God gives life to His People
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GREETING
Leader:
In the name of the Father (+)
and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
All : Amen.
Leader:
O God,
by your name save me.
By your strength
defend my cause.
All:
O God, hear my prayer.
Listen to the words
of my mouth.
Leader:
God is present
as my helper;
the Lord sustains my life.
All:
Then I will offer you
generous sacrifice
and praise
your gracious name.
Leader:
Consider,
how great the excellence
in which the
Lord has placed you.
All :
Because he has created
and formed you
to the image
of his beloved Son
according to the body
and to his own likeness
according to the spirit.
OPENING PRAYER
Leader:
Let us pray.
Lord, in weakness
or in strength,
we bear your image.
We pray for those we love
who have died,
especially for (N...),
whose lives are now
different from ours,
but where the light of memory
is still strong,
where the beloved
are reunited.
Hold them in your
everlasting arms,
bestow upon them
the fullness of your life,
and grant to those
who are left behind,
strength to serve,
patience to persevere,
love to last and
peace that passes
human understanding.
Hold us in your
everlasting arms,
today and for all eternity;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All : Amen.
OLD TESTAMENT READING
A reading from
the book of Sirach.
(Sirach 34:13-17)
The spirit of those
who fear the Lord will live,
for their hope
is in him who saves them.
He who fears the Lord
will not be timid,
nor play the coward,
for he is his hope.
Blessed is the soul
of the man who fears
the Lord!
To whom does he look?
And who is his support?
The eyes of the Lord
are upon those
who love him,
a mighty protection
and strong support,
a shelter from the hot wind
and a shade
from noonday sun,
a guard against stumbling
and a defense against falling.
He lifts up the soul
and gives light to the eyes;
he grants healing,
life, and blessing.
The word of the Lord.
All : Thanks be to God.
PSALM (84)
My soul yearns and pines
for the courts of the Lord.
My heart and flesh
cry out for the living God.
Response:
How lovely is your dwelling,
O Lord of hosts!
As the sparrow
finds a home
and the swallow
a nest to settle her young,
my home is by your altars,
Lord of hosts,
my king and my God!
Response:
How lovely is your dwelling,
O Lord of hosts!
Happy are those
who dwell in your house!
They never cease
to praise you.
Happy are those
who find refuge in you,
whose hearts are set
on pilgrim roads.
Response:
How lovely is your dwelling,
O Lord of hosts!
Lord of hosts,
hear my prayer;
listen, God of Jacob.
Better one day
in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere.
Response:
How lovely is your dwelling,
O Lord of hosts!
REFLECTION
Leader:
God cares.
Sometimes our feelings
about God become involved
in the process of grieving.
We can blame him
for what has happened
or wonder why he didn't stop it.
We may have come to believe
that God punishes us
for doing wrong.
We may think someone else
besides our loved one
would be more deserving of death.
Those who call and
come to the funeral home
may say things
that confuse and anger us:
that the death is God's will,
that it is a blessing,
that God needed
a good person in heaven.
Many of us have come
to deeper faith
through our loss.
We have come
to believe that God
is at least as upset
about our loss as we are.
After all, he lost his only Son.
After all, Jesus stood and wept
at the tomb of his friend Lazarus.
Even Jesus was not spared death.
If we can make it to the point
where we don't blame God
for what has happened,
we can begin receiving
the real help he wishes to give us.
We can see him
in family and friends
to maintain contact
and offer to help.
We can receive his strength,
understanding and consolation
when we see him
in those who listen
to how we feel.
We can experience
the joy of Jesus,
promise of forgiveness
and eternal life,
even in the times
when we struggle the most.
We can come to see
that God has not
abandoned us at all,
but that he carries us
through the most difficult times.
(Pause for personal, silent reflection)
INTERCESSIONS
Leader:
Let us now pray with joy
to Christ the Lord.
He rose from the dead
and is living now
to intercede for us.
Response: Victorious King, hear us.
Christ, you are the light
of the world and
the salvation of nations;
set us on fire
with your Spirit
as we proclaim
the wonder of
your resurrection.
Response: Victorious King, hear us.
Keep us united
in the communion
of the saints;
may we find rest
with them
when life's work is done.
Response: Victorious King, hear us.
You have overcome death,
the last enemy of humankind;
destroy everything in us
that is at odds with God.
Response: Victorious King, hear us.
Christ our Saviour,
you became obedient
to death,
but God raised you
to the heights.
Receive our brothers and sisters,
especially (N...)
into the kingdom
of your glory.
Response: Victorious King, hear us.
THE LORD'S PRAYER
Leader:
Let us now pray
the prayer that
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.
Amen.
CLOSING PRAYER
Leader:
Let us pray.
To our God
who is able to keep us
from falling, and lift us
from the dark valley of despair
to the bright mountain of hope,
from the midnight of desperation
to the daybreak of joy;
to him be power and authority,
forever and ever.
All: Amen.
Leader:
Eternal rest grant unto (N...)
O Lord.
All :
And let perpetual light
shine upon him/her.
Leader:
May he/ she rest in peace.
All : Amen.
Leader:
May the soul of (N...)
and the souls of all
the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God,
rest in peace.
All :
Amen.
Let us all,
everywhere,
in every place,
at every hour,
and at all times,
daily and continually believe,
truly and humbly,
and let us hold
in our hearts, and love,
honour, adore, serve,
praise and bless,
glorify and exalt,
magnify and give thanks
to the most
High and Supreme,
Eternal God.
Leader:
In the name of the Father (+)
and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
All : Amen.
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