As we move through these November days, you might like to explore some of these prayer rituals and services
https://www.dioceseofkerry.ie/2020/10/remembering-our-dead-in-november/
Praying Space
- Create a little space that helps you to be more conscious of God’s presence with you at all times…you might like to place a candle there to remind you of Christ being the light that darkness cannot overcome. Remember that Jesus said he would be with us until the end of time.
- Into that place, you might like to put a picture of your loved one …perhaps a photo of a time you enjoyed with them.
- Prayer: The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. [Philippians 4:5-7]
Actions
- Visit your local church and pray for your loved one – light a candle in their memory.
- Visit your loved one’s grave or a place special to your loved one – recall special moments you shared – let those memories bring you joy now.
- Plant bulbs in their memory – the coming of new life in spring will remind you that even in darkness, God is still at work in our world, bringing us healing and hope.
- Reach out to someone who is also grieving and mourning – listen to their story of the one they mourn – take comfort in the fact that most people understand our sense of loss.
- Perhaps there was a charity that supported your loved one or that was close to your loved one’s heart – is there a way that you can support that charity at this time. When our loved ones are alive, we might gift them for birthdays and Christmas. After their death, we can gift a charity in memory of them.
- In many cities of the world, you may visit the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This commemorates the millions of ordinary soldiers who died in war. An altar to the Unknown Saint would be a fitting commemoration in our churches for the millions of ordinary Christians who live lives of quiet, and often heroic sanctity. This month, we remember our unknown saints, known only to those whose lives they touched. We are who we are because of their love and witness to their faith. They are canonised in the eyes of God; their shrine is in our hearts; and the lamp that honours them is the light of our Christian life. This month, you might like to spend some time recalling the gifts you have received from those who have gone before us – remember those who gave you a sense of God, those who taught you to pray, those who showed you the meaning of kindness, love, honesty, goodness, gentleness, justice. We give thanks to God for the gift they were to us and reflect on how we might share their gift to us with others. Our prayer to them now might be ‘Pray for us, hear us, be with us, and reassure us. Remind us that we are together in God’s presence.’
Prayers
Reflection
Nothing
can make up for the absence
of someone we love.
And it would be wrong
to try to find a substitute.
We must simply hold out
and see it through.
That sounds very hard at first,
but, at the same time,
it is a great consolation.
For the gap, as long as it remains unfilled,
preserves the bond between us.
It is nonsense to say that
God fills the gap.
God does not fill it,
but, on the contrary,
keeps it empty,
and so helps us to keep alive
our former communion with each other
even at the cost of pain. Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Prayer
We miss you since you left us,
though the light of you is still around.
Your spirit’s here inside us, like candles in the night.
Pray for us, hear us, be with us, reassure us.
We make this prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, our brother and our Lord. Amen
Prayer in time of Bereavement
Lord, you are close to the broken-hearted.
Be with me now in my grief and loneliness.
Give me the courage to face my loss
and not to grieve in silence.
Be with me as I struggle
with many different and painful feelings.
Ease the hurt in my heart.
Encircle me and my loved ones in your love,
and help me to hold tightly to you in my pain and loss.
Shed the light of your love into my darkness,
and enable me to trust in your resurrection.
Amen.
With the evenings getting darker, perhaps we have a bit more time on our hands and the chance to reflect and pray…..Here are some websites that might nourish our reflection: