Mass Book Readings
In moments of grief and remembrance, the very words of Scripture become a gentle companion. The passages you’ve provided—from the bold proclamation of God’s impartial love in Acts 10:34–43 and the heavenly inheritance promised in Ephesians 1:3–5, to the hope of resurrection in Philippians 3:20–21 and the vision of a new creation in Revelation 21:4—offer profound consolation. Whether it’s the triumphant confidence of Romans 8:31–35, 37–39 or the enduring comfort of Psalm 23, each reading speaks directly to our need for reassurance, peace and eternal promise.
Drawing on rich strands of biblical wisdom—Gospel narratives, Pauline letters, prophetic visions, the poetic laments of Lamentations and the stirring reflections of Ecclesiastes and Job—this collection becomes a source of solace and strength. As you turn these selected readings over in your heart, may they light your path through sorrow, uplift your spirit with hope and provide a deeply personal way to honour and celebrate those we love and have lost.
1 Corinthians 15
A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Corinthians.
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 is swallowed up in victory. Death, where is your victory? 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.
1 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.
After that will come the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father. For he must be king until he has put all his enemies under his feet and the last of the enemies to be destroyed is death, for everything is to be put under his feet.
Though when it is said that everything is subjected, this clearly cannot include the One who subjected everything to him. And when everything is subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subject in his turn to the One who subjected all things to him, so that God may be all in all.
The word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
1 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 is swallowed up in victory. Death, where is your victory? 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.
All: Thanks be to God.
1 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.
All: Thanks be to God.
1 John 3: 14-16
We have passed out of death and into life, and of this we can be sure because we love our brothers.
If you refuse to love, you must remain dead; to hate your brother is to be a murderer, and murderers, as you know, do not have eternal life in them.
This has taught us love – that he gave up his life for us; and we, too, ought to give up our lives for our brothers.
The word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18
A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Thessalonians.
We want you to be quite certain, brothers, about those who have died, to make sure that you do not grieve about them like 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.
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.
The word of the Lord.
2 Corinthians 4 & 5
A reading from the second letter of St Paul to the Corinthians.
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.
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.
2 Corinthians 5: 1, 6-10
A reading from the second letter of St Paul to the Corinthians.
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.
2 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 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.
All: Thanks be to God.
2 Timothy 4: 6-8
A reading from the second letter of St Paul to Timothy.
As for me, my life is already being poured away as a libation, and the time has come for me to depart. I have fought the good fight to the end, I have run the race to the finish. I have kept the faith; all there is to come for me now is the crown of uprightness which the Lord, the upright judge, will give to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have longed for his appearing.
The Word of the Lord.
A Face We Love
A face we love is missing,
a voice we love is still,
a place is vacant in our hearts,
that no one else can fill.A Golden Heart Stopped Beating
A golden heart stopped beating,
two hands were laid to rest,
God broke our hearts to prove,
He only takes the best.
If tears could build a stairway,
and memories build a lane,
we would walk right up to heaven
and bring you back again.A Life Well Lived
A life well-lived is a precious gift
Of hope and strength and grace,
From someone who has made our world
A brighter, better place.It’s filled with moments sweet and sad,
With smiles and sometimes tears,
With friendships formed and good times shared
And laughter through the years.A life well-lived is a legacy
Of joy and pride and pleasure,
A loving, lasting memory
Our grateful hearts will treasure.A Special Mum
A Mother is the greatest gift – a gift meaning love,
Her love is unconditional and it fits just like a glove.From day one it’s always mum who’s there by your side,
Picking up the pieces and wiping the tears you’ve cried.Who was there when you rode your first bike,
And listened when you told her about the boy you liked?She encourages you all the time to do your very best,
Even when you don’t succeed – she picks you above the rest.Then comes that awful day when you tell her to stay out of your life,
But notice how she’s the one to bail you out of strife.Then you find true love and your mother must learn to share,
This can be difficult and it may seem quite unfair.As you get older you realise that your relationship can be fun,
So you make amends and say you’re sorry for all that you’ve done.She now becomes your best friend and you tell her how much you care,
And thank her over and over for always being there.Most of these experiences for me are yet to come,
All I wish for is to be half as good – as my special mum.Tracy Kollmann
A Special Smile
A special smile,
a special face,
and in our hearts,
a special place.A Wonderful Man
A wonderful man laid to rest
For everyone he did his best
His deeds were good
His heart was kind
A better husband and dad
No-one could findLoved by all who knew him
Sadly missed – Sleep peacefully
A Wonderful Woman
A wonderful woman laid to rest
For everyone she did her best
Her deeds were good
Her heart was kind
A better wife and mother
No-one could findLoved by all who knew her
Sadly missed – Sleep peacefully
Acts 10: 34-43
Peter addressed Cornelius and his household: ‘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 handing 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.
All: Thanks be to God.
Afterglow
I’d like the memory of me
to be a happy one,
I’d like to leave an afterglow
of smiles when life is done,
I’d like to leave an echo
whispering softly down the ways,
of happy times and laughing times
and bright and sunny days,
I’d like the tears of those who grieve,
to dry before the sun
of happy memories that I leave
when life is done.Apocalypse 14: 13
A reading from the Book of the Apocalypse.
I, John, 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.
Apocalypse 20 & 21
I, John, 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 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 seas.
The Word of the Lord.
Apocalypse 20: 1-7
I, John, 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, ‘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.
All: Thanks be to God.
Apocalypse 7: 9-10, 15-17
A reading from the Book of the Apocalypse.
I, John, saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands. They shouted aloud, ‘Victory to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ they now stand in front of God’s throne and serve him day and night in his sanctuary; and the One sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.
They will never hunger or thirst again; neither the sun nor scorching wind will ever plague them, because the Lamb who is at the throne will be their shepherd and will lead them to springs of living water; and God will wipe away all tears from their eyes.
The word of the Lord.
As Long As You Live And Remember
May tender memories soften your grief,
May fond recollection bring you relief,
And may you find comfort and peace in the thought,
Of the joy that knowing your loved one brought –
For time and space can never divide,
Or keep your loved one from your side,
When memory paints in colours true,
The happy hours that belonged to you.Helen Steiner Rice
Beautiful Memories
Beautiful memories woven in gold,
this is the picture we tenderly hold,
deep in our hearts your memory is kept,
to love, cherish and never forget.Count Your Garden By The Flowers
Count your garden by the flowers,
Never by the leaves that fall.
Count your days by golden hours,
Don’t remember clouds at all.
Count your nights by stars, not shadows.
Count your life by smiles not tears
And with joy on every birthday.
Count your age by friends, not years.Dads Are Special People
Dads are special people,
No home should be without.
For every family will agree,
They’re so nice to have about.They are a happy mixture,
Of a small boy and a man
And they’re very necessary,
In every family plan.Sometimes they’re most demanding
And stern and firm and tough,
But underneath they’re soft as silk,
For this is just a bluff.But in any kind of trouble,
Dad reaches out his hand
And you can always count on him,
To help and understand.And while we do not praise Dad,
As often as we should,
We love him and admire him,
And while that’s understood.It’s only fair to emphasise,
His importance and his worth,
For if there were no loving Dads,
This would be a loveless earth.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 the 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”.
This is the Word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
Death Is Nothing At All
Death is nothing at all;
I have only slipped away into the next room.
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.
Call me by my old familiar name;
Speak to me in the easy way you always used.
Laugh as we always laughed
at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, and pray for me.
Let my name be the household word that it always was.
Let it be spoken without effect.
Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same that it ever was;
there is absolutely unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of your mind
because I am out of your sight?
I am but waiting for you, for an interval,
somewhere very near just around the corner.
All is well. Nothing is past; nothing is lost.
One brief moment and all will be as it was before,
only better, infinitely happier and forever,
we will be one together with Christ.Do Not Cry For My Absence
Do not cry for my absence
feel me close and still
talk to me.
I will love you from heaven
as I have loved you
on earth.Do Not Mourn Too Long (Dad)
Do not mourn too long
for our caring father,
but honour his memory
with a promise to live a little better
for having known him.
It will enrich his life and yours,
for Dad’s legacy will live on.Do Not Mourn Too Long (Mum)
Do not mourn too long
for our caring mother,
but honour her memory
with a promise to live a little better
for having known her.
It will enrich her life and yours,
for Mum’s legacy will live on.Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep
Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am the thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain,
I am the gentle Autumn’s rain.
When you awake in the morning hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft star that shines at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there, I did not die.Do Not Weep
Do not weep that I have gone,
‘Be Glad’ that I have been.For I have known life to its fullest measure,
I have felt pain and I have known pleasure.Tears I have cried in grief and in laughter,
I have known love and all that comes after.I’ve tasted the salt and bitterness of tears,
I’ve walked in the rain when the day is done,
Felt a soft summer breeze,
And the warmth of the sun.I’ve sat by the sea and heard the waves pound,
Held the hand that is friendship,
its richness abound.Yes, I have known life, and I will learn death,
So weep not for me that I have gone,
But ‘Be Glad’ that I have been
And that I have known you.Do Not Weep That I Have Gone
Do not weep that I have gone,
But rejoice that I have been.
For I have known life to its fullest measure,
I have felt pain and I have known pleasure.
Tears I have cried in grief and in laughter,
I have known love and all that comes after.
I’ve tasted the salt and the bitterness of tears,
I’ve walked in the rain when the day is done,
Felt a soft summer breeze, the warmth of the sun.
I’ve sat by the sea and heard the waves pound,
Held the hand that is friendship, its richness abound.
Yes, I have known life, and I will learn death,
So weep not for me that I have gone,
But rejoice that I have been,
And that I have known you.Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8, 11
A Reading from the book of Ecclesiastes.
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
God has made everything beautiful in its time.
The word of the Lord.
Ephesians 1: 3-5
Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings of heaven in Christ. Before the world was made, he chose us, chose us in Christ, to be holy and spotless, and to live through love in his presence, determining that we should become his adopted sons, through Jesus Christ for his own kind purposes.
The word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
Footprints
One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was
walking along the beach with the LORD.
Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.
For each scene, he noticed two sets
of footprints in the sand; one belonging to him,
and the other to the LORD.When the last scene of his life flashed before him,
he looked back at the footprints in the sand.
He noticed that many times along the path
of his life there was only one set of footprints.
He also noticed that it happened at the very
lowest and saddest times in his life.This really bothered him and he questioned
the LORD about it. “LORD, You said that
once I decided to follow You, You’d walk with me
all the way. But I noticed that during the most
troublesome times in my life, there is only
one set of footprints. I don’t understand why
when I needed You most You would leave me.”The LORD replied, “My precious, precious child,
I love you and I would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you.”Forever In Our Hearts
In tears we saw you sinking,
and watched you pass away.
Our hearts were almost broken,
we wanted you to stay.
But when we saw you sleeping,
so peaceful, free from pain,
How could we wish you back with us,
to suffer that again.
It broke our hearts to lose you,
but you did not go alone,
For part of us went with you,
you are forever in our hearts.He Is Gone
You can shed tears that he is gone,
Or you can smile because he has lived.You can close your eyes and pray that he’ll come back,
Or you can open your eyes and see all he’s left.Your heart can be empty because you can’t see him,
Or you can be full of the love you shared.You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday,
Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.You can remember him and only that he’s gone,
Or you can cherish his memory and let it live on.You can cry and close your mind,
be empty and turn your back,
Or you can do what he’d want:
smile, open your eyes, love and go on.
Mass readings
1 Corinthians 15
A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Corinthians.
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 is swallowed up in victory. Death, where is your victory? 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.
1 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.
After that will come the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father. For he must be king until he has put all his enemies under his feet and the last of the enemies to be destroyed is death, for everything is to be put under his feet.
Though when it is said that everything is subjected, this clearly cannot include the One who subjected everything to him. And when everything is subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subject in his turn to the One who subjected all things to him, so that God may be all in all.
The word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
1 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 is swallowed up in victory. Death, where is your victory? 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.
All: Thanks be to God.
1 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.
All: Thanks be to God.
1 John 3: 14-16
We have passed out of death and into life, and of this we can be sure because we love our brothers.
If you refuse to love, you must remain dead; to hate your brother is to be a murderer, and murderers, as you know, do not have eternal life in them.
This has taught us love – that he gave up his life for us; and we, too, ought to give up our lives for our brothers.
The word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18
A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Thessalonians.
We want you to be quite certain, brothers, about those who have died, to make sure that you do not grieve about them like 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.
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.
The word of the Lord.
2 Corinthians 4 & 5
A reading from the second letter of St Paul to the Corinthians.
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.
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.
2 Corinthians 5: 1, 6-10
A reading from the second letter of St Paul to the Corinthians.
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.
2 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 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.
All: Thanks be to God.
2 Timothy 4: 6-8
A reading from the second letter of St Paul to Timothy.
As for me, my life is already being poured away as a libation, and the time has come for me to depart. I have fought the good fight to the end, I have run the race to the finish. I have kept the faith; all there is to come for me now is the crown of uprightness which the Lord, the upright judge, will give to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have longed for his appearing.
The Word of the Lord.
Acts 10: 34-43
Peter addressed Cornelius and his household: ‘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 handing 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.
All: Thanks be to God.
Apocalypse 14: 13
A reading from the Book of the Apocalypse.
I, John, 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.
Apocalypse 20 & 21
I, John, 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 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 seas.
The Word of the Lord.
Apocalypse 20: 1-7
I, John, 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, ‘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.
All: Thanks be to God.
Apocalypse 7: 9-10, 15-17
A reading from the Book of the Apocalypse.
I, John, saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands. They shouted aloud, ‘Victory to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ they now stand in front of God’s throne and serve him day and night in his sanctuary; and the One sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.
They will never hunger or thirst again; neither the sun nor scorching wind will ever plague them, because the Lamb who is at the throne will be their shepherd and will lead them to springs of living water; and God will wipe away all tears from their eyes.
The word of the Lord.
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 the 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”.
This is the Word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8, 11
A Reading from the book of Ecclesiastes.
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
God has made everything beautiful in its time.
The word of the Lord.
Ephesians 1: 3-5
Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings of heaven in Christ. Before the world was made, he chose us, chose us in Christ, to be holy and spotless, and to live through love in his presence, determining that we should become his adopted sons, through Jesus Christ for his own kind purposes.
The word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
Isaiah 25: 6-9
A reading from the prophet Isaiah.
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 for ever. The Lord will wipe away the tears from every cheek; he will take away his peoples 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.
Job 19: 1, 23-27a
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.
John 11: 17-27
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.
On arriving at Bethany, Jesus found that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days already. Bethany is only about two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to sympathise with them over their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus had come she went to meet him. Mary remained sitting in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “If you had been here, my brother would not have died, but I know that, even now, whatever you ask of God, he will grant you.” “Your brother” said Jesus to her “will rise again.” Martha said, “I know he will rise again at the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said:
“I am the resurrection and the life.
If anyone believes in me, even though he dies he will live,
and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.
Do you believe this?”
“Yes Lord” she said “I believe that you are the Christ, The Son of God, the one who was to come into this world.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
John 11: 32-45
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.
Mary, the sister of Lazarus, went to Jesus, and as soon as she saw him she threw herself at his feet saying, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ At the sight of her tears and those of the Jews who followed her, Jesus said in great distress, with a sigh that came straight from the heart, ‘Where have you put him?’
They said, ‘Lord, come and see.’
Jesus wept; and the Jews said, ‘See how much he loved him!’ But there were some who remarked, ‘He opened the eyes of the blind man, could he not have prevented this man’s death?’ Still sighing, Jesus reached the tomb: it was a cave with a stone to close the opening. Jesus said, ‘Take the stone away.’ Martha said to him, ‘Lord, by now he will smell; this is the fourth day.’ Jesus replied, ‘Have I not told you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?’
So they took away the stone. Then Jesus lifted up his eyes and said:
‘Father, I thank you for hearing my prayer. I knew indeed that you always hear me, but I speak for the sake of all those who stand round me, so that they may believe it was you who sent me.’
When he had said this, he cried in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, here! Come out!’ The dead man came out, his feet and hands bound with bands of stuff and a cloth round his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, let him go free.’
Many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary and had seen what he did believed in him.
The Gospel of the Lord.
John 12: 23-28
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Now the hour has come for the Son of Man to be gloried. I tell you, most solemnly, unless a wheat grain falls on the ground and dies, it remains only a single grain; but if it dies, it yields a rich harvest. Anyone who loves his life loses it; anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it for the eternal life. If a man serves me, he must follow me, wherever I am, my servant will be there too. If anyone serves me, my Father will honour him.
Now my soul is troubled. What shall I say: Father, save me from this hour? But it is for this very reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name!”
A voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
All: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.
John 14: 1-6
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.
Jesus said to His disciples:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Trust in God still, and trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father’s house; if there were not, I should have told you. I am going now to prepare a place for you, and after I have gone and prepared you a place, I shall return to take you with me, so that where I am you may be too. You know the way to the place where I am going.”
Thomas said: “Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
John 17: 24-26
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.
Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said:
‘Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they may always see the glory you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. Father, Righteous One, the world has not known you, but I have known you, and these have known that you have sent me. I have made your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and so that I may be in them.’
The Gospel of the Lord.
John 19: 17-18
Carrying his own cross, Jesus went out of the city to the place of the skull or, as it was called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified him with two others, one on either side with Jesus in the middle.
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, ‘Woman, this is your son.’ Then to the disciple he said, ‘This is your mother.’
After this, Jesus knew that everything had now been completed, and to fulfil the Scripture perfectly he said: ‘I am thirsty’.
A jar of vinegar stood there, so putting a sponge soaked in the vinegar on a hyssop stick they held it up to his mouth. After Jesus had taken the vinegar he said, ‘It is accomplished’; and bowing his head he gave up his spirit.
The Gospel of the Lord.
All: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.
John 5 (24-29)
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.
Jesus said to the Jews:
“I tell you most solemnly, whoever listens to my words, and believes in the one who sent me, has eternal life; without being brought to judgement he has passed from death to life. I tell you most solemnly, the hour will come – in fact it is here already – when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and all who hear it will live.
For the Father, who is the source of life, has made the Son the source of life; and, because He is the Son of Man, has appointed him supreme judge.
Do not be surprised at this, for the hour is coming when the dead will leave their graves at the sound of His voice; those who did good will rise again to life; and those who did evil, to condemnation.
The Gospel of the Lord.
John 6: 37-40
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.
Jesus said to the crowd:
‘All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I shall not turn him away; because I have come from heaven, not to do my own will, but to do the will of the one who sent me.
Now the will of him who sent me is that I should lose nothing of all that he has given to me, and that I should raise it up on the last day.
Yes, it is my Father’s will that whoever sees the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and that I shall raise him up on the last day.’
The Gospel of the Lord.
John 6: 51-58
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.
Jesus said to the crowd:
‘I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world.’
Then the people started arguing with one another: ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ they said.
Jesus replied:
‘I tell you most solemnly, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you. Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life, and I shall raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in him. As I, who am sent by the living Father, myself draw life from the Father, so whoever eats me will draw life from me. This is the bread come down from heaven; not like the bread our ancestors ate: they are dead, but anyone who eats this bread will live for ever.’
The Gospel of the Lord.
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 the Lord to save.
The Word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
Luke 12: 35-40
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke.
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘See that you are dressed for action and have your lamps lit. Be like men waiting for their master to return from the wedding feast, ready to open the door as soon as he comes and knocks. Happy those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. I tell you solemnly, he will put on an apron, sit them down at table and wait on them. It may be in the second watch he comes, or in the third, but happy those servants if he finds them ready. You may be quite sure of this, that if the householder had known at what hour the burglar would come, he would not have let anyone break through the wall of his house. You too must stand ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’
The Gospel of the Lord.
Luke 23: 33, 39-43
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke.
When the soldiers reached the place called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there and the two criminals also, one on the right, the other on the left. One of the criminals hanging there abused him. ‘Are you not the Christ?’ he said. ‘Save yourself and us as well.’ But the other spoke up and rebuked him. ‘Have you no fear of God at all?’ he said. ‘You got the same sentence as he did, but in our case we deserved it: we are paying for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong. Jesus,’ he said, ‘remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ ‘Indeed, I promise you,’ he replied, ‘today you will be with me in paradise.’
The Gospel of the Lord.
Luke 23: 44-46
It was about the sixth hour and, with the sun eclipsed, a darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. The veil of the Temple was torn right down the middle; and when Jesus had cried out in a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit’. With these words he breathed his last.
Then a member of the council arrived, an upright and virtuous man named Joseph. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. He then took it down, wrapped it in a shroud and put him in a tomb which was hewn in stone in which no one had yet been laid.
On the first day of the week, at the first sign of dawn, the women went to the tomb with the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb, but on entering discovered that the body of the Lord Jesus was not there. As they stood there not knowing what to think, two men in brilliant clothes suddenly appeared at their side. Terrified, the women lowered their eyes. But the two men said to them, ‘Why look among the dead for someone who is alive? He is not here; he has risen.’
The Gospel of the Lord.
All: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.
Luke 24: 13-35
On the first day of the week, two of the disciples were on their way to a village called Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking together about all that had happened. Now as they talked this over, Jesus himself came up and walked by their side; but something prevented them from recognising him.
When they drew near to the village to which they were going, he made as if to go on; but they pressed him to stay with them. ‘It is nearly evening,’ they said, ‘and the day is almost over.’ So he went in to stay with them. Now while he was with them at table, he took the bread and said the blessing; then he broke it and handed it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognised him; but he had vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, ’Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?’ They set out that instant and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven assembled together with their companions, who said to them, ‘Yes, it is true. The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.’ Then they told their story of what had happened on the road and how they had recognised him at the breaking of bread.
The Gospel of the Lord.
All: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.
Luke 7: 11-17
Jesus went to a town called Nain, accompanied by his disciples and a great number of people. When he was near the gate of the town it happened that a dead man was being carried out for burial, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a considerable number of the townspeople were with her. When the Lord saw her he felt sorry for her. ‘Do not cry,’ he said. Then he went up and put his hand on the bier and the bearers stood still, and he said, ‘Young man, I tell you to get up.’ And the dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Everyone was filled with awe and praised God saying, ‘A great prophet has appeared among us; God has visited his people.’ And this opinion of him spread throughout Judaea and all over the countryside.
The Gospel of the Lord.
All: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.
Mark 10: 13-16
People were bringing little children to Jesus, for him to touch them. The disciples turned them away, but when Jesus saw this he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. I tell you solemnly, anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’ Then he put his arms around them, laid his hands on them and gave them his blessing.
The Gospel of the Lord.
All: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.
Mark 15: 33-39
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew.
When the sixth hour came there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama Sabachthani?’ which means “My God, my God, why have you deserted me?” When some of those who stood by heard this, they said, ‘Listen, he is calling on Elijah.’ Someone ran and soaked a sponge in vinegar and, putting it on a reed, gave it to him to drink saying, ‘Wait and see if Elijah will come to take him down.’ But Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. And the veil of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The centurion, who was standing in front of him, had seen how he had died and he said, ‘In truth this man was a son of God.’
The Gospel of the Lord.
Matthew 11: 25-30
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew.
Jesus exclaimed, “I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
“Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Matthew 25: 1-13
Jesus spoke this parable to his disciples:
“The kingdom of heaven will be like this; Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible; the foolish ones did take their lamps, but they brought no oil, whereas the sensible ones took flasks of oil as well as their lamps. The bridegroom was late and they all grew drowsy and fell asleep. But at midnight there was a cry. ‘The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet him.’ At this, all those bridesmaids woke up and trimmed their lamps, and the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, ‘Give us some of your oil: our lamps are going out.’ But they replied, ‘There may not be enough for us and for you; you had better go to those who sell it and buy some for yourselves.’ They had gone off to buy it when the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding hall and the door was closed. The other bridesmaids arrived later. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us.’ But he replied, ‘I tell you solemnly, I do not know you.’ So stay awake, because you do not know either the day or the hour.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
All: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew 25: 31-46
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘When the Son of Man comes in glory, escorted by all the angels, then he will take his seat on his throne of glory. All the nations will be assembled before him and he will separate men one from another as the shepherd separates sheep from goats. He will place the sheep on his right hand the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right hand, “Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me good; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.”
Then the virtuous will say to him in reply, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you; or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome; naked and clothe you; sick or in prison and go to see you?”
And the King will answer, “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.”
Next he will say to those on his left hand, “Go away from me, with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was thirsty and hungry and you never gave me food; I was thirsty and you never gave me anything to drink; I was a stranger and you never made me welcome; naked and you never clothed me; sick and in prison and you never visited me.”
Then he will answer, “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me.” And they will go away to eternal punishment, and the virtuous to eternal life.
The Gospel of the Lord.
