Funeral Recessional Hymns (Exit Hymns)
**All songs and Responsorial Psalms must be approved by the soloist and musician**
BE NOT AFRAID (Bob Dufford)
You shall cross the barren desert,
but you shall not die of thirst.
You shall wander far in safety
though you do not know the way.
You shall speak your words in foreign lands
and all will understand.
You shall see the face of God and live.
Refrain: Be not afraid.
I go before you always.
Come, follow Me, and I will give you rest.
If you pass through raging waters in the sea,
you shall not drown.
If you walk amid the burning flames,
you shall not be harmed.
If you stand before the pow’r of hell
and death is at your side,
know that I am with you through it all. (Refrain)
Blessed are your poor,
for the kingdom shall be theirs.
Blest are you that weep and mourn,
for one day you shall laugh.
And if wicked tongues insult and hate you
all because of Me,
blessed, blessed are you! (Refrain)
ON EAGLES WINGS (Michael Joncas)
You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord,
who abide in His shadow for life,
say to the Lord: “My refuge, my rock in whom I trust!”
Refrain: And He will raise you up on eagle’s wings,
bear you on the breath of dawn,
make you to shine like the sun,
and hold you in the palm of His hand.
The snare of the fowler will never capture you,
and famine will bring you no fear:
under His wings your refuge,
His faithfulness your shield. (Refrain)
You need not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day;
though thousands fall about you,
near you it shall not come. (Refrain)
For to his angels he’s given a command
to guard you in all of your ways;
upon their hands they will bear you up,
lest you dash your foot against a stone. (Refrain)
IRISH BLESSING PRAYER (Bob Fabing)
Refrain: May the road rise up to meet you,
May the wind be always with you,
May the sunshine warm you always
til we meet again.
May the rain fall softly on you,
May the hand of God uphold you. (Refrain)
Christ before you, Christ behind you,
Christ beneath you, Christ above you. (Refrain)
Christ to shield you, Christ be with you,
Christ be with you now and always. (Refrain)
Christ in every eye that sees you,
Christ in every ear that hears you.(Refrain)
Christ in every heart that knows you,
Christ in every word that speaks of you.(Refrain)
Christ is on your left, Christ is on your right,
Christ when you lay down and rise up. (Refrain)
AMAZING GRACE (John Newton)
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch; like me!*
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!
The Lord hath promised good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.
When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun.
(*alternate words: “that saved and set me free”)
Holy God, We Praise Thy Name (Franz and Walworth)
Holy God, we praise thy name.
God of all, we bow before Thee.
All on earth Your scepter claim;
all in heav’n above adore Thee.
Infinite Thy vast domain,
everlasting is Thy reign.
Hark, the loud celestial hymn,
angel choirs above are raising.
Cherubim and seraphim,
in unceasing chorus praising,
fill the heav’ns with sweet accord:
Holy, holy, holy Lord.
Lo! the apostolic train
join thy sacred name to hallow.
Prophets swell the glad refrain,
and the blessed martyrs follow,
and, from morn till set of sun,
through the church the song goes on.
Holy Author, Holy Word,
Holy Spirit, three we name thee;
still, one holy voice is heard:
undivided God, we claim Thee,
and adoring bend the knee,
while we own the mystery.
How Great Thou Art (Stuart K. Hine)
O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Refrain: Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze. (Refrain)
And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on a Cross, my burdens gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin. (Refrain)
When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: “My God, how great Thou art!” (Refrain)
Let There Be Peace on Earth (Jackson and Miller)
Let there be Peace on earth and let it begin with me;
Let there be Peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be.
With God as our Father, family all are we,
Let us walk with each other, in perfect harmony.
Let Peace begin with me, Let this be the moment now;
With every step I take, Let this be my solemn vow:
To take each moment and live each moment,
In Peace eternally.
Let there be Peace on Earth
And let it begin with me.
Irish Blessing (James E. Moore Jr)
May the road rise up to meet you,
May the wind be ever at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
And the rains fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again, until we meet again
May God hold you, May God hold you
in the palm of His hand.
May the sun make your days bright
May the stars illuminate your nights
May the flowers bloom along your path
Your house stand firm against the storm
And until we meet again, Until we meet again
May God hold you in the palm of His hand
And until we meet again, Until we meet again
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
All The Ends of The Earth (Bob Dufford, SJ)
REFRAIN: All the ends of the earth, All you creature of the sea, lift up your eyes to the wonders of the Lord. For the Lord of the earth, The master of the sea, has come with justice for the world.
Break into song at the deeds of the Lord, The wonders He has done in every age. (refrain)
Heaven and earth shall rejoice in his might; Every heart, every nation call Him Lord. ( refrain)
The Lord has made His salvation known, faithful to His promise of old. Let the ends of the earth, let the sea and all it holds, make music before our king (refrain)
Sing A New Song (by Dan Schutte)
Sing a new song unto the Lord, let your song be sung from mountains high. Sing a new song unto the Lord, singing alleluia
Shout with gladness! Dance for joy! O come before the Lord. And play for him on glad tambourines, and let your trumpet sound. (refrain)
Rise, o children, from your sleep; your savior now has come. He has turned your sorrow to joy and filled your soul with song (refrain)
Glad my soul for I have seen the glory of the Lord. The trumpet sounds, the dead shall be raised. I know my Savior lives. (refrain)
Ode to Joy (Sing with all the Saints In Glory) (William J. Irons)
Sing With All The Saints In Glory, Sing The Resurrection Song!
Death And Sorrow, Earth’s Dark Story, To The Former Days Belong.
All Around The Clouds Are Breaking, Soon The Storms Of Time Shall Cease;
In God’s Likeness, People Waking, Know The Everlasting Peace.
Oh, What Glory, Far Exceeding All That Eye Has Yet Perceived!
Holiest Hearts For Ages Pleading, Never That Full Joy Conceived.
God Has Promised, Christ Prepares It, There On High Our Welcome Waits;
Every Humble Spirit Shares It, Christ Has Passed The Eternal Gates.
Life Eternal! Heaven Rejoices: Jesus Lives Who Once Was Dead;
Join With All The Heavenly Voices; Child Of God, Lift Up Your Head!
Patriarchs From Distant Ages, Saints All Longing For Their Heaven,
Prophets, Psalmists, Seers, And Sages, All Await The Glory Given.
Life Eternal! O What Wonders Crowd On Faith; What Joy Unknown,
When, Amid Earth’s Closing Thunders, Saints Shall Stand Before The Throne!
Oh, To Enter That Bright Portal, See That Glowing Firmament,
Know, With You, O God Immortal, Jesus Christ Whom You Have Sent!
Now THank We All Our God
Now thank we all our God, With hearts and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things hath done, In whom His world rejoices;
Who from our mother’s arms Hath blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love, And still is ours to-day.
O may this bounteous God Through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts And blessed peace to cheer us;
And keep us in his grace, And guide us when perplexed,
And free us from all ills In this world and the next.
All praise and thanks to God The Father now be given,
The son, and him who reigns, With them in highest heaven,
The one eternal God, Whom earth and heaven adore;
For thus it was, is now, And shall be evermore.
City of God (by Dan Schutte)
Awake from your slumber! Arise from your sleep!
A new day is dawning for all those who weep.
The people in darkness have seen a great light.
The Lord of our longing has conquered the night.
Refrain: Let us build the city of God.
May our tears be turned into dancing!
For the Lord, our light and our love,
has turned the night into day!
We are sons of the morning; we are daughters of day.
The One who has loved us has brightened our way.
The Lord of all kindness has called us to be
a light for his people to set their hearts free. (Refrain)
God is light; in him there is no darkness.
Let us walk in his light, his children, one and all.
O comfort my people; make gentle your words.
Proclaim to my city the day of her birth. (Refrain)
O city of gladness, now lift up your voice.
Proclaim the good tidings that all may rejoice! (Refrain)
We Gather Together
We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing: He hastens and chastens His will to make known; The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing: Sing praises to his name; he forgets not his own
Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining, Whose kingdom calls all to the love which endures. So from the beginning the fight we were winning: You, Lord, were at our side; all glory be yours
We all do extol you, our leader triumphant, and pray that you still our defender will be. Let your congregation escape tribulation : your name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free
Lift High the Cross (by George Kitchin)
Refrain: Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim
till all the world adore His sacred name.
Come, Christians, follow where Our Savior trod,
The Lamb victorious, Christ the Son of God. (Refrain)
Led on their way by this triumphant sign,
the hosts of God in conquering ranks combine. (Refrain)
All newborn servants of the Crucified
bear on their brow the seal of Christ who died. (Refrain)
O Lord, once lifted on the glorious tree,
Your death has brought us life eternally. (Refrain)
Go Silent Friend (John Bell)
Sung to the tune of Danny Boy
Go, silent friend, Your life has found its ending;
To dust returns your weary mortal frame.
God, who before birth called you into being,
Now calls you hence, his accent still the same.
Go, silent friend, Your life in Christ is buried;
For you He lived and died and rose again.
Close by His side your promised place is waiting
Where, fully known, you shall with God remain.
Go, silent friend, Forgive us if we grieved you;
Safe now in heaven, kindly say our name.
Your life has touched us, that is why we mourn you;
Our lives without you cannot be the same.
Go, silent friend, We do not grudge you glory;
Sing, sing with joy deep praises to your Lord.
You, who believed that Christ would come back for you,
Now celebrate that Jesus keeps His word.
We Remember (Marty Haugen) We remember how You loved us to Your death,
and still we celebrate, for You are with us here;
and we believe that we will see You when You come in Your glory, Lord.
We remember, we celebrate, we believe.
Here, a million wounded souls are yearning just to touch You and be healed.
Gather all Your people, and hold them to Your heart. (Refrain)
Now we recreate Your love, we bring the bread and wine to share a meal.
Sign of grace and mercy, the presence of the Lord. (Refrain)
Christ, the Father’s great “Amen” to all the hopes and dreams of ev’ry heart,
Peace beyond all telling, and freedom from all fear. (Refrain)
See the face of Christ revealed in ev’ry person standing by your side,
Gift to one another, and temples of Your love. (Refrain)
Lord of All Hopefulness (Jan Struther)
Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,
Whose trust, ever child-like, no cares can destroy,
Be there at our waking, and give us, we pray,
Your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day.
Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,
Whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe,
Be there at our labors, and give us, we pray,
Your strength in our hearts, Lord, at the noon of the day.
Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,
Your hands swift to welcome, your arms to embrace,
Be there at our homing, and give us, we pray,
Your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day.
Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,
Whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm,
Be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray,
Your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day.
America the Beautiful
Oh, beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed his grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea.
How Can i Keep From Singing? (My life flows on in Endless Song) (Author Unknown)
My life flows on in endless song,
above earth’s lamentation.
I hear the real, though far-off hymn
that hails a new creation.
Refrain:
No storm can shake my inmost calm
while to that Rock I’m clinging.
Since Christ is lord of heaven and earth,
how can I keep from singing?
Through all the tumult and the strife,
I hear the music ringing.
It sounds an echo in my soul.
How can I keep from singing? [Refrain]
What though my joys and comforts die?
The Lord my Savior liveth.
What though the darkness gathers round!
Songs in the night He giveth. [Refrain]
The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart,
a fountain ever springing!
All things are mine since I am His!
How can I keep from singing? [Refrain]