A Family Bereavement Prayer.    God our Father, we remember in prayer those we have loved, who have had a special place in our hearts and in our lives and are now no longer here with us.  We thank you Lord for the time you have given us to share together the gift of life.   We pray for your pardon and a willingness to forgive one another for the hurt we caused. Help us to be at peace with the imperfections of our human relationship knowing that you accept us as we are.  Comfort us through the memories our loved ones leave us.  May those memories give us courage for our journey into the future.  Grant them a place of peace and joy in your kingdom where there is no more suffering and no more grief.  And when each of us is called to depart from this life may we be reunited with them in eternal happiness.   We make this prayer through Christ our Lord.   Amen.

November 2.  Commemoration of the Faithful Departed. They gathered at the parish early in the morning to start their pilgrimage, as they called it, to the cemetery as usual on November 2nd.  Men, women and children, all who had lost a dearly beloved family member or close friend made the short journey, but it was the company of others that comforted them.  John had recently lost a son in an accident, Paul’s son had been killed during an armed robbery while Mavis’s daughter had succumbed to AIDS.  As parents they came to share their grief and offer one another support.  Fr George prayed a special prayer for grieving parents, reminded them of the support offered by The Compassionate Friends and told them that Pope Francis’ November prayer intention is for those who have lost a child. He also suggested that making up a little home shrine during this month with a photo, crucifix and Bible could be a great opportunity for family sharing and prayer at home.

Reflect, share, act. Scripture:  Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones.   Psalm 116:15. “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Revelations 21:4.    Pope Francis: . Our loved ones are not lost in the shades of nothingness; hope assures us that they are in the good strong hands of God. AL 256  We cannot fail to offer the light of faith as a support to families going through the experience of a death of a loved one.  To turn our backs on a grieving family would show a lack of mercy,  be the loss of a pastoral opportunity and close the door to other efforts at evangelisation. AL 253.  Eco-tip and prayer: Bring to mind some of the losses in your life and pray.    Creator God in this month of commemoration of loss and death comfort us in our pain and strengthen us in our understanding that you never abandon us and care for each of your creatures day by day.