Catholic Funeral Readings: Every Option for the Funeral Mass

How readings work at a Catholic funeral Mass

A Catholic funeral Mass follows the Order of Christian Funerals. The Liturgy of the Word usually has four parts, and the family chooses one option for each, together with the priest, deacon or parish funeral coordinator:

1. First reading: from the Old Testament, or from Acts or Revelation during the Easter season.
2. Responsorial psalm: usually sung by a cantor, with the congregation singing the response.
3. Second reading: from the New Testament letters or Revelation.
4. Gospel: always proclaimed by the priest or deacon, who then gives the homily.

Family members or friends who are comfortable reading in public usually proclaim the first and second readings. Many parishes also let the family write or read the Universal Prayer, the short intercessions that follow the homily.

Old Testament readings

• Job 19:1, 23-27: Job, in the middle of his suffering, declares his faith that his Redeemer lives and that he will see God.
• Wisdom 3:1-9 (or the shorter 3:1-6, 9): the souls of the just are in the hand of God and at peace. This is the most frequently chosen first reading.
• Wisdom 4:7-15: a good life is not measured by length of years; often chosen when someone dies young.
• Isaiah 25:6a, 7-9: God will destroy death forever and wipe away the tears from every face.
• Lamentations 3:17-26: even in grief, hope returns, because God's mercies are renewed every morning.
• Daniel 12:1-3: those who are wise and lead others to justice will shine like the stars.
• 2 Maccabees 12:43-46: Judas Maccabeus prays and offers sacrifice for the dead, a foundation of the Catholic practice of praying for those who have died.

First readings during the Easter season

From Easter Sunday to Pentecost, the first reading comes from the New Testament instead:

• Acts 10:34-43 (or 10:34-36, 42-43): Peter proclaims that God shows no partiality and that Jesus rose from the dead.
• Revelation 14:13: a short reading about the dead who die in the Lord finding rest from their labors.
• Revelation 20:11-21:1: the judgment of the dead and the vision of a new heaven and a new earth.
• Revelation 21:1-5a, 6b-7: God will dwell with his people, wipe away every tear, and death will be no more.

Responsorial psalms

• Psalm 23: "The Lord is my shepherd", the best-known funeral psalm.
• Psalm 25: a prayer lifting up the soul to God and asking for mercy.
• Psalm 27: the Lord is my light and my salvation.
• Psalm 42: the soul's thirst for the living God.
• Psalm 63: longing for God like a dry land longs for water.
• Psalm 103: the Lord is kind and merciful.
• Psalm 122: going rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
• Psalm 130: out of the depths, a cry for mercy and a patient hope.

Some parish lists add Psalms 116 and 143. The psalm is usually sung, so ask the music director which settings the cantor knows.

New Testament readings

• Romans 5:5-11: hope does not disappoint, because Christ died for us while we were still sinners.
• Romans 5:17-21: where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more.
• Romans 6:3-9 (or 6:3-4, 8-9): baptized into Christ's death, we will share in his resurrection. Often chosen because the funeral recalls the person's baptism.
• Romans 8:14-23: we are children of God, and present sufferings cannot compare with the glory to come.
• Romans 8:31b-35, 37-39: nothing, not even death, can separate us from the love of God in Christ. One of the most popular choices.
• Romans 14:7-9, 10c-12: whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
• 1 Corinthians 15:20-28 (or 15:20-23): Christ is the firstfruits of those who have died.
• 1 Corinthians 15:51-57: death is swallowed up in victory.
• 2 Corinthians 4:14-5:1: what is seen is passing, but we have an eternal dwelling with God.
• 2 Corinthians 5:1, 6-10: we walk by faith, not by sight, and long to be at home with the Lord.
• Philippians 3:20-21: our citizenship is in heaven.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18: do not grieve as those who have no hope.
• 2 Timothy 2:8-13: if we have died with Christ, we will also live with him.
• 1 John 3:1-2: we are God's children, and we will see him as he is.
• 1 John 3:14-16: we have passed from death to life because we love.

Gospel readings

• Matthew 5:1-12a: the Beatitudes, including "blessed are they who mourn".
• Matthew 11:25-30: Jesus invites the weary and burdened to come to him for rest.
• Matthew 25:1-13: the parable of the ten bridesmaids waiting for the bridegroom.
• Matthew 25:31-46: whatever you did for the least of my brothers and sisters, you did for me. A fitting choice for someone who served others.
• Mark 15:33-39; 16:1-6: the death of Jesus and the empty tomb.
• Luke 7:11-17: Jesus raises the son of the widow of Nain.
• Luke 12:35-40: servants ready and waiting for their master's return.
• Luke 23:33, 39-43: Jesus promises the repentant thief that he will be with him in paradise.
• Luke 23:44-46, 50, 52-53; 24:1-6a: the death and burial of Jesus and the women at the empty tomb.
• Luke 24:13-35: the disciples on the road to Emmaus recognize the risen Jesus.
• John 5:24-29: whoever hears Jesus' word and believes has passed from death to life.
• John 6:37-40: Jesus will lose nothing of what the Father has given him and will raise it up on the last day.
• John 6:51-59: Jesus, the living bread, promises eternal life to those who eat this bread.
• John 11:17-27: Jesus tells Martha, "I am the resurrection and the life."
• John 11:32-45: Jesus weeps for his friend Lazarus and raises him from the dead.
• John 12:23-28: unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains alone.
• John 14:1-6: in my Father's house there are many dwelling places. The most popular funeral Gospel.
• John 17:24-26: Jesus prays that those the Father gave him may be with him.

The most popular Catholic funeral readings

If you are not sure where to start, many families choose this combination: Wisdom 3:1-9, Psalm 23, Romans 8:31b-35, 37-39 or Romans 6:3-9, and John 14:1-6. Other favorites are Isaiah 25, Lamentations 3, 1 Thessalonians 4, the Beatitudes and John 11. Ecclesiastes 3, often read at other funerals, is not among the standard funeral Mass readings in most US parishes, so ask your priest before planning it.

How to choose readings that fit the person

• For someone who served others: Matthew 25:31-46 or 1 John 3:14-16.
• For someone who suffered a long illness: Job 19, Romans 8:14-23 or Matthew 11:25-30.
• For someone who died young: Wisdom 4:7-15 or Luke 7:11-17.
• For a person of deep faith and prayer: Psalm 27, Psalm 63 or John 17:24-26.
• For a sudden death: Lamentations 3:17-26 or Romans 8:31b-35, 37-39.
• For a gardener or farmer: John 12:23-28, the grain of wheat.

Readings at the vigil and the burial

The Order of Christian Funerals also includes a vigil, often held at the funeral home or church the evening before, with its own short Liturgy of the Word, and the Rite of Committal at the cemetery. The committal is brief: the priest or deacon reads a short verse of Scripture, prays over the grave and leads the final blessing. Families usually do not need to choose separate burial readings, but you can ask whether a favorite verse can be used.

Tips for family members who will read

• Ask the parish for the exact text in the Lectionary translation used at Mass, and practice it aloud several times.
• Look up the pronunciation of any names or places before the day.
• Read slowly, pause at each period and look up at the end of each sentence.
• Begin with "A reading from..." as printed, and end with "The word of the Lord." The congregation answers, "Thanks be to God."
• Arrive early to see where the ambo is and how the microphone works.

Eulogies and words of remembrance

A Catholic funeral Mass has a homily rather than a eulogy, but many dioceses allow a family member or friend to offer brief words of remembrance, usually after Communion and before the final commendation. Others prefer that they be given at the vigil, the funeral home or the reception. Ask your parish what is allowed and how long you may speak. For help writing it, see our guide on how to write a eulogy.

Music for the funeral Mass

The readings and the music are planned together. For hymns for the entrance, the preparation of the gifts, Communion and the Song of Farewell, see our Catholic funeral songs, and for a wider choice of hymns, our Christian funeral songs.

A song that tells their story

A funeral Mass is about faith and hope. For the reception, a celebration of life or the family gathering afterward, some families also choose a personalized memorial song: their loved one's name, their story and the things the family will always remember, set to gentle music.

How to create a memorial song

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2. Add their name.
3. Share three memories or details about them.
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The full 3 to 4 minute song costs $35.99, or $40.99 for Premium with four full versions and editable lyrics. You get the MP3, a gift page and the lyrics as a PDF.

Honor their story in music: create a memorial song and hear four previews for free.