Funeral Poems & Memorial Prayers
21 January 2021
Are you looking for the right way to commemorate the passing of a loved one? Remembrance poems are a great way to put your feelings into words. There are many different kinds of poems and prayers that you could use, so it’s important to think about what would fit best for the person you are remembering. Religious funeral poems talk about the deceased person’s journey to heaven and what’s waiting for them there.
Occupational prayers reflect the heroic lives of those who have served their community and protected them from danger. Other types of poems about losing a loved one simply express feelings of missing them, loving them, and wanting to carry on their memory. When you need to find the right words to say on a funeral program or memorial prayer card, use this list as a starting point to find something that perfectly encapsulates the feelings you want articulated at the funeral or memorial service.
What is a memorial poem? It’s a short written piece that helps to memorialize a deceased person and share the love and grief mourners are feeling. It can be religiously themed or not. This collection of poems about losing a loved one is a helpful list to assist you in writing any of the pieces of content you need when planning a funeral or memorial service. Between the obituary, eulogy, funeral programs and prayer cards, there are a lot of places to share information and memories of the deceased person. Including funeral poems as words of remembrance for a loved one can help share feelings of missing the person and grieving the loss.
Religious Prayers & Poems
Twenty-Third Psalm
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures;
He leadeth me beside the still waters. He
restoreth my soul; He leadeth me in the
paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of
the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for
Thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they
comfort me. Thou preparest a table before
me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou
anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth
over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow
me all the days of my life: and I shall dwell
in the house of the Lord forever.
Safely Home
I am home in heaven, dear ones;
oh, so happy and so bright!
There is a perfect joy and
beauty in the everlasting light.
All the pain and grief is over,
every restless tossing passed;
I am now at peace forever,
safely home in heaven at last.
There is work still waiting for you,
so you must not idly stand,
do it now, while life remaineth–
you shall rest in God’s own land.
When that work is all completed,
He will gently call you home;
oh, the rapture of that meeting
oh, the joy to see you come!
May You Always Walk In Sunshine
May you always walk in sunshine
and God’s love around you flow,
for the happiness you gave us,
no one will ever know.
It broke our hearts to lose you,
but you did not go alone,
a part of us went with you,
the day God called you home.
A million times we needed you,
a million times we’ve cried.
If love could only have saved you,
you never would have died.
The Lord be with you and
may you rest in peace.
I’m Free
Don’t grieve for me, for now I’m free;
I took His hand when I heard Him call;
I turned my back and left it all.
If my parting has left a void;
then fill it with remembered joy.
My life’s been full, I savored much;
good friends, good times,
a loved one’s touch.
A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss;
ah yes, these things, I too, will miss.
Perhaps my time seemed all too brief;
don’t lengthen it now with undue grief.
Lift up your hearts and share with me;
God wanted me now, He set me free.
Life is but a Stopping Place
Life is but a stopping place,
a pause in what’s to be,
a resting place along the
road to sweet eternity.
We all have different journeys,
different paths along the way,
we all were meant to learn some
things, but never meant to stay.
Our destination is a place
far greater than we know,
for some, the journey’s quicker,
for some the journey’s slow.
And when the journey finally ends,
we’ll claim a great reward,
and find an everlasting peace,
together with the Lord.
Irish Blessing
May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face.
And rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in
the hollow of His hand.
I Said A Prayer For You Today
I said a prayer for you today and
know God must have heard.
I felt the answer in my heart
although He spoke no word!
I didn’t ask for wealth of fame
(I knew you wouldn’t mind).
I asked Him to send treasures
of a far more lasting kind!
I asked that He’d be near you
at the start of each new day;
to grant your health and blessings
and friends to share your way!
I asked for happiness for you
in all things great and small.
But it was for His loving care
I prayed for the most of all!
The Complete Serenity Prayer
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know
the difference.
Living one day at a time, enjoying one
moment at a time, and accepting
hardship as a pathway to peace.
Taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is,
not as I would have it, and trusting that
You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will.
So that I may be reasonably happy
in this life and supremely happy
with you forever in the next.
Amen
Prayers to Saints
Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much
seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
St. Andrew
We humbly beseech Thy Majesty, O Lord, that as the blessed Apostle Andrew was once a teacher and ruler of Thy Church, so he may ever be our advocate with Thee. Through our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
O CHRIST, Our Lord, Who didst beautify the most blessed Andrew with the grace of apostleship, and the crown of martyrdom, by granting to him this special gift, that by preaching the mystery of the cross, he should merit death on the cross; grant us to become most true lovers of Thy holy cross, and, denying ourselves, to take up our cross and follow Thee; that by sharing Thy sufferings in this life,
we may deserve the happiness of obtaining life everlasting. Amen.
St. Anne
O Glorious St. Anne, thou art filled with compassion for those who invoke thee and with love for those who suffer! Heavily laden with the weight of my troubles, I therefore cast myself at thy feet and humbly beg of thee to take under thy special protection the present affair which I recommend to thee. Vouchsafe to recommend it to thy Daughter, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and lay it before the throne of Jesus, so that He may bring it to a happy issue. Cease not to intercede for me until my request is granted. Above all obtain for me the grace of one day to behold my God face to face, and with thee and Mary and the saints to praise and bless Him for all Eternity.
Amen.
St. Anthony
O glorious St. Anthony, safe refuge of the afflicted and distressed, who by miraculous revelation has directed all those who seek aid to come to Thy altar with the promise that who soever visits it for nine consecutive Tuesdays, and there piously invokes thee, will feel the power of the intercession. I, a poor sinner, encouraged by this promise, come to thee.
O powerful Saint, and with a firm hope I implore thy aid, thy protection, thy counsel and thy blessing. Obtain for me, I beseech thee my request in this necessity. But if it should be opposed to the Will of God and the welfare of my soul, obtain for me such other graces as shall be conducive to my salvation. Through Christ our Lord.
St. Augustine
Watch thou, dear Lord, with those who wake, or watch, or weep tonight and give your angels charge over those who sleep.
Tend your sick ones, O Lord Christ, rest your weary ones, pity your dying ones, pity your afflicted ones, and all for your love’s sake!
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
Love God, You blessed Elizabeth Ann Seton with gifts of grace as wife and mother, educator and foundress, so that she might spend her life in service to your people. Through her example and prayers, may we learn to express our love for You in love for one another. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
Saint John Neumann
Your ardent desire to bring all souls to Christ impelled you to leave home and country. Teach us to live worthily in the Spirit of our baptism, which makes us children of the one heavenly Father. And brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ, the first-born of the family of God.
Obtain for us that complete dedication to the needy, the weak, the afflicted and the abandoned, which so characterized your life. Help us to persevere in the difficult and, at times, painful paths of duty. May death find us on the sure road to our Father’s house with the light of living faith in our hearts. Amen.
St. Joseph
Oh, St. Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, I place in you all my interest and desires. Oh, St. Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession, and obtain for me from Your divine Son all spiritual blessings, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. So that, having engaged here below your heavenly power, I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of Fathers. Oh, St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating you, and Jesus asleep in your arms; I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Press Him in my name and kiss His fine head for me and ask Him to return the kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, Patron of departing souls – Pray for me. This prayer was found in the fiftieth year of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
St. Jude
St. Jude, glorious Apostle, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the name of the traitor has caused you to be forgotten by many, but the true Church invokes you universally as the Patron of things despaired of; pray for me, who am so miserable pray for me, that finally I may receive the consolations and the succor of Heaven in all my necessities, tribulations and sufferings, particularly (make your request here) and I may bless God with the Elect throughout Eternity. Amen.
St. Jude, Apostle, martyr and relative of our Lord Jesus Christ, of Mary and of Joseph, intercede for us.
St. Michael the Archangel
Defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil; May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; And do thou, O Prince of the heavenly house, By the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.
St. Patrick
O great Apostle of Ireland, glorious St. Patrick, to whom under God, so many are indebted for the most precious of all treasures, the great gift of Faith, receive our fervent thanks for the zeal and charity which have been to thousands the source of blessings so invaluable. Ask for all who dwell in this land and the land of thy labors, the precious light of Faith, and beg for us on whom its glorious rays have long since beamed, the grace to regulate our lives by its sacred maxims.
Padre Pio
Oh Jesus, full of grace and charity, victim for sinners, so impelled by Your love of us that You willed to die on the cross, I humbly entreat Thee to glorify in heaven and on earth, the servant of God, Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, who generously participated in Your sufferings, who loved Thee so much and laboured so faithfully for the glory of Your heavenly Father and for the good of souls. With confidence, I beseech Thee to grant me, through his intercession, the grace of which I ardently desire.
St. Pio of Pietrelcina
Beloved Padre Pio, Saint of Pietrelcina, today I come to add my prayer to the thousands of prayers offered to you everyday by those who love and venerate you. They ask for cures and healings, earthly and spiritual blessings, and peace for body and mind. Because of your friendship with the Lord, He heals those you ask to be healed, and forgives those you forgive. Through your visible wounds of the Cross, which you bore for 50 years, you were chosen in our time to glorify the crucified Jesus. Because the Cross has been replaced by other symbols, please help us to bring it back in our midst, for we acknowledge it is the only true sign of salvation. As we lovingly recall the wounds that pierced your hands, feet and side, we not only remember the blood you shed in pain, but your smile and the invisible halo of sweet smelling flowers that surrounded your presence, the perfume of sanctity.
St. Therese
O Little flower of Jesus, Ever consoling troubled souls with Heavenly Graces, In your unfailing intercession I place my confident trust. From the Heart of our Blessed Saviour petition these Blessings of which I stand in greatest need. Shower upon me your promised Roses of Virtue and Grace, dear St. Therese, so that swiftly advancing in sanctity and in perfect love of neighbor, I may someday receive the Crown of Life Eternal. Amen.
Prayers In Spanish
Salmo 23
El Señor es mi pastor, nada me falta, en verdes pastos el me hace reposar y adonde brota agua fresca me conduce. Fortalece mi alma, por el camino del bueno me dirige por amor de su nombre. Aunque pase por quebradas muy oscuras no temo ningun mal, porque tu estas conmigo, tu baston y tu vara me protegen. Me sirves a la mesa frente a mis adversarios, con aceites tu perfumas mi cabeza y rellenas mi copa. Me acompaña tu bondad y tu favor mientras dura mi vida, mi mansion sera la casa del Señor por largo, largo tiempo.
No lloren por mi
lloren por mi, que yo estoy libre; Me fui de la mano con Dios cuando escuche su llamado; Di la espalda a todo y deje todo atras. Si mi partida les ha dejado un vacio a ustedes; entonces llenenla con alegrias y recuerdos. Mi vida ha estado completamente llena; he disfrutado mucho de la vida; buenos amigos, buenos tiempos y la amistades compartida, sonrisas, y besos; Si; esas cosas, yo tambien extranare. A lo mejor mi tiempo parece haber sido corto, no lo alarguen ahora con tanta pena. Levanten sus corazones y compartan conmigo; Dios quiso que me fuera con El ahora. Dios me ha llamado. Dios me ha liberado.
Occupational Prayers
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Fireman’s Prayer
Almighty God, Protector of all Mankind, Your strength, power, and wisdom are a beacon of light to all men: Give special guidance to Firemen and Firefighters so that we may be protected from harm while performing our duty. Help me with Your loving care while I work to save the lives and property of all people young and old. Give me the courage, the alertness to protect my neighbors and all others whom I am pledge to aid when involved in a fire or accident.
Policeman’s Prayer
Lord, I ask for courage: courage to face and conquer my own fears; courage to take me where others will not go. I ask for strength; strength of body to protect others; strength of spirit to lead others. I ask for dedication: dedication to my job to do it well; dedication to my community to keep it safe. Give me, Lord, concern: concern for all those who entrust me; and compassion for those who need me; and please, Lord, through it all, be at my side.
Golfer’s Prayer
For all the times I have swung a club. For the many friends and the game I love. For the patience I have found in sand or rough. For the excitement of making shots thought tough. For success in not measured by holes in one, But by the times that are shared when you are having fun. Lord would you grant me one last request, To play you a round of the game I love best.
Fisherman’s Prayer
God grant that I may live to fish for another shining day, but when my final cast is made, I then most Humbly pray, when nestled in your Landing net as I lay Peacefully asleep, You’ll smile at me and judge that I am Good enough to keep.
Non-Religious Funeral Poems
Afterglow
I’d like the memory of me
to be a happy one,
I’d like to leave an afterglow
of smiles when life is done.
I’d like to leave an echo
whispering softly down the ways,
of happy times and laughing times
and bright and sunny days.
I’d like the tears of those who grieve,
to dry before the sun of happy memories
that I leave behind when day is done.
You Toiled So Hard for those you Loved
You toiled so hard for those you loved.
You said goodbye to none,
your spirit flew before we knew,
your work on earth was done.
We miss you now, our hearts are sore,
as time goes by we miss you more.
Your loving smile, your gentle face:
no one can fill your vacant place.
Your life was love and labor.
Your love for your family true.
You did the best for all of us.
We will always remember you.
A Letter From Heaven
When tomorrow starts without me
And I’m not there to see;
If the sun should rise and find your eyes
All filled with tears for me.
I wish so much you wouldn’t cry
The way you did today;
While thinking of the many things
We didn’t get to say.
I know how much you love me
As much as I love you;
And each time that you think of me,
I know you’ll miss me too.
When tomorrow starts without me,
Don’t think we’re far apart
For every time you think of me,
I’m right here in your heart.
When I Must Leave You
When I must leave you
for a little while. Please do
not grieve and shed wild tears,
And hug your sorrow
to you through the years.
But start out bravely with a
gallant smile, And for my
sake and in my name live on
and do all things the same. Feed
not your loneliness on empty
days, but fill each waking hour
in useful ways. Reach out your
hand in comfort and in cheer
and I will comfort you and hold
you near; And never never be
afraid to die, for I am waiting
for you In the sky!
Do Not Stand
Do not stand at my grave and weep, I am not there, I do not sleep,
I am a thousand winds that blow, I am the diamond’s gift of snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain, I am the autumn’s gentle rain,
When you awaken in the morning’s hush, I am the swift uplifting rush.
Of quiet birds in circled flight, I am the soft stars that shine at night,
Do not stand at my grave and cry, I am not there, I did not die.
When I Must Leave
When I must leave you for a little while —
Please do not grieve and shed wild tears
and hug your sorrow to you through the years,
But start out bravely with a gallant smile:
And for my sake and in my name
live on and do all things the same,
Feed not your loneliness on empty days,
But fill each waking hour in useful ways,
Reach out your hand in comfort and in cheer
and I in turn will comfort you and hold you near;
And never, never be afraid to die,
For I am waiting for you in the sky.
Miss Me, But Let me Go
When I come to the end of the road and the sun has set for me,
I want no rites in a gloom-filled room, Why cry for a soul set free.
Miss me a little – but not too long and not with your head bowed low.
Remember the love that we once shared, Miss me – but let me go.
For this is a journey that we all must take and each one must go alone.
It’s all a part of the Master’s plan A step on the road to home.
When you are lonely and sick at heart go to the friends we know
And bury your sorrows in doing good deeds
Miss me – but let me go.
I Made It Home Poem
I just wanted to let you know that I made it home.
The journey wasn’t an easy one, but it didn’t take too long.
Everything is so pretty here, so white, so fresh and new.
I wish that you all could close your eyes and that you could see it too.
Please try not to be sad for me. Try to understand
God is taking care of me… I’m in the shelter of His hands.
Here there is no sadness, no sorrow, and no pain.
Here there is no crying and I’ll never hurt again.
Here it is so peaceful when all the angels sing.
I really have to go for now… I’ve just got to try my wings.
Crossing Over Poem
Oh, please don’t feel guilty
It was just my time to go.
I see you are still feeling sad,
And the tears just seem to flow.
We all come to earth for our lifetime,
And for some, it’s not so many years.
I don’t want you to keep crying,
You are shedding so many tears.
I haven’t really left you
Even though it may seem so.
I have just gone to my heavenly home,
And I’m closer to you than you know.
Just believe that when you say
my name, I’m standing next to you,
I know you long to see me,
But there’s nothing I can do.
But I’ll still send you messages
And hope you understand,
That when you time comes to “cross over,”
I’ll be there to take your hand.
Light A Candle Poem
Light a candle, see it glow
Watch it dance, when you feel low
Think of me, think of light
I’ll always be here, day or night
A candle flickers out of sight
but in your heart I still burn bright
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