When it comes to saying farewell to those we love the most, finding the right words can be difficult. After all, how easy is it to express everything that they meant to you, in just a few words?

Funeral readings offer us a way to express our feelings about the loss of a loved one. They are used during funerals, memorials services, and other celebrations to pay tribute to the person who has died, evoke memories and offer comfort to those who are mourning.

Two or three readings are typical, though you may use more or less, depending on the ceremony that you are planning. Readings may be secular, religious, or a combination of the two.

Because funeral readings are available in so many forms and styles, deciding on the right readings to use can be overwhelming. To help narrow down your choices, consider the following questions.

• Is the passage, poem, or quote a favourite of your loved one?

• Does the reading trigger memories with your loved one?

• Will the reading illustrate a point about their personality or philosophy of life?

• Will the reading communicate emotions?

• What would your loved one think about the reading?

• Does the reading express how you feel?

• Will the reading offer comfort to those who mourn?

There are of course hundreds of readings to choose from, but here is small collection of popular funeral readings that may be a fitting tribute to your loved one:

1) An extract from Fahrenheit 451

Everyone must leave something behind when he dies,

my grandfather said. A child or a book or a painting or

a house or a wall built or a pair of shoes made. Or a

garden planted. Something your hand touched some way

so your soul has somewhere to go when you die, and

when people look at that tree or that flower you planted,

you’re there. It doesn’t matter what you do, he said, so

as long as you change something from the way it was

before you touched it into something that’s like you after

you take your hands away.

By Ray Bradbury

2) No Matter What

Small said: “But what about when you’re dead and gone? Would you love

me then? Does love go on?”

Large held Small snug as they looked out at the night, at the moon in the

dark and the stars shining bright.

“Small, look at the stars – how they shine and glow. Yet some of those

stars died a long time ago. Still they shine in the evening skies… love, like

starlight, never dies”.

By Debi Gliori

3) The Parting Glass

Oh all the time that e’er I spent,

I spent it in good company;

And any harm that e’er I’ve done,

I trust it was to none but me;

May those I’ve loved through all the years

Have memories now they’ll e’er recall.

So fill to me the parting glass,

Goodnight and joy be with you all.

Of all the comrades that e’er I had

Are sorry for my going away;

And all the loved ones that e’er I had

Would wish me one more day to stay,

But since it falls unto my lot

That I should leave and you should not

I’ll gently rise and I’ll softly call

Goodnight and joy be with you all.

Of all good times that e’er we shared,

I leave to you fond memory,

And for all the friendship that e’er we had

I ask you to remember me;

And when you sit and stories tell,

I’ll be with you and help recall.

So fill to me the parting glass,

God bless and joy be with you all.

A Traditional Irish Song

4) A Time for Everything

There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NIV)

5) A Psalm of David

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

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

I will fear no evil, for you are with me;

Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,

And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

English Standard Version

6) The Wheel

Time is a wheel: the day that we met

Is still there:

Everything changes but nothing is lost:

All that we shared,

All that we ever loved, belongs to us still:

Time is a wheel

Whatever has ended is just about to begin

All that we feel,

All that we ever felt, will come back again

Time is a wheel

The sound of your laughter, the rain in your hair,

Your hand in mine,

Your knock at the door, your step on the stair -

All are still there

Because time is a wheel and death will come round

As birth will come round

As love will come round, as peace will come round,

As joy will come round,

As life will come round, because time is a wheel

Bringing back even yet,

All that we ever shared, and the day that we met.

by Susan Stocker (1962-- )

7) The Train of Life

At birth we boarded the train and met our parents,

and we believe they will always travel by our side.

As time goes by, other people will board the train.

And they will be significant etc our brothers, sisters,

friends, children, and even the love of your life.

However, at some station, our parents will step down from the train,

leaving us on this journey called life alone.

Others will step down over time and leave a permanent vacuum.

Others will go so unnoticed that we don’t realize that they have vacated their seats.

This train ride will sometimes be full of joy, and sadly sometimes of sorrow,

fantasy, expectations, hello’s, goodbyes and farewells.

Success consists of having a good relationship with all passengers

which will require that we give the best of ourselves,

The mystery to everyone is: we do not know at which

station we ourselves will step down .

So we must live our lives in the best way we can,

we need to love, forgive, and offer the best of who we are.

It is important to do this because when the times comes

for us to step down and leave our seat empty

we should leave behind beautiful memories for those

who will need to continue to travel on the train of life alone.

I wish you all a joyful journey.

By Jean d'Ormesson

8) This Life Mattered

Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end.

There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours, days.

All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.

Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.

It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.

Your grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will finally disappear.

So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans, and to-do lists will expire.

The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.

It won’t matter where you came from, or on what side of the tracks you lived.

At the end, whether you were beautiful or brilliant, male or female,

even your skin colour won’t matter.

So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?

What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built;

not what you got, but what you gave.

What will matter is not your success, but your significance.

What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught.

What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or

sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others.

What will matter is not your competence, but your character.

What will matter is not how many people you knew,

but how many will feel a lasting loss when you’re gone.

What will matter is not your memories, but the memories

that live in those who loved you.

Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident.

It’s not a matter of circumstance but of choice.

This life that we remember mattered.

Author unknown

9) I’ve Learned

I’ve learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today,

life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.

I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she

handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.

I’ve learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents,

you’ll miss them when they’re gone from your life.

I’ve learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a life.

I’ve learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.

I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt

on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back.

I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart,

I usually make the right decision.

I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one.

I’ve learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone.

People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.

I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn.

I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

by Maya Angelou

10) Footprints in the Sand

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, and the other to 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 in his life.

This really bothered him and he

questioned the LORD about it:

“LORD, you said that 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 most you would leave me.”

The LORD replied:

“My son, my precious child,

I love you and I 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.”

by Carolyn Joyce Carty

11) The Ship

I am standing upon that foreshore.

A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze

and starts for the blue ocean.

She is an object of beauty and strength and I stand and watch

her until at length she hangs down like a speck of white cloud

just where the sea and sky come down and mingle at the horizon.

Then someone at my side says: 'There! She's gone!

‘Gone where?’

‘Gone from my sight, that’s all.’

She is just as large in mast and spar and hull as ever she was when she left my side;

just as able to bear her load of living freight to her place of destination.

Her diminished size is in me, not in her.

And just at that moment when someone at my side says,

'There! She's gone!' there are other eyes watching her coming,

and other voices ready to take up the glad shout

'Here she comes!'

And that is dying.

by Charles Henry Brent (1862 – 1929)

12) What is Life?

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.

Life is beauty, admire it.

Life is a dream, realize it.

Life is a challenge, meet it.

Life is a duty, complete it.

Life is a game, play it.

Life is a promise, fulfill it.

Life is sorrow, overcome it.

Life is a song, sing it.

Life is a struggle, accept it.

Life is a tragedy, confront it.

Life is an adventure, dare it.

Life is luck, make it.

Life is too precious, do not destroy it.

Life is life, fight for it.”

by Mother Teresa

13) The Lord’s Prayer

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,

the power and the glory,

for ever and ever. Amen.

Traditional

14) An extract from Charlotte’s Web

You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing.

I wove my webs for you because I liked you. After all, what’s life anyway?

We’re born, we live a little while, we die…

By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a trifle.

Heaven knows anyone’s life can stand a little of that.”

by EB White

15) The Dash

I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend.

He referred to the dates on the tombstone from the beginning… to the end.

He noted that first came the date of birth and spoke of the following date with tears,

but he said what mattered most of all was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time they spent alive on earth

and now only those who loved them know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own, the cars… the house… the cash.

What matters is how we live and love and how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard; are there things you’d like to change?

For you never know how much time is left that still can be rearranged.

To be less quick to anger and show appreciation more

and love the people in our lives like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect and more often wear a smile…

remembering that this special dash might only last a little while.

So when your eulogy is being read, with your life’s actions to rehash,

would you be proud of the things they say about how you lived your dash?

by Linda Ellis