Today the church prays for all those who have died. We pray in faith and hope. As St Paul says, what proves that God loves us is that Christ died for us while we were still sinners, and by his death we have been made righteous in the eyes of God (Romans 5:8-10). God does not wait for us to be perfect before reaching out to us in love.
We join with the whole Church in praying that God welcome our departed sisters and brothers fully into the Divine embrace.
Prayer
Listen kindly to our prayers, Loving God,
and, as our faith in your Son, raised from the dead, is deepened,
so may our hope of resurrection for your departed servants
also find new strength. Through Christ, our Lord.
Amen
Merciful Father, we commend our loved one into your hands.
You know the depth of our love and their life on earth.
Wipe away our tears and comfort our grieving hearts.
Welcome them into the light of your eternal peace and joy.
Life is changed, not ended.
Love lives on in memory and spirit.
Peace surrounds your loved one now.
AMEN.
This year, the Good Samaritan Foundation is beginning a Book of Remembrance, recording the names entrusted to us so they can be remembered at All Souls’ Day in the years to come. In the lead-up to 2 November, the Sisters of the Good Samaritan will hold those named in the book in prayer, giving thanks for their lives and commending them to God’s loving care.
There’s still time to include the names of your loved ones in our Book of Remembrance. You can email us on info@goodsamsfoundation.org.au or if you would like to make a donation on their behalf, simply click on the donate now button, pick ASD – Book of Remembrance from our pull down menu and leave your loved one’s name and a short note in our message section before All Souls’ Day on 2 November.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. In your hands, O Lord, we humbly entrust our brothers and sisters.