How will you do your funeral planning? Some people go through the funeral home, but you can make arrangements for the funeral service through the church as well. You’ll need to consider readings, songs, speeches and a post-funeral memorial or “celebration of life.”

At the funeral liturgy, there will be a rite at the entrance to the church. The Father, ministers and family members gather around the casket, where the Father blesses the body with holy water (like during baptism), the casket is covered with a large white cloth (much like a baptismal garment) and the pall bearers bring the body to the front of the church, while the opening song plays. When funeral planning, you may choose what songs will be playing and who the six pallbearers will be.

During mass, the priest will say the Opening Prayer, just like any normal mass. Afterwards, the Scriptural Readings will begin. The church can point you to several options that are meaningful and appropriate, while the priest chooses a powerful Gospel. Your first reading will be from the Hebrew Scriptures, or Old Testament. Next there will be a Responsorial Psalm (a popular one being “The Lord is my Shepherd”). The second reading is from one of the New Testament letters.

Finally, the Gospel comes from Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. To personalize the mass, friends or family members are often called upon to do the first and second readings. Make sure everyone is well-rehearsed to hold their composure for the duration of the reading.

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