V01
I’m Free
Don’t grieve for me now I’m free,
I’m following the path God laid for me.
I took His hand when I heard Him call,
I turned my back and left it all,
I could not stay another day,
To laugh, to love, to work or play,
Tasks left undone must stay that way,
I found that peace at close of day.
If my parting has left a void,
Then fill it with remembered joy,
A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss,
Ah yes, these things I too will miss.
Be not burdened with times of sorrow,
I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow,
My life’s been full, I’ve savoured much,
Good friends, good times,
A loved one’s touch,
Perhaps my time seemed all too brief,
Don’t lengthen it now with undue grief,
Lift up your hearts and share with me,
God wanted me now, He set me free.
V02
Safely Home
I am home in Heaven, dear ones;
Oh, so happy and so bright!
There is perfect joy and beauty
In this everlasting light.
All the pain and grief is over,
every restless tossing passed;
I am now at peace forever,
safely home in Heaven at last.
Did you wonder I so calmly
trod the valley of the shade?
Oh! but Jesus’ love illumined
Every dark and fearful glade.
And He came Himself to meet me
In that way so hard to tread;
and with Jesus’ arm to lean on,
Could I have one doubt or dread?
Then you must not grieve so sorely,
For I love you dearly still:
Try to look beyond earth’s shadows,
Pray to trust our Father’s will.
V03
God’s Garden
God looked around his garden
And found an empty place
He then looked down
Upon the earth,
And saw your tired face.
He put His arms around you
And lifted you to rest.
God’s garden must be beautiful
He always takes the best.
He knew that you were suffering
He knew you were in pain
He knew that you would never
Get well on earth again.
He saw the road was getting rough,
And the hills were hard to climb.
So He closed your weary eyelids,
And whispered “Peace be Thine”.
It broke our hearts to lose you
But you didn’t go alone,
For part of us went with you
The day God called you home.
V04
A Light is from our household gone,
A voice we loved is stilled,
A place is vacant in our home,
That never can be filled.
Lonely is the home without you,
Life to us is not the same,
All the world would be like heaven,
If we could have you back again.
The happy hours we once enjoyed,
How sweet their memory still,
But death has left a vacant place,
This world can never fill.
How dearly we loved you,
And prayed you might live,
But Jesus just beckoned,
And we had to give.
God gave us strength to bear it,
And courage to fight the blow,
What it has meant to lose you,
God alone will ever know.
May the God of love and mercy,
Care our loved one who is gone,
And bless with consolation,
Those left to carry on.
V05
Do not stand at my grave and weep;
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am a diamonds glint on snow,
I am the sunlight on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn’s rain.
When you awaken
In the morning’s hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars
That shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there, I did not die.
V06
It was a sudden parting,
too bitter to forget,
Those who loved you dearly,
Are the ones who can’t forget.
We often sit and think of you,
And think of how you died;
To think you could not say goodbye,
Before you closed your eyes.
Your life was one of kindly deeds,
A helping hand for others’ needs,
Sincere and true in heart and mind,
Beautiful memories left behind.
May the God of love and mercy,
Care for our loved one who is gone,
And bless with consolation,
Those left to carry on.
Our family chain is broken,
Nothing seems the same,
But as God calls us one by one
The links shall join again.
V07
Don’t remember me with sadness,
Don’t remember me with tears,
Remember all the laughter,
We’ve had throughout the years.
Then when the summer sunshine,
Awakes the flowers in bloom,
I’ll walk the light from heaven,
Around the corners of every room.
Do the things we did before,
The same in every way,
Just whisper a little prayer to me,
At the dawn of every day.
Just think of me as present,
Don’t think of me as past,
For our love was a blessing,
In death it still can last.
Forget your troubles and your worries,
They are mine forever more,
I’ll watch and care and love you,
From heaven’s open door.
And when your road gets
rough and rocky,
Or you’re down and need a crutch,
Remember I’m right beside you,
Just an inch to short to touch.
V08
You can only have one mother,
Patient, kind and true,
No other friend in all the world,
Will be the same to you.
When other friends forsake you,
To mother you will return,
For all her loving kindness,
She asks nothing in return.
As we look upon her picture,
Sweet memories we recall,
Of a face so full of sunshine,
And a smile for one and all.
Sweet Jesus take this message,
To our dear mother up above,
Tell her how we miss her,
And give her all our love.
We want to tell you something,
So there won’t be any doubt,
You’re so wonderful to think of,
But so hard to be without.
V09
He never failed to do his best,
His heart was true and tender.
He worked and toiled for those he loved,
And left them to remember.
We sat beside your bedside,
Our hearts were crushed and sore;
We did our duty to the end,
Til we could do no more.
In tears we watched you sinking,
We watched you fade away;
And though our hearts were breaking,
We knew you could not stay.
You left behind some aching hearts,
That loved you most sincere;
We never shall and never will
Forget you, Father Dear.
For many years the family chain,
Was closely linked together;
But, oh, that chain is broken now,
Both main links gone forever.
The sunshine of our happy home
Now clouded may sometimes be,
But, thou O Lord, sent us a father,
who worked so hard for all of us,
And has now been set free.
V10
Afterglow
I’d like the memory of me
to be a happy one.
I’d like to leave an afterglow
of smiles when life is done.
I’d like to leave an echo,
whispering softly down the ways,
Of happy times and laughing times
and bright and sunny days.
I’d like the tears of those who grieve
to dry before the sun,
Of happy memories that
I leave when life is done.
V11
The Memorare
Remember O Most gracious
Virgin Mary,
that never was it known
that anyone who fled
to Thy Protection,
implored Thy help,
or sought Thy intercession,
was left unaided.
Inspired with this confidence
I fly unto Thee,
O Virgin of Virgins my Mother;
to Thee I come;
before Thee I stand;
sinful and sorrowful
O Mother of the Word incarnate
despise not my petitions,
but in Thy clemency
hear and answer me.
Amen.
V12
Now I am contented
That my life it was worthwhile
Knowing as I passed along the way
I made somebody smile.
When you are walking down the street
And you’ve got me on your mind
I’m walking in your footsteps
Only half a step behind.
And when you feel the gentle breeze
Or the wind upon your face.
That’s me giving you a great big hug
Or just a soft embrace.
So please don’t be unhappy,
Just because I’m out of sight,
Remember that I’m with you
Every morning, noon and night.
We hold you close within our hearts,
And there you shall remain,
To walk with us
throughout our lives,
Until we meet again.
So rest in peace
dear loved one,
And thanks for all
you’ve done,
We pray that God
has given you,
The crown you’ve
truly won.
V14
They say there is a reason,
They say that time will heal,
But neither time nor reason,
Will change the way we feel.
For no one knows the heartache,
That lies behind our smiles,
No one knows how many times
We have broken down and cried.
We want to tell you something,
So there won’t be any doubt,
You’re so wonderful to think of,
But so hard to be without.
We cannot bring the old days back,
When we were all together,
The family chain is broken now,
But memories live forever.
V15
God called your name so softly
That only you could hear;
And no one heard the footsteps,
Of angels drawing near.
It broke our hearts to lose you,
But you did not go alone,
For part of us went with you,
The day God called you home.
You’re always close beside us,
In everything we do,
You were our greatest treasure,
God’s gift to us was you.
We always remember that way
you looked,
The way you talked and smiled,
The little things you said and did
To make our lives worthwhile.
Each time we look at your picture,
You seem to smile and say,
Don’t be sad but courage take
And love each other for my sake.
V16
Miss Me, But Let Me Go
When I have come to the end
of the road
And the sun has set me free
I want no tears in a gloom filled room
Why cry for a soul set free?
Miss me a little – but not too long
And not with a head bowed low
Remember the love that we once shared
Miss me – but let me go
For this is a journey we all must take
And each must go alone
It’s all a part of the Master’s plan
Just a step on the road to home
When you are lonely and sick at heart
Go to the friends we know
And bury your sorrow in caring deeds
Miss me – but let me go.
V17
Safely Home
I am home in Heaven, dear ones;
Oh, so happy and so bright!
There is perfect joy and beauty
In this everlasting light.
All the pain and grief is over,
every restless tossing passed;
I am now at peace forever,
safely home in Heaven at last.
Did you wonder I so calmly
trod the valley of the shade?
Oh! but Jesus’ love illumined
Every dark and fearful glade.
And He came Himself to meet me
In that way so hard to tread;
and with Jesus’ arm to lean on,
Could I have one doubt or dread?
Then you must not grieve so sorely,
For I love you dearly still:
Try to look beyond earth’s shadows,
Pray to trust our Father’s will.
V18
Softly in the morning,
You heard a gentle call,
You took the hand God offered you,
And quietly left us all.
The day you left us mother,
Our hearts just broke in two,
The smallest part is still with us,
And the biggest part with you.
For the rest of our lives
We will miss you mother,
Our secret tears still flow,
Oh, how we really loved you,
No one will ever know.
We miss your smile, your joking ways,
We missed the things you used to say.
And when old times we do recall,
It’s then we miss you most of all.
You were always there when we
needed you,
No task to great or small,
With loving heart and willing hands,
For us you did it all.
Look around Your garden Lord,
And when she turns and smiles,
Put Your arms around her,
And hold her for a while.
V19
A bouquet of beautiful memories
Sprayed with a million tears,
Wishing God could have spared you
If just for a few more years.
It does not take a special day,
For us to think of you,
Each mass we hear, each prayer we say,
Is offered up for you.
May she rest in peace dear Jesus
In thy heavenly home above,
With the Sacred Heart of Jesus
In His own Eternal Love.
Along the road to yesterday,
That leads us straight to you,
Are memories of happy days,
Together we once knew.
A silent grief that’s in our hearts,
No human eye can trace,
For many a broken heart is hid,
Beneath a smiling face.
V20
Hail, Holy Queen,
Mother of Mercy,
Hail, our life,
our sweetness and our hope.
To thee do we cry,
poor banished children of Eve.
To thee do we send up our sighs
Mourning and weeping in
this valley of tears.
Turn then most gracious Advocate,
thine eyes of mercy toward us.
And after this our exile show unto us
The Blessed fruit of thy womb Jesus,
O Clement, O Loving,
O Sweet Virgin Mary.
Pray for us O Holy Mother of God,
That we may be made worthy of
the promises of Christ.
Amen.
V21
Your life was love and labour,
Your love for your family true,
You did your best for all of us,
We will always remember you.
God saw you getting tired,
When a cure was not to be,
He closed his arms around you,
And whispered “Come to Me!”
Our lives are all so different now,
From what they used to be,
All because you are not here,
To share our company.
Life brings us happiness,
But can quickly turn unkind,
It brings a grief that’s hard to bear,
For loved ones left behind.
Your resting place we visit,
We place some flowers with care,
But no one knows the heartache,
As we turn and leave you there.
V22
Death is nothing at all
I have slipped away into the next room
I am I, and you are you.
Whatever we were to each other
That, we still are
Call me by my old familiar name
Speak to me in the easy way
Which you always used
Put no difference in your tone
Wear no forced air of solemnity
or sorrow
Laugh as we always laughed
at the little jokes we enjoyed together
Pray, smile, think of me,pray for me
Let my name be ever the household
word that it always was
Let it be spoken without effort
Without the trace of a shadow in it
Life means all that it ever meant
It is the same as it ever was
There is unbroken continuity
Why should I be out of mind
because I am out of sight ?
I am waiting for you
Somewhere very near
Just around the corner
All is well.
V23
He never thought when leaving home,
He would never more return,
That he in death so soon would sleep,
And leave us here alone.
A sudden call from God on high,
You had no chance to say goodbye,
Without farewell you fell asleep,
But memories of you we
will always keep;
And those who loved you dearly,
Are the ones who won’t forget.
No farewells were spoken,
We did not say goodbye,
You were gone before we knew it,
And only God knows why;
But we will alwaysremember,
Our whole life through,
The last words we had with you.
We never fail to pray for you,
We never cease to care,
We wish we could go home again,
And find you waiting there;
To the Throne of Christ
he will guide us,
And with us he will stand,
And that golden chain
will be linked again,
Locked by Christ’s Own hands.
V24
His Journey’s Just Begun
Don’t think of him as gone away
His journey’s just begun
Life holds so many facets
this earth is only one.
Just think of him as resting
from the sorrows and the tears.
In a place of warmth and comfort
where there are no days and years.
Think how he must be wishing
that we could know today.
How nothing but our sadness
can really pass away.
And think of him as living
in the hearts of those he touched…
For nothing loved is ever lost
and he was love so much.