Blessing Prayer for the Christmas Crib by Edward Hays
Let us pray in silence
   for the coming of peace into the world
   and into our home.

Lord,
   as we pray before this our Christmas crib-shrine
   and await the feast of the Birth of the Holy Child,
   call forth the dormant child from within each of us;
   cause us to wonder and to rejoice again
   in this most ancient feast.

As the magi came bearing gifts,
   may we, this Christmas, gift one another
   with the gold of charity,
   the myrrh of kindness
   and the incense of prayer.

With the shepherds,
   we come to the birth of Christ
   seeking a simple celebration,
   where the greatest gift will be ourselves
   given to You, our God,
   and to each other.

May the Star of Bethlehem
   which shone brightly over the first crib
   stand guard over our home,
   filling it and all the earth
   with light and peace.

All present may sing Silent Night or another Christmas carol.

We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You
   because by Your holy birth
   You give hope to all the world.

Amen

Prayers of Remembrance

Prayer Upon Hearing of a Death by Edward Hays

Blessed are You, Lord our God,
   who are the keeper of the Book of Life.
Today, I have learned of the death of ____________,
   and, as this type of news always does,
   it comes as a shock.
We know, Lord, that we all must die,
   and that You alone keep the dates of our death
   within Your Book of Life,
   but we still share the shock of death.
That news carries with it the shadow of fear,
   for it is a reminder that, someday, I too shall die.
Today, then, I pray for ____________
   who has passed through the doorway of death,
   and I pray for myself as well.

Lord, I am sorry that I missed opportunities
   to make life more enjoyable for _______________,
   sorry that I did not know him/her better than I did.
If in any way I may have failed him/her,
   I ask that You forgive me
   as I pray for his/her eternal peace.

I remember in my prayer
   the members of the family
   who surely are lost in sorrow at this time.
Support them with Your Holy Spirit
   and grant them the courage to embrace this tragic mystery
   as part of the plan of life.

Lord, may the news of this death
   be for me a holy message
   of how not to waste my todays,
   how not to be unprepared for the arrival of death
   in my own life.
May I best remember ______________
   by being grateful for life today
   and by loving You, my God,
   with all my heart, all my strength and all my mind.
Eternal rest to _____________,
   and diving consolation to all of the family.

Prayer on the Anniversary of the Death of a Life Partner by Edward Hays

Lord God, Lord of Life and Death,
   today, I recall the death of my beloved.
My heart still bears the stain of tears
   from that day of great loss.
Our lives had so become one
   that a part of me died
   when _______ died.
Like two rivers that had joined as one,
   our two lives flowed together
   in joyful communion and affection.
You, Lord and God,
   were the One who arranged our union,
   and You, Divine Mystery of Love,
   were the fire of love between us.
I recall today, in prayer,
   how he/she changed my life
   and called forth from me all that was good and holy.
Like a mirror, I saw myself reflected in him/her
   and so was able to face my failings and shortcomings
   in my struggle to be worthy of Your gift of love.

As I recall and relive that day of sorrow,
   I rejoice and am grateful
   for the great treasure of memories that I possess.
Those years together are alive
   and continue to nourish me with life.
I firmly believe that _________
   has not ceased to exist but is alive,
   fully alive and happy within Your sacred embrace.
I firmly believe and know
   that love is beyond the touch of death
   and that our love for each other remains
   and awaits our final union together with You.

I seek, Lord, a favor from You:
   when the time comes for me to open the door of death
   and journey to You,
   grant that ________ may come and take my hand,
   guiding me along the dark and mysterious way
   which leads to the wedding feast of eternity.
Lord of Compassion,
   be with me as I await that day
   and grant eternal joy and peace to my beloved
   and to all the holy dead.
Amen

Pray at the Death of a Pet by Edward Hays

Lord God,
   to those who have never had a pet,
   this prayer will sound strange,
   but to You, Lord of All Life and Creator of All Creatures,
   it will be understandable.
My heart is heavy
   as I face the loss in death of my beloved ________
   who was so much a part of my life.

This pet made my life more enjoyable
   and gave me cause to laugh
   and to find joy in his/her company.
I remember the fidelity and loyalty of this pet
   and will miss his/her being with me.
From him/her I learned many lessons,
   such as the quality of naturalness
   and the unembarrassed request for affection.
In caring for his/her daily needs,
   I was taken up and out of my own self-needs
   and thus learned to service another.

May the death of this creature of Yours
   remind me that death comes to all of us,
   animal and human,
   and that it is the natural passage for all life.
May ________ sleep on
   in an eternal slumber in Your godly care
   as all creation awaits the fullness of liberation.
Amen

Prayer on the Anniversary of the Death of a Friend by Edward Hays
Lord of Life and Death,
   today, I remember the death of ____________________
   whose life touched mine
   and added to the richness of my existence.
I pause to recall the good times that we shared together. (pause for silent reflection)

I am grateful that these are imperishable treasures
   which I will carry with me into eternity.
Within the mystery of Your divine plan,
   our life-pathways came together
   and blended as parallel pathways.
I am grateful today
   for all that we shared in our times together,
   for humor and work,
   for affection and trust,
   for the celebration of life.

Lord of Compassion,
  we are all sinners an in need of divine healing.
   so grant to __________ whatever is needed so
   that he/she can rejoice forever
   in Your divine friendship and eternal care.

Gracious Lord,
   I lift up into Your Divine Heart
   my friend
   and ask that You grant to him/her eternal peace
   and the perpetual company of Your saints.
Amen.

Prayer on the Anniversary of the Death of a Parent by Edward Hays

Lord, today is a day of memories for me,
   for on this day my father/mother died.
It was a day of great sorrow and of hope.
I still feel a sense of loss
   at the absence of my father/mother
   who gave to me the gift of life
   and who guided me along its early paths.
As I remember the events of that day,
   I am grateful to You, Lord of Gifts,
   for having given to me such a good parent.
I take delight in the memories of the good times
   that happened within our home
   as I recall the tears of that day of death.

My parents were my most important teachers
   and father's/mother's last lesson for me was
   about how to die at peace with You and with life.
May this prayful remembrance of his/her death
   make me mindful of preparing today
   for my own death by living a good and holy life.
Today, on this anniversary of death, I celebrate the
   mystery of Your holy ones, among whom now
   lives eternally my father/mother.
As part of the web of life,
   I feel the presence of my father/mother now,
   here beside me,
   as I experience Your Diving Presence.

Gracious Lord, may he/she and the holy dead
   live forever in the splendor 
  of Your divine light and life.
Amen.