Popular Funeral Readings
If you’re looking for the perfect funeral reading, we’ve compiled a selection of popular options to help guide and inspire you. These readings are often chosen for their comforting words and thoughtful messages, and can be a meaningful part of any funeral, memorial or celebration of life.
Our collection includes well-known funeral readings, short passages, and uplifting verses. Some are taken from the Bible or other religious texts, while others are non-religious readings that focus on love, remembrance, and hope.
Whether you’re planning a funeral service or simply looking for ideas, our suggested funeral readings can help you find the right words to honour your loved one.
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One At Rest by A. J. Stanley
Think of me as one at rest
For me you should not weep
I have no pain no troubled thoughts
For I am just asleep
The living thinking me that was,
Is now forever still
And life goes on without me now
As time forever wilIf your heart is heavy now
Because Ive gone away
Dwell not long upon it friend
For none of us can stay
Those of you who liked me
I sincerely thank you all
And those of you who loved me
I thank you most of all
And in my fleeting lifespan
As time went rushing by
I found some time to hesitate
To laugh, to love, to cry
Matters it now if time began
If time will ever cease?
I was here, I used it all,
And now I am at peace
For me you should not weep
I have no pain no troubled thoughts
For I am just asleep
The living thinking me that was,
Is now forever still
And life goes on without me now
As time forever wilIf your heart is heavy now
Because Ive gone away
Dwell not long upon it friend
For none of us can stay
Those of you who liked me
I sincerely thank you all
And those of you who loved me
I thank you most of all
And in my fleeting lifespan
As time went rushing by
I found some time to hesitate
To laugh, to love, to cry
Matters it now if time began
If time will ever cease?
I was here, I used it all,
And now I am at peace
Farewell my friends by Rabindranath Tagore
It was beautiful as long as it lasted
The journey of my life
I have nor egrets whatsoever, save the pain
I’ll leave behind
Those dear hearts who love and care
And the strings pulled at the heart and soul
The journey of my life
I have nor egrets whatsoever, save the pain
I’ll leave behind
Those dear hearts who love and care
And the strings pulled at the heart and soul
1 Corinthians 15:51-57:, Bible New Testament
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’ ‘Where, O Death, has your victory gone? Where, O Death, is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 25:6-9 by
This passage offers a vision of a feast prepared by God for all peoples, with death being swallowed up forever.
Romans 8:35-39, Bible New Testament
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: ‘For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Job 19:23-27, Bible New Testament
Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book! Oh that with an iron pen and lead they were engraved in the rock forever! For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!
Legacy of love by Joanne Ginsberg
A wife, a mother, a grandma too,
This legacy we have from you,
You gave us love and how to fight,
You gave us strength, you gave us might,
A stronger person would be hard to find,
And in your heart, you were always kind,
You fought for us all in one way or another,
Not just as a wife, not just as a mother
For all of us you gave your best,
Now the time has come for you to rest
So go in peace, you earned your sleep,
Your love in our hearts, we’ll eternally keep
This legacy we have from you,
You gave us love and how to fight,
You gave us strength, you gave us might,
A stronger person would be hard to find,
And in your heart, you were always kind,
You fought for us all in one way or another,
Not just as a wife, not just as a mother
For all of us you gave your best,
Now the time has come for you to rest
So go in peace, you earned your sleep,
Your love in our hearts, we’ll eternally keep
Our Mum by Andrea Jackson
A special Mum is hard to find
For that we know is true
You gave to us unselfishly
Every single part of you
Your winning smile, those sparking eyes,
The way you made us laugh,
We know you were so peaceful
As you travelled Heaven’s path
Your memory is your inner strength,
Which last a whole life through,
God threw away the mould Mum
The day that he made you
Whenever we are lonely
And need your loving hand
We know that you will guide us
In life, to understand
That each day you’ll walk beside us,
We will never be alone,
The only thing that’s changed now Mum
Is that you are not at home
For that we know is true
You gave to us unselfishly
Every single part of you
Your winning smile, those sparking eyes,
The way you made us laugh,
We know you were so peaceful
As you travelled Heaven’s path
Your memory is your inner strength,
Which last a whole life through,
God threw away the mould Mum
The day that he made you
Whenever we are lonely
And need your loving hand
We know that you will guide us
In life, to understand
That each day you’ll walk beside us,
We will never be alone,
The only thing that’s changed now Mum
Is that you are not at home
At Rest by authorship is unknown
Think of me as one at rest,
For me, no need to weep,
I have no pain, no troubled thoughts,
For I am just at peace.
The living, thinking me that was,
is now forever still,
And life goes on without me,
as time forever will.
If your heart is heavy now,
because I’ve gone away,
Dwell not long upon it friend,
for none of us can stay.
To those friends who liked me,
I sincerely thank you all,
and those of you that loved me,
well, I thank you most of all.
For in my fleeting lifespan,
as time went rushing by
I found some time to hesitate,
to laugh, to love, to cry.
It matters not when time began,
or if time will ever cease
For I was here, I used it all
and now I am at peace.
For me, no need to weep,
I have no pain, no troubled thoughts,
For I am just at peace.
The living, thinking me that was,
is now forever still,
And life goes on without me,
as time forever will.
If your heart is heavy now,
because I’ve gone away,
Dwell not long upon it friend,
for none of us can stay.
To those friends who liked me,
I sincerely thank you all,
and those of you that loved me,
well, I thank you most of all.
For in my fleeting lifespan,
as time went rushing by
I found some time to hesitate,
to laugh, to love, to cry.
It matters not when time began,
or if time will ever cease
For I was here, I used it all
and now I am at peace.
Rose Garden by Liz Newman
But loved ones, remember:
For all the roses that grew
She tended and planted
Whole gardens in you.
Her heart warm and nurturing,
Her love strong and deep
Resilient and rooted
Yours to tend and to keep.
Her humor a harvest
Her love gently blooms
Her comforting presence
Still fills up a room.
For now we’re her roses.
Her legacy
of light and care.
The whole world will marvel
and know that she was there.
For all the roses that grew
She tended and planted
Whole gardens in you.
Her heart warm and nurturing,
Her love strong and deep
Resilient and rooted
Yours to tend and to keep.
Her humor a harvest
Her love gently blooms
Her comforting presence
Still fills up a room.
For now we’re her roses.
Her legacy
of light and care.
The whole world will marvel
and know that she was there.
What is a Mum? by Joanna Miller
A Mum is one of life’s best gifts,
Someone to treasure all life through,
She’s caring and loving,
Thoughtful and true,
Someone who is always a special part of your life,
Someone who holds a prime place in your heart,
She’s a mentor, a confident and also a friend,
Someone on whose love you can depend.
A mum always has your best interests at heart,
She’s someone so dear and so good,
She’s a blessing, she’s a gift,
She’s a treasure like no other,
She’s someone that is truly wonderful.
Wherever you go, and whatever you do,
A mum’s love will always see you through,
A mum is truly invaluable,
Indispensable and unforgettable.
I wouldn’t want anyone but you,
And that’s why I’m so grateful,
that life picked you for me.
Someone to treasure all life through,
She’s caring and loving,
Thoughtful and true,
Someone who is always a special part of your life,
Someone who holds a prime place in your heart,
She’s a mentor, a confident and also a friend,
Someone on whose love you can depend.
A mum always has your best interests at heart,
She’s someone so dear and so good,
She’s a blessing, she’s a gift,
She’s a treasure like no other,
She’s someone that is truly wonderful.
Wherever you go, and whatever you do,
A mum’s love will always see you through,
A mum is truly invaluable,
Indispensable and unforgettable.
I wouldn’t want anyone but you,
And that’s why I’m so grateful,
that life picked you for me.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4, New Testament
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
Matthew 5:4:, Bible New Testament
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
John 14:1-3, Bible New Testament
Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
Psalm 23:, Bible Old Testament
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
The Solder by Rupert Brooke:
If I should die, think only of me
That theres some corner of a foreign field
That is for ever England. There shall be
in that rich earth a richer dust concealed
A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware
Gave once her flowers to love, her ways to roam
A body of England’s breathing English air
Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home
And think, this heart, all evil shed away
A pulse in the eternal mind, no less
Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given
Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day
And laughter, learnt of friends, and gentleness
In hearts at peace, under an English heav
That theres some corner of a foreign field
That is for ever England. There shall be
in that rich earth a richer dust concealed
A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware
Gave once her flowers to love, her ways to roam
A body of England’s breathing English air
Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home
And think, this heart, all evil shed away
A pulse in the eternal mind, no less
Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given
Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day
And laughter, learnt of friends, and gentleness
In hearts at peace, under an English heav
A Soldier by Unkwon, possibly J. R. (Jim) O’RourkeJ. R. (Jim) O’Rourke
Still a Soldier
I lay here today
I know some Don’t understand
I will try to explain it
The soldier and the man
I served my country
For many a year
I retired long ago
But the soldiers still here
I put on my uniform
I wore it to foreign lands
The soldier I was
Is still the man
I have been a good man
And a friend to many here today
But I’ve been a soldier all along
Even after so many years
And so my final salute
I render today
I’m still a proud soldier
I’m just on my way
Rest in peace soldier !
I lay here today
I know some Don’t understand
I will try to explain it
The soldier and the man
I served my country
For many a year
I retired long ago
But the soldiers still here
I put on my uniform
I wore it to foreign lands
The soldier I was
Is still the man
I have been a good man
And a friend to many here today
But I’ve been a soldier all along
Even after so many years
And so my final salute
I render today
I’m still a proud soldier
I’m just on my way
Rest in peace soldier !
If roses grow in heaven by Dolores M. Garcia
If roses grow in heaven,
Lord please pick a bunch for me,
Place them in my Mother’s arms
and tell her they’re from me.
Tell her I love her and miss her,
and when she turns to smile,
place a kiss upon her cheek
and hold her for awhile.
Because remembering her is easy,
I do it every day,
but there’s an ache within my heart
that will never go away.
Lord please pick a bunch for me,
Place them in my Mother’s arms
and tell her they’re from me.
Tell her I love her and miss her,
and when she turns to smile,
place a kiss upon her cheek
and hold her for awhile.
Because remembering her is easy,
I do it every day,
but there’s an ache within my heart
that will never go away.
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