Catholic prayer for the soul to rest in peace

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Prayers for Grievingsouthcarolina2021-08-20T21:25:38+00:00

“God of the living and the dead, accept our prayers for those who have died in Christ and are buried with him in the hope of rising again. In your mercy grant them rest.”

Catholic Prayers for a Deceased Relative or Friend

O God, by whose mercy the faithful departed find rest, bless this grave, and send your holy angel to watch over it.

Lord, comfort those who mourn and sustain them with the hope of eternal life.

Lord Jesus Christ, by your own three days in the tomb, you hallowed the graves of all who believe in you and so made the grave a sign of hope that promises resurrection even as it claims our mortal bodies.

Merciful Lord, turn toward us and listen to our prayers: open the gates of paradise to your servant and help us who remain to comfort one another with assurances of faith, until we all meet in Christ and are with you and with our loved one forever.

Into your gentle keeping, O Lord, we commend this child of God. Though our hearts are troubled, we find hope in your loving kindness.

May the angels lead you into paradise: may the martyrs come to welcome you.

May choirs of angels welcome you.

He lives and grants my daily breath; He lives, and I shall conquer death; He lives my mansion to prepare; He lives to bring me safely there.

I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.

I commend you, my dear [name] to almighty God, and entrust you to your Creator.

May you rest in the arms of the Lord who formed you from the dust of the earth.

May holy Mary, the angels and all the saints welcome you now that you have gone forth from this life.

May Christ who was crucified for you, bring you freedom and peace.

May Christ who died for you admit you into his garden of paradise.

May Christ, the true Shepherd, embrace you as one of his flock.

May he forgive all your sins, and set you among those he has chosen.

May you see your Redeemer face to face, and enjoy the vision of God, forever.

Prayer for the Faithful Departed

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Prayer in Suffering

O Lord, your sorrowing Mother stood by your cross; help us in our sorrows to share your sufferings.

Like the seed buried in the ground, you have produced the harvest of eternal life for us; make us always dead to sin and alive to God.

Shepherd of all, in death you remained hidden from the world; teach us to love our hidden spiritual life with you and the Father.

In your role as the new Adam, you went down among the dead to release all the just there since the beginning; grant that all who are dead in sin may hear your voice and rise to new life.

Son of the living God, you have allowed us through baptism to be buried with you; grant that we may also rise with you in baptism and walk in newness of life. Amen.

Praying for the dead

There are specific Catholic prayers for the dead. Praying can bring relief and comfort at a very difficult time.

Here you’ll find prayers for when the family first gathers around the body, before or after it is prepared for burial.

Gathering in the presence of the body

It is most fitting that, where possible, family members take part in preparing the body for burial.

All make the Sign of the Cross. Then one member of the family reads:

My brothers and sisters, Jesus says:

“Come to me, all you who labor and are overburdened,

and I will give you rest.

Shoulder my yoke and learn from me,

for I am gentle and humble in heart,

and you will find rest for your souls.

Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.”

The body may then be sprinkled with holy water:

The Lord God lives in his holy temple yet abides in our midst.

Since in Baptism, N. became God’s temple

and the Spirit of God lived in him/her,

with reverence we bless his/her mortal body.

Then one member of the family may say:

With God there is mercy and fullness of redemption;

let us pray as Jesus taught us:

Our Father…

Then this prayer is said:

Into your hands, O Lord,

we humbly entrust our brother/sister N.

In this life you embraced him/her with your tender love;

deliver him/her now from every evil

and bid him/her enter eternal rest.

The old order has passed away:

welcome him/her then into paradise,

where there will be no sorrow, no weeping nor pain,

but the fullness of peace and joy

with your Son and the Holy Spirit

forever and ever.

R/. Amen.

All may sign the forehead of the deceased with the Sign of the Cross. One member of the family says:

Blessed are those who have died in the Lord;

let them rest from their labours

for their good deeds go with them.

V/. Eternal rest grant unto him/her, O Lord.

R/. And let perpetual light shine upon him/her.

V/. May he/she rest in peace.

R/. Amen.

V/. May his/her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed,

through the mercy of God,

rest in peace.

R/. Amen.

All make the Sign of the Cross as one member of the family says:

May the love of God and the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ

bless and console us

and gently wipe every tear from our eyes:

in the name of the Father,

and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

R/. Amen.

Catholic prayer for the dead

Loving and merciful God,

we entrust our brother/sister to your mercy.

You loved him/her greatly in this life;

now that he/she is freed from all its cares,

give him/her happiness and peace for ever.

The old order has passed away;

welcome him/her now into paradise

where there will be no more sorrow,

No more weeping or pain,

but only peace and joy

with Jesus, your Son,

and the Holy Spirit

for ever and ever.

Amen.

More Catholic prayers for the dying

If you would like to read more prayers for the dying, you can find more here.

How do you pray for someone who passed away Catholic?

How do you pray for the departed soul?

What is a good prayer to say when someone dies?

How do you pray for rest in peace?