Funerals

Our parish is where we celebrate the special moments in our lives. Our parish is where we come to be married, see our children and grandchildren baptized, come to be reconciled with God and to be nourished by the Holy Eucharist. Our parish is where we take our final journey out of this world and into the next.

One way you can show others that the Church is important to you is to request that all in lieu of flowers donations made in your memory be directed toward your parish or favourite Archdiocesan charity. To ensure that your wishes are fulfilled, let your family know of your intention. Then sign and date a handwritten letter that states your wishes and keep it with your will. The Archdiocese will ensure that In Memoriam cards are delivered to the funeral home for the visitation.

Planning a Funeral Mass

Funerals take place at 10:00 AM.
One eulogy (4 -5 minutes in length) may be given before Mass.
Please:

  • leave a contact name and number where you can be reached
  • Please have someone come in to pick up the readings for the Mass

If you wish, 4 people can be chosen to carry the gifts.
The library may be used before Mass by the family if needed.

If you wish, we would be happy to provide a soloist or an organist . The fee for each is $150.

Choosing the Readings and General Intercessions for Mass

First Reading and Responsorial Psalm

Outside of Easter, the First Reading are drawn from the Old Testament:

During Easter, the First Reading is drawn from from the New Testament:

Responsorial Psalm

Note: The Responsorial Psalm is usually sung by the Cantor. If you are not having a Cantor, then pick whatever Psalm you wish and your first reader will read it.

The Second Reading

The second reading is from the Epistles, and go from number 1 to 17.

The Gospel

The Priest celebrating the Mass chooses the Gospel.

The General Intercessions

You may compose your own or choose 4 or 5 of the ones provided.

The Gifts

If you wish, you may have people bring the gifts to the altar. The chalice, the hosts, the wine and the water will be placed at the doors of the Church on the table with the white cloth.

The Eulogy

Any remarks by a family member or a family friend are to be made before the Mass begins and should last no longer than 4-5 minutes. Just one person may speak. If you want others to say a few words, the appropriate place would be the Funeral Home or the gravesite. Please do not ask for any exceptions to this guideline.

Readings

Outside the Easter season, the first reading is taken from the Old Testament and are numbered 789(1)-789(7). During the Easter season, the First Reading is taken from the New Testament: see 790(1), (16), (17) and (18).

789 (1) Job 19: 23-27

A reading from the Book of Wisdom
Job said to those who reproached him: “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 Redeemer ‘lives, and he, the Last, will take his stand on earth.
“After my awaking, he will set me close to him, and from my flesh I shall look on God.
“He whom I shall see will take my part.”
The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 2:1, 4, 7, 8b, 9a

R- I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.
The Lord is my light and my help; whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life; before whom shall I shrink? R.

There is one thing I ask of the Lord, for this I long,
to live in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life,
to savor the sweetness of the Lord,
to behold his temple. R.

0 Lord, hear my voice when I call;
have mercy and answer.
It is your face, O Lord, that I seek; hide not your face. R.
1 am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.
Hope in him, hold firm and take heart. Hope in the Lord! R-

789 (2) Wisdom 3: 1-10

A reading from the book of Wisdom

The souls of the virtuous are in the hands of Got
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, their hope was rich with immortality; ’slight was their affliction, great will their blessings be.
God has put them to the test and proved them worthy to be with him; “he has tested them like gold in a furnace, and accepted them as a holocaust.
‘When the time comes for his visitation they will shine out, as sparks run through the stubble, so will they. They shall judge nations, rule over peoples, and the Lord will be their king for ever. ‘They who trust in him will understand the truth, those who are faithful will live with him in love; for grace and mercy await those he has chosen.
The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm Ps. 116: 5-6,10-11,15-16

R. I will walk in the presence of the Lord in the land of the living.
or Alleluia.

How gracious is the Lord, and just; our God has compassion. The Lord protects the simple hearts; I was helpless so he saved me. R.
I trusted, even when I said: I am sorely afflicted, and when I said in my alarm: No man can be trusted. R.
O precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful. Your servant, Lord, your servant am I; you have loosened my bonds. R.

789 ( 3) Wis. 4: 7-15
A reading from the book of Wisdom
The virtuous man, though he dies before his time, will find rest.
‘Length of days is not what makes age honorable, nor number of years the true measure of life; ‘understanding, this is man’s grey hairs, untarnished life, this is ripe old age.
“He has sought to please God, so God has loved him;
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.
The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 23: 1,3,4,5,6
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or If I should walk in the valley of darkness, no evil would I fear, for you are with me.
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. Fresh and green are the pastures where he gives me repose. Near restful waters he leads me, to revive my drooping spirit. R.
He guides me along the right path;
He is true to his name.
If I should walk in the valley of darkness
no evil would I fear.
You are there with your crook and your staff;
with these you give me comfort. R.
You have prepared a banquet for me in the sight of my foes. My head you have anointed with oil; my cup is overflowing. R.
Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me
all the days of my life.
In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell
for ever and ever. R.

789 (4) Is.25: 6a, 7-9
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah
On this mountain,
the Lord Sabaoth will prepare for all peoples a banquet of rich food.
On this mountain he will remove
the mourning Veil covering all peoples, and the shroud enwrapping all nations.
The Lord God will destroy death for ever;
he will wipe away the tears from every cheek;
he will take away his people’s shame everywhere on earth,
for the Lord has said so.
That day, it will be said: See, this is our God in whom we hoped for salvation;
the Lord is the one in whom we hoped.
We exult and we rejoice that he has saved us.
The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 23: 1,3,4,5,6
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. Fresh and green are the pastures where he gives me repose. Near restful waters he leads me, to revive my drooping spirit. R.
He guides me along the right path;
he is true to his name.
If I should walk in the valley of darkness
no evil would I fear.
You are there with your crook and your staff;
with these you give me comfort. R.
You have prepared a banquet for me in the sight of my foes. My head you have anointed with oil; my cup is overflowing. R.
Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me all the days of my life.
In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell
for ever and ever. R.

789 (5) Lam. 3: 17-26

A reading from the book of Lamentations
My soul is shut out from peace;
I have forgotten happiness.
“And now I say, “My strength is gone,
that hope which came from the Lord.”
“Brooding on my anguish and affliction is gall and wormwood.
“My spirit ponders it continually and sinks within me.
“This is what I shall tell my heart, and so recover hope: “The favors 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
the soul that searches for him. It is good to wait in silence for the Lord to save.
The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm Ps. 25: 6-7bc,17-18,20-21
R. Those who hope in you, O Lord, shall not be disappointed.
Remember your mercy, Lord,
and the love you have shown from of old.
In your love remember me,
because of your goodness, O Lord. R.

Relieve the anguish of my heart and set me free from my distress. See my affliction and my toil and take all my sins away. R.

Preserve my life and rescue me. Do not disappoint me, you are my refuge. May innocence
and uprightness protect me: for my hope is in you, O Lord. R.

789 (6) Dan. 12: 1-3
A reading from the book of the prophet Daniel
In those days I, Daniel, was doing penance and heard this word of the Lord:
‘”At that time Michael will stand up, the great prince who mounts guard over your people. There is going to be a time of great distress, unparalleled since nations first came into existence. When that time comes, your own people will be spared, all those whose names are found written in the Book.
‘”Of those who lie sleeping in the dust of the earth many will awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting disgrace. ‘The learned will shine as brightly as the vault of heaven, and those who have instructed many in virtue, as bright -as stars for all eternity.”
The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Ps. 42: 2 ,3, 5bcd
R. My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life.
Like the deer that yearns for running streams, so my soul is yearning for you, my God. R.
My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life; when can I enter and see the face of God? R.
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. R.

789 (7) 2Mac.12: 43 – 46
A reading from the second book of Maccabees
Judas, Israel’s leader, took a collection, amounting to nearly two thousand drachmae, and sent it to Jerusalem to have a sacrifice for sin offered, an altogether fine and noble action, in which he took full account of the resurrection.
“For if he had not expected the fallen to rise again it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead, “whereas if he had in view the splendid recompense reserved for those who make a pious end, the thought was holy and devout.
This was why he had this atonement sacrifice offered for the dead, so that they might be released from their sin.
The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm Ps. 10: 8and 10, 13-14, 15-16, 17 -
R. 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. R.

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. R.

As for man, his days are like grass; he flowers like the flower of the field; the wind blows and he is gone and his place never sees him again. R.

But the love of the Lord is everlasting upon those who hold him in fear; his justice reaches out to children’s children when they keep his covenant in truth, when they keep his will in their mind. R.

790 New Testament Second Reading
During Easter Season, the First Reading is chosen fron 790(1), (16), (17) or (18).

790 (1) Acts 10:34-4
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles
Peter said: “The truth I have now come to realize is that God does not have favorites, “but that any body of any nationality who fears God and doe; what is right is acceptable to him.
»”It is true, God sent his word to the people of Israel, and it was to them that the good news of peace was brought by Jesus Christ — but Jesus Christ is Lord of all men.
“”You must have heard about the recent happenings in Judaea; about Jesus of Nazareth and how he began in Galilee, after John had been preaching baptism.”God had anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and because God was with him, Jesus went about doing good and curing all who had fallen into the power of the devil. «”Now I, and those with me, can witness to every­thing he did throughout the countryside of Judaea and in Jerusalem itself: and also to the fact that they killed him by hanging him on a tree, «yet three days afterward God raised him to life and allowed him to be seen, “not by the whole people but only by certain witnesses God had chosen beforehand.
“Now we are those witnesses — we have eaten and drunk with him after his resurrection from the dead — “and he has ordered us to proclaim this to his people and to tell them that God has appointed him to judge everyone, alive or dead.”It is to him that all the prophets bear this witness: that all who believe in Jesus will have their sins forgiven through his name.”

The word of the Lord.

When the above text is used in Easter Season as the First Reading, the following Responsorial Psalm is used.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 63: 2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9
R. For you my soul is thirsting, O Lord, my God.

O God, you are my God, for you I long;
for you my soul is thirsting.
My body pines for you
like a dry, weary land without water. R.
So I gaze on you in the sanctuary to see your strength and your glory. For your love is better than life, my lips will speak your praise. R.
So I will bless you all my life, in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul shall be filled as with a banquet, my mouth shall praise you with joy. R.
You have been my help;
in the shadow of your wings I rejoice.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand holds me fast. R.

790 (2) Rom.5: 5-11

A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans
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.
7It is not easy to die even for a good man — though of course for someone really worthy, a man might be prepared to die — ‘but what proves that God loves us is that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. ‘Having died to make us righteous, is it likely that he would now fail to save us from God’s anger?
10 When we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, we were still enemies; now that we have been reconciled, surely we may count on being saved by the life of his Son? “Not merely because we have been reconciled but because we are filled with joyful trust in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have already gained our reconciliation.

The word of the Lord.

790 (3) Rom. 5: 17 – 21

A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans
If it is certain that death reigned over everyone as the consequence of one man’s fall, it is even more certain that one man, Jesus Christ, will cause everyone to reign in life who receives the free gift that he does not deserve, of being made righteous.
“Again, as one man’s fall brought condemnation on everyone, so the good act of one man brings everyone life and makes them justified.”As by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man’s obedience many will be made right­eous.
“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.
The Word of the Lord.

790 (4) Rom. 6: 3-9
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans
You have been taught that when we were baptized in Christ Jesus we were baptized into his death; -in other words, when we were baptized we went into the tomb with him and joined him in death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the Father’s glory, we too might live a new life.
If in union with Christ we have imitated his death, we shall also imitate him in his resurrection. ‘We must realize that our former selves have been cru­cified with him to destroy this sinful body and to free us from the slavery of sin. ‘When a man dies, of course, he has finished with sin.
But we believe that having died with Christ we shall return to life with him: Christ, as we know, having been raised from the dead will never die again. Death has no power over him any more.
The word of the Lord.

790 (5) Rom. 8: 14-23
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans
Everyone moved by the Spirit is a son of God. “The spirit you received is not the spirit of slaves bringing fear into your lives again; it is the spirit of sons, and it makes us cry out, “Abba, Father!” “The Spirit himself and our spirit bear united wit­ness that we are children of God. And if we are children we are heirs as well: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, sharing his sufferings so as to share his glory.
“I think that what we suffer in this life can never be compared to the glory, as yet unrevealed, which is waiting for us.”The whole creation is eagerly waiting for God to reveal his sons. “It was not for any fault on the part of creation that it was made unable to attain its purpose, it was made so by God; but creation still retains the hope -of being freed, like us, from its slavery to decadence, to enjoy the same freedom and glory as the children of God.
“From the beginning till now the entire creation, as we know, has been groaning in one great act of giving birth; “and not only creation, but all of us who possess the first-fruits of the Spirit, we too groan inwardly as we wait for our bodies to be set free.
The word of the Lord.

790 (6) Rom. 8: 31b-35, 37-39
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans
With God on our side who can be against us? “Since God did not spare his own Son, but gave him up to benefit us all, we may be certain, after such a gift, that he will not refuse anything he can give.”Could anyone accuse those that God has chosen? When God acquits, could anyone condemn? Could Christ Jesus? No! He not only died for us — he rose from the dead, and there at God’s right hand he stands and pleads for us.
“Nothing therefore can come between us and the love of Christ, even if we are troubled or worried, or being persecuted, or lacking food or clothes, or being threatened or even attacked.”These are the trials through which we triumph, by the power of him who loved us.
“For I am certain of this: neither death nor life, no angel, no prince, nothing that exists, nothing still to come, not any power, “or height or depth, nor any created thing, can ever come between us and the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The word of the Lord.

790 (7) Rom. 14: 7-9, 10b-12
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans

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.
‘”We shall all have to stand before the judgment 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.

The word of the Lord.

790 (8) 1 Cor. 15: 20-24a, 25-28
A reading from the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians
Christ has been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of ail who have fallen asleep. “Death came through one man and in the same way the resur­rection of the dead has come through one man.”Just as all men die in Adam, so all men will be brought to life in Christ; “but all of them in their proper order: Christ as the first-fruits and then, after the coming of Christ, those who belong to him.”After that will come the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father.*
“For he must be king until he has put all his ene­mies under his feet; “the last of the enemies to be destroyed is death, for everything is to be put under his feet. — “Though when it is said that everything is subjected, this clearly cannot include the One who subjected everything to him.
“And when everything is subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subject in his turn to the One who subjected all things to him, so that God may be all in all.
The word of the Lord.

790 (9) 1 Cor. 15:51-57

A reading from the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians
I will tell you something that has been secret: that we are not all going to die, but we shall all be changed. “This will be instantaneous, in the twinkling of an eye, when the last trumpet sounds. It will sound, and the dead will be raised, imperishable, and we shall be changed as well, “because our present perishable nature must put on imperishability and this mortal nature must put on immortality.”When this perishable nature has put on imperish­ability, and when this mortal nature has put on immortality, then the words of scripture will come true: Death is swallowed up in victory. “Death, where is your victory?
Death, where is your sting?
“Now the sting of death is sin, and sin gets its power from the Law.”So let us thank God for giving us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The word of the Lord.

790 (9a) 2 Cor. 4:14 – 5: 1-
A reading from the second letter of Paul to the Corinthians
We know that he who raised the Lord Jesus to life will raise us with Jesus in our turn, and put us by his side and you with us. “You see, all this is for your benefit, so that the more grace is multiplied among people, the more thanksgiving there will be, to the glory of God.
“That is why there is no weakening on our part, and instead, though this outer man of ours may be falling into decay, the inner man is renewed day by day.”Yes, the troubles which are soon over, though they weigh little, train us for the carrying of a weight of eternal glory which is out of all pro­portion to them. “And so we have no eyes for things that are visible, but only for things that are invisible; for visible things last only for a time, and the invisible things are eternal.
‘For we know that when the tent that we live in on earth is folded up, there is a house built by God for us; an everlasting home not made by human hands, in the heavens.
The word of the Lord.

790 (10) 2 Cor. 5:1, 6-10
A reading from the second letter of Paul to the Corinthians

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.
The word of the Lord.

790 (11) Phil. 3: 20-21

A reading from the letter of Paul to the Philippians
For us, our homeland is in heaven, and from heaven comes the savior we are waiting for, the Lord Jesus Christ, “and he will transfigure these wretched bodies of ours into copies of his glorious body. He will do that by the same power with which he can subdue the whole universe.
The word of the Lord.

790 (12) 1 Thess. 4: 13-14, 17b – 18
A reading from the first letter of Paul to the Thessalonians

We want you to be quite certain, brothers, about those who have died, to make sure that you do not grieve about them, like the other people who have no hope.
“We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and that it will be the same for those who have died in Jesus: God will bring them with him.
“So we shall stay with the Lord for ever. “With such thoughts as these you should comfort one another.
The word of the Lord.
790 (13) 2 Tim 2:8-13

A reading from the second letter of Paul to Timothy
Remember the Good News that I carry, “Jesus Christ risen from the dead, sprung from the race of David”; ‘it is on account of this that I have my own hardships to bear, even to being chained like a criminal — but they cannot chain up God’s news.
So I bear it all for the sake of those who are chosen, s
O that in the end they may have the salva­tion that is in Christ Jesus and the eternal glory that comes with it
Here is a saying that you can rely on:
If we have died with him, then we shall live with him.
“If we hold firm, then we shall reign with him.
If we disown him, then he will disown us.
“We may be unfaithful, but he is always faithful,
for he cannot disown his own self.
The word of the Lord.
790 (14) 1 Jn. 3: 1-2
A reading from the first letter of John
Think of the love
that the Father has lavished on us
by letting us be called God’s children;
and that is what we are.
Because the world refused to acknowledge him,
therefore it does not acknowledge us. ‘My dear people, we are already the children of God but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed; all we know is, that when it is revealed we shall be like him because we shall see him as he really is.

The word of the Lord.

790 (15) 1 Jn. 3: 14-16
A reading from the first letter of John
We have passed out of death and into life,
and of this we can be sure because we love our brothers.
“If you refuse to love, you must remain dead;
to hate your brother is to be a murderer,
and murderers, as you know, do not have eternal life in them.
“This has taught us love — that he gave up his life for us; and we, too, ought to give up our lives for our brothers.
The word of the Lord.

790 (16) Rev. 14:13
A reading from the book of Revelation
I, John, heard a voice from heaven say to me, “Write down: Happy are those who die in the Lord! Happy indeed, the Spirit says; now they can rest for ever after their work, since their good deeds go with them.”
The word of the Lord.
When the above text is used in Easter Season as the First Reading, the following Responsorial Psalm used.
Responsorial Psalm Ps. 130: 1-2,3-4,6a,6b, 7, 8
R. I wait for the Lord, I count on his word.
Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord, Lord, hear my voice!
0 let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleading. R.
If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt, Lord, who would survive? But with you is found forgiveness: for this we revere you. R.
My soul is waiting for the Lord,
1 count on his word.
My soul is longing for the Lord
more than a watchman for daybreak. R. Because with the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption, Israel indeed he will redeem from all its iniquity. R.

790 (17) Rev. 20: 11-21
A reading from the book of Revelation
I, John, saw a great white throne and the One who was sitting on it. In his presence, earth and sky vanished, leaving no trace. “I saw the dead, both great and small, standing in front of his throne, ‘while the book of life was opened, and other books opened which were the record of what they had done in their lives, by which the dead were judged.
“The sea gave up all the dead who were in it; “Death and Hades were emptied of the dead that were in them; and every one was judged according to the way in which he had lived.
Then Death and Hades were thrown into the burning lake. This burning lake is the second death; “and anybody whose name could not be found written in the book of life was thrown into the burning lake.
‘Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; the first heaven and the first earth had disappeared now, and there was no longer any sea.

The word of the Lord.
When the above text is used in Easter Season as the First Reading, the following Responsorial Psalm is used.

Responsorial Psalm Ps. 143: 1-2,5-6,7ab, 8ab
R. Lord, listen to my prayer.
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 judgment
for no one is just in your sight. R.
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. R.
Lord, make haste and answer;
for my spirit fails within me.
In the morning let me know your love
for I put my trust in you. R.
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. R.

790 (18) Rev. 21: 1-5a, 6b-7
A reading from the book of Revelation

I, John, saw a new heaven and a new earth; the first heaven and the first earth had disappeared now, and there was no longer any sea. ;I saw the holy city, and the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, as beautiful as a bride all dressed for her husband.
Then I heard a loud voice call from the throne, “You see this city? Here God lives among men. He will make his home among them; they shall be his people, and he will be their God; his name is God-with-them. ‘He will wipe away all tears from their eyes; there will be no more death, and no more mourning or sadness. The world of the past has gone.”
‘Then the One sitting on the throne spoke: “Now I am making the whole of creation new,” he said.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give water from the well of life free to anybody who is thirsty; 7it is the rightful inheritance of the one who proves victorious; and I will be his God and he a son to me.”

The word of the Lord.

Resposorial Psalm Ps. 122: 1-2, 4=5, 6-7, 8-9
R. Let us go to God’s house, rejoicing. or Alleluia.
I rejoiced when I heard them say: Let us go to God’s house. And now our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem. R.
Jerusalem is built as a city strongly compact. It is there that the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord. R.
For Israel’s law it is there to praise the Lord’s name. There were set the thrones of judgment of the house of David. R.
For the peace of Jerusalem pray: Peace be to your homes! May peace reign in your walls, in your palaces, peace! R.
For love of my brethren and friends I say: Peace upon you! For love of the house of the Lord I will ask for your good. R

General Intercessions

A

1. Reader

In Baptism, N received the light of Christ. Scatter the darkness now and lead him/her over the waters of death.
Lord in your mercy:
R. Hear our prayer.

2. Reader

Our brother/sister N. was nourished at the table of the Savior. Welcome him/her into the halls of the heavenly banquet.
Lord, in your mercy:
R Hear our prayer-

3. Reader

Many friends and members of our families have gone before us and await the kingdom. Grant them an everlasting home with your Son.
Lord, in your mercy:
R. Hear our prayer.

4. Reader:

Many people die by violence, war, and famine each day. Show your mercy to those who suffer unjustly these sins against your love, and gather them to the eternal kingdom of peace.
Lord, in your mercy:
R. Hear our prayer

5. Reader

Those who trusted in the Lord now sleep in the Lord. Give refreshment, rest, and peace to all whose faith is known to you alone.
Lord, in your mercy:
R Hear our prayer.

B.

1. Reader

The family and friends of N. seek comfort and consolation. Heal their pain
and dispel the darkness and doubt that come from grief.
Lord, in your mercy:
R. Hear our prayer.

2. Reader

We are assembled here in faith and confidence to pray for our brother/sister N. Strengthen our hope so that we may live in the expectation of your Son’s coming.
Lord, in your mercy:
R. Hear our prayer.

3. Reader

For N. who in Baptism was given the pledge of eternal life, that he/she may now be admitted to the company of the saints.
Lord, in your mercy:
R. Hear our prayer.

C

1. Reader

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.
We pray to the Lord:
R Lord, hear our prayer.

2. Reader

That those in public office may promote justice and peace.
We pray to the Lord:
R. Lord, hear our prayer.

3. Reader

That those who bear the cross of pain in mind or body may never
feel forsaken by God.
We pray to the Lord:
R. Lord, hear our prayer.