MEMORIAL SERVICE

LEADER: Almighty Father, we call upon you to be with us at this moment.

Hear us as we pray for the soul of our brother/sister _______. May you
grant him/her peace and life in your kingdom.

LEADER: In the name of the Father . . . The Lord be with you.

ALL: And also, with you.

LEADER: Let us pray:

Lord God, our Creator and Redeemer, you made the cross for us as
a sign of strength and marked us as you in the sacrament of resurrection.
Now that you have freed our brother/sister ____________ from this mortal
life, make him/her one of your saints in heaven. Grant us the mantle of
your grace and protection that even in the expectation of death and in
trying times, we have the courage to go on. Remain calm and in the
comfort of your compassion. We ask this through your Son, Jesus Christ,
our Lord, Amen.

READER: The first reading is taken from Sirach 1:1-13.

All wisdom comes from the Lord and endures with him, forever. The grains
of said, the drops of rain and the days of eternity, who can count them?
The height of heaven, the extent of the earth and the depths of the abyss,
who can measure them? Wisdom was created before all things and the
prudent intellect before the beginning of time. To whom was the source of
wisdom revealed? Who has known her secret designs? One alone is wise
and greatly to be feared. The one is seated upon his throne. The Lord
himself created wisdom. He looked on her and knew her value. He poured
her out over all his works, upon all mortal beings, in accordance with his
goodness. He lavished her on those who love him. The fear of the Lord is
our glory and honor. It is joy and a triumphant crown. The fear of the Lord
gladdens the heart. It gives joy, gaiety and long life. For the one who fears
the Lord, all will go well at the end of his life and he will be blessed on the
day of his death.

SONG: AMAZING GRACE

Amazing grace!
How sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch; like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!

READER: The second reading is taken from 1 Peter 1:3-11.

Let us praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for his great mercy
in raising Jesus Christ from the dead. He has given us new life and hope
of sharing life beyond death. Without sin and all fleeting things, this
inheritance is kept in the heavens for you since God’s power shall keep you
faithful until salvation is revealed in the last day. There is cause for joy,
then, even though you may, for a time, have to suffer many trials. Thus,
your faith be tested like gold in a furnace. Gold, however, passes away but
faith, worth so much more, will bring you in the end glory and honor when
Jesus Christ appears. You have not seen Him and yet you love Him; even
without seeing Him, you believe in Him and experience a heavenly joy
beyond all words for you are reaching the goal of your faith: the salvation of
your souls. This was the revelation for which the prophets so eagerly
looked when, in days past, they foretold the favor of God with regard to
you. But they could only investigate when the spirit of Christ present within
them pointed out the time and circumstances of the sufferings of Christ and
the glories which would follow. It was revealed to them that they were
working not for themselves but for you. Thus, in these days, after the
Holy Spirit has been sent from heaven, the Gospel’s preachers have taught
you these mysteries which even the angels long to see.

SONG: IN HIS TIME

In His time, in His time

He makes all things beautiful in His time
Lord, please show me everyday
As you’re teaching me your way
That we do just what you say, in Your time.
In Your time, in Your time
You make all things beautiful, in Your time
Lord my life to you I bring
May each song I have to sing
Be to you a lovely thing, in Your time.
(Repeat “Be to you . . .” then fade)

READER: Responsorial Psalm

Let our response be: To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

READER: Remember that your compassion, O Lord, and your kindness

are from of old. In your kindness, remember me because of your goodness,
O Lord.

ALL: To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

READER: Relieve the troubles of my heart and bring me out of my

distress. Put an end to my affliction and my suffering and take away all my
sins.

ALL: To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

READER: Preserve my life and rescue me. Let me not be put to shame for
I take refuge in you. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me because I
wait for you, O Lord.

ALL: To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

SONG: YOU ARE MINE

I will come to you in the silence,

I will lift you from all your fear.
You will hear my voice,
I claim you as my choice,
Be still and know I am here.

Do not be afraid, I am with you.

I have called you each by name.
Come and follow me
I will bring you home;
I love you and you are mine.

I am hope for all who are hopeless,

I am eyes for all who long to see.
In the shadows of the night,
I will be your light,
Come and rest in me.

Do not be afraid, I am with you.

I have called you each by name.
Come and follow me
I will bring you home;
I love you and you are mine.

READER: The Gospel according to John 11:17-27

ALL: Glory to you Lord, Jesus Christ.

When Jesus came, He found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for
four days. As Bethany is near Jerusalem, about two miles away, many
Jews had come to Martha and Mary to offer consolation at their brother’s
death. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet Him,
while Mary remained sitting at the house. And she said to Jesus, “If you
have been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that whatever
you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said, “Your brother will rise
again.” Martha replied, “I know he will rise in the resurrection, at the last
day.” But Jesus said to her: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever
believes in Me, though he should die, will come to life. And whoever is
alive and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” Martha then
answered, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the
Son of God, He, who is coming into the world.”

HOMILY: By a close friend.

SONG: YOU ARE NEAR

Yahweh, I know you are near

Standing always at my side
You guard me from the foe
And you lead me in ways, everlasting

Lord, you have searched my heart

And you know when I sit and when I stand
Your hand is upon me protecting me from death
Keeping me from harm. (Repeat refrain)
Where can I run from your love
If I climb to the heavens you are there
If I fly to the sunrise or sail beyond the sea
Still I’d find you there. (Repeat refrain)

You know my heart and its ways

You who formed me before I was born
In the secret of darkness before I saw the sun
In my mother’s womb. (Repeat refrain)

INTERCESSORY PRAYERS

LEADER: My dear brothers and sisters I Christ, we join in prayer for our
deceased brother/sister ____________. Let us pray also for the church, for
peace in the world and for ourselves.

Let our response be: Hear us Lord, and have mercy.

ALL: Hear us Lord, and have mercy.

LEADER: We pray that God free our brother/sister _________ from

punishment and darkness.

ALL: Hear us Lord, and have mercy.

LEADER: We pray that in his mercy, God will forgive our brother/sister
________ his/her sins.

ALL: Hear us Lord, and have mercy.

LEADER: We pray that God may give him/her peace and light forever.

ALL: Hear us Lord, and have mercy.

LEADER: We pray that God may give him/her joy in the company of all
His saints.

ALL: Hear us Lord, and have mercy.

LEADER: Let us pray.

ALL: Lord God, Creator and Redeemer, release our brother/sister from all
punishment. In answer to our prayers, give him pardon that he/she has
always desired. We ask this through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

Most gracious and loving Father, draw us close to you. Humbly we bow
before you to acknowledge that you are the God of salvation. We know
that apart from you we have no hope. Give us the faith and the courage to
see beyond the darkness of these hours. We ask for sustaining grace to
bring calm to these troubled hearts and to lift burdens from these weary
minds. In the presence of death, make us more conscious of the life
eternal and help us to place our trust in Jesus Christ who is the resurrection
and the life. We ask these through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Father of all consolation, in your unending love and mercy for us, you turn
the darkness of death into a dawn of new life. Show us compassion to your
people in their sorrow. 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. Amen.

LEADER: Let us pray the Lord’s Prayer, Hail Mary and Glory Be.

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.

SONG: ONE BREAD, ONE BODY

One bread, one body, one Lord of all

One cup of blessing which we bless
And we, though many, throughout the Earth
We are one body in this one Lord
Gentile or Jew
Servant or free
Woman or man
No more
One bread, one body, one Lord of all
One cup of blessing which we bless
And we, though many, throughout the Earth
We are one body in this one Lord
Many the gifts, many the works
One in the Lord
Of all
One bread, one body, one Lord of all
One cup of blessing which we bless
And we, though many, throughout the Earth
We are one body in this one Lord
We are one body in this one Lord

LEADER: The memorial service has ended. Let us all be in peace. In

the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.