Funeral Readings

First Reading: A Reading from the book of Job 19:1,23-27

Job said:

‘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 Avenger 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: these eyes will gaze on him and find him not aloof.’

The word of the Lord

First Reading: A reading from the book of Wisdom 3:1-9

The souls of the virtuous are in the hands of God, 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 seen it, their hope was rich with immortality; slight was their affliction, great will their blessing 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

First Reading: A reading from the book of Wisdom 4:7-15

The virtuous man, though he dies before his time, will find rest. Length of days is not what makes age honourable, 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.

First Reading: A reading from the prophet Isaiah 25:6-9

On this mountain the Lord of hosts 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, he will destroy death forever.

The Lord 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

First Reading: A reading from the prophet Daniel 12;1-3

I, Daniel, was doing penance when I received this message from 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 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

The Responsorial Psalm

(Choose One of the Following Responsorial Psalms)

Responsorial Psalm 1

R The Lord is my light and my help

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 shall ask of the Lord, for this I long,

to live in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life,

to savour the sweetness of the Lord, to behold his temple. R

O 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.

I 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

Responsorial Psalm 2

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

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

Responsorial Psalm 3

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 shall 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 your 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

Responsorial Psalm 4

R The Lord is compassion and love.

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 for 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. R

The Second Reading

(Choose 1 from the 14 Provided Here)

Second Reading: A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Romans 5:5-11

Hope is not deceptive, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given to us. We were still helpless when at his appointed moment Christ died for sinful men. It 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 not fail to save us from God’s anger?

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.

Second Reading: A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans 5:17-21

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.

Second Reading: A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans 6:3-9

When we were baptised in Christ Jesus we were baptised in his death; in other words, when we were baptised 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 realise 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 anymore.

The word of the Lord.

Second Reading: A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Romans 8:14-23

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.

Second Reading: A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans 8:31-35.37-39

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.

Second Reading: A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans 14:7-12

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 judgement 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

Second Reading: A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Corinthians 15:20-28

Christ has been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of all 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.

The word of the Lord.

Second Reading: A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Corinthians 15:51-57

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, 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.

Second Reading: A reading from the second letter of St Paul to the Corinthians 4:14-5:1

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.

Second Reading: A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Corinthians 15:20-28

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.

Second Reading: A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Philippians 3:20-21

For us, our homeland is in heaven, and from heaven comes the saviour 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

Second Reading: A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Thessalonians 4:13-18

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. We can tell you this from the Lord’s own teaching, that any of us who are left alive until the Lord’s coming will not have any advantage over those who have died.

At the trumpet of God, the voice of the archangel will call out the command and the Lord himself will come down from heaven; those who have died in Christ will be the first to rise, and then those of us who are still alive will be taken up in the clouds, together with them, to meet the Lord in the air. So we shall stay with the Lord for ever.

With such thoughts as these you should comfort one another.

The word of the Lord.

Second Reading: A reading from the second letter of St Paul to Timothy 2:8-13

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 so 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.

Second Reading: A reading from the first letter of St John 3:1-2

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.