OUR PRAYERS: Eternal Rest

WORDS FAiTHDeep inn every human heart is a desire for the living God that expresses itself in prayer. In the Catholic tradition, some prayers have
becomee classic expressions of what the human heart seeks. Words of Faith: Our Prayers explores prayers
revealed
d a faith that fosters a deep, personal, growing, and loving relationship with Jesus Christ.
who we are and about the God to whom we belong.

We Pray
ayers that
th
t
rist.. These prayers
prayer teach
for centuries have
tea us much about
—Keith J. Egan,
E Series Editor

This prayer is often prayed

edd iin
n a call and
an
nd re
response
es nssee format.
ffor
o ma
or mat.
t
t.
Leader:
der: Eternal
Ete
tern
r a rest,
rn r t, grant
grant
raan unto
unt
n o them,
them
th eem
m, O Lord.
All:
All:: And
n le
let
et p
perpetual
pet al light
ligh
ligh shine
shi
sh
hi e upon
u
up them.
th
Leader:
Lead
Leadeer
ad er M
Mayay ttheir
heir
he ir souls,
ir ou
uls and
nd the souls of all the faithful departed,
through
thro h the
th he mercy
th mer
m of God rest in peace.
All:
All:: A
Amen
Am

We Practice
W
hen someone dies,, the Church steps for-
ward. Christians hold olld dea
old dear and unflinch-
ingly thee sacredness
acredness of h human
hum life and that
of

profound respect
esp
sp ct and love foll follow w ththrough to the sol-
thro
emn
mn buburial of
of eevery individual.
individualal. Wh
Whe
When e ssomeone dies, we
gather
g
ga ther
th e together
er tog h r at the
og the he home, pray in vigil, vig and accompa-
v
ny family
n mili y and
nd friends
fr through
ro
oug
ughh the funeral
th funer
fun
fu
uner
n rites and days
of mou
of m
mourning—holding
ouur g— g—ho hold
ho ldin
ld ing
in g th
them
hem
h close
em clos
cll every
ever step along the
way. Neighbors
w orss arrive,
bo arr
rriv
i
iv bringing food and an comfort. Work
is putt on hold.
hol Time stands still as we b bury a loved one.
The Order of Christian Funerals cont contains all the litur-
gical prayers and rituals of the Catholic Church that we
use when one of our own dies. At the h heart of these sol-
emn rites are prayers for those who aare left to mourn
and prayers for the person who has died. d We pray for
ourselves, that we might find
ourselves find comfort and healing; we
pray for the deceased, in gratitude for their lives and in
steadfast hope that their sins will be forgiven and they
well find eternal rest with God in heaven.

D YOU KNOW?
DID W The Church calls each member of
Christ’s
’ss Body—
Body—p
Body—pri
Body—priest, deacon,
Manyy Catholic parishes invite members and
layperson—to
erson—to p participate in
guests
ts to write the names of loved ones
who have died in a special book, sometimes the ministry off consolation:
called
d the “Book of the Dead” or the “Bookk to care
are for the d
dying, to
of Names,” November.
ames,” during the month of Novem
N
Nov
ovem
ov
vem
embe
berr.
pray for the dea
dead,
de to comfort
This simple ritual reminds
remin
inds
d everyone
ds eve
ev ryyone inn the
the
parish
h to pr
pray
ay ffor those
o thos
or those w
who
ho
ho hhave
avve di
died
ied aand
nd
d those
ose w
wh
who mourn.
for those
hos
ose
se
e who mourn.
who mo
wh mour
ourn. —Order of Chris
Christian Funerals, #8

By Dr. Je
Jean
ann Donovan, theologian and lay p person, widow and
per d mother
m of five. Dr. Donovan’s career includes univer
university teaching, and
parish, ca
campus,
ampus,
pus, and hospice
h ice min
minist
ministry.
Series Editor,
Ed
ditor,
r, Keith J. Ega
Egan, P Carmelite
PhD, is President of the Carmel of Notre Dame; and
melite Institute; Adjunct Professor of Theology, University o
Aquinas Chair ir Eme
Emeritus,
E St. Mary’s College.
We Believe A BIT OF HISTORY
C
atholic Christiansns believe in eternal life. We are born The journey of Christianity is a long and winding
windi road, crossing cen-
into that life at baptism and at the end of our earth- turies, continents, and cultures. Our ancesto in faith left a rich heri-
urr ancestors
ly life we movee through death into the fullness of tage chronicling their livesves and struggles, drdreams and beliefs. When
drea
God’s glory in heaven. We believe, as our funeral rites and we learn their stories,es, we find people just like
li us trying to be faithful
our prayer show, that death ath is not the end. Made in the image followers
erss of Christ
C
Christ.
of God and born anew in n the waters of baptism, we are linked Sai Ambrose, the Bisho
Saint Bishop of Milan, died in AAD 397. In him we find
forever to the holy oness both in heaven and on earth. th. This an excellent
excelllle example
examp e off how w to honor
honor the
th dead
e with profound grati-
he dea
d
communion of saints surrounds
rrounds us always.. Theyhey pray
p for us tude and deep resolve to make ke goo the gift of life. We know
good use of th
and we for them. he mournedned the
rned tth death of his brother,
bro Satyrus, because
When a Christian dies, w understand that he
s, we Ambrose’s sermons on the topic still remain for our
Ambr

S
or she is held accountable b
blee for the way they lived. inspiration.
Judgment comes to all off us, yet we trust in God’s Nothing among things of earth, deare
dearest brethren, was
mercy and forgiveness. And so we pray for those more precious to me, nothing more worthy of love,
journeying through death. th. We pray at the hour
hou of their death, nothing more dear than such a brothbrother . . . to this it
in the days immediately y following,
owing and we continue to do so
lowing, must be added that I cannot be ungrateful
ung to God;
for many days and weeks and years to come. The one, holy, for I must rather rejoice that I had such a brother to
catholic Church crosses time and eternity. The living and the grieve than that I had lost a brother, for the former is
dead are united in faith and love. We pray for those who a gift, the latter a debt to be paid. And so, as long as
have gone before us and they pray for us. We draw strength I might, I enjoyed the loan entrusted to me, now he
and courage from our faith, trusting that in the end all sins who deposited the pledge has taken it back.
can be forgiven, that life fe is stronger than death, and that
perpetual light—the vibrantbrant peace and dynamic beauty of —St. Ambrose (d. 397)
—St
—

E
God’s glory—awaits us in heaven.

We Live
T
he Church (or liturgical)
urgical) year wraps up p during
duri November. We • Offer to help with funeral lunches or another
al lunch
lunche anoth ministry of consola-
begin the month with the feastsasts of All
A Saints (November 1) and tion
ion in your parish.
rish.
mber
All Souls (November berr 2) when
w we call to mind our place within • Reachh out to others who are grieving and sshare your own burdens

S
the communion of saints ntts and remember all those who have gone be be- with them.
wi
acee of the Lord. The last Sundays of the yea
fore us to rest in the peace year • Pray for and to your deceased loved ones, aand know that they pray
point us toward the end d times
mes and the full flowering of th the reign of for you.
God, culminating with ourr celebration of the Feast Fea of Christ the King
on the last Sunday of thehe Church year,
year just before Advent begins. In
yea With Children
the northern hemisphere, this hi waningi off the
h year coincides
i id with i h the
h • Light a candle in church and say together the Eternal Rest prayer.
end of the growing season, with shorter days and longer nights. This The symbol of light and constancy is easy for children to grasp and
is no random alignment, but a purposeful commemoration of the har- they will draw comfort knowing that someone they love is still
vesting of the faithful into our heavenly home even as we harvest the close to them.
fruits of the earth. • For the feasts of All Saints and All Souls, create a simple home
As autumn deepens, s, we sometimes feel the heaviness of life. shrine honoring loved ones who havee died. Tell stories of these peo-
Loneliness can set in as we remember with heightened sorrow what ple, help children learn to pray to them in heaven, think of activi-
we once shared with loved ved ones who have died. And so the Church,

E
ties you can do together
ogether to help
he kee memories
keep memo
mem alive. For example:
in ancient wisdom, nudgesdges us to pray for our beloved dead, to keep preparee a grandparent’s
ndparent’s favorite recipe or plant
p a small garden like
them close in prayer and d memory. Doing so can strengthen us to re- a deceased
de neighbor used to do.
dedicate ourselves to thee life of faith, continued in the loving presence
esence
ce Halloween
• Research together the origins of Hallowe n and various other cus-
of those who have gone before us. We are not alone; we come together toms surrounding the feasts of All
ll Saints and All Souls. Incorporate
Saint an
in the holy communion n of saints to share each ach other’s
oth burdens and some of what you learn n into your
y life.
family lif
find our way in life.

© 2009 by ave ve

S
e maria press , inc
Scripture texts in this
Washington, D.C. All rights reserved.
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Michael
Imprimatur: Most Reverend John
erve
ved.
el He
ed.
®
inc. • Notre Dame, Indiana
t series are taken from the New

eintz, PhD, Censor

Heintz,
hn M.. D’Arcy
D’Arcy, B
nsor liborum
lib
w Ameri
a • www.avemariapress.com
American
Ame
www

Bishop of Fort Wayne–South Bend, May 29, 2009

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