St. Joseph Parish at 254 Sixth St., Manistee, MI 49660 US - FUNERAL PLANNING
| FUNERAL PLANNING |
- CELEBRATING Christian funerals: "In the face of death, the Church confidently proclaims that God has created each person for eternal life and that Jesus, the Son of God, by his death and resurrection, has broken the chains of sin and death that bound humanity. Christians celebrate the funeral rites to offer worship, praise, and thanksgiving to God for the gift of a life which has now been returned to God, the author of life and the hope of the just."
- PRAYING for our beloved departed: "The Church through its funeral rites commends the dead to God's merciful love and pleads for the forgiveness of their sins. At the funeral rites, especially at the celebration of the eucharistic sacrifice, the Christian community affirms and expresses the union of the Church on earth with the Church in heaven in the one communion of saints. Though separated from the living, the dead are still one with community of believers on earth and benefit from their prayers and intercession. At the rite of final commendation and farewell, the community acknowledges the reality of separation and commends the deceased to God. In this way it recognizes the spiritual bond that still exists between the living and the dead and proclaims its belief that all the faithful will be raised up and reunited in the new heavens and a new earth, where death will be no more."
- COMFORTING mourners: "The celebration of the Christian funeral brings hope and consolation to the living. While proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ and witnessing to Christian hope in the resurrection, the funeral rites also recall to all who take part in them God's mercy and judgment and meet the human need to turn always to God in times of crisis... 'If one member suffers in the body of Christ which is the Church, all the members suffer with that member' (I Corinthians 12:26). For this reason, those who are baptized into Christ and nourished at the same table of the Lord are responsible for one another .... when a member of Christ's body dies, the faithful are called to a ministry of consolation to those who have suffered the loss of one whom they love .... The Church calls each member of Christ's Body -- priest, deacon, layperson -- to participate in the ministry of consolation: to care for the dying, to pray for the dead, to comfort those who mourn. "
- SHOULDERING our responsibilities: "Members of the community should console the mourners with words of faith and support and with acts of kindness, for example, assisting them with some of the routine tasks of daily living. The community's principal involvement in the ministry of consolation is expressed in its active participation in the celebration of the funeral rites, particularly the vigil for the deceased, the funeral liturgy, and the rite of committal. In the celebration of the funeral rites, laymen and laywomen may serve as readers, musicians, ushers, pallbearers and, according to existing norms, as special ministers of the eucharist."
THE ORDER OF CHRISTIAN FUNERALS has three principal parts: 1.THE VIGIL FOR THE DECEASED
- Introductory Rites
- Greeting
- Opening Hymn
- Invitation to Prayer
- Opening Prayer
- Liturgy of the Word
- Scripture Readings with
- Responsorial Psalm
- Homily
- Prayer of Intercession
- Litany
- The Lord’s Prayer
- Concluding Prayer (A family member or friend may speak in remembrance of the deceased.)
- Concluding Rite
- Blessing
- Song and/or a few minutes of silent prayer
- Introductory Rites
- Greeting & Sprinkling with Holy Water
- Placing of the Pall (and Christian Symbols)
- Entrance Procession
- Hymn
- Opening Prayer
- Liturgy of the Word
- Scripture Readings with
- Responsorial Psalm and
- Gospel Acclamation
- Homily
- General Intercessions
- Liturgy of the Eucharist
- Preparation of the Altar and the Gifts
- Eucharistic Prayer
- Communion Rite
- Final Commendation
- Invitation to Prayer
- Song of Farewell and Incense
- Prayer of Commendation
- Procession to the Place of Committal
- Invitation
- Scripture Verse
- Prayer over the Place of Committal
- Committal
- Intercessions
- The Lord's Prayer
- Concluding Prayer
- Prayer over the People
READINGS FOR A CHRISTIAN FUNERAL The following are proclaimed at a funeral:
- one reading from the Old Testament;
- one from the New Testament; and
- a Gospel.
- Old Testament
- Job 19:1, 23, 27
- Wisdom 3:1-9
- Wisdom 4:7-15
- Isaiah 25:6a, 7-9
- Isaiah 35:1-6, 10
- Isaiah 41:8-10, 13
- Isaiah 57:15-19
- Isaiah 61.1-3
- Isaiah 65:17-21
- Lamentations 3:17-26
- Daniel 12:1-32
- Maccabees 12:43-46
- Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31
- Ecclesiastes 3:1-11
- Song of Songs 2:8-14
- Song of Songs 8:6-7
- Sirach 44:1, 10-15
- Ezekiel 34:11-16
- Ezekiel 37:12-14
- Micah 6:6-8
- Zephaniah 3:16-20
- New Testament
- Acts 10:34-43
- Romans 5:5-11
- Romans 5:17-21
- Romans 6:3-9
- Romans 8:14-23
- Romans 8:3lb-35, 37-39
- Romans 14:7-9, l0b-12
- I Corinthians 15:20-23, 24b-28
- I Corinthians 15:51-57
- 2 Corinthians 4:14 -5:1
- 2 Corinthians 5:1, 6-10
- Ephesians 3:14-212
- Philippians 3:20-21
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
- 2 Timothy 2:8-13
- 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17- 18
- I Peter 1:3-9
- 1 John 3:1-2
- 1 John 3:14-16
- Revelation 14:13
- Revelation 20:11 - 21:1
- Revelation 21:1-5a, 6b-7
- Revelation 22:1-7
- Gospel
- Matthew 5:1-12a
- Matthew 6:19-23
- Matthew 11:25-30
- Matthew 25:1-13
- Mathew 25:31-46
- Mark 15:33-39, 16:1-6
- Luke 1:67-74
- Luke 7:11-17
- Luke 12:35-40
- Luke 23:33, 3943
- Luke 23:44-46, 50, 52-53; 24:1-6a
- Luke 24:13-35
- John 3:13-17
- John 5:24-29
- John 6:37-40
- John 6:51-58
- John 10:11-18
- John 10:27-30
- John 11: 17-27
- John 11:32-45
MUSIC FOR A CHRISTIAN FUNERAL
- OPENING HYMN
- Alleluia! Sing to Jesus (HYFRYDOL)
- Amazing Grace (NEW BRITAIN)
- Be Not Afraid
- Crown Him with Many Crowns (DIADEMATA)
- For All the Saints (SINE NOMINE)
- Holy God, We Praise Thy Name (GROSSER GOTT)
- I Am the Bread of Life
- I Know That My Redeemer Lives (DUKE STREET)
- I Know That My Redeemer Lives
- Jerusalem, My Happy Home (LAND OF REST)
- Joyful, Joyful, We Adore You (HYMN TO JOY)
- Lord of All Hopefulness (SLANE)
- Love Divine, All Loves Excelling (HYFRYDOL)
- Morning Has Broken (BUNESSAN)
- On Eagles' Wings
- Peace is Flowing Like A River
- Sing with All the Saints in Glory (HYMN TO JOY)
- The Strife Is O’er (VICTORY)
- To Jesus Christ Our Sovereign King (ICH GLAUB' AN GOTT)
- We Walk By Faith (SHANTI)
- During the season of Advent:
- Creator of the Stars of Night (CONDITOR ALME SIDERUM)
- 0 Come, 0 Come, Emmanuel (VENI EMMANUEL)
- During the season of Christmas:
- As with Gladness Men of Old (DIX)
- Good Christian Friends, Rejoice
- Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
- Joy To the World
- During the season of Easter:
- Christ the Lord is Ris'n Today (LLANFAIR)
- Jesus Christ Is Risen Today (EASTER HYMN)
- RESPONSORIAL PSALM
- Be With Me, Lord
- Like A Child Rests in its Mother's Arms
- My Shepherd is the Lord (Gelineau)
- On Eagles' Wings
- The Lord is Kind and Merciful
- The Lord is My Light and My Salvation
- The Lord is My Shepherd (Respond & Acclaim)
- COMMUNION HYMN
Any of the Responsorial Psalms could be sung, or one of the following songs:
- Be Not Afraid
- Blest Are They
- Eat This Bread
- Gift of Finest Wheat (BICENTENNIAL)
- I Am the Bread of Life (BREAD OF LIFE)
- Jesus, Remember Me
- Let Us Break Bread Together
- O Lord, I Am Not Worthy (NON DIGNUS)
- One Bread, One Body
- Only A Shadow
- Peace is Flowing Like A River
- Serdeczna Matko
- Taste & See by James Moore
- Zdrowas Maryja
- HYMN OF FAREWELL
- Come Meet Him/Her, Angels of the Lord (PUER NOBIS)