Funeral
Liturgy
A
funeral is a time
of sadness and mourning.
But for Christians
it is also a time
to rejoice, for Jesus
Christ has won a great
victory over death
and made it possible
for us to pass through
to new and eternal
life. This is our
unwavering hope.
In
a Catholic funeral
we pray that our deceased
brother or sister
be admitted into paradise.
We also derive strength
from family and friends
and lend our support
to others in what
can be a very difficult
time.
We
hope that you find
this information of
some help when arranging
the funeral of your
loved one.
Music
One of the first decisions
to make is if you
would like music at
the funeral. It is
the responsibility
of the family to contact
an organist and singer
/choir. Try to do
this as soon as possible.
Hymns
The organist will
help you choose your
preferred hymns. There
are normally 5 hymns
chosen for the Mass
– Entrance,
Offertory, Communion,
Communion Reflection
and Recessional. The
Responsorial Psalm
may also be sung.
It
is important to remember
that the funeral Mass
is a sacred ceremony
and therefore non-liturgical
‘songs’
are not appropriate.
Organ music can provide
a quiet and prayerful
atmosphere at the
beginning of the service,
when mourners are
likely to be upset
and in need of a calming
atmosphere.
Readings
We encourage family
members and friends
to take part in the
Liturgy of the Word
by reading the First
Reading, the Responsorial
Psalm (if not sung),
the Second Reading,
Gospel Acclamation
and Prayers of the
Faithful. A selection
of readings and Prayers
of the Faithful are
provided in this booklet.
The
First Reading is always
taken from the Old
Testament and the
Second Reading from
the New Testament.
We encourage those
who are reading to
make themselves familiar
with the text and
have no problems with
pronunciation.
Prayers
of the Faithful
The Prayers of the
Faithful are always
introduced by the
priest. Four or five
prayers, read by family
members or friends,
then follow. One or
more people may read
these. The priest
concludes the Prayers
of the Faithful.
Offertory
Procession
Family members or
friends bring the
gifts for the Offertory
of the Mass to the
altar. Normally, four
gifts are brought
– the chalice,
the altar bread, the
water and the wine,
but it may be reduced
to two if you so wish.
If
you need further assistance,
please do not hesitate
to contact us.
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