Cemetery Sunday (also referred to as Blessing of the Graves) is an annual ancestor veneration observance held in Roman Catholic and other cemeteries in some areas of Ireland and along routes of Irish migration. Parishioners prepare by cleaning family graves and, in some cemeteries, decorating the graves.
The Church blesses graves because, as we pray over unblessed graves, when the Lord Jesus spent three days in his tomb, He “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. Father Daren Zehnle is pastor at St.
Pray together: Father in heaven, as we stand before the resting place of our beloved (name of person), we remember the gift they were and continue to be to each of us here present. We thank you for their life, the love they shared with us and we pray that they are with you now, enjoying the fullness of eternal life.
Prayer of Commendation and the Committal
and we commit her/his body to the ground: earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The Lord bless her/him and keep her/him, the Lord make his face shine upon her/him and be gracious to her/him, the Lord lift up his countenance upon him and give her/him peace.
- Catholic cemeteries are blessed when they are designated as Catholic cemeteries. - Because graves are always blessed during the burial ceremony, there is no need to have them blessed separately. - Graves in non-Catholic cemeteries are also blessed during the burial ceremony.
BLESSING OF GRAVES O God, by whose mercy the faithful departed find rest, Bless + these graves and send your holy angels to watch over them. Look kindly upon all buried here. Now freed from the bonds of mortality, count them among the saints in heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
Take a “prayer stroll” through your local cemetery to pray for all those buried there. Bring holy water to sprinkle on the graves. (It is one of the first sacramentals of the Church. Holy Water refreshes the Holy Souls.)
May God give to you and all whom you love his comfort and his peace, his light and his joy, in this world and the next; and the blessing of God almighty, the father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon you, and remain with you this day and for ever. Amen.
Amen. B To you, O Lord, we commend the soul of N. your servant; in the sight of this world he/she is now dead; in your sight may he/she live for ever. Forgive whatever sins he/she committed through human weakness and in your goodness grant him/her everlasting peace.
Catholic Prayer for the Deceased
Eternal rest, grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.
It is appropriate for family and friends to visit on the birthday of the deceased, the wedding anniversary of the deceased, the anniversary of the death, or other special holidays. Some families pick a special day of the year to have loved ones gather and visit several grave sites on the same day.
It's important, when we visit cemeteries, that we not only pay our respects to deceased loved ones, but that we also pray for their souls. We should offer a prayer each time we visit a cemetery, recognizing their final journey into the arms of the Lord.
Almighty ever-living God, you rule both the living and the dead and are merciful to all. We humbly beseech you, that those for whom we pour out our prayers may obtain pardon for their sins through your tender mercy. May they rejoice together, be blessed in your sight, and praise you without end.
Respect the graves.
People often leave tributes to remember their loved ones, and the cemetery staff has been instructed not to remove anything. Is it disrespectful to walk on graves? Yes, it is disrespectful. Always walk between the headstones and avoid standing on top of a gravesite.
With regard to its use on headstones, grave markers, and memorials, the cross most likely symbolizes that the deceased was a Christian, as well as his or her hope of new life in heaven.
For example, the ancient Romans laid down flowers and other mementos at the site of tombs because they believed the spirits of those who passed remained in the area of the grave site; continuing to decorate these graves was a way to show the spirits that they were remembered and honored.
The last rites, also known as the Commendation of the Dying, are the last prayers and ministrations given to an individual of Christian faith, when possible, shortly before death. They may be administered to those awaiting execution, mortally injured, or terminally ill.
Funeral Closing Prayer
Strengthen our faith that all your people who have died in the love of Christ will share in his resurrection, who lives and reigns with you, now and forever. May we, and those who have departed, be blessed with the benefits of Jesus' death and resurrection.
The Dismissal (Greek: απόλυσις; Slavonic: otpust) is the final blessing said by a Christian priest or minister at the end of a religious service.
Cast out all fear and anxiety for the present, we pray. May this house be a place of rest for [flatmates' name(s)], and a home as they continue their life together here. Breathe living breath, O God, into this place and into [flatmates' name(s)].
Eternal rest grant unto him/her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him/her. May he/she rest in peace. Amen. May almighty God bless us with his peace and strength, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
In burial: Water burial. The association between water and immortality is reflected in the myths of many cultures, myths that often centre on a god-hero who sails away from his people in death with the promise to return again.
Usually, the funeral rite begins with a vigil of prayer the day before a Mass . The body is placed in a coffin and taken to church, which represents the deceased being taken back to be with God. The coffin is sprinkled with water as a reminder of baptism .
Christ's burial has sanctified the graves of all Christians who die in the hope of rising to new life with him. The sprinkling with holy water is a reminder of baptism which is the sacrament that configures us to die, live and rise with Christ.