Proposition 3 (anglais)

These texts may be read in part of in their entirety. If desired, one or several rosaries may be interspersed throughout. One may also consult the chapter “Texts for Meditation”.

 

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen

With confidence, let us pray together to the Almighty God, who resurrected from the dead his only Son, Jesus Christ. May he grant us strength and courage during this ordeal. May he nourish our hope in eternal life.

 

 

Let us pray.

God, eternal creator of the Universe, You who Jesus taught us to call “Father”, here we are in front of You with our grief: the grief of a departure that is always heartbreak, the grief of our incomprehension of death.

 

We entrust to you N,, who has left us. Make him (her) reborn into eternal life, in that face to face encounter with You that You promised us.

 

Grant him (her) the happiness to which all human beings aspire. Inundate his (her) spirit with your Light.

 

And for us who are still on our path toward You, grant peace to our souls, and full trust in you, source of Life, now and forever.

 

Amen.

 

 

A Reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians (4: 13-14, 17d-18).

 

We want you to be quite certain, brothers, about those who have fallen asleep, to make sure that you do not grieve for them, as others do who have no hope.

We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and that in the same way God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. This is the way we shall be with the Lord for ever.

With such thoughts as these, then, you should encourage one another.

 

 

Psalm 27

 

Response/ The Lord is my light and my salvation, Alleluia.

 

The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom should I fear? The Lord is the fortress of my life, whom should I dread?

 

One thing I ask of the Lord, one thing I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

 

5 For he hides me away under his roof on the day of evil, he folds me in the recesses of his tent, sets me high on a rock.

 

Lord, hear my voice as I cry, pity me, answer me!

Of you my heart has said, 'Seek his face!' Your face, Lord, I seek; do not turn away from me.

 

This I believe: I shall see the goodness of the Lord, in the land of the living.

Put your hope in the Lord, be strong, let your heart be bold, put your hope in the Lord.

 

 

The Gospel according to Matthew (11: 25-28)

 

At that time Jesus exclaimed, 'I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to little children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 'Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest.

 

 

Joint Prayer

 

After having heard the Word of God, let us pray to the Lord that he may grant us hope and consolation:

 

Response/ In Your mercy, Lord, hear our prayer.

 

Lord, N., our friend (our brother, our sister) has left us; you know of our sadness: in this hardship, strengthen our faith.

 

That N. may forever know peace close to You.

 

That Christ may greet him/her with all those who have preceded him. her.

 

That he/ she may now share the eternal happiness of your friends.

 

That he/ she may finally see Your face and discover Your joy.

 

You knew death out of love for us, and triumphed over it that we may have live; reassure our hearts in Your hope, we pray.

 

 

Conclusion:

 

With all those who have come before us and who now live in You, those whose faces we have known how recognized Your face,  along with the great communion of all Your saints, we now pray: Our Father…

 

With Mary, Mother of Christ and Mother of all men, Gate of Heaven, Consoler of the Grieving, we pray:  Hail Mary…

 

May the Lord grant to N. our  brother (sister) a share in Christ’s Victory over death, and that He may establish peace and hope within our hearts: Glory Be …

 

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

 

If a priest is present, he may bless the people in attendance.