FUNERALS

Peter proceeded to speak, saying:

   “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.

Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly

   is acceptable to him.

You know the word that he sent to the children of Israel  

   as he proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.

He commissioned us to preach to the people   

   and testify that he is the one appointed by God  

   as judge of the living and the dead.

To him all the prophets bear witness,    

   that everyone who believes in him

   will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.”

The word of the Lord.

I, John, heard a voice from heaven say,“Write this:

   Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”

“Yes,” said the Spirit,  

   “let them find rest from their labors,  

   for their works accompany them.”

The word of the Lord.

I, John, saw a new heaven and a new earth.

The former heaven and the former earth had passed away,   

   and the sea was no more.

I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem,   

   coming down out of heaven from God,  

   prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,   

   “Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race.

He will dwell with them and they will be his people      

   and God himself will always be with them as their God.

He will wipe every tear from their eyes,   

   and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain,

   for the old order has passed away.”

The One who sat on the throne said,    

   “Behold, I make all things new.”

I am the Alpha and the Omega,   

   the beginning and the end.

To the thirsty I will give a gift

   from the spring of life-giving water.

The victor will inherit these gifts,   

   and I shall be his God,

   and he will be my son.”

The word of the Lord.

Brothers and sisters:

   Hope does not disappoint,    

   because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts 

   through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

For Christ, while we were still helpless,   

   died at the appointed time for the ungodly.

Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person,    

   though perhaps for a good person

   one might even find courage to die.

But God proves his love for us    

   in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

How much more then, since we are now justified by his Blood,   

   will we be saved through him from the wrath.

Indeed, if, while we were enemies,   

   we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son,   

   how much more, once reconciled,   

   will we be saved by his life.

Not only that,    

   but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

   through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Brothers and sisters:

   Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus

   were baptized into his death?

We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death,

   so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead

   by the glory of the Father,

   we too might live in newness of life.

If then, we have died with Christ,

   we believe that we shall also live with him.

We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more;

   death no longer has power over him.

The word of the Lord.

Brothers and sisters:

Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear,

     but you received a spirit of adoption,

     through which we cry, Abba, “Father!”

The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit

     that we are children of God,

     and if children, then heirs,

     heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,

     if only we suffer with him

     so that we may also be glorified with him.

 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing

     compared with the glory to be revealed for us.

For creation awaits with eager expectation

     the revelation of the children of God;

     for creation was made subject to futility,

     not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it,

     in hope that creation itself

     would be set free from slavery to corruption

     and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God.

We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now;

     and not only that, but we ourselves,

     who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,

     we also groan within ourselves

     as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

 The word of the Lord.

Brothers and sisters:

He did not spare his own Son

     but handed him over for us all,

     will he not also give us everything else along with him?

Who will bring a charge against God’s chosen ones?

It is God who acquits us.

Who will condemn?

It is Christ Jesus who died, rather, was raised,

     who also is at the right hand of God,

     who indeed intercedes for us.

What will separate us from the love of Christ?

Will anguish, or distress or persecution, or famine,

     or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?

No, in all these things, we conquer overwhelmingly

     through him who loved us.

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life,

     nor angels, nor principalities,

     nor present things, nor future things,

     nor powers, nor height, nor depth,

     nor any other creature will be able to separate us

     from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

If God is for us, who can be against us?

The word of the Lord.

Brothers and sisters:

No one lives for oneself,

     and no one dies for oneself.

For if we live, we live for the Lord,

     and if we die, we die for the Lord;

     so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.

For this is why Christ died and came to life,

     that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

Why then do you judge your brother?

Or you, why do you look down on your brother?

For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God;

     for it is written: 

     As I live, says the Lord, every knee

          shall bend before me,

          and every tongue shall give praise to God. 

So then each of us shall give an accounting of himself to God.

The word of the Lord.

Brothers and sisters:

Behold, I tell you a mystery.

We shall not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed,

     in an instant, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet.

For the trumpet will sound,

     the dead will be raised incorruptible,

     and we shall be changed.

For that which is corruptible must clothe itself with incorruptibility,

     and that which is mortal must clothe itself with immortality.

And when this which is corruptible clothes itself with incorruptibility

     and this which is mortal clothes itself with immortality,

     then the word that is written shall come about:

           Death is swallowed up in victory.

          Where, O death, is your victory?

          Where, O death, is your sting?

The sting of death is sin,

     and the power of sin is the law.

But thanks be to God who gives us the victory

     through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The word of the Lord.

Brothers and sisters:

Knowing that the One who raised the Lord Jesus

     will raise us also with Jesus

     and place us with you in his presence.

Everything indeed is for you,

     so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people

     may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God.

Therefore, we are not discouraged;

     rather, although our outer self is wasting away,

     our inner self is being renewed day by day.

For this momentary light affliction

     is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,

     as we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen;

     for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal.

For we know that if our earthly dwelling, a tent,

     should be destroyed,

     we have a building from God,

     a dwelling not made with hands, eternal in heaven.

The word of the Lord.

 Brothers and sisters:

We know that if our earthly dwelling, a tent,

     should be destroyed,

     we have a building from God,

     a dwelling not made with hands,

     eternal in heaven.

We are always courageous,

     although we know that while we are at home in the body

     we are away from the Lord,

     for we walk by faith, not by sight.

Yet we are courageous,

     and we would rather leave the body and go home to the Lord.

Therefore, we aspire to please him,

     whether we are at home or away.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,

     so that each may receive recompense,

     according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil.

The word of the Lord.

We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters,

     about those who have fallen asleep,

     so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose,

     so too will God, through Jesus,

     bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

Indeed, we tell you this, on the word of the Lord,

     that we who are alive,

     who are left until the coming of the Lord,

     will surely not precede those who have fallen asleep.

For the Lord himself, with a word of command,

     with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God,

     will come down from heaven,

     and the dead in Christ will rise first.

Then we who are alive, who are left,

     will be caught up together with them in the clouds

     to meet the Lord in the air.

Thus we shall always be with the Lord.

Therefore, console one another with these words.

The word of the Lord.

Beloved:

Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David:

     such is my Gospel, for which I am suffering,

     even to the point of chains, like a criminal.

But the word of God is not chained.

Therefore, I bear with everything for the sake of those who are chosen,

     so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus,

     together with eternal glory.

This saying is trustworthy:

     If we have died with him

          we shall also live with him;

     if we persevere

          we shall also reign with him.

     But if we deny him

          he will deny us.

     If we are unfaithful

          he remains faithful,

          for he cannot deny himself.

The word of the Lord.

Beloved:

See what love the Father has bestowed on us

     that we may be called the children of God.

Yet so we are.

The reason the world does not know us

     is that it did not know him.

Beloved, we are God’s children now;

     what we shall be has not yet been revealed.

We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,

     for we shall see him as he is.

The word of the Lord.

Beloved:

I am already being poured out like a libation,

and the time of my departure is at hand.

I have competed well; I have finished the race;

I have kept the faith.

From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me,

which the Lord, the just judge,

will award to me on that day, and not only to me,

but to all who have longed for his appearance.

The word of the Lord.