Usccb Prayer Prayers For Death and Dying
Usccb Prayer Prayers For Death and Dying
Usccb Prayer Prayers For Death and Dying
"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 dies in Christ Jesus is 'away from the body and at home
with the Lord' (2 Cor 5:8)."
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1681
Short Texts
Though I should walk in the valley of the shadow of death, no evil would I fear, for you are with me. (Ps 23:4)
Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. (Lk 23:42)
Scripture Readings
Job 19:23-27
Psalm 23
Psalm 91
Psalm 121
1 John 4:16
Revelation 21:1-7
Matthew 25:1-13
Luke 22:39-46
Luke 23:44-49
Luke 24:1-8
John 6:37-40
John 14:16, 23, 27
Those gathered might take turns reading these passages from the family Bible.
Prayer of Commendation
The following prayers may be recited immediately after death and may be repeated in the hours that follow.
R/. Receive his/her soul and present him/her to God the Most High.
Let us pray.
All-powerful and merciful God,
we commend to you N., your servant.
In your mercy and love,
blot out the sins he/she has committed
through human weakness.
In this world he/she has died:
let him/her live with you forever.
Through Christ our Lord.
R/. Amen.
When the family first gathers around the body, before or after it is prepared for burial, all or some of the following prayers
may be used. It is most fitting that, where possible, family members take part in preparing the body for burial.
All make the Sign of the Cross. Then one member of the family reads:
The Lord God lives in his holy temple yet abides in our midst.
Since in Baptism, N. became God's temple
and the Spirit of God lived in him/her,
with reverence we bless his/her mortal body.
Our Father...
All may sign the forehead of the deceased with the Sign of the Cross. One member of the family says:
Blessed are those who have died in the Lord;
let them rest from their labors
for their good deeds go with them.
All make the Sign of the Cross as one member of the family says:
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:
in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
R/. Amen.
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.
R/. Amen.
Lord,
N. is gone now from this earthly dwelling,
and has left behind those who mourn his/her absence.
Grant that we may hold his/her memory dear,
never bitter for what we have lost
nor in regret for the past,
but always in hope of the eternal Kingdom
where you will bring us together again.
Through Christ our Lord.
R/. Amen.
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:
in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
R/. Amen.
Prayers at Graveside
O God,
by whose mercy the faithful departed find rest,
send your holy Angel to watch over this grave.
Through Christ our Lord.
R/. Amen.
Excerpts from the English translation of Pastoral Care of the Sick: Rites of Anointing and Viaticum © 1982 International
Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL); excerpts from the English translation of the Order of Christian
Funerals © 1985, 1989 ICEL. All rights reserved.
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity
of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of
the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, prepared by the monks of Conception Abbey © 2010, 2018 United States of Conference of
Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. All rights reserved.