Grief & Loss
Catholic Prayer
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. May their souls, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
“Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. May their souls, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.”
— Catholic Prayer
This prayer is not a single Bible verse but one of the oldest and most widely prayed Catholic prayers for the dead, traditionally known by its Latin opening 'Requiem aeternam.' It has been said at funerals, gravesides, and memorial Masses for centuries, offered on behalf of a soul who has died — asking God for eternal rest and 'perpetual light,' a phrase drawn from the biblical hope that the dead are not lost to darkness but held in God's presence. It is deliberately simple and repeatable, meant to be prayed by grieving people who may have no other words left. This is a prayer for the raw, wordless space of mourning, when all you can offer is the name of someone you loved and a request that they be at peace.
A new voiced prayer each day — for the morning, the commute, the sleepless 3 a.m.
More prayers for Grief & Loss → The whole prayer library✶ · Our Bible Moments
