Suggestions for Prayers and Readings to Assist Families and Friends to Prepare the Catholic Requiem Mass
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Suggestions for Prayers and Readings To assist families and friends To prepare the Catholic Requiem Mass This workbook will enable you to prepare an Order of Service for Requiem and choose from the Church’s readings and prayers. In this way you can be closer in spirit with your loved one who has died. Please follow the simple instructions inside. Another useful resource: “Life is changed not Ended”. A Workbook for preparing a Catholic Funeral. The Brisbane Liturgical Commission (your Parish will have it) FUNERAL LITURGY 1 ORDER OF SERVICE REQUIUM MASS FINAL COMMENDATION AND FAREWELL Gathering Song Words of Remembrance (if desired – can also INTRODUCTORY RITES take place before the Introductory Rites) Lighting of the Paschal Candle Recessional Hymn Sprinkling of the Holy Water Placing of the White Pall PRAYERS (without Mass) Placing of Flowers/Christian Symbols Gathering Hymn Opening Prayer INTRODUCTORY RITES Lighting of the Paschal Candle LITURGY OF THE WORD Sprinkling of the Holy Water Reading 1 Placing of the White Pall Psalm – usually sung Placing of Flowers/Christian Symbols Reading 2 (if required) Opening Prayer Verse before Gospel – sung (If not sung, then omitted) LITURGY OF THE WORD Gospel Reading 1 Homily Psalm – usually sung Prayer of the Faithful Reading 2 (if required) Verse before Gospel – sung LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST (If not sung, then omitted) Procession of Gifts Gospel Preparation of Gifts Homily Eucharistic Prayer Prayer of the Faithful Communion Rite Thanksgiving Hymn FINAL COMMENDATION AND FAREWELL Words of Remembrance (if desired - can also take place before the Introductory Rites) Recessional Hymn FUNERAL LITURGY 2 ORDER OF SERVICE LITURGY OF THE WORD (see pages: 3-26) FIRST READING From 1 to 11 (Old Testament Readings) No. ____ who reads? …………………………………………… RESPONSORIAL PSALM (48 – 51) or a suitable hymn: No. ____ SECOND READING (if required) From 12 to 30 (New Testament Readings) No. ____ who reads? …………………………………………… GOSPEL From 31 to 47 No. ____ (read by Priest/Deacon) PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL (from page 29) Nos. ______________________________________ Usually between 4 and 9 prayers are chosen. You may wish to compose some of your own prayers, following the format set out. One person or several people may read these prayers. If more than one person is to share the reading of the Prayer of the Faithful, all should come to the microphone together, and return to their places together, after all the prayers are read. Reader(s): …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… FUNERAL LITURGY 3 FIRST READINGS (Old Testament) 1. From the Book of Job 19:1,23-27 3. From the Book of Wisdom Then Job answered The souls of the righteous are in the hand of “O that my words were written down! God, O that they were inscribed in a book! And no torment will ever touch them. O that with an iron pen and with lead In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have They were engraved on a rock forever! died, For I know that my Redeemer lives, And their departure was thought to be a And that at the last he will stand upon the disaster, earth; And their going from us to be their And after my skin has been thus destroyed, destruction; Then in my flesh I shall see God, But they are at peace. Whom I shall see on my side, For though in the sight of others they were And my eyes shall behold, and not another. punished, Their hope is full of immortality. The Word of the Lord. Having been disciplined a little They will receive great good, Because God tested them 2. From the Prophet Isaiah 25: 6-9 And found them worthy of himself; Like gold in the furnace he tried them, On this mountain And like a sacrificial burnt offering he The Lord of hosts will make for all peoples accepted them. A feast of rich food filled with marrow, Those who trust in him will understand truth, Of well-aged wines strained clear. And the faithful will abide with him in love, And he will destroy on this mountain Because grace and mercy are upon his holy The shroud that is cast over all peoples, ones, The sheet that is spread over all nations; And he watches over his elect. He will swallow up death forever. Then the Lord God The Word of the Lord. Will wipe away the tears from all faces, And the disgrace of his people he will take away From all the earth, For the Lord has spoken. It will be said on that day, Lo, this is our God; We have waited for him, So that he might save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited; Let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation. The Word of the Lord. FUNERAL LITURGY 4 FIRST READINGS (Old Testament) 4. From the Prophet Isiah 41: 8-10 6. From the Book of Wisdom 4:7-15 You, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, The righteous, though they die early, will be at The offspring of Abraham, my friend; rest. You whom I took from the ends of the earth, For old age is not honoured for length of time, And called from its farthest corners, Or measured by number of years; Saying to you, “You are my servant, But understanding is grey hair for anyone, I have chosen you and not cast you off”; And a blameless life is ripe old age. Do not fear, for I am with you, Do not be afraid, for I am your God; There were some who pleased God I will strengthen you, I will help you, And were loved by him, I will uphold you with my victorious right And while living among sinners were taken hand. up. They were caught up The Word of the Lord. So that evil might not change their understanding Or guile deceive their souls. 5. From the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel For the fascination of wickedness obscures 37:12-14 what is good, And roving desire perverts the innocent mind. Thus says the Lord God: Being perfected in a short time, they fulfilled I am going to open your graves, long years; And bring you up from your graves, O my For their souls were pleasing to the Lord, people; Therefore he took them quickly from the And I will bring you back to the land of Israel. midst of wickedness. And you shall know that I am the Lord, When I open your graves, Yet the peoples saw and did not understand, And bring you up from your graves, O my Or take such a thing to heart, people. That God’s grace and mercy are with his elect, I will put my spirit within you, and you shall And that he watches over his holy ones. live, And I will place you on your own soil; The Word of the Lord Then you shall know that I, the Lord, Have spoken and will act. The Word of the Lord FUNERAL LITURGY 5 FIRST READINGS (Old Testament) 7. From the book of the Prophet Jeremiah 17:5-10 8. From the Prophet Ezekiel 34:11-16 Thus says the Lord: For thus says the Lord God: Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals I myself will search for my sheep, And make mere flesh their strength, And will seek them out. Whose hearts turn away from the Lord. As shepherds seek out their flocks They shall be like a shrub in the desert, When they are among their scattered sheep And shall not see when relief comes. So I will seek out my sheep. They shall live in the parched places of the I will rescue them from all the places wilderness, To which they have been scattered In an uninhabited salt land. On a day of clouds and thick darkness I will bring them out from the peoples Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, And gather them from the countries, Whose trust is the Lord. And will bring them into their own land; They shall be like a tree planted by water, And I will feed them on the mountains of Sending out its roots by the stream. Israel, It shall not fear when heat comes, By the watercourses, And it leaves shall stay green; And in all the inhabited parts of the land. In the year of drought it is not anxious, I will feed them with good pasture, And it does not cease to bear fruit. And the mountain heights of Israel Shall be their pasture; The heart is devious above all else; There they shall lie down in good grazing land, It is perverse – who can understand it? And they shall feed on rich pasture\ I the Lord test the mind and search the heart, On the mountains of Israel. To give to all according to their ways, I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, According to the fruit of their doings. And I will make them lie down, says the Lord God. The Word of the Lord I will seek the lost and I will bring back the strayed, And I will bind up the injured, And I will strengthen the weak, But the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice. The Word of the Lord. FUNERAL LITURGY 6 FIRST READINGS (Old Testament) 9. From the book of Proverbs 3:13-18 For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert; Happy are those who find wisdom, The burning sand shall become a pool, And those who get understanding, And the thirsty ground springs of water; For her income is better than silver, The haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, And her revenue better than gold.