciples, The hour has come for the Son of Man to be
Father will honor whoever serves me. I am troubled now. Yet what
should I say? Father, save me from this hour? But it was for this
purpose that I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name.
Then a voice came from heaven, I have glorified it and will glorify it
again.
Presider:
All:

The following prayer is said after the Scripture Reading

Presider:
All:
O gracious Lord,
help us to listen lovingly to your Word,
that we may find comfort in our grief,
light in our darkness,
and faith in the midst of doubt;
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Homily
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Prayer of Intercession
The minister says the Prayer of Intercession
Father in heaven,
we give you thanks for your servant N.
We praise you as we recollect his/her life
and cherish his/her memory.
We bless you that in bearing your image
he/she has brought light to our lives;
for we have seen
in his/her friendship, reflections of your compassion,
in his/her kindness, signs of your goodness,
in his/her faithfulness, glimpses of your eternal love.
For us who remain, be with us in our sadness
and turn our eyes to you.
Grant to each of us, beloved and bereft,
the grace to follow his/her good example
so that we with him/her may come to your everlasting kingdom;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who died and rose again and opened the gate of glory,
to whom be praise for all eternity.
The people acclaim:
All:
Amen.
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The Lords Prayer
Presider:
With God there is mercy

and fullness of redemption;
let us pray as Jesus taught us:
All:

thy kingdom come;
as it is in heaven.
Concluding Prayer
The presider ends the memorial with the concluding prayer.
Grant to us, Lord God,

to trust you not for ourselves alone,
but also for those whom we love
and who are hidden from us by the shadow of death;
that, as we believe your power to have raised
our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead,
so may we trust your love to give eternal life to all
who believe in him;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
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one God, now and for ever.

Presider:

All:
A closing song may be sung.
RITE OF TRANSFER
OF THE BODY TO THE CHURCH

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ORDER OF THE
CELEBRATION
Greeting
Scripture Reading

The Lords Prayer
Concluding Prayer
Conclusion
RITE OF TRANSFER
OF THE BODY TO THE CHURCH
Absent from the body, to be present with the Lord
This rite may be used at the home of the deceased or at the funeral chapel before the
body is brought to the church for the funeral mass. A priest or deacon may preside over
the liturgy
Greeting
says:
Presider:
All:

and of the Son, +
Amen.
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Then the priest, facing the people, extends his hands and greets all present:
Presider:
All:

the God of all consolation be with you.
And also with you.
Scripture Reading
John 14:1-3
My brothers and sisters, Jesus says: Do not let your hearts be

troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my
Fathers house there are many dwelling places. If there were not,
would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again
and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.

Standing near the coffin, the priest says:
Presider:
The Lord is our shepherd

and leads us to streams of living water.
Let this water call to mind our baptism into Christ
who by his death and resurrection has redeemed us.
While the following psalm is sung or recited, the priest sprinkles the coffin with holy
Response:
Awake may we watch with Christ:

asleep may we rest in peace.
Presider:
Now, Lord, you let your servant go in peace:

your word has been fulfilled.
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Response:

Presider:
My own eyes have seen the salvation

which you have prepared
in the sight of every people;
Response:

Presider:
A light to reveal you to the nations

and the glory of your people Israel;
Response:

Response:

and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
Response:

The minister leads those present in the following litany.
All:
Let us turn to Christ Jesus

with confidence and faith
in the power of his cross and resurrection:
Lord, have mercy.
Minister:
Risen Lord, pattern of our life forever:
Presider:
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All:
Minister:
All:
Minister:
All:
Minister:
All:
Minister:
All:
Minister:
All:
Minister:
All:
Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.
Promise and image of what we shall be:
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Son of God who came to destroy sin and death:
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Word of God who delivered us from the fear of death:
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Crucified Lord, forsaken in death, raised in glory:
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, gentle Shepherd who bring rest to our souls,
give peace to N for ever:
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you bless those who mourn and are in pain.
Bless Ns family and friends
who gather around him/her today:
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
The Lords Prayer

Presider:
Brothers and sisters

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our true home is heaven.

Therefore let us pray to our heavenly Father
as Jesus taught us:
All:

thy kingdom come;
as it is in heaven.
Concluding Prayer
With hands extended, the priest alone continues

Presider:
Let us pray:
All:
Loving and merciful God,

we entrust our brother/sister N to your mercy.
You loved him/her greatly in this life:
now that he/she is freed from all its cares,
give him/her happiness and peace for ever.
The old order has passed away:
welcome him/her now into paradise
where there will be no more sorrow,
no more weeping or pain,
but only peace and joy with Jesus your Son,
and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever.
Amen.
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The presider says a prayer for the mourners

Presider:
All:
Lord
N is now gone from this earthly dwelling
and has left behind those
who mourn his/her absence.
Grant that as we grieve for our brother/sister,
we may hold his/her memory dear
and live in hope for the eternal kingdom,
where you bring us all together again.
Amen.
Blessing and Conclusion
The priest blesses the coffin with holy water saying

Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:

Amen.
May the soul of N
Amen.
The coffin is then closed and prepared for the funeral procession to the church. The
priest then says:
Presider:
As we set out on our journey today,

we pray for the presence of Christ,
who has gone this way before us.
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All:

Amen.
Presider:
The Lord guards our coming in

and our going out.
May God be with us today
as we make this last journey
with our brother/sister.
All:
Amen.
The presider leads the hearse and all present for the funeral procession to the church.
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ORDER OF CELEBRATION
MASS OF
CHRISTIAN
AND THE RITE OF COMMENDATION
BURIAL
OF THE DEAD
Introductory Rite
Reception of the Body
Presentation of the Pall and Christian Symbols
Penitential Rite
Liturgy of the Word

Liturgy of the Eucharist
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Communion Rite
Rite of Commendation
THE MASS OF CHRISTIAN BURIAL

Once the funeral procession has arrived at the church and the people have assembled,
the priest and the ministers go to the altar while the entrance song is being sung. When
the priest comes to the altar, he makes the customary reverence with the ministers,
kisses the altar and (if incense is used) incenses it. Then, with the ministers, he goes to
the chair.
INTRODUCTORY RITES
When the entrance chant is concluded, the priest and the faithful, standing, sign
themselves with the sign of the cross, while the priest, facing the people, says:
Greeting
Presider:

and of the Son, +
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All:

Amen.
Presider:
All:
Praise be to the God and Father

of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
who comforts us in all our sorrows,
so that we can comfort others in their sorrow,
with the consolation we have received from God.
The grace and peace of God our Father,
who raised Jesus from the dead, be with you always.
Introduction to the Celebration

Then the priest introduces the celebration in these or other suitable words:
My dear brothers and sisters, we have come together to renew

our trust in Christ who, by dying on the cross, has freed us from
eternal death and, by rising, has opened for us the gates of
heaven.
Let us remember our brother/sister N before God, our merciful
redeemer and judge and pray that he/she may share in Christs
victory. Let us comfort one another in our grief and pray for
ourselves, that the Lord may grant us the gift of his loving
consolation.
Reception of the Body
278
Standing before the coffin, the priest says

Presider:
We receive the body of our brother/sister N

with confidence in God, the giver of life,
who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead.
The priest then sprinkles the coffin with holy water, saying:
Presider:
In the waters of baptism, N died with Christ

and rose with him to new life.
May he/she now share with Christs eternal glory.
Presentation of the Pall and Christian Symbols
The pall is placed on the coffin as the priest says the following words:
Presider:
May Christ who claimed N in baptism

now enfold him/her in his love
and bring him/her to eternal life.
The cross is placed in the coffin as the priest says the following words:
Presider:
In baptism N received the sign of the cross.

May he/she now share in Christs victory
over sin and death.
The Book of the Gospels or Bible is placed on the coffin as the priest says the following
words:
Presider:
In life N cherished the Gospel of Christ.

May Christ now greet him/her
with these words of eternal life:
Come, blessed of my Father!
Candles may be lighted near the coffin as the priest says the following words:
Presider:
In baptism N received the light of Christ.

May he/she now find Christ waiting
for him/her in heaven.
279
Collect
The Penitential Rite is ommitted. The priest, with hands joined, says:
Presider:
Let us pray
the Collect.

our faith professes
that your Son died and rose again;
mercifully grant, that through this mystery
your servant N, who has fallen asleep in Christ,
may rejoice to rise again through him.
Who lives and reigns with you
All:
Amen.
LITURGY OF THE WORD
Then the reader reads the First Reading, while all sit and listen.
First Reading
From the Book of Ecclesiastes (3:1-15)

There is an appointed time for everything.
There is an appointed time for everything,

and a time for every affair under the heavens.
A time to give birth, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant.
280
A time to kill, and a time to heal;

a time to tear down, and a time to build.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them;
a time to embrace,
and a time to be far from embraces.
A time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away.
A time to rend, and a time to sew;
a time to be silent, and a time to speak.
A time to love, and a time to hate;
a time of war, and a time of peace.
What profit have workers from their toil?
I have seen the business
that God has given to mortals to be busied about.
God has made everything appropriate to its time,
but has put the timeless into their hearts
so they cannot find out,
from beginning to end,
the work which God has done.
I recognized that there is nothing better
than to rejoice and to do well during life.
Moreover, that all can eat and drink
and enjoy the good of all their toil
this is a gift of God.
I recognized that
whatever God does will endure forever;
there is no adding to it, or taking from it.
Thus has God done that he may be revered.
What now is has already been; what is to be, already is:
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God retrieves what has gone by.

Reader:
All:

Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm
The psalmist or cantor sings or says the psalm, with the people making the response.
Response:
The Lord is my shepherd;

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

in verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me in right paths
for his name sake.
Response:

Even though I walk in the dark valley

I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
Response:

You spread the table before me

in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
282
Response:

Only goodness and kindness follow me

all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
for years to come.
Second Reading
From the second letter of the apostle Paul to the Corinthians (15:51-57)
Death is swallowed up in victory.
Brothers and sisters:

Behold, I tell you a mystery.
We shall not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed,
in an instant, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet.
For the trumpet will sound,
the dead will be raised incorruptible,
and we shall be changed.
For that which is corruptible must clothe itself with incorruptibility,
and that which is mortal must clothe itself with immortality.
And when this which is corruptible clothes itself with incorruptibility
and this which is mortal clothes itself with immortality,
then the word that is written shall come about:
Death is swallowed up in victory.
Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?
The sting of death is sin,
and the power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God who gives us the victory
283
Reader:
All:

Thanks be to God.
After the second reading, the Allelluia follows

Alleluia, alleluia!
Come, you who are blessed by my Father, says the Lord;
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
Alleluia!

The priest, bowing before the altar, says quietly:
Presider:
Cleanse my heart and my lips, almighty God,

that I may worthily proclaim your holy Gospel.
Then he says:
Presider:
All:

And with your spirit
The priest continues and, at the same time, he makes the sign of the cross on the book
and on his forehead, lips, and breast.
Presider:
All:
+ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

Glory to you, O Lord.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.
Matthew 5:1-12a
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,

and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
He began to teach them, saying:
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
284
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.
At the end of the Gospel, priest, acclaims:
Presider:
All:

Then he kisses the book, saying quietly:

Presider:
Through the words of the Gospel

may our sins be wiped away.
Homily
285
Presider:
Let us turn to God our Father with prayer and praise.

In the life of our brother/sister we recognise the signs
of his bounty and tender love, which strengthen us on
our journey towards the fullness of life and unending
joy in his presence.

All:
Lord, you are our life and our joy.
For Francis our pope, the bishops, priests and all who
minister to the people of God may they be authentic
examples of your love and compassion. Let us pray
to the Lord.
For our brother/sister N, in baptism he/she was given
the promise of eternal life, may he/she now share in
fullness of his resurrection. Let us pray to the Lord.
For N that he/she may hear Christs words of
invitation, Come, you blessed of my Father and so
be found worthy to gaze upon the Lord face to face,
and taste the blessedness of perfect rest. Let us pray
to the Lord.
286
For our deceased relatives and friends and for all

who have helped us, that they may have the reward
of their goodness. Let us pray to the Lord.
For those who have fallen asleep in the hope of rising
again, that they may see God face to face. Let us
pray to the Lord.
For those who suffer, that they may remember that
precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of those
he loves. Let us pray to the Lord.
For all those who work among the sick and dedicate
their lives to their service, that by their presence they
may give witness to the tender mercy of God. Let us
pray to the Lord.
For the prayers we hold in our hearts, united in the
Holy Spirit with those of Mary the Mother of God, our
patron Saint Joseph, and all the saints in light. Let us
pray to the Lord.
Presider:
All:
God of love, welcome into your presence your

son/daughter N, whom you have called from this life.
Release him/her from all him/her sins, bless him/her
with eternal light and peace, and raise him/her up to
live for ever with all your saints in the glory of the
resurrection.
Amen.
287
THE LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

Preparation of the Offerings
After the General Intercessions, the ministers place the corporal, the purificator, the
chalice, the pall, and the missal on the altar. The priest, standing at the altar, takes the
paten with the bread and holds it slightly raised above the altar with both hands, saying
in a low voice:
Presider:

the bread we offer you:
fruit of the earth and work of human hands,
it will become for us the bread of life.
Then he places the paten with the bread on the corporal. If, however, the offertory chant
is not sung, the priest may speak these words aloud; at the end, the people may
acclaim:
All:
The priest, pours wine and a little water into the chalice, saying quietly:
Presider:
By the mystery of this water and wine

may we come to share in the divinity of Christ
who humbled himself to share in our humanity.
The priest then takes the chalice and holds it slightly raised above the altar with both
Presider:

288
the wine we offer you:

fruit of the vine and work of human hands,
it will become our spiritual drink.
Then he places the chalice on the corporal. If, however, the offertory chant is not sung,
the priest may speak these words aloud; at the end, the people may acclaim:
All:
After this, the priest, bowing profoundly, says quietly:

Presider:
With humble spirit and contrite heart

may we be accepted by you, O Lord,
and may our sacrifice in your sight this day
be pleasing to you, Lord God.
Then the priest, standing at the side of the altar, washes his hands, saying quietly:
Presider:
Wash me, O Lord, from my iniquity

Standing at the middle of the altar, facing the people, extending and then joining his
hands, he says:
Presider:
Pray, brethren,
that my sacrifice and yours
may be acceptable to God,
the almighty Father.
All:
May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands

for the praise and glory of his name,
for our good
and the good of all his holy Church.
289

Then the priest, with hands extended, says the Prayer over the Offerings
Be near, O Lord, we pray,

to your servant N,
on whose funeral day
we offer you this sacrifice of conciliation,
so that, should any stain of sin have clung to him/her
or any human fault have affected him/her,
it may, by your loving gift,
be forgiven and wiped away.
All:
Amen.
THE EUCHARISTIC PRAYER

Presider:
All:


Presider:
All:

290
Presider:
All:


Preface for the Dead I
Preface
The hope of resurrection in Christ

In him the hope of blessed resurrection has dawned,
that those saddened by the certainty of dying
might be consoled by the promise
of immortality to come.
Indeed for your faithful, Lord,
life is changed not ended,
and, when this earthly dwelling turns to dust,
an eternal dwelling is made ready for them in heaven.
And so, with angels and archangels,
with thrones and dominions,
and with all the hosts and powers of heaven,
we sing the hymn of your glory,
291
All:

You are indeed Holy, O Lord,

and all you have created rightly gives you praise,
for through your Son our Lord Jesus Christ,
by the power and working of the Holy Spirit,
you give life to all things and make them holy,
and you never cease to gather a people to yourself,
so that from the rising of the sun to its setting
a pure sacrifice may be offered to your name.
Therefore, O Lord, we humbly implore you:

by the same Spirit graciously make holy
these gifts we have brought to you for consecration,
together, saying:

of your Son our Lord Jesus Christ,
292
He joins his hands.
at whose command we celebrate these mysteries.

For on the night he was betrayed

he himself took bread,

He bows slightly.


he took the chalice,

He bows slightly.

293

adoration.
Then he says:

All:
When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup,

we proclaim your death, O Lord,
Therefore, O Lord,
as we celebrate the memorial
of the saving passion of your Son,
his wondrous resurrection
and ascension into heaven,
and as we look forward to his second coming,
we offer you in thanksgiving
this holy and living sacrifice.
Look, we pray,
upon the oblation of your Church
and, recognizing the sacrificial Victim
by whose death you willed to reconcile us to yourself,
grant that we,
who are nourished by the Body and Blood of your Son
and filled with his Holy Spirit,
294
may become one body, one spirit in Christ.

May he make of us
an eternal offering to you,
so that we may obtain an inheritance with your elect,
especially with the most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God,
with blessed Joseph, her spouse,
with your blessed apostles and glorious martyrs
(with Saint N)
and with all the saints,
on whose constant intercession in your presence
we rely for unfailing help.
May this sacrifice of our reconciliation,
we pray, O Lord,
advance the peace and salvation of all the world.
Be pleased to confirm in faith and charity
your pilgrim Church on earth,
with your servant Francis our pope
and N our bishop,
the order of bishops, all the clergy,
and the entire people you have gained for your own.
Listen graciously to the prayers of this family,
whom you have summoned before you:
When this Eucharistic Prayer is used in Masses for the Dead, the following may be said:
Remember your servant N

295

Grant that he/she
who was united with your Son in a death like his,
may also be one with him in his Resurrection,
when from the earth
he will raise up in the flesh those who have died,
and transform our lowly body
after the pattern of his own glorious body.
To our departed brothers and sisters, too,
and to all who were pleasing to you
at their passing from this life,
give kind admittance to your kingdom.
There we hope to enjoy for ever the fullness of your glory,
when you will wipe away every tear from our eyes.
For seeing you, our God, as you are,
we shall be like you for all the ages
and praise you without end,
He joins his hands.
through Christ our Lord,

through whom you bestow on the world
all that is good.

for ever and ever.
The people acclaim:
All:
Amen.
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THE COMMUNION RITE

After the chalice and paten have been set down, the priest, with hands joined, says:
Presider:
At the Saviors command

and formed by divine teaching,
we dare to say:

All:

thy kingdom come,
thy will be done
With hands extended, the priest alone continues, saying:

Presider:
Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil,

graciously grant peace in our days,
that, by the help of your mercy,
we may be always free from sin
and safe from all distress,
as we await the blessed hope
and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
He joins his hands. The people conclude the prayer, acclaiming:
297
All:
For the kingdom,

the power and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Then the priest, with hands extended, says aloud:

Presider:
All:
Sign of Peace
Lord Jesus Christ,

who said to your apostles:
Peace I leave you, my peace I give you;
look not on our sins,
but on the faith of your Church,
and graciously grant her peace and unity
in accordance with your will.
Who live and reign for ever and ever.
Amen.
The priest, turned towards the people, extending and then joining his hands, adds:
Presider:
All:
The peace of the Lord be with you always.

Then, the priest, adds:

Presider:
Let us offer each other the sign of peace.
All offer one another a sign, in keeping with local customs, that expresses peace,
communion, and charity. The priest gives the sign of peace the ministers.
The Fraction
Then the priest takes the Host, breaks it over the paten, and places a small piece in the
chalice, saying quietly:
Presider:
May this mingling of the Body and Blood

298
of our Lord Jesus Christ

bring eternal life to us who receive it.
Meanwhile the following is sung or said:
Agnus Dei

have mercy on us.
have mercy on us.
grant us peace.
Then the priest, with hands joined, says quietly:
Presider:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God,

who, by the will of the Father
and the work of the Holy Spirit,
through your death gave life to the world,
free me by this, your most holy Body and Blood,
from all my sins and from every evil;
keep me always faithful to your commandments,
and never let me be parted from you.
Communion
The priest genuflects, takes the host and, holding it slightly raised above the paten or
above the chalice, while facing the people, says aloud:
Presider:
Behold the Lamb of God,

behold him who takes away the sins of the world.
Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.
All:
Lord, I am not worthy

that you should enter under my roof,
299
but only say the word

and my soul shall be healed.
The priest, facing the altar, says quietly:
Presider:
May the Body of Christ keep me safe for eternal life.
And he reverently consumes the Body of Christ. Then he takes the chalice and says
quietly:
Presider:
May the Blood of Christ keep me safe for eternal life.
And he reverently consumes the Blood of Christ. After this, he takes the paten or
ciborium and approaches the communicants. The priest raises a host slightly and
shows it to each of the communicants, saying:
Presider:
All:
The Body of Christ.

Amen.
While the priest is receiving the Body of Christ, the Communion Chant begins. When
the distribution of Communion is over, the priest purifies the paten over the chalice and
also the chalice itself. While he carries out the purification, the priest says quietly:
Presider:
What has passed our lips as food, O Lord,

may we possess in purity of heart,
that what has been given to us in time
may be our healing for eternity.
Then the priest may return to the chair. If appropriate, a sacred silence may be
observed for a while, or a psalm or other canticle of praise or a hymn may be sung.

Then, standing at the altar or at the chair and facing the people, with hands joined, the
priest says:
Presider:
Let us pray
300
the Prayer after Communion.
Lord God, whose Son left us,

in the Sacrament of his Body,
food for the journey,
mercifully grant that, strengthened by it,
our brother/sister N may come
to the eternal table of Christ.
All:
Amen.
RITE OF FINAL COMMENDATION

Standing before the coffin, the priest says
Presider:
Trusting in God, we have prayed together for N and

now we come to the last farewell. There is sadness in
parting, but we take comfort in the hope that one day
we shall see N again and enjoy his/her friendship.
Although we will disperse in sorrow, the mercy of God
will gather us together again in the joy of his kingdom.
Therefore let us console one another in the faith of

Jesus Christ.
All pray quietly in silence.
Signs of Farewell
After a brief period of silence has been observed, the priest shall then sprinkle the coffin
with holy water. After the sprinkling, the coffin is incensed.
301
Song of Farewell
Saints of God, come to his/her aid!
Hasten to meet him/her, angels of the Lord!
All:
Receive his/her soul and present him/her

to God the Most High.
May Christ, who called you, take you to himself;
may angels lead you to the bosom of Abraham.
All:

Eternal rest grant unto him/her, O Lord,
All:

Prayer of Commendation
Presider:
Into your hands, Father of mercies,

we commend our brother/sister N.
in the sure and certain hope
that, together with all who have died in Christ,
he/she will rise with him on the last day.
We give you thanks for the blessings
which you bestowed upon N in this life:
they are signs to us of your goodness
and of our fellowship with the saints in Christ.
302
Merciful Lord,
turn toward us and listen to our prayers:
open the gates of paradise to your servant
and help us who remain
to comfort one another with assurances of faith,
until we all meet in Christ
and are with you with our brother/sister for ever.
All:
Amen.
Then the priest shall again sprinkle the coffin with holy water. After the sprinkling, the
coffin is incensed. An appropriate song may be sung.
Members of the family of the deceased may be asked to sprinkle the coffin with holy
water.
The priest blesses the body of the deceased with the sign of the cross:
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
Presider:

Amen.
May the soul of N
Amen.
May the angels lead you to paradise;
may the martyrs come to welcome you
and take you to the holy city
the new and eternal Jerusalem.
In peace let us take our brother/sister
303
to his/her place of rest.

Then the priest returns to the chair or to the altar.
CONCLUDING RITE
If the presider and not everybody is going to the place of committal, the presider may
give the final blessing on all those present. The priest, facing the people and extending
his hands, says:
Presider:
All:

The deacon adds or, in his absence, the priest himself, says the invitation:
Presider:
Bow down for the blessing
Then the priest, with hands extended over the people, says the blessing,
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
May the God of all consolation bless you,

for in his unfathomable goodness
he created the human race,
and in the Resurrection of his only begotten Son
he has given believers the hope of rising again.
Amen.
To us who are alive,
may God grant pardon for our sins,
and to all the dead, a place of light and peace.
Amen.
All:
So may we all live happily forever with Christ,

whom we believe truly rose from the dead.
Amen.
Presider:
And may the blessing of almighty God,
Presider:
304
the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit,

come down on you and remain with you for ever.
Amen.
All:
Then the priest himself, with hands joined and facing the people, says:
Presider:
All:
Go forth, the Mass is ended.

Thanks be to God.
Then the priest venerates the altar as usual with a kiss, as at the beginning. After
making a profound bow with the ministers, he withdraws.
RITE OF COMMITTAL
AT THE GRAVE OR AT THE CEMETARY

305
ORDER OF THE
CELEBRATION
Invitation
Scripture Reading
Prayer Over the Place of Committal
Prayer of Committal
Intercessions
The Lords Prayer
Concluding Prayer
Conclusion
RITE OF COMMITTAL AT THE CEMETARY

I rejoiced when I heard them say, Let us go to the house of the Lord.
Invitation
When the funeral procession arrives at the place of committal the priest says the
following or a similar invitation.
306
Presider:
Our brother/sister N has gone to his/her rest in the

peace of Christ. May the Lord now welcome him/her
to the table of Gods children in heaven. With faith
and hope in eternal life, let us assist him/her with our
prayers.
Let us pray to the Lord also for ourselves. May we
who mourn be reunited one day with N; together may
we meet Christ Jesus when he who is our life
appears in glory.
Scripture Reading
Philippians 3:20, 24
Presider:
We read in sacred Scripture:

and Jesus Christ whose return we long for
will come from heaven to save us.
Prayer over the Place of Committal

Presider:
All:
Presider:
All praise to you, Lord of all creation.

Praise to you, holy and living God.
We praise and bless you for your mercy,
we praise and bless you for your kindness.
Blessed is the Lord, our God
Blessed is the Lord, our God.
You sanctify the homes of the living
and make holy the places of the dead.
307
All:
Presider:
All:
You alone open the gates of righteousness

and lead us to the dwellings of the saints.
We praise you, our refuge and strength.
We bless you, our God and Redeemer.
Your praise is always in our hearts and on our lips.
We remember the mighty deeds of the covenant.
Blessed is the Lord, our God
With hands extended, the priest continues

Presider:
Almighty and ever-living God,

remember the mercy with which you graced
your servant N in life.
Receive him/her, we pray,
into the mansions of the saints.
As we make ready our brothers/sisters resting place,
look also with favor on those who mourn
and comfort them in their loss.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.
All:
Amen.
Blessing of the Grave
If the place of committal is to be blessed, the priest continues

Presider:
Lord Jesus Christ,

by your own three days in the tomb,
you hallowed the graves of all who believe in you
and so made the grave a sign of hope
that promises resurrection
even as it claims our mortal bodies.
308
Grant that our brother/sister N may sleep here in peace

until you awaken him/her to glory,
for you are the resurrection and the life.
Then he/she will see you face to face
and in your light will see light
and know the splendor of God,
for you live and reign for ever and ever.
All:
Amen.
Presider:
O God, by whose mercy

the faithful departed find rest,
bless + this grave,
and send your holy angel to watch over it.
As we bury here the body of our brother/sister,
deliver his/her soul from every bond of sin,
that he/she may rejoice in you with your saints for ever.
All:
Amen.
The priest sprinkles the grave with holy water.
Then priest says the words of committal.

Presider:
Prayer of Committal
In sure and certain hope

of the resurrection to eternal life
through our Lord Jesus Christ,
we commend to Almighty God
our brother/sister N,
and we commit his/her body to
(the ground/its resting place]:
earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
The Lord bless him/her and keep him/her,
309
the Lord make his face to shine upon him/her

and be gracious to him/her,
the Lord lift up his countenance upon him/her
and give him/her peace.
All:
Amen.
Then, the coffin is now lowered into the grave. The grave is sealed immediately.
The priest continues with the intercessions
Intercessions
Presider:
For our brother/sister, N,

let us pray to our Lord Jesus Christ, who said,
I am the resurrection and the life.
Whoever believes in me shall live even in death
and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.
Minister:
Lord, you consoled Martha and Mary in their distress;

draw near to us who mourn for N,
and dry the tears of those who weep.
We pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
All:
Minister:
All:
Minister:
All:
You wept at the grave of Lazarus, your friend;

comfort us in our sorrow.
Lord, have mercy.
You raised the dead to life;
give to our brother/sister eternal life.
Lord, have mercy.
310
Reader:
All:
Minister:
All:
Reader:
All:
Reader:
All:
You promised paradise to the repentant thief;

bring N to the joys of heaven.
Lord, have mercy.
Our brother/sister was washed in baptism
and anointed with the Holy Spirit;
give him/her fellowship with all your saints.
Lord, have mercy.
He/she was nourished with your body and blood;
grant him/her a place at the table
in your heavenly kingdom.
Lord, have mercy.
Comfort us in our sorrow at the death of N;
let our faith be our consolation,
and eternal life our hope.
Lord, have mercy.
The Lords Prayer

Presider:
Now let us pray as Christ the Lord has taught us:

All:

thy kingdom come,
311
thy will be done

The priest says following prayers

Presider:
Concluding Prayer
Let us pray:
God of holiness and power,
accept our prayers
on behalf of your servant N;
do not count his/her deeds against him/her,
for in his/her heart he/she desired to do your will.
As his/her faith united him/her to your people on earth,
so may your mercy join him/her to the angels in heaven.
Listen, O God, to the prayers of your Church
on behalf of the faithful departed,
and grant to your servant N,
whose funeral we have celebrated today,
the inheritance promised to all your saints.
Deliver his/her soul from death,
number him/her among your saints
and clothe him/her with the robe of salvation
to enjoy for ever the delights of your kingdom.
All:
Amen.
312

Presider:
Lord God,
whose days are without end
and whose mercies beyond counting,
keep us mindful that life is short
and the hour of death unknown.
Let your Spirit guide our days on earth

in the ways of holiness and justice,
that we may serve you
in union with the whole Church,
sure in faith, strong in hope, perfected in love.
And when our earthly journey is ended,
lead us rejoicing into your kingdom,
where you live for ever and ever.
All:
Amen.
Prayer over the People
With hands extended, the priest then says:
Presider:
All:

And also with you
All pray silently. The priest, with hands outstretched over the people, says the following
prayer.
Presider:
Merciful Lord,
you know the anguish of the sorrowful,
you are attentive to the prayers of the humble.
313
All:
Hear your people

who cry out to you in their need,
and strengthen their hope in your lasting goodness.
Amen.
Then the priest continues

Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:

Amen.
May the soul of N
Amen.
The priest sprinkles the grave with holy water. Then he blesses the people, saying
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
May the love of God

Amen.
Thanks be to God.
A hymn or song may conclude the rite. Some sign or gesture of leave-taking may be
made.
314
315
ORDER FOR VISITING

A GRAVE OR A CEMETARY
ORDER OF THE
CELEBRATION
Sign of the Cross
Greeting
Scripture Reading
Responsory
Litany of the Saints
The Lords Prayer
Concluding Prayer
Conclusion
ORDER FOR VISITING A CEMETERY

Procession
316
If the service is to take place immediately after Mass and the cemetery is close to the
parish church, the blessing and dismissal of the Mass are omitted and the procession to
the cemetery is formed.
When all have reached the cemetery, the priest or another minister addresses the
people, using the introduction below. If there is no procession, or the service takes
place apart from Mass, a psalm or other suitable song may be sung after all have
gathered at the cemetery.
The Greeting
The minister and those present sign themselves with the sign of the cross and the priest
says:
Minister:
All:

and of the Son, +
Amen.
a priest or deacon is present, he greets the people in the following or other words
preferably taken from Scripture:
If
Minister:
All:
The grace and peace of God our Father,

who raised Jesus from the dead,
be always with you.
And also with you.
A lay minister greets those present in the following words:

Minister:
All:
Praise be to God our Father,

who raised Jesus Christ from the dead.
Blessed be God forever.
The minister using these or similar words, says:
317
My dear friends, we gather today to pray for our brothers and

sisters whose bodies lie here in rest. They have passed from
death to life in company with the Lord Jesus, who died and rose
to new life, and are purified now of their faults. We pray that God
may welcome them among all the saints of heaven.
Scripture Reading
If Mass has not preceded, a reader, another person present, or the minister reads a text
of sacred Scripture.
From the first letter of the apostle Paul to the Thessalonians

We shall stay with the Lord for ever.
We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, about those

who have fallen asleep, so that you may not grieve like the rest, who
have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will
God, through Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
Indeed, we tell you this, on the word of the Lord, that we who are alive,
who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not precede those
who have fallen asleep.
For the Lord himself, with a word of command, with the voice of an
archangel and the trumpet of God, will come down from heaven, and
the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will
be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the
air. Thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, console one
another with these words.
Responsory
As circumstances suggest, one of the following responsorial psalms may be sung, or
some other suitable song.
318
Response:
To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
In you I trust; let me not be put to shame,

let not my enemies exult over me.
No one who waits for you shall be put to shame;
those shall be put to shame who heedlessly break faith.
Response:

Your ways, O Lord, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and for you I wait all the day.
Response:

Remember that your compassion, O Lord,
and your kindness are from of old.
The sins of my youth and my frailties remember not;
in your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O Lord.
Response:

Good and upright is the Lord;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
he teaches the humble his way. R.
Response:

319
All the paths of the Lord are kindness and constancy

toward those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
For your name's sake, O Lord,
you will pardon my guilt, great as it is.
Litany of Intercessions
While the following litany is sung or recited, the minister sprinkles the graves with holy
Minister:
All:
Minister:
All:
Minister:
All:
Minister:
All:
Minister:
All:
Minister:
All:
Minister:
All:
Minister:
All:

Christ, hear us
320
for him/her.
Holy Mary,
Holy Mother of God,
Saint Michael,
Saint John the Baptist,
Saint Joseph,
Saint Peter,
Saint Paul,
Saint Andrew,
Saint Stephen,
Saints Joachim and Ann,
Saint Teresa,
Saint Catherine,
Saint Frances Cabrini,
Saint Elizabeth Seton,
Saint Lorenzo of Manila,
Saint Pedro Calungsod,
Saint John Paul II
(The names of other saints may be added.)
All holy men and women, pray for them

After every petition, all respond - *Lord,
hear our prayer
Christ, pardon all their faults:

Christ, remember the good they have done:
Christ, receive them into eternal life:
Christ, comfort all those who mourn:
Minister:
All:
Jesus, Son of the Living God

321
Minister:
All:
Minister:
All:
Christ, hear us.

Christ, hear us.
The Lords Prayer
The minister then invites those present to pray the Lord's Prayer, in these or similar
words
Minister:
Now let us pray as Christ the Lord has taught us:

All:

thy kingdom come,
thy will be done
Concluding Prayer
The minister says one of the following concluding prayers.

For several persons
Minister:
Let us pray
ll-powerful God,
whose mercy is never withheld
from those who call upon you in hope,
look kindly on your servants N and N,
who departed this life confessing your name,
322
and number him/her among your saints for evermore.

All:
Amen.
For a single person
Minister:
Let us pray
lmighty God and Father,

it is our certain faith that your Son,
who died on the cross,
was raised from the dead,
the first fruits of all who have fallen asleep.
Grant that through this mystery
your servant N,
who has gone to his/her rest in Christ,
may share in the joy of his resurrection.
All:
Amen.
Blessing
The minister sprinkles the grave with holy water.
After blessing the grave, he continues
Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
Presider:

Amen.
May the soul of N
323
All:
Amen.

Presider:
All:

If a priest or a deacon is present, he blesses the people, saying

Presider:
All:
Presider:
All:
May the peace of God,

which is beyond all understanding,
keep your hearts and minds
in the knowledge and love of God
and of his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Thanks be to God.
The antiphon, Salve Regina or another appropriate concluding song is sung.
324

IN Sure and Certain Hope: Liturgy, Rites and Prayers For The Dead

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IN Sure and Certain Hope: Liturgy, Rites and Prayers For The Dead

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IN

SURE AND CERTAIN HOPE

Rite of Gathering in the Presence of the Body 3

Order of the Mass

Rite of Transfer of the Body to the Church

IN THE PRESENCE OF THE BODY

In the name of the Father,

and of the Son, +

The Lord be with you.

In these or in similar words, the priest invites all present to prayer

In this moment of sorrow

The priest then invites those present to pray in silence.

A brief Scripture reading is read.

The Lord is our shepherd

My soul hopes in the Lord.

My soul hopes in the Lord.

My soul hopes in the Lord.

My soul is waiting for the Lord,

My soul hopes in the Lord.

Because with the Lord there is mercy

My soul hopes in the Lord.

The Lords Prayer

With God there is mercy

Our Father, who art in heaven,

Holy Lord, almighty and eternal God,

Then the following prayer is said

but only peace and joy with Jesus your Son,

Father of mercies and God of all consolation,

Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,

The priest blesses the body of the deceased saying

Blessed are those who have died in the Lord;

let them rest from their labors

Eternal rest + grant unto N, O Lord.

With hands extended, the priest blesses all present saying

The Lord be with you.

The priest blesses the people, saying

May the love of God

The antiphon, Salve Regina, is sung

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy,

VIGIL FOR THE DECEASED

VIGIL FOR THE DECEASED

In the name of the Father,

May the Father of mercies,

In this or in similar words, the priest invites all present to prayer

My brothers and sisters, we believe that all the ties of friendship

nor does it destroy the bonds

The Vigil continues with the Liturgy of the Word.

The Word of the Lord.

Psalm 27 is sung or said.

I rejoiced when I heard them say:

I rejoiced when I heard them say:

I rejoiced when I heard them say:

I rejoiced when I heard them say:

I rejoiced when I heard them say:

Because of my relatives and friends

I rejoiced when I heard them say:

The gospel reading is then proclaimed.

+ A reading from the holy gospel according to Luke (12:35-40)

The Gospel of the Lord.

Let us turn to Christ Jesus

Crucified Lord, forsaken in death, raised in glory:

Lord Jesus, gentle Shepherd who bring rest to our souls,

give peace to N for ever: