Office of the Dead

Office of the Dead

On the Tenth Anniversary of the Death of

Gordon Wolfe

The Invitatory and Psalter

XO God, make speed to save us.

O Lord, make haste to help us.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost: as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be;

world without end. Amen.

Psalm 130 De profundis

Out of the deep have I called unto thee, O LORD; *

   Lord, hear my voice.

O let thine ears consider well *

   the voice of my complaint.

If thou, LORD, wilt be extreme to mark what is done amiss, *

   O Lord, who may abide it?

For there is mercy with thee, *

   therefore shalt thou be feared.

I look for the LORD; my soul doth wait for him; *

   in his word is my trust.

My soul fleeth unto the Lord before the morning watch;

   I say, before the morning watch.

O Israel, trust in the LORD,

for with the LORD there is mercy, *

   and with him is plenteous redemption.

And he shall redeem Israel *

   from all his sins.

The First Lesson                                             Wisdom 3:1-5,9

But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them.  In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die: and their departure is taken for misery, and their going from us to be utter destruction: but they are in peace.  And having been a little chastised, they shall be greatly rewarded: for God proved them, and found them worthy for himself.  They that put their trust in him shall understand the truth: and such as be faithful in love shall abide with him: for grace and mercy is to his saints, and he hath care for his elect.

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Psalm 23     Dominus regit me

The LORD is my shepherd; *

   therefore can I lack nothing.

He shall feed me in a green pasture, *

   and lead me forth beside the waters of comfort.

He shall convert my soul, *

   and bring me forth in the paths of righteousness

   for his Name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil; *

   for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff comfort me.

Thou shalt prepare a table before me

   in the presence of them that trouble me; *

   thou hast anointed my head with oil, and my cup shall be full.

Surely thy loving kindness and mercy shall follow me

   all the days of my life; *

   and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

The Second Lesson                     Romans 8:14-19,34-35,37-39

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh

intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

The Prayers

Lord, have mercy upon them.

Christ, have mercy upon them.

Lord, have mercy upon them.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name,

  thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

  as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,

    for ever and ever. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou amongst women,

   and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

   pray for us now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

The Collects

O God of grace and glory, we remember before you this day our brother Gordon.  We thank you for giving him to us, his family and friends, to know and to love as a companion on our earthly pilgrimage. In your boundless compassion, console us who mourn.  Give us faith to see in death the gate of eternal life, so that in quiet confidence we may continue our course on earth, until, by your call, we are reunited with those who have gone before; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Almighty God, from whom all mercies and comforts flow: be gracious, we pray thee, with Cyndi, thy daughter, and with all those who mourn, that casting every care on thee, they may know the consolation of thy love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Amen.

A Collect for the Presence of Christ

Lord Jesus, stay with us, for the day is at hand; be our companion in the way, kindle our hearts, and awaken hope, that we may know thee as thou art revealed in Scripture and the breaking of bread. Grant this for the sake of thy love.

Amen.

The Canticle

of Commendation

Antiphon Give rest, O Christ, to thy servant with thy saints,

  where sorrow and pain are no more,

  neither sighing, but life everlasting.

Thou only art immortal, the creator and maker of mankind; 

and we are mortal, formed of the earth, and unto earth shall we return.

For so thou didst ordain when thou createdst me, saying, 

“Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” 

All we go down to the dust; 

yet even at the grave we make our song: 

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Antiphon Give rest, O Christ, to thy servant with thy saints,

  where sorrow and pain are no more,

  neither sighing, but life everlasting.

Into thy hands, O merciful Savior, we commend again thy servant Gordon.  Acknowledge, we humbly beseech thee, a sheep of thine own fold, a lamb of thine own flock, a sinner of thine own redeeming.  Grant that, increasing in knowledge and love of thee, he may go from strength to strength in the life of perfect service in thy heavenly kingdom. Receive him into the arms of thy mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light. 

Amen.

O God, the King of saints, we praise and glorify thy holy Name for all

thy servants who have finished their course in thy faith and fear: for the Ever-blessed Virgin Mary; for the holy matriarchs, patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and martyrs; for Gordon, our beloved, and for all other thy righteous servants, known to us and unknown; and we pray that, encouraged by their examples, aided by their prayers, and strengthened by their fellowship, we also may be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; through the merits of thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

O Lamb of God,

that takest away the sin of the world,

have mercy upon them.

O Lamb of God,

that takest away the sin of the world,

have mercy upon them.

O Lamb of God,

that takest away the sin of the world,

grant them thy peace.

The Dismissal

Let us bless the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

XMay the souls of the faithful departed

through the mercy of God rest in peace.

And may light perpetual shine upon them.  Amen.

The grace of our Lord JesusXChrist, and the love of God,

and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore.

Amen.