funeral liturgy

LITURGY

of the

CATHOLIC BURIAL RITE

and

MASS OF REQUIEM

(for any deceased person)

(Adapted to the new English Liturgy)

With Final Commendation and Farewell in the Church after Mass

INTRODUCTORY RITES

(This version inserts the blessing of the body and the placement of pall and Book of Gospels, which would have been done at the entrance of the church, into the funeral mass.)

P: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

A: Amen.

P: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

A: And with your spirit.

P: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.


P: The Lord be with you.


SPRINKLING OF HOLY WATER AND INCENSATION

The priest goes in front of the coffin saying these or similar words:

P: I bless the body of N., with the holy water that recalls his (her) baptism of which St. Paul writes: “All of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death.” By baptism into his death we were buried together with him, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live a new life. For if we have been united with him by likeness to his death, so shall we be united with him by likeness to his resurrection.

The priest then sprinkles the body of the deceased with holy water and afterwards incenses it.

PLACING OF PALL

A white pall, in remembrance of the baptismal garment, may then be placed on the coffin by the pall bearers or others, and the priest may say these or similar words:

P: On the day of his (her) baptism, N. put on Christ. In the day of Christ’s coming, may he (she) be clothed in glory.

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PLACING OF BIBLE OR BOOK OF THE GOSPELS

P: 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!”

PLACING OF CROSS

P: In baptism, N. received the sign of the cross. May he (she) now share in Christ’s victory over sin and death.

OPENING PRAYER

P: Let us pray.

P: O 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. 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.

A: Amen.

LITURGY OF THE WORD

First Reading

Responsorial Psalm

Second Reading (optional)

Acclamation before the Gospel

Gospel

Prayers of the Faithful

P: God, the almighty Father, raised Christ his Son from the dead; with confidence we ask him to save his people, living and dead. For every petition, let us say: Lord, hear our prayer.

A: Lord, hear our prayer.

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L: Our brother (sister), N., was given the promise of eternal life in baptism; Lord give him (her) communion with your saints for ever. We pray:


L: N. ate the bread of eternal life, the body of Christ; raise him (her) up, Lord, at the last day. We pray:


L: We pray for our brothers and sisters, our relatives, for all who were close to us and good to us; Lord, give them the reward of their goodness. We pray:


L: We pray for all who have died in the hope of rising again; welcome them, Lord, into the light of your presence. We pray:


L: We pray for all who have gathered here to worship in faith; Lord, make us one in your kingdom. We pray:


P: Lord, hear our prayers for our dead brothers and sisters; forgive them their sins, and bring them to the fullness of your salvation. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

A: Amen.

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

P: 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.

A: Blessed be God for ever.

Priest or deacon pours wine and a little water into the chalice, saying quietly:

P: 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.

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P: Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received the wine we offer you: fruit of the vine and work of human hands, it will become our spiritual drink.

A: Blessed be God for ever.

After this, the Priest, bowing profoundly, says quietly:

P: 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.

If incense is used, the Priest, after incensing the gifts and the altar, may incense the body.

P: Pray, brethren (brothers and sisters), that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father.

A: 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 GIFTS

P: 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.

A: Amen.

PREFACE

P: The Lord be with you.


P: Lift up your hearts.

A: We lift them up to the Lord.

P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

A: It is right and just.

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P: 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.

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, as without end we acclaim:

A: Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

EUCHARISTIC PRAYER II

P: You are indeed Holy, O Lord, the fount of all holiness. Make holy, therefore these gifts, we pray, by sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall, so that they may become for us the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

At the time he was betrayed and entered willingly into his Passion, he took break and, giving thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:

TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND EAT OF IT, FOR THIS IS MY BODY, WHICH WILL BE GIVEN UP FOR YOU.

In a similar way, when supper was ended, he took the chalice and, once more giving thanks, he gave it to his disciples, saying:

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.

P: The mystery of faith.

A: We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.

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P: 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.

C1: Remember, Lord, your Church, spread throughout the world, and bring her to the fullness of charity, together with N. our Pope and N. our Bishop and all the clergy.

C2: Remember your servant N., whom you have called (today) from this world to yourself. 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 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 through your Son, Jesus Christ.

THROUGH HIM, AND WITH HIM, AND IN HIM, O GOD, ALMIGHTY FATHER, IN THE UNITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, ALL GLORY AND HONOR IS YOURS, FOR EVER AND EVER.

A: Amen.

COMMUNION RITE

P: At the Savior’s command and formed by divine teaching, we dare to say:

A: 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.

P: 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.

A: For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and for ever.

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P: 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.

A: Amen.

P: The peace of the Lord be with you always.


P: Let us offer each other the sign of peace.

All make a customary sign of peace.

P & A: Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

Meanwhile, the Priest takes the host, breaks it over the paten, and places a small piece in the chalice, saying quietly:

P: May this mingling of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ bring eternal life to us who receive it.

Then the Priest, with hands joined, says quietly:

P: 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.

The Priest genuflects, takes the host and, holding it slightly raised above the paten or above the chalice, while facing the people, says aloud:

P: 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.

A: Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.

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COMMUNION

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

P: Let us pray.

P: Grant, we pray, almighty God, that your servant N., who has journeyed from this world, may by this sacrifice be cleansed and freed from sin and so receive the everlasting joys of the resurrection. Through Christ our Lord.

A: Amen.

The final blessing and dismissal are omitted at funeral Masses.

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FINAL COMMENDATION AND FAREWELL

After the prayer after communion, the priest begins the rite of final commendation and farewell.

The priest stands near the coffin. If the body was sprinkled with holy water at the beginning of Mass, the sprinkling is ordinarily omitted in the rite of commendation. If the body was incensed at the preparation of the gifts during Mass, the incensation is ordinarily omitted in the rite of commendation.

INVITATION TO PRAYER

P: Before we go our separate ways, let us take leave of our brother (sister) N. May our farewell express our affection for him (her); may it ease our sadness and strengthen our hope. One day we shall joyfully greet him (her) again when the love of Christ, which conquers all things, destroys even death itself.

P: With faith in Jesus Christ, we reverently bring the body of our brother (sister) to be buried in its human imperfection.

Let us pray with confidence to God, who gives life to all things, that he will raise up this mortal body to the perfection and the company of the saints.

May God give him (her) a merciful judgment and forgive all his (her) sins. May Christ, the Good Shepherd, lead him (her) safely home to be at peace with God our Father. And may he (she) be happy for ever with all the saints in the presence of the eternal King.

P: Our brother (sister) has gone to his (her) rest in the peace of Christ. With faith and hope in eternal life, let us commend him (her) to the loving mercy of our Father, and assist him (her) with our prayers. He (she) became God’s son (daughter) through baptism and was often fed at the table of our Lord. May the Lord now welcome him (her) to the table of God’s children in heaven, and, with all the saints, may inherit the promise of eternal life.

Let us also pray to the Lord for ourselves. May we who mourn be reunited one day with our brother (sister). Together may we meet Christ Jesus when he, who is our life, shall appear in his glory.

Then all pray in silence for a little while.

If not done earlier in the Mass, the body is sprinkled with holy water and incensed.

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SONG OF FAREWELL

P: Saints of God, come to his (her) aid!Come to meet him (her), angels of the Lord!

A: Receive his (her) soul and present him to God the Most High.

P: May Christ, who called you, take you to himself;May angels lead you to Abraham’s side.


P: Give him (her) eternal rest, O Lord,And may your light shine on him (her) for ever.


INVOCATIONS

P: To each of the invocations in the following litany all respond: “Lord, save your people.”

P: By your coming as man:

A: Lord, save your people.

P: By your birth:


P: By your baptism and fasting:


P: By your sufferings and cross:


P: By your death and burial:


P: By your rising to new life:

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P: By your return in glory to the Father:


P: By your gift of the Holy Spirit:


P: By your coming again in glory:


P: Father, into your hands we commend our brother (sister). We are confident that, with all who have died in Christ, he (she) will be raised to life on the last day and live with Christ for ever. We thank you for all the blessings you gave him (her) in this life to show your fatherly care for all of us and the fellowship which is ours with the saints in Jesus Christ.

Lord, hear our prayer: welcome our brother (sister) to paradise and help us to comfort each other with the assurance of our faith until we all meet in Christ to be with you and with our brother (sister) for ever. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

A: Amen.

After the prayer, while the body is being taken away, one of the following antiphons may be sung:

P: May the angels lead you into paradise; may the martyrs come to welcome you and take you to the holy city, the new and eternal Jerusalem.

P: May the choir of angels welcome you. Where Lazarus is poor no longer, may you have eternal rest.

P: I am the resurrection and the life. The man who believes in me will live even if he dies, and every living person who puts his faith in me will never suffer eternal death.

“Salve Regina” may be sung at the end of this rite. If not, all depart in silence.

Procession to the Cemetery

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AT THE GRAVE

If the grave or tomb has not been blessed, it is blessed before the body is placed in it:

P: Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, by the three days you lay in the tomb you made holy the graves of all who believe in you; and even though their bodies lie in the earth, they trust that they, like you, will rise again.

Give our brother (sister) peaceful rest in this grave, until that day when you, the resurrection and the life, will raise him (her) up in glory. Then may he (she) see the light of your presence, Lord Jesus, in the kingdom where you live for ever and ever.

A: Amen.

The priest may sprinkle and incense the body and the grave or tomb.

P: Let us pray for our brother (sister) to our Lord Jesus Christ, who said: “I am the resurrection and the life. The man who believes in me will live even if he dies, and every living person who puts his faith in me will never suffer eternal death.”

Lord, you wept at the death of Lazarus, your friend: comfort us in our sorrow. We ask this in faith:


P: You raise the dead to life: give our brother (sister) eternal life. We ask this in faith:


P: You promised paradise to the thief who repented: bring our brother (sister) to the joys of heaven. We ask this in faith:


P: Our brother (sister) was washed clean in baptism and anointed with the oil of salvation: give him fellowship with all your saints. We ask this in faith:


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P: He (she) was nourished with your body and blood: grant him (her) a place at the table in your heavenly kingdom. We ask this in faith:


P: Comfort us in our sorrow at the death of our brother (sister): let our faith be our consolation and eternal life our hope. We ask this in faith:


Then all say the Lord’s Prayer together, or the priest says the following prayer:

P: Almighty God, through the death of your Son on the cross, you have overcome death for us. Through his burial and resurrection from the dead you have made the grave a holy place and restored to us eternal life. We pray for those who died believing in Jesus and are buried with him in the hope of rising again. God of the living and the dead, may those who faithfully believed in you on earth praise you for ever in the joy of heaven. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

A: Amen.

PRAYER FOR THOSE PRESENT

P: Let us pray.

Father, God of all consolation, in your unending love and mercy for us you turn the darkness of death into the dawn of new life.

Show compassion to your people in their sorrow. Be our refuge and our strength to lift us from the darkness of this grief to the peace and light of your presence.

Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, by dying for us, conquered death and by rising again, restored life.

May we then go forward eagerly to meet him, and after our life on earth be reunited with our brothers and sisters where every tear will be wiped away. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

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P: Lord Jesus, our Redeemer, you willingly gave yourself up to death so that all people might be saved and pass from death into a new life. Listen to our prayers, look with love on your people who mourn and pray for their dead brother (sister).

Lord Jesus, you alone are holy and compassionate: forgive our brother’s (sister’s) sins. By dying you opened the gates of life for those who believe in you: do not let our brother (sister) be parted from you, but by your glorious power give him (her) light, joy, and peace in heaven where you live for ever and ever.

A: Amen.

P: Eternal rest grant unto N., O Lord,

A: And let perpetual light shine upon him (her).

P: May he (she) rest in peace.

A: Amen.

P: May the soul of N., and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

A: Amen.

P: And may the love of God and the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ bless us and console us and gently wipe every tear from our eyes: the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

A: Amen.

P: Since almighty God has called our brother (sister) N. from this life to himself, we commit his body to the earth from which it was made.

Christ was the first to rise from the dead, and we know that he will raise up our mortal bodies to be like his in glory.

We commend our brother (sister) to the Lord: may the Lord receive him (her) into his peace and raise up his (her) body on the last day.

At the end of the entire rite, an appropriate song may be sung, according to local custom.

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This funeral liturgy was made by Fr. Charlie G. Cenzon, SJ when he was still our University Chaplain here at Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan. There are some slight modifications in the liturgy, but rest assured that this is still the original sequence.

Please prepare the following if you opt to follow this liturgy:1. A large white cloth which will serve as the pall2. A bible (if there is no Book of the Gospels)3. A crucifix4. Holy Water5. Incense and boat (though it is optional for ordinary funeral masses-you’re not

obliged to prepare this)

As to the color of the stole, I recommend that the priest will wear a violet stole, as it is the symbol of mourning. White color may do. But the choice of color is already in the discretion of the priest.

If you have questions and/or concerns, you may contact me through this number:+639177069200 (Globe)Name: Denise Kenneth Cejo

Or e-mail me at [email protected] send me a private mail via facebook: www.facebook.com/Dk.cejo (since I don’t regularly check my e-mail account)

Thanks a lot!

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