Prayer for the Dead: Eternal Rest Grant unto Them, O Lord

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Lord of the living and the dead, I bring before You the people I have loved and lost. I say their names to You now, slowly, one at a time. You knew each of them better than I did. You know what they struggled with and what they got right. You know the things they never had time to make peace with.

Have mercy on them. Forgive whatever still needs forgiving. Finish in them whatever Your love began. Let them see Your face and hear You call them by name.

I pray for the ones who died suddenly, without time to prepare. I pray for the ones who died after long illness, who were ready to go. I pray for the ones no one else remembers, whose graves are unvisited and whose names are no longer spoken. Let my prayer be theirs.

Comfort those of us who are left behind. Grief does not follow a schedule, Lord. On the days when it comes back without warning, be my steady place. Let me grieve with hope, because You have promised that death is not the end.

Until we are together again in Your house, keep them in Your light and keep me in Your love. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. Amen.