Catholic Scriptural Readings for Funerals
Here is a list of scriptural readings drawn from the Lectionary for Mass. The official selections from the Order of Christian Funerals have been augmented by some additional selections which I believe to be appropriate under special circumstances. I hope this list will be of help for mourners, preachers and liturgy committees. Usually there are three readings. One from the Old Testament, a second from the New Testament (Epistles), and the third, the Gospel reading proclaimed by the presiding priest or deacon. The Old Testament readings are prefaced by "A Reading from the Book of Wisdom, or A Reading From the First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians etc." The readings should be concluded with the statement: "The Word of the Lord." to which the congregation responds "Thanks be to God."
The suggested texts are linked to the NAB website of the USCCB at:http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/index.htm Albert Judy, O.P.
Old Testament Readings Ref.# 1 Job 19:1, 23-27 "...I know that my Vindicator lives..." 789,1 2 Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 "...A time to be born, a time to die..." 453 3 Ecclesiastes 11:9--12:8 "...Before the silver cord is snapped..." 454 4 Song of Solomon 2:8-14 "...Arise my beloved, my beautiful one, and come!..." 198 5 Wisdom 1:13-15, 2:23f 6 Wisdom 3:1-9 7 Wisdom 4:7-15 "...The just man, though he die early, shall be at rest..." 85 8 Sirach 1:1-10 "...All wisdom comes from the LORD..." 341 9 Sirach 2:1-11 "...in fire gold is tested....Compassionate is the Lord..." 342 10 Sirach 44:1, 10-15 "...Now will I praise those godly men,... 606 11 Isaiah 25:6a, 7-9 "...he will destroy death forever..." 789,4 12 Isaiah 26:7-19 "...your dead shall live, their corpses shall rise..." 392 13 Isaiah 35:1-10 "...Here is your God, he comes with vindication..." 182 14 Isaiah 40:1-11 "Comfort...to my people..." 183 15 Isaiah 40:25-31 "...Though youths stagger and fall...they will soar..." 184 16 Jeremiah 17:5-10 "...I, the Lord, alone probe the mind and test the heart..." 234 17 Lamentations 3:17-26 "...My portion is the Lord, says my soul..." 789,5 18 Ezekiel 37:12-14 "O my people, I will open your graves and have you rise..." 34 19 Daniel 12:1-3 "...the wise shall shine brightly..." 789,6 20 Micah 7:7-9 "...though I sit in darkness, the Lord is my light..." 244 21 Zephaniah 3:14-18 "...Shout for joy...the Lord has removed the judgment..." 9 22 Malachi 3:13-20 "...And a record book was written before him..." 464 23 2 Maccabees 12:43-46 "...he made atonement for the dead..." 789,7 New Testament Readings Ref.# 1 Romans 5:1-5 "...We know that affliction makes for endurance..." 167 2 Romans 8:1-11 "...he...will bring your mortal bodies to life..." 478 3 Romans 8:26-30 "...God makes all things work together for the good..." 481 4 Romans 10:8-13 " No one who believes in him will be put to shame..." 24 5 Romans 11:33-36 "...How deep are the riches and the wisdom...of God..." 122 6 1 Corinthians 1:22-25 "God's folly is wiser than men,...weakness, more powerful" 29 7 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 "...Let him who would boast, boast in the Lord... 430 8 1 Corinthians 2:6-10 ...Eye has not seen, ear..heard...what God has prepared.." 77 9 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 "...if Christ was not raised, your faith is worthless..." 79 10 2 Corinthians 4:6-10 "...this treasure we possess in earthen vessels..." 87 11 2 Corinthians 5:14-17 ...The old order has passed away; now all is new!" 603 12 Ephesians 1:3-10 "...he likewise predestined us...to be his sons..." 105 13 Ephesians 1:11-14 "...In Christ we were chosen..." 471 14 Ephesians 2:4-10 "...By this favor you were saved... not your own doing" 32 15 Philippians 3:8-14 "...I run toward the prize to which God calls me..." 36 16 Colossians 3:1-4 "...After all, you have died! Your life is hidden now..." 43 17 Colossians 3:12-24 "...you will receive an inheritance from him..." 785,11 18 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 "...We belong neither to darkness nor to night..." 432 19 2 Timothy 1:8-10 "Bear your share of the hardship...He has robbed death..." 25 20 2 Timothy 4:6-18 "... I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race.." 591 21 Titus 2:11-14 "...he who sacrificed himself for us, to redeem us..." 15 22 Titus 3:4-7 "...he saved us, not because of any righteous deeds..." 15 23 Hebrews 4:12-16 "...Nothing is concealed from him;...let us hold fast..." 310 24 Hebrews 5:7-9 "...he learned obedience from what he suffered..." 35 25 Hebrews 12:18-24 "...you have drawn near to...the heavenly Jerusalem..." 121 26 James 5:7-10 "Be patient,...until the coming of the Lord..." 7 27 1 Peter 1:3-9 "...you may for a time have to suffer...faith...fire-tried gold" 44 28 2 Peter 3:12-17 "...Look for the coming of the day of God..." 354 29 1 John 5:1-5 "...Who, then, is conqueror of the world?..." 560 30 Revelation 22:12ff "...I am the Alpha and the Omega....Come, Lord Jesus..." 62 Gospel Readings Ref.# 1 Matthew 5:1-12a "The Eight Beatitudes" 128 2 Matthew 11:25-30 "come to me . . . and I will give you rest." 129 3 Matthew 18:19-20 "For where two or three are gathered together in my name" 4 Matthew 25:1-13 "Look. The bridegroom comes. Go out to meet him" 130 5 Matthew 25:31-46 "Come, you whom my Father has blessed" 131 6 Mark 10:13-16 "Let the children come to me" 7 Mark 13:33-37 "...you do not know when the appointed time will come." 3 9 Mark 15:33-46 "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" 10 Mark 15:33--16:6 "Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last" 132 11 Luke 7:11-17 "Young man, I say to you, arise." 133 12 Luke 12:35-40 "Be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect,..." 134 13 Luke 20:34-38 "They can no longer die, for they are like angels" 14 Luke 23:33-43 "Today you will be with me in paradise." 135 15 Luke 23:44--24:6a "Father, I put my life in your hands." 136 16 Luke 24:13-35 "Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer..." 137 17 Luke 24:13-35 "Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer..." 137 18 John 5:24-29 "Whoever hears my word and believes has passed from..." 19 John 6:37-40 "All who believe in the Son will have eternal life..." 138 20 John 6:51-58 "All who eat this bread will live for ever...." 139 21 John 11:17-27 "I am the resurrection and the life." 140 22 John 11:32-45 "Lazarus, come out." 141 23 John 12:23-28 "If a grain of wheat falls on the ground and dies..." 142 24 John 14:1-6 "There are many rooms in my Father's house." 143 25 John 17:24-26 "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me..." 144 26 John 19:17-30 "Jesus bowed his head and gave up his spirits."