In the face of death, 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 all. In every celebration for the dead, the Church attaches great importance to the reading of the word of God. The readings proclaim to the assembly of the paschal mystery – the life, death and resurrection of Jesus – and conveys the hope of being gathered together in God’s kingdom. A careful selection and use of readings from scripture for the funeral rites will provide those gathered with an opportunity to hear God speak to them in their needs, sorrows, fears and hopes.
The document below offers a selection of readings from scripture for you to choose from. For the funeral liturgy, you are asked to choose the first reading from the Old Testament and the second reading from the New Testament. The Responsorial psalm is often sung by the funeral choir. Father will usually select the Gospel reading and this may be discussed with him. There is also a selection of General Intercessions or Prayers of the Faithful to choose from. The second document below gives a list - all or just a few may be chosen.
In the celebration of the liturgy of the word at the funeral liturgy, the biblical readings may not be replaced by nonbiblical readings.
You may wish to invite a family member or friend who is comfortable speaking in public to proclaim the word of God at the funeral liturgy. Otherwise, we will gladly ask one of the regular parish lectors to read if you would like.
The primary focus of the funeral liturgy is to reaffirm our hope in the resurrection of Christ, and how the deceased now shares in that glory through baptism.
Please feel comfortable calling the parish office with any questions: 613-584-3696.
A NOTE REGARDING FUNERAL MASSES ON SATURDAY
There will no longer be Funeral Masses in the presence of ashes on Saturdays unless the Funeral would naturally fall on the Saturday, e.g., a person dies on Wednesday and a Mass is requested for the Saturday. In other cases, the reason given for a Saturday Mass is convenience for the family. If convenience is the reason for long delays, then it is only fair that everyone’s convenience must be then taken into account – the choir, those who prepare the lunch, those who serve, those who dig the grave, and the priest. Perhaps people who generously give of their time would like to spend the week-end with their families. Although I like to be as accommodating as possible, a trend towards this type of Funeral has been developing for many years. If people are willing to put off burying the deceased – sometimes for months – then they should have enough time to ensure they are able to attend a Funeral Mass Monday to Friday.