Cake values integrity and transparency. We follow a strict editorial process to provide you with the best content possible. We also may earn commission from purchases made through affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more in our affiliate disclosure.
Readings are an essential part of a Catholic funeral. These Biblical messages typically are about salvation and comforting those in mourning. When choosing Catholic funeral readings, you might consider selecting a passage significant to the deceased. This article will give you some additional ideas.
Below, we have a selection of readings from the Bible to consider. You’ll find Old and New Testament readings and some specifically from the Gospels.
If you need more help with funeral planning and other end-of-life details, from legal matters to grief, check out our post-loss checklist.
Virtual funeral tip:If you're hosting aZoom funeralusing a service likeGatheringUs, make sure to test your microphones and speakers before the service, so you can prepare for any audio issues.
Jump ahead to these sections:
- Old Testament Catholic Funeral Readings
- New Testament Catholic Funeral Readings
- Catholic Funeral Readings From the Gospels
- Catholic Funeral Readings for Mom or Grandma
- Catholic Funeral Readings for Dad or Grandpa
- Catholic Funeral Readings for a Child
- Order of Catholic Funeral Mass
- Music for a Catholic Funeral
Share your final wishes, just in case.
Create a free Cake end-of-life planning profile and instantly share your health, legal, funeral, and legacy decisions with a loved one.
Old TestamentCatholic Funeral Readings
The Old Testament is full of poetic, comforting passages for a funeral. Setting up an online memorial page where attendees close to the deceased can share their reflections and other verses may also provide additional comfort.
1. Ecclesiastes 3:2-3
Even if their death feels too soon, there is a time for everything.
“There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for everything under the heavens. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant. A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to tear down, and a time to build…”
2. Wisdom 3:1-3
Everything, including the souls of the deceased, are in God’s hand.
“The souls of the just are in the hand of God and no torment shall touch them. They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace.”
3. Wisdom 4:7-9
The idea of your loved ones at rest is comforting.
“The just, though they die early, shall be at rest. For the age that is honorable comes not with the passing of time, nor can it be measured in terms of years. Rather, understanding is the hoary crown, and an unsullied life, the attainment of old age…”
4. Isaiah 25:6-8
If you’re Catholic, you can look forward to a future where God will wipe the tears from your eyes.
“On this mountain the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples. On this mountain he will destroy the veil that veils all peoples, The web that is woven over all nations; he will destroy death forever. The Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces ...
5. Lamentations 3:17-20
The entire book of Lamentations is a poignant expression of grief.
“My soul is deprived of peace, and I have forgotten what happiness is; I tell myself my future is lost, all that I hoped for from the Lord. The thought of my homeless poverty is wormwood and gall; Remembering it over and over leaves my soul downcast within me …”
New TestamentCatholic Funeral Readings
The New Testament is full of rich promises for the afterlife.
6. Romans 14:7-9
Life and death are both in God’s hands.
“Brothers and sisters: No one lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself. For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s…”
7. 1 Corinthians 15:52
At the resurrection, you will see your loved one again.
“For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
8. Romans 8:33-35
This is a beautiful promise for Judgment Day.
“Who will bring a charge against God’s chosen ones? It is God who acquits us. Who will condemn? It is Christ Jesus who died, rather, was raised, who also is at the right hand of God,
who indeed intercedes for us. What will separate us from the love of Christ?”
9. 2 Timothy 4:6-8
It’s a comfort to know that your loved one finished the race of salvation.
“I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me …”
10. 2 Corinthians 4:14-15
This is a promise for the resurrection.
“Brothers and sisters: Knowing that the One who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and place us with you in his presence. Everything indeed is for you, so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God.”
Catholic Funeral Readings From the Gospels
.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=crop&crop=edges&w=1200&q=25 "20 Popular Readings for a Catholic Funeral | Cake Blog (3)")
The first four books of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) are also called the Gospels. Here are some Catholic funeral readings that come from these four books.
11. John 14:1-2
Your loved one has gone ahead of you to a place that God prepared for them.
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You place your trust in God. Trust also in me. In my Father’s house, there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?"
12. Matthew 5:1-12a
This passage is often referred to as the Beatitudes.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will have their fill. Blessed are the merciful, for they will obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of justice, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and utter all kinds of calumnies against you for my sake. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. In the same manner, they persecuted the prophets who preceded you."
13. John 5:25-29
This passage is about the resurrection of life.
“Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming, indeed it is already here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and all those who hear it will live. For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he has granted the Son to have life in himself. And he has also granted him the power to pass judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not be astonished at this, for the hour is coming when all those who are in their graves will hear his voice and will come forth from their graves. Those who have done good deeds will rise to life, while those who have done evil will rise to judgment."
14. John 14:4
Jesus says that his Father’s house has many dwelling places in this famous passage from the Gospel of John.
"And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, you may also be."
Catholic Funeral Readings for Mom or Grandma
Selecting a reading for your mom or grandma always comes from the heart. Catholic funeral readings are usually chosen from certain Scripture passages. They don’t tend to focus on family relationships. If you want traditional readings, pick a passage that would have meant something to them.
15. Psalms 23:1-4
This Psalm serves as a reminder that your mom or grandma has gone on to eternal repose and restful waters.
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. / In verdant pastures he gives me repose; / Beside restful waters he leads me; / He refreshes my soul. / He guides me in right paths / for his name sake. / Even though I walk in the dark valley / I fear no evil; for you are at my side / With your rod and your staff / that give me courage.”
16. Psalms 27:1-4
With God by your side, you can make it through this dark valley.
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The Lord is my life's refuge; of whom should I be afraid? One thing I ask of the Lord; this I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. That I may gaze on the loveliness of the Lord and contemplate his temple.”
17. Psalms 42:1-4
If you’re a Catholic, you can believe that your mom or grandma is in a better place than you. Their soul has reached the ultimate goal: meeting the living God.
“As the hind longs for the running waters, so my soul longs for you, O God. Athirst is my soul for God, the living God. When shall I go and behold the face of God? I went with the throng and led them in procession to the house of God.
18. Psalms 103:8-13
God’s compassion still holds true, even during this difficult time.
“Merciful and gracious is the Lord, slow to anger, and abounding in kindness. Not according to our sins does he deal with us, nor does he requite us according to our crimes. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion…”
19. Psalms 116:5-7
A time of mourning is incredibly difficult to cope with.
“Gracious is the Lord and just; yes, our God is merciful. The Lord keeps the little ones; I was brought low, and he saved me. I believed, even when I said, 'I am greatly afflicted,' I said in my alarm, 'No man is dependable.'"
Catholic Funeral Readings for Dad or Grandpa
If you were lucky, you had a very close relationship with your dad or grandpa. There are lots of Bible verses that pay homage to good, loyal men. You can also consider paying tribute to your loved one after the funeral with a physical reminder like a custom urn or cremation diamond.
20. Wisdom 4:7-10
This passage praises someone in your life for their virtue and dedication to God.
“The virtuous man, though he die before his time, will find rest. Length of days is not what makes age honourable, nor number of years the true measure of life; understanding, this is man’s grey hairs, untarnished life, this is ripe old age. He has sought to please God, so God has loved him…”
(If you would like to know more about what the Bible says about the aging process, check out our list of Bible verses on aging.)
21. 1 John 3:1
The love between a father and his child is unparalleled.
“Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us, by letting us be called God’s children; and that is what we are. Because the world refused to acknowledge him, therefore it does not acknowledge us…”
22. Romans 8:35-37
No matter how intense your grief is, it will not separate you from the love of God.
“Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
23. John 14:1-3
Your loved one has gone ahead of you to a place that God prepared for them.
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
24. Isaiah 57:1
Mourning the death of a righteous man is a privilege.
“The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.”
Catholic Funeral Readings for a Child
.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=crop&crop=edges&w=1200&q=25 "20 Popular Readings for a Catholic Funeral | Cake Blog (6)")
Here are some Biblical readings to consider following the death of a child.
25. Revelation 7:9-10, 15-17
This passage is from the last book of the Bible. It speaks of the “springs of living water.”
"After this, in my vision, I witnessed a vast throng that no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and language. They were standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice:'Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.'"
“That is why they stand before the throne of God and worship him day and night in his temple, and the one who sits on the throne will shelter them.They will never again experience hunger or thirst, nor will the sun or any scorching heat cause them discomfort.For the Lamb who is at the center of the throne will be their shepherd.He will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
26. Matthew 11:25-30
Jesus spoke about the faith of children.
"At that time, Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned and have revealed them to children. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been entrusted to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.
Come to me, all you who are weary and overburdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Order of Catholic Funeral Mass
.png "20 Popular Readings for a Catholic Funeral | Cake Blog (7)")
Here are the four sections of a Catholic funeral mass.
1. Introductory Rites
This may include a greeting, placing the pall or Christian symbols, the opening hymn, and prayer.
2. Liturgy of the Word
The first Catholic funeral reading comes from the Old or New Testament. A Psalm follows. The second reading typically comes from the New Testament – followed by the Gospel reading. A homily and intercessions complete this section of a Catholic funeral.
3. Liturgy of the Eucharist
A hymn is typically performed during the preparation of the gifts. After the distribution of Holy Communion, the mass continues as usual.
4. Final Commendation
This section is for prayer, periods of silence, and songs.
Music for a Catholic Funeral
.png "20 Popular Readings for a Catholic Funeral | Cake Blog (8)")
Do you know your loved one’s favorite hymn? They may have recorded their preferences if they left a funeral plan behind. If not, here are a few standard hymns that one may typically hear at a Catholic funeral mass.
Songs for Introductory Rites
- Amazing Grace
- Here I Am, Lord
Songs for Liturgy of the Word
- The Lord Is My Shepherd
- May God Bless and Keep You
Songs for Liturgy of the Eucharist
- Ave Maria
- Blest Are They
- Prayer of Saint Francis
- I Am the Bread of Life
Songs for Final Commendation
- How Great Thou Art
- On Eagle’s Wings
Readings for a Catholic Funeral: Prayers for the Afterlife
Most Catholic funeral readings are about the promise of Heaven. If you struggle knowing which Bible verses to use for your loved one's funeral, ask for guidance from your Priest. If you want more information on Catholic funerals, read out guides to the best Catholic funeral songs, the Mass of Christian Burials, and the last rites.
Sources:
- “Masses for the Dead: Responsorial Psalms.” United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, n.d., Usccb.org
- “Scripture Readings for Funerals.” Diocese of Westminster, n.d., Rcdow.org.uk
- “Funeral Information.” St. James Catholic Church, n.d., Saintjames.church/
