Catholic Funeral Readings
The Catholic Church provides a set of approved scripture readings for the funeral Mass. Below are all 41 options organized by liturgical slot: choose one First Reading, one Psalm, optionally a Second Reading, and one Gospel.
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Old Testament Readings
Seven approved first readings offering hope in resurrection, comfort in loss, and praise of a life well lived.
- Job 19:1, 23-27aI know that my Vindicator lives
- Wisdom 3:1-9The souls of the just are in the hand of God
- Wisdom 4:7-15A blameless life is a ripe old age
- Isaiah 25:6a, 7-9He will destroy death forever
- Lamentations 3:17-26It is good to hope in silence for the saving help of the Lord
- Daniel 12:1-3Those who sleep in the dust shall awake
- 2 Maccabees 12:43-46It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead
Responsorial Psalms
Nine psalms approved for the Catholic funeral Mass: ancient prayers of trust, grief, and longing for God.
- Psalm 23:1-6The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want
- Psalm 25:6-7, 17-18, 20-21To you, O Lord, I lift my soul
- Psalm 27:1, 4, 7-9, 13-14The Lord is my light and my salvation
- Psalm 42:2-5; 43:3-5My soul is thirsting for the living God
- Psalm 63:2-6, 8-9My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God
- Psalm 103:8, 10, 13-18The Lord is kind and merciful
- Psalm 116:5-6, 10-11, 15-16I will walk in the presence of the Lord in the land of the living
- Psalm 122:1-5I rejoiced when I heard them say: let us go to the house of the Lord
- Psalm 130:1-8Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord
New Testament Readings
Eleven approved second readings on the Christian hope that death has been conquered through Christ.
- Romans 5:5-11Since we are now justified by his Blood, we will be saved through him
- Romans 5:17-21Where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more
- Romans 6:3-9We shall also live with him
- Romans 8:14-23We also groan within ourselves as we wait for the redemption of our bodies
- Romans 8:31b-35, 37-39What will separate us from the love of Christ?
- Romans 14:7-9, 10c-12Whether we live or die, we are the Lord's
- 1 Corinthians 15:20-28So too in Christ shall all be brought to life
- 1 Corinthians 15:51-57Death is swallowed up in victory
- 2 Corinthians 4:14-5:1What is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18We shall always be with the Lord
- Revelation 21:1-5a, 6b-7There shall be no more death
Gospel Readings
Fourteen approved Gospel readings for a Catholic funeral Mass.
- Matthew 5:1-12aRejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven
- Matthew 11:25-30Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened
- Matthew 25:31-46Come, you who are blessed by my Father
- Mark 15:33-39; 16:1-6Jesus breathed his last; He has been raised
- Luke 7:11-17Young man, I tell you, arise!
- Luke 12:35-40Be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come
- Luke 23:33, 39-43Today you will be with me in Paradise
- Luke 24:13-35Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things?
- John 5:24-29Whoever hears my word has passed from death to life
- John 6:37-40Everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life
- John 6:51-58Whoever eats this bread will live forever
- John 11:17-27I am the resurrection and the life
- John 11:32-45Lazarus, come out!
- John 14:1-6In my Father's house there are many dwelling places
Browse by theme
Not sure where to start? Each theme page gathers the readings that speak to a particular aspect of Christian life.
- Hope of ResurrectionFuneral readings proclaiming the bodily resurrection: the central Christian hope that death is not the end.
- God's MercyFuneral readings invoking the mercy that holds every soul: broader than human reckoning, older than the world.
- Praying for the DeadReadings supporting the distinctively Catholic practice of praying for the souls of the faithful departed.
- Christ Conquers DeathFuneral readings proclaiming Christ's triumph over death: Easter joy at the heart of the funeral liturgy.
- Comfort and ConsolationGentle funeral readings for grieving families: the shepherd who walks with us, the Father's house, the rest Christ promises.
- Trust Through SufferingFuneral readings for someone whose life or death involved real suffering: the honest grief of Job, Lamentations, and the psalms of longing.
- The Father's HouseFuneral readings on the home toward which the deceased has gone: the Father's house, the new Jerusalem, the city of God.
- The Eucharistic PromiseFuneral readings rooted in the Eucharist: the bread of life that pledges resurrection.
- Christ's CompassionFuneral readings on the tenderness of Jesus toward the grieving: the heart that wept at Lazarus's tomb.
- Death of Someone YoungFuneral readings specifically chosen for the death of a child, teenager, or young adult: Scripture's direct word to grieving parents and friends.
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