The Tribute Journal
Funeral Prayers for a Service or Program
A funeral usually holds three or four prayers: one to open, one after the readings, one at the committal, and one to close. Below are prayers for each point, in traditional and plainer language, plus short ones that fit on a program card or prayer card.
Opening prayers
God of all comfort, we gather here carrying more than we know how to hold. Be near to us in this hour. Steady the ones whose grief is heaviest, and let this time together be a shelter. We give thanks for the life of [Name], and we place them, and ourselves, in your hands. Amen.
Eternal God, you have been our dwelling place in every generation. We come today with sorrow and with gratitude — sorrow that [Name] has gone from us, gratitude that they were given to us at all. Open our hearts to what we are about to remember together. Amen.
The Lord's Prayer
Printed in the program more often than any other text, because it is the one prayer a mixed congregation can say together without hesitating. The traditional form:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Two practical notes: some congregations continue with "For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever," and some say "debts" rather than "trespasses." Ask the officiant which version this congregation uses and print that one — a room stumbling over the ending is the most common small mishap in a funeral service.
Catholic prayers
The Eternal Rest prayer, said at wakes, funerals and graveside:
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen. May their soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
The Hail Mary is also commonly printed so guests unfamiliar with it can join in. Our Catholic funeral program guide sets out the full order of the Funeral Mass and which responses belong on the page.
The prayer of committal
Said at the graveside as the casket is lowered, or at the crematorium. The traditional form:
We commend to Almighty God our brother [Name], and we commit their body to the ground: earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life. The Lord bless them and keep them; the Lord make his face to shine upon them and be gracious unto them; the Lord lift up his countenance upon them and give them peace. Amen.
Closing prayers and blessings
Go now in peace, carrying what you have remembered here. May the love that held [Name] hold you also, in the days when the house is quiet and the difficulty is real. And may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds. Amen.
May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be always at your back, may the sun shine warm upon your face, and the rain fall soft upon your fields; and until we meet again, may God hold you in the hollow of his hand.
Short prayers for a program or prayer card
Prayer cards are small — usually the size of a bookmark — so four to six lines is the limit.
- "Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May she rest in peace. Amen."
- "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures." — Psalm 23
- "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference."
- "Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love." — attributed to St. Francis
- "Into your hands, O Lord, we commend our brother. Grant him peace. Amen."
- "May the angels lead you into paradise, and may you have eternal rest."
Non-religious alternatives
A secular service still benefits from a moment where everyone is quiet together — it simply isn't addressed to God. These work in the same slots:
Let us take a moment together. Not to say anything, and not to understand anything — only to hold [Name] in our minds, each of us in our own way, and to be grateful that we knew them at all.
A poem often does the same work; our 40 comforting funeral poems collection includes public-domain verses suited to a secular service.
Where prayers go in the program
Print in full any prayer the congregation is expected to say aloud — the Lord's Prayer especially. Prayers led by the officiant alone can be listed by name only ("Prayer of Committal"), since guests are only listening. Our order of service examples show where each falls in the sequence.
What prayers are said at a funeral?
Usually an opening prayer, a prayer after the readings or eulogy, the prayer of committal at the graveside, and a closing blessing. The Lord's Prayer is almost always said together by everyone present.
What is a good short prayer for a funeral program?
"Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May she rest in peace." Psalm 23 and the Serenity Prayer are equally common and both are free to print.
Should the Lord's Prayer be printed in the funeral program?
Yes, if the congregation will say it together — it lets guests of any background join in. Check with the officiant whether this congregation uses "trespasses" or "debts" and whether they include the closing doxology.
What can you say instead of a prayer at a secular funeral?
A moment of shared silence introduced by the celebrant, or a reading of a poem. The purpose — everyone quiet and focused on the same person at the same time — is achieved either way.
