Commemoration of the Faithful Departed (All Souls Day)



Last year, in a post entitled All Souls Day I asked whether Christians should pray for the dead or simply remember them with thanksgiving?

 My answer was that for those who pray and who have lost those they have loved, it is natural to hold loved ones in our hearts before God. I remember them with thanksgiving and trust them to God. You can read the whole post here.

 Around this time of year many churches hold special services to commemorate those who have died. This can be especially helpful for those who have been bereaved in recent months or years. There is something about coming together with others in the presence of God to light a candle, remember and give thanks that can give hope as we learn to live with the lonely process of grief.

 The prayer below is a prayer of remembrance, particularly for those who have died in the faith of Christ. I think it can be used for anyone who has died. None of us knows the depths of another's heart and we cannot plumb the depths of God's mercy for 'the lost'. 


Hear us, O merciful Father,
as we remember in love
those whom we have placed in your hands.
Acknowledge, we pray, the sheep of your own fold,
lambs of your own flock,
sinners of your own redeeming.
Enfold them in the arms of your mercy,
in the blessed rest of everlasting peace,
and in the glorious company of the saints in light. Amen.    

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