O ETERNAL Lord God, who holdest all souls in life; Vouchsafe,
we beseech thee, to thy whole Church in paradise and on earth,
thy light and thy peace; and grant that we, following the good
examples of those who have served thee here and are now at rest,
may at the last enter with them into thine unending joy; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
¶ Or this.
O GOD, whose mercies cannot be numbered; Accept our prayers on
behalf of the soul of thy servant departed, and grant him an
entrance into the land of light and joy, in the fellowship of
thy saints; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle. 1 Thessalonians iv. 13.
I WOULD not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning
them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which
have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again,
even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which
are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent
them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from
heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with
the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then
we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with
them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall
we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with
these words.
The Gospel. St. John vi. 37.
JESUS said unto them, All that the Father giveth me shall
come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast
out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but
the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which
hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose
nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this
is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the
Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will
raise him up at the last day.