VL1 -Togetherness
Death is nothing at all. I have only
slipped away into the next room.
Whatever we were to each other,
that we are still. Call me by my old
familiar name, speak to me in the
easy way which you always used.
Laugh as we always laughed at
the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be the household word
that it always was. Let it be
spoken without effort.
Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same as it ever was;
there is absolutely unbroken
continuity. Why should I be out
of your mind because I am out of
your sight? I am but waiting for you,
for an interval, somewhere very
near just around the corner.
All is well. Nothing is past;
nothing is lost.
One brief moment and all will
be as it was before-only better,
infinitely happier and forever –
we will all be one together with Christ.
VL2 -Along The Road
Along the road to yesterday,
That leads me 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,
Behind a smiling face.
A light is from our household gone,
A voice we loved is still,
A place is vacant in our home,
That never can be filled.
May the God of love and mercy,
Care for our loved one who is gone,
And bless with consolation,
Those left to carry on.
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.
VL3 -Our Lady Of Lourdes
O Ever Immaculate Virgin Mother of Mercy,
health of the sick, refuge of sinners,
comfort of the afflicted, you know my wants,
my troubles, my sufferings; design to cast
on me a look of pity. By appearing in the
Grotto of Lourdes, you were pleased to
make it a privileged sanctuary, whence
you dispense your favours, and already
many sufferers have obtained the cure
of their infirmities, both spiritual
and corporal. I come, therefore,
with the most undoubted confidence,
to implore your maternal intercession.
Obtain, O Loving Mother,
the grant of my requests.
Through gratitude for your favours,
I will endeavour to imitate your
virtues, that I may one day
see your glory. Amen.
VL4 -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
Hear, we beseech thee,
O Lord, our prayers,
which we humbly address
to thy mercy, that
the soul of thy servant,
which thou hast called
out of this world,
may be received into
the region of light
and peace, and be
numbered amongst
the blessed.
Through Jesus Christ Our Lord.
Amen.
VL5 – Beside Your Bedside
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, (name) dear.
For many years the family chain,
Was closely linked together,
But, O, that chain is broken now,
The main link gone forever.
The sunshine of our happy home,
Must always clouded be;
But thou O Lord has sent this cross,
We bear it all for thee.
VL6 -Lonely Is The Home
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.
A light from our household gone,
A voice we loved is still,
A place is vacant in our home,
That never can be filled.
May the God of Love and Mercy,
Care for our loved one who is gone,
And bless with consolation,
Those left to carry on.
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 never know.
VL7 -Memories
Distance takes us far apart
And darkness marks my today
I have to keep remembering
You’re just a thought away
When the world is too confusing
And times are hard to bear
I pull your precious meaning
Your bright spirit from the air
If I sometimes drift into
A lonely state of mind
I gather up the memories
Of days we left behind
And though you’re not beside me
I can tap into my heart
And draw upon the warmth and love
That lives when we’re apart
And with these fond reflections
On the times when you were near
I sense a little bit of what it’s
like to have you here.
VL8 -Prayer Of St. Francis
Lord make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much
seek to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying that we are
born to eternal life.
VL9 – Prayer To Padre Pio
O Jesus, full of grace and charity,
victim for sinners, so impelled by Your
love for us that You willed to die on the cross.
I humbly beseech You to glorify in Heaven and
on earth the servant of God,
Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, who generously
participated in Your sufferings,
who loved You so much and laboured
so faithfully for the glory of Your
Heavenly Father and for the good of souls.
With confidence I beseech You to grant me,
through his intercession,
the grace of … (name) …
which I ardently desire.
Glory be to the Father…….. (three times).
Amen.
VL10 – A Bouquet Of Memories
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 to you.
We cannot bring the old days back,
When we were all together.
The family chain is broken now,
But memories live forever.
May he 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.
VL11 – When I Must Leave You
When I must leave you for a little while,
Please do not grieve and shed wild tears,
And hug your sorrow to you through the years,
But start out bravely with a gallant smile,
And for my sake and in my name,
Live on and do all things the same.
Feed not your loneliness on empty days,
But fill each waking hour in useful ways,
Reach out your hand in comfort and in cheer,
And I in turn will comfort you and hold you,
And never, never be afraid to die,
For I am waiting for you in the sky.
(Helen Steiner Rice)
VL12 – After Glow
I’d Like The Memory Of Me
To Be A Happy One.
I’d Like To Leave An After Glow
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.
VL13 – Give Them Back
We give our loved ones back to God,
And just as He first gave them to us,
And did not lose them in the giving,
So we have not lost them in returning
Them to Him…….For life is eternal, Love is immortal,
Death is only a horizon…
And a horizon is nothing but the
Limit of our earthly sight.
VL14 – Softly
Softly in the evening (morning),
You heard a gentle call,
You took the hand God offered you,
And quietly left us all.
The day you left us …..,
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,
Our secret tears still flow,
Oh, how we really loved you,
No one will ever know.
We miss your smile, your joking ways
We miss the things, you used to say,
And when old times we do recall,
It’s when we miss you most of all.
You were always there when we needed you,
No task too great or small,
With loving heart and willing hands,
For us you did it all.
Look around your garden Lord,
And when he (she) turns and smiles,
Put your arms around him (her),
And hold him (her) for a while.
VL15 – Miss Me But Let Me Go
When I come to the end of the road,
And the sun has set for me.
I want no rites in a gloom filled room,
Why cry for a soul set free?
Miss me a little, but not too long,
And not with your 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,
A step on the road to home.
When you are lonely and sick of heart,
Go to the friends we know,
And bury your sorrow in doing good deeds,
Miss me but let me go.
VL16 – Contented
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 face the gentle breeze
Or the wind upon your face,
I’m 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.
VL17 – His/Her Journey
Don’t think of her (him) as gone away,
Her (His) journey’s just begun,
Life holds so many facets,
This earth is only one.
Just think of her (him) as resting,
From the sorrows and the tears,
In a place of warmth and comfort,
Where there are no days or years.
Think how she (he) must be wishing,
That we could know today,
How nothing but our sadness,
Can really pass away.
And think of her (him) as living,
In the hearts of those she (he) touched,
For nothing loved is ever lost,
And she (he) was loved so much.
VL18 – My Rosary
What comfort just to clasp it,
My Rosary so dear;
Each mystery brings fresh courage
And drives away all fear.
In prayer so oft repeated,
Yet never growing old,
I read the wondrous story,
Of God’s own love untold.
Each chaplet forms a garland,
To place at Mary’s feet;
Fair buds and full-bloom roses,
Exhaling fragrance sweet.
The Crucifix which crowns it
Reminds me day by day,
To bravely bear my crosses,
Along earth’s rugged way.
I hope when life is ended,
And death shall set me free
Still twined around my fingers,
My Rosary Beads shall be.
Life is but a stopping place,
A pause in what’s to be
A resting place along the road,
To Sweet Eternity
We all have different journeys,
Different paths along the way,
We all were meant to learn some things,
But never meant to stay…
Our destination is a place,
Far greater than we know,
For some, the journey’s quicker,
For some, the journey’s slow.
But when the journey finally ends,
We’ll claim a great reward,
And find an everlasting peace,
Together with the Lord.
VL20 – My Precious Child
There’s not a day that passes
That I don’t sit and cry,
And look to Heaven for a reason
But still I don’t know why.
Couldn’t he have waited
Another year or two,
Until you were a little older
And I’d had more time with you.
Forgive me, Lord, I then say,
All these thoughts are wrong,
There had to be a reason,
And I know I must be strong.
You’re in the arms of Jesus now
And I know that you’ll be fine,
But I wish with all my heart,
That those arms could be mine.
VL21 – Reflections
Distance takes us far apart
And darkness marks my today
I have to keep remembering
You’re just a thought away
When the world is too confusing
And times are hard to bear
I pull your precious meaning
Your bright spirit from the air
If I sometimes drift into
A lonely state of mind
I gather up the memories
Of days we left behind
And though you’re not beside me
I can tap into my heart
And draw upon the warmth and love
That lives when we’re apart
And with these fond reflections
On the times when you were near
I sense a little bit of what it’s
like to have you here.
VL22 – Rose Beyond The Wall
A rose once grew where all could see,
Sheltered beside a garden wall.
And, as the days passed swiftly by,
It spread its branches, straight and tall…
One day, a beam of light shone through,
A crevice that had opened wide
The rose bent gently toward it’s warmth,
Then passed beyond to the other side…
Now, you who deeply feel its loss,
Be comforted the rose blooms there
Its beauty even greater now,
Nurtured by God’s own loving care.
VL23- Gone From Our Home
Gone from our home that smiling face,
The cheerful happy ways,
The heart that won so many friends,
In bygone happy days,
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.
In dreams we see her (his) smiling face,
And kiss her (his) tender brow,
But in our aching hearts we know,
We have no mother (father) now.
The voice is now silent,
The heart now cold,
The smile and the welcome
That met us of old,
We miss her (him) and mourn her (him)
In sorrow unseen,
And dwell on the memory
Of days that have been.
VL24 – Heart Of Gold
We lost a father (mother) with a heart of gold,
How much we miss him (her) can never be told.
He (She) shared our troubles and helped us along.
If we follow his (her) footsteps,
We can never go wrong.
We miss you from your fireside chair,
Your loving smile and gentle air.
Your vacant place, no one can fill,
We miss you father (mother) and always will.
He (She) was a father (mother) so very rare,
Content in his (her) home and always there.
On earth he (she) toiled,
in Heaven he (she) rests,
God bless you father (mother),
You were one of the best.
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.
O Sweet Jesus, for the sake of
Thy Bitter Passion and the
sorrow of Thy Immaculate Mother,
have mercy on his (her) soul;
and let the light
of Thy Countenance shine
upon him (her).
VL25 – Mother (Father)
You can only have one mother (father)
Patient, kind and true;
No other friend in all the world,
Will be the same to you.
When other friends forsake you,
To mother (father) you will turn,
For all her (his) loving kindness,
She (he) asks nothing in return.
As we look upon her (his) 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 (father) up above;
Tell her how we miss her (him),
And give her (him) all our love.
Pray for us, O dearest mother (father),
To Jesus Christ, our King;
That He may bless our lonely home
Where thou once dwelt therein.
And pray that God may give us strength,
To bear our heavy cross;
For no one knows but only He
The treasure we have lost.
VL26 – My Jesus Mercy
It was a sudden parting,
Too bitter to forget,
We 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 good-bye,
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.
The blow was hard, the shock severe,
To part with you we loved so dear,
Our loss is great, we’ll not complain,
But trust in God to meet again.
Two tired eyes are sleeping,
Two willing hands are still.
The one who worked so hard for us,
Is resting at God’s Will.
Our family chain is broken,
Nothing seems the same,
But as God calls us one by one,
The links shall join again.
VL27 – No Farewells
No farewells were spoken,
We did not say goodbye,
You were gone before we knew,
And only God knows why.
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 broke down and cried.
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.
May the God of Love and Mercy,
Care for dear (name) who has gone,
And bless with consolation,
We who are left to carry on.
VL28 – Footprints
One night a man had a dream.
He dreamed he was walking along the
beach with the LORD. Across the sky
flashed scenes from his life.
For each scene he noticed two sets
of footprints in the sand; One
belonging to him, the other the LORD.
When the last scene of his life flashed
before him, he looked back at the
footprints in the sand. He noticed
that many times along the path of
his life there was only one set of
footprints. He also noticed that it
happened at the very lowest and
saddest times of his life. This
really bothered him and he questioned
the LORD about it. “LORD, you said once
I decided to follow you, you’d walk
with me all the way. But I have noticed
that during the most troublesome times
in my life, there is only one set of
footprints. I don’t understand why,
when I needed you the most, you
would leave me.” The LORD replied,
“My precious, precious child, I love
you and would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you”.
VL29 – Without A Last Goodbye
We did not see you close your eyes,
We did not see you die,
All we knew was that you were gone,
Without a last goodbye,
It was a sudden parting,
Too bitter to forget,
Only those who loved you,
Are the ones who will never forget.
The happy hours we once enjoyed,
How sweet their memory still,
But death has left a vacant place,
This world can never fill.
Your life was one of kindly deeds,
A helping hand for others’ needs,
Sincere and true in heart and mind,
Beautiful memories left behind.
VL30 – I’m Free
Don’t grieve for me, for 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 the 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.
VL31 – I Did Not Die
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 the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn 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 in the night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there, I did not die.
VL32 – We Hold You Close
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 (name),
And thanks for
All you’ve done.
We pray that God
Has given you,
The crown you’ve truly won.
VL33 – The Lord Is My Shepard
The Lord is my shepherd, I’ll not want,
He makes me down to lie,
In pastures green he leadeth me,
The quiet waters by.
My soul he doth restore again,
And me to walk doth make,
Within the paths of righteousness,
E’en for his own name’s sake.
Yea though I walk in death’s dark vale,
Yet will I fear none ill,
For thou art with me and thy rod,
And staff me comfort still.
Goodness and mercy all my life,
Shall surely follow me,
And in God’s house for evermore,
My dwelling place shall be.
VL34 – 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.
VL35 – I Am Waiting
When I must leave you for a little while,
Please do not grieve and shed wild tears
And hug your sorrow to you through the years.
But start out bravely with a gallant smile;
And for my sake and in my name
Live on and do all things the same,
Feed not your loneliness on empty days,
But fill each waking hour in useful ways,
Reach out your hand in comfort and in cheer,
And I in turn will comfort you and hold you near;
And never, never be afraid to die,
For I am waiting for you in the sky!
VL36 – Prayer To Saint Martin
Most glorious Martin De Porres whose
burning charity embraced not only thy
needy brethren, but also the very
animals of the field, splendid example
of charity, we hail thee and invoke thee!
From that high throne which thou dost
occupy, deign to listen to the
supplications of thy needy brethren
that, by imitating thy virtues,
we may live contented in that state
in which God has placed us and
carrying with strength and courage
our cross, we may follow in the
footsteps of Our Blessed Redeemer
and His most afflicted Mother,
that at last we may reach the
Kingdom of Heaven through the
merits of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.