Funeral Readings

Funeral Readings - General Guidelines

At the time of death of a loved one there are so many difficult decisions to be made quickly and among those are organising the Funeral Liturgy. This page contains readings and prayers for the Funeral Mass to help you choose what is fitting for and appropriate for your deceased loved one. You will need to consider the following:

For a funeral, the Readings necessary are as follows:

The First Reading - An Old Testament Reading (options below)
A Psalm (options below)
The Second Reading - A New Testament Reading (options below)
Gospel Acclamation (options below)
Prayer of the Faithful (options below)

Given that two readings are required as well as the psalm and Gospel Acclamation, it is normal to have two readers. One reader would do the First Reading and the Psalm and the other would do the Second Reading and the Acclamation. The two readers could then share reading the Prayer of the Faithful.

A selection of Readings and Prayers are given below. We recommend that you read through all the options, reflect on them as the Word of God and select the ones which seem to speak to you as appropriate for the celebration of the funeral of your loved one. Once you have selected your option, you can download and print them off via the link at the end of each reading or prayer.

Points to remember when reading:

Always read slowly and distinctly.
At the end of the reading pause for three seconds before saying: “Word of the Lord".
Announce the Psalm in these words: "The response to the Psalm is..".
After the Second Reading invite the people to stand in these words, "The Gospel Acclamation", then read the Alleluia and verse.

Other elements of the Mass to consider include:

Music, including an organist and vocalist
Offertory Procession - usually 2-4 people to carry forward the bread, wine, vessels.

It is important to discuss these options with the priest celebrating the Funeral Mass. For example, funerals which take place during the Easter season can have special readings with a stronger emphasis on the Resurrection.

The First Reading (options)

First Reading: A reading from the Book of Lamentations 3:17-26

My soul is shut out from peace; I have forgotten happiness.

And now I say, 'My strength is gone, that hope which came from the Lord.'

Brooding on my anguish and affliction is gall and wormwood.

My spirit ponders it continually and sinks within me.

This is what I shall tell my heart, and so recover hope:

the favours of the Lord are not all past, his kindnesses are not exhausted;

every morning they are renewed; great is his faithfulness.

'My portion is the Lord' says my soul 'and so I will hope in him.'

The Lord is good to those who trust him, to the soul that searches for him.

It is good to wait in silence for Yahweh to save.

The word of the Lord.

First Reading: A reading from the Book of Proverbs: 3:13-18

Happy the man who discovers wisdom, the man who gains discernment:

gaining her is more rewarding than silver, more profitable than gold.

She is beyond the price of pearls, nothing you could covet is her equal.

In her right hand is length of days; in her left hand, riches and honour.

Her ways are delightful ways, her paths all lead to contentment.

She is a tree of life for those who hold her fast,

who cling to her live happy lives

.

The word of the Lord.

First Reading: A reading from the prophet Isaiah 12:2-5

See now, he is the God of my salvation I have trust now and no fear,

for the Lord my God is my strength, my song, he is my salvation.

And you will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

That day, you will say: Give thanks to the Lord my God, call his name aloud.

Proclaim his deeds to the people, declare his name sublime.

Sing of Lord my God, for he has done marvellous things,

let them be made known to the whole world.

Cry out for joy and gladness, you dwellers in Zion,

for great in the midst of you is the Holy One of Israel.

The word of the Lord.

First Reading: A reading from the prophet Isaiah 40:11-14

The Lord my God is like a shepherd feeding his flock,

gathering lambs in his arms,

holding them against his breast and leading to their rest the mother ewe.

Who was it measured the water of the sea in the hollow of his hand

and calculated the dimensions of the heavens,

gauged the whole earth to the bushel,

weighed the mountains in scales, the hills in a balance?

Who could have advised the spirit of the Lord my God,

what counsellor could have instructed him?

Whom has he consulted to enlighten him,

and to learn the path of justice and discover the most skilful ways?

The word of the Lord.

First Reading: A reading from the prophet Isaiah 55:1-3

Oh, come to the water all you who are thirsty;

though you have no money, come!

Buy corn without money, and eat, and, at no cost, wine and milk.

Why spend money on what is not bread,

your wages on what fails to satisfy?

Listen, listen to me, and you will have good things to eat and rich food to enjoy.

Pay attention, come to me; listen, and your soul will live.

With you I will make an everlasting covenant

out of the favours promised to David.

The word of the Lord.

First Reading: A reading from the Book of Sirach 25:1

are three things my soul delights in,

and which are delightful to God and to men:

concord between brothers, friendship between neighbours,

and a wife and husband who live happily together.

The word of the Lord.

First Reading: A reading from the Book of Sirach 44: 1,2,7,10-14

Let us praise our illustrious ancestors in their successive generations.

The Lord has created an abundance of glory,

and displayed his greatness from earliest times.

All these were honoured by their contemporaries,

and were the glory of their day.

But here is a list of generous people

whose good works have not been forgotten.

In their descendants there remains a rich inheritance born of them.

Their descendants stand by the covenants and, thanks to them,

so do their children's children.

Their offspring will last for ever, their glory will not fade.

Their bodies have been buried in peace,

and their name lives on for all generations.

The word of the Lord.

First Reading: A Reading from the Book of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (A Time for Everything)

There is a season for everything, a time for every occupation under heaven,

a time for giving birth, a time for dying;

a time for planting, a time for uprooting what has been planted.

A time for killing, a time for healing;

a time for knocking down, a time for building.

A time for tears, a time for laughter;

a time for mourning, a time for dancing.

A time for throwing stones away, a time for gathering them up;

a time for embracing, a time to refrain from embracing.

A time for searching, a time for losing; a time for keeping, a time for throwing away.

A time for tearing, a time for sewing;

a time for keeping silent, a time for speaking. A time for loving and a time for peace.

The word of the Lord.

First Reading: A Reading from the book of Job 19:1,23-27

Job said:

'Ah, would that these words of mine were written down, inscribed on some monument with iron chisel and engraving tool, cut into the rock for ever.

This I know: that my Avenger lives, and he, the Last, will take his stand on earth.

After my awaking, he will set me close to him, and from my flesh I shall look on God.

He whom I shall see will take my part: these eyes will gaze on him and find him not aloof.'

The word of the Lord.

First Reading: A reading from the book of Wisdom 3:1-9

The souls of the virtuous are in the hands of God, no torment shall ever touch them. In the eyes of the unwise, they did appear to die, their going looked like a disaster their leaving us, like annihilation; but they are in peace.

If they experienced punishment as men seen it, their hope was rich with immortality; slight was their affliction, great will their blessing be. God has put them to the test and proved them worthy to be with him; he has tested them like gold in a furnace, and accepted them as a holocaust.

When the time comes for his visitation they will shine out; as sparks run through the stubble, so will they. They shall judge nations, rule over peoples, and the Lord will be their king for ever. They who trust in him will understand the truth, those who are faithful will live with him in love; for grace and mercy await those he has chosen.

The word of the Lord.

First Reading: A reading from the book of Wisdom 4:7-15

The virtuous man, though he dies before his time, will find rest. Length of days is not what makes age honourable, nor number of years the true measure of life; understanding, this is man's grey hairs, untarnished life, this is ripe old age.

He has sought to please God, so God has loved him; as he was living among sinners, he has been taken up. He has been carried off so that evil may not warp his understanding or treachery seduce his soul; for the fascination of evil throws good things into the shade, and the whirlwind of desire corrupts a simple heart.

Coming to perfection in so short a while, he achieved long life; his soul being pleasing to the Lord, he has taken him quickly from the wickedness around him. Yet people look on, uncomprehending; it does not enter their heads that grace and mercy await the chosen of the Lord, and protection, his holy ones.

The word of the Lord.

First Reading: A reading from the prophet Isaiah 25:6-9

On this mountain the Lord of hosts will prepare for all peoples a banquet of rich food. On this mountain he will remove the mourning veil covering all peoples, and the shroud enwrapping all nations, he will destroy death forever.

The Lord will wipe away the tears from every cheek; he will take away his people's shame everywhere on earth, for the Lord has said so.

That day, it will be said: See, this is our God in whom we hoped for salvation; the Lord is the one in whom we hoped. We exult and we rejoice that he has saved us.

The word of the Lord.

First Reading: A reading from the prophet Daniel 12;1-3

I, Daniel, was doing penance when I received this message from the Lord:

'At that time Michael will stand up, the great prince who mounts guard over your people. There is going to be a time of great distress, unparalleled since nations first came into existence. When that time comes, your own people will be spared, all those whose names are found written in the Book.

Of those who lie sleeping in the dust of earth many will awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting disgrace.

The learned will shine as brightly as the vault of heaven, and those who have instructed many in virtue, as bright as stars for all eternity.'

The word of the Lord.

Alternative 1st Readings for use in Eastertide

A reading from the 2nd Book of Maccabees

Judas, the leader of the Jews, took a collection from them individually, amounting to nearly two thousand drachmae, and sent it to Jerusalem to have a sacrifice for sin offered, an altogether fine and noble action, in which he took full account of the resurrection. For if he had not expected the fallen to rise again it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead, whereas if he had in view the splendid recompense reserved for those who make a pious end, the thought was holy and devout. This was why he had this atonement sacrifice offered for the dead, so that they might be released from their sin.

The word of the Lord..

A reading from the Book of Revelation 14:13

Then I heard a voice from heaven say to me, 'Write down: Happy are those who die in the Lord! Happy indeed, the Spirit says; now they can rest for ever after their work, since their good deeds go with them.'

The word of the Lord.

A reading from the Book of Revelation 20:11-21:1

Then I saw a great white throne and the One who was sitting on it. In his presence, earth and sky vanished, leaving no trace. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing in front of his throne, while the book of life was opened, and other books opened which were the record of what they had done in their lives, by which the dead were judged.

The sea gave up all the dead who were in it; Death and Hades were emptied of the dead that were in them; and every one was judged according to the way in which he had lived. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the burning lake. This burning lake is the second death; and anybody whose name could not be found written in the book of life was thrown into the burning lake. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth ; the first heaven and the first earth had disappeared now, and there was no longer any sea.

The word of the Lord.

A reading from the Book of Revelation 21:1-7

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth ; the first heaven and the first earth had disappeared now, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the holy city, and the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, as beautiful as a bride all dressed for her husband. Then I heard a loud voice call from the throne, 'You see this city? Here God lives among men. He will make his home among them; they shall be his people, and he will be their God; his name is God-with-them. He will wipe away all tears from their eyes; there will be no more death, and no more mourning or sadness. The world of the past has gone.' Then the One sitting on the throne spoke: 'Now I am making the whole of creation new' he said. 'Write this: that what I am saying is sure and will come true.' And then he said, 'It is already done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give water from the well of life free to anybody who is thirsty; it is the rightful inheritance of the one who proves victorious; and I will be his God and he a son to me.

The word of the Lord..

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles 10:34-43

Then Peter addressed them: 'The truth I have now come to realise' he said 'is that God does not have favourites, but that anybody of any nationality who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to him. 'It is true, God sent his word to the people of Israel, and it was to them that the good news of peace was brought by Jesus Christ - but Jesus Christ is Lord of all men. You must have heard about the recent happenings in Judaea; about Jesus of Nazareth and how he began in Galilee, after John had been preaching baptism. God had anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and because God was with him, Jesus went about doing good and curing all who had fallen into the power of the devil. Now I, and those with me, can witness to everything he did throughout the countryside of Judaea and in Jerusalem itself: and also to the fact that they killed him by hanging him on a tree, Yet three days afterwards God raised him to life and allowed him to be seen, not by the whole people but only by certain witnesses God had chosen beforehand. Now we are those witnesses - we have eaten and drunk with him after his resurrection from the dead - and he has ordered us to proclaim this to his people and to tell them that God has appointed him to judge everyone, alive or dead. It is to him that all the prophets bear this witness: that all who believe in Jesus will have their sins forgiven through his name.'

The word of the Lord.

The Responsorial Psalm (options)

Responsorial Psalm 27: 1, 4, 7, 8b, 9a, 13-14

R./ The Lord is my light and my help

The Lord is my light and my help; whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life;

before whom shall I shrink? R./

There is one thing I shall ask of the Lord, for this I long,

to live in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life,

to savour the sweetness of the Lord, to behold his temple. R./

O Lord, hear my voice when I call; have mercy and answer

It is your face, O Lord, that I seek;

hide not your face. R./

I am sure I shall see the Lord's goodness in the land of the living.

Hope in him, hold firm and take heart

Hope in the Lord! R./

Responsorial Psalm 116: 5, 6, 10-11, 15-16

R./ I will walk in the presence of the Lord in the land of the living.

How gracious is the Lord, and just; our God has compassion

The Lord protects the simple hearts;

I was helpless so he saved me. R./

I trusted, even when I said: 'I am sorely afflicted

and when I said in my alarm

'No man can be trusted.' R./

O precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful.

Your servant, Lord, your servant am I

you have loosened my bonds. R./

Responsorial Psalm 23: 1-3, 4, 5, 6

R./ The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

The Lord is my shepherd;

there is nothing I shall want,

fresh and green are the pastures

where he gives me repose.

Near restful waters he leads me,

to revive my drooping spirit. R./

He guides me along the right path;

he is true to his name.

If I shall walk in the valley of darkness

no evil would I fear.

You are there with your crook and your staff,

with these you give me comfort. R./

You have prepared a banquet for me

in the sight of your foes.

My head you have anointed with oil;

my cup is overflowing. R./

Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me

all the days of my life.

In the Lord's own house shall I

dwell for ever and ever. R./

Responsorial Psalm 103:8, 10, 13-18

R./ The Lord is compassion and love.

The Lord is compassion and love,

slow to anger and rich in mercy.

He does not treat us according to our sins

nor repay us according to our faults. R./

As a Father has compassion for his sons,

the Lord has pity on those who fear him;

for he knows of what we are made,

he remembers that we are dust. R./

As for man, his days are like grass;

he flowers like the flower of the field;

the wind blows and he is gone

and his place never sees him again. R./

But the love of the Lord is everlasting

upon those who hold him in fear;

his justice reaches out to children's children

when they keep his covenant in truth. R./

Responsorial Psalm 130:1-8

R./ Out of the depths, I cry to you, O Lord.

Out of the depths, I cry to you, O Lord.

Lord, hear my voice!

O let your ears be attentive

to the voice of my pleading. R./

If you , O Lord, should mark our guilt,

Lord, who would survive?

But with you is found forgiveness:

for this we revere you. R./

My soul is waiting for the Lord,

I count on his word.

My soul is longing for the Lord

more than watchman for daybreak. R./

Because with the Lord there is mercy

and fullness of redemption,

Israel indeed he will redeem

from all its iniquity. R./

The Second Reading (options)

Second Reading: A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Romans 5:5-11

Hope is not deceptive, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given to us. We were still helpless when at his appointed moment Christ died for sinful men. It is not easy to die even for a good man - though of course for someone really worthy, a man might be prepared to die - but what proves that God loves us is that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. Having died to make us righteous, is it likely that he would not fail to save us from God's anger?

When we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, we were still enemies; now that we have been reconciled, surely we may count on being saved by the life of his Son? Not merely because we have been reconciled but because we are filled with joyful trust in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have already gained our reconciliation.

The word of the Lord.

Second Reading: A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans 5:17-21

If it is certain that death reigned over everyone as the consequence of one man's fall, it is even more certain that one man, Jesus Christ, will cause everyone to reign in life who receives the free gift that he does not deserve, of being made righteous.

Again, as one man's fall brought condemnation on everyone, so the good act of one man brings everyone life and makes them justified. As by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man's obedience many will be made righteous.

When law came, it was to multiply the opportunities of falling, but however great the number of sins committed, grace was even greater; and so, just as sin reigned wherever there was death, so grace will reign to bring eternal life thanks to the righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The word of the Lord.

Second Reading: A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans 6:3-9

When we were baptised in Christ Jesus we were baptised in his death; in other words, when we were baptised we went into the tomb with him and joined him in death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the Father's glory, we too might live a new life. If in union with Christ we have imitated his death, we shall also imitate him in his resurrection.

We must realise that our former selves have been crucified with him to destroy this sinful body and to free us from the slavery of sin. When a man dies, of course, he has finished with sin. But we believe that having died with Christ we shall return to life with him: Christ, as we know, having been raised from the dead will never die again. Death has no power over him anymore.

The word of the Lord.

Second Reading: A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Romans 8:14-23

Everyone moved by the Spirit is a son of God. The spirit you received is not the spirit of slaves bringing fear into your lives again; it is the spirit of sons, and it makes us cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’ The Spirit himself and our spirit bear united witness that we are children of God. And if we are children we are heirs as well: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, sharing his sufferings so as to share his glory.

I think that what we suffer in this life can never be compared to the glory, as yet unrevealed, which is waiting for us. The whole creation is eagerly waiting for God to reveal his sons. It was not for any fault on the part of creation that it was made unable to attain its purpose, it was made so by God; but creation still retains the hope of being freed, like us, from its slavery to decadence, to enjoy the same freedom and glory as the children of God.

From the beginning till now the entire creation, as we know, has been groaning in one great act of giving birth; and not only creation, but all of us who possess the first-fruits of the Spirit, we too groan inwardly as we wait for our bodies to be set free.

The word of the Lord.

Second Reading: A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans 8:31-35.37-39

With God on our side who can be against us? Since God did not spare his own Son, but gave him up to benefit us all, we may be certain, after such a gift that he will not refuse anything he can give. Could anyone accuse those that God has chosen? When God acquits, could anyone condemn? Could Christ Jesus? No! He not only died for us - he rose from the dead, and there at God's right hand he stands and pleads for us.

Nothing therefore can come between us and the love of Christ, even if we are troubled or worried, or being persecuted, or lacking food or clothes, or being threatened or even attacked. These are the trials through which we triumph, by the power of him who loved us.

For I am certain of this: neither death nor life, no angel, no prince, nothing that exists, nothing still to come, not any power, or height or depth, nor any created thing, can ever come between us and the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The word of the Lord.

Second Reading: A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans 14:7-12

The life and death of each of us has its influence on others; if we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord, so that alive or dead we belong to the Lord.

This explains why Christ both died and came to life, it was so that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

We shall all have to stand before the judgement seat of God; as scripture says: By my life - it is the Lord who speaks - every knee shall bend before me, and every tongue shall praise God.

It is to God, therefore, that each of us must give an account of himself.

The word of the Lord.

Second Reading: A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Corinthians 15:20-28

Christ has been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep. Death, came through one man and in the same way the resurrection of the dead has come through one man.

Just as all men die in Adam, so all men will be brought to life in Christ; but all of them in their proper order: Christ as the first-fruits and then, after the coming of Christ, those who belong to him.

The word of the Lord.

Second Reading: A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Corinthians 15:51-57

I will tell you something that has been secret: that we are not all going to die, but we shall all be changed. This will be instantaneous, in the twinkling of an eye, when the last trumpet sounds. It will sound, and the dead will be raised, imperishable, and we shall be changed as well, because our present perishable nature must put on imperishability and this mortal nature must put on immortality.

When this perishable nature has put on imperishability, and when this mortal nature has put on immortality, then the words of scripture will come true: Death, where is your sting? Now the sting of death is sin, and sin gets its power from the Law. So let us thank God for giving us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The word of the Lord.

Second Reading: A reading from the second letter of St Paul to the Corinthians 4:14-5:1

We know that he who raised the Lord Jesus to life will raise us with Jesus in our turn, and put us by his side and you with us. You see, all this is for your benefit so that the more grace is multiplied among people, the more thanksgiving there will be, to the glory of God.

That is why there is no weakening on our part, and instead, though this outer man of ours may be falling into decay, the inner man is renewed day by day. Yes the troubles which are soon over, though they weigh little, train us for the carrying of a weight of eternal glory which is out of all proportion to them. And so we have no eyes for things that are visible, but only for things that are invisible; for visible things last only for a time, and the invisible things are eternal.

For we know that when the tent that we live in on earth is folded up, there is a house built by God for us, an everlasting home not made by human hands, in the heavens.

The word of the Lord.

Second Reading: A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Corinthians 15:20-28

We know that when the tent that we live in on earth is folded up, there is a house built by God for us, an everlasting home not made by human hands, in the heavens.

We are always full of confidence, then, when we remember that to live in the body means to be exiled from the Lord, going as we do by faith and not by sight - we are full of confidence, I say, and actually want to be exiled from the body and make our home with the Lord. Whether we are living in the body or exiled from it, we are intent on pleasing him.

For all the truth about us will be brought out in the law court of Christ, and each of us will get what he deserves for the things he did in the body, good or bad.

The word of the Lord.

Second Reading: A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Philippians 3:20-21

For us, our homeland is in heaven, and from heaven comes the saviour we are waiting for, the Lord Jesus Christ, and he will transfigure these wretched bodies of ours into copies of his glorious body.

He will do that by the same power with which he can subdue the whole universe.

The word of the Lord.

Second Reading: A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Thessalonians 4:13-18

We want you to be quite certain, brothers, about those who have died, to make sure that you do not grieve about them, like the other people who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and that it will be the same for those who have died in Jesus: God will bring them with him. We can tell you this from the Lord's own teaching, that any of us who are left alive until the Lord's coming will not have any advantage over those who have died.

At the trumpet of God, the voice of the archangel will call out the command and the Lord himself will come down from heaven; those who have died in Christ will be the first to rise, and then those of us who are still alive will be taken up in the clouds, together with them, to meet the Lord in the air. So we shall stay with the Lord for ever.

With such thoughts as these you should comfort one another.

The word of the Lord..

Second Reading: A reading from the second letter of St Paul to Timothy 2:8-13

Remember the Good News that I carry, 'Jesus Christ risen from the dead, sprung from the race of David'; it is on account of this that I have my own hardships to bear, even to being chained like a criminal - but they cannot chain up God's news.

So I bear it all for the sake of those who are chosen so that in the end they may have the salvation that is in Christ Jesus and the eternal glory that comes with it.

Here is a saying that you can rely on:

If we have died with him, then we shall live with him.

If we hold firm, then we shall reign with him.

If we disown him, then he will disown us.

We may be unfaithful, but he is always faithful, for he cannot disown his own self.

The word of the Lord.

Second Reading: A reading from the first letter of St John 3:1-2

Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us, by letting us be called God's children; and that is what we are. Because the world refused to acknowledge him, therefore it does not acknowledge us.

My dear people, we are already the children of God but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed; all we know is, that when it is revealed we shall be like him because we shall see him as he really is.

The word of the Lord.

The Gospel Acclamation

Please note that the acclamations that begin with "Alleluia, alleluia!" cannot be used during Lent. A separate set of Lenten acclamations is provided.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATIONS OUTSIDE OF LENT

1 Alleluia, alleluia !

Come, you whom my Father has blessed, says the Lord;

take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world.

Alleluia!

2 Alleluia, alleluia !

Blessed are You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;

for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom to mere children.

Alleluia!

3 Alleluia, alleluia!

Our homeland is in heaven,

and from heaven comes the Saviour we are waiting for, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Alleluia!

4 Alleluia, alleluia!

If we have died with Christ, then we shall live with him;

if we hold firm; then we shall reign with him.

Alleluia!

5 Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord:

whoever believes in me will never die

Alleluia!

6 Alleluia, alleluia!

“It is my Father's will,” says the Lord,

“that whoever believes in the Son shall have eternal life,

and that I shall raise him up on the last day. “

Alleluia!

GOSPEL ACCLAMATIONS FOR LENT

1 Glory and praise to You, King of eternal glory.

Come, you whom my Father has blessed, says the Lord;

take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world.