Merciful Father,
Lord of life and death,
our fate is in your hands.
Look with kindness
upon the affliction of those
who mourn the death of loved ones:
sons, fathers, brothers, relatives, friends.
May they feel the presence of Christ
who comforted the widow of Naim
and the sisters of Lazarus,
for He is the resurrection and the life.
Help us to learn
from the mystery of sorrow
that we are pilgrims on earth.
(John Paul II)