We owe our parents the gift of life, and in love we continue to pray for them after death. This prayer commends a departed father and mother to the mercy of God.
The Prayer
O God,
who commanded us to honor our father and mother,
have compassion in your mercy
on the souls of my father and mother.
Forgive them their sins,
and grant that I may see them again
in the joy of everlasting light.
I thank you for the gift of life they gave me,
for their love and their care,
and for all the good they taught me.
Reward them for their goodness,
and bring them home to yourself,
where there is no more sorrow or death,
but life everlasting with you.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.
When to Pray This Prayer
On the anniversary of a parent's death, in November, and whenever you remember your mother and father in prayer.
About This Prayer
To pray for departed parents is both an act of love and a duty of gratitude. The Church holds that our prayers truly help the faithful departed on their way to God.
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Text: traditional prayer for deceased parents (from the Raccolta).