Posts Tagged ‘prayer at a child’s death’

 

Memorial for a Child, Even in Adar

Posted on: February 26th, 2017 by Alden

This is a memorial prayer for grieving parents. On this day nine years ago, Rosh Chodesh Adar, the month in which joy is said to enter, eight Yeshiva students were murdered in a terrorist attack: Doron Maharate, Avraham David Moses, Yonatan Eldar, Yonadav Hirshfeld, Neria Cohen, Yochai Lifshitz, Ro’ee Roth, Segev Peniel Avichail. Today, I’m reposting this prayer in their memories. May their souls be linked in the chain of life. May all who’ve lost a child find comfort, strength and renewal. This prayer appears in This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day from CCAR Press.

Memorial Prayer for a Child
My child,
Dear _________________ [first name],
You are love in my heart
And tears in my eyes.
You are longing in my chest,
A well of memories,
Joyous and crushing,
Holy and touched by sorrow.
My yearning for you will never cease.

G-d of all Being,
Grant my/our son/daughter _______________ [full name]
A perfect rest under Your tabernacle of peace.
Guide his/her soul back to Your holy realm,
For he/she left this world
Too young,
Too soon,
With dreams unanswered
And hopes unfulfilled.

Grant our family strength as we move forward,
A tribute to Your healing
In memory of our dear son/daughter.
May his/her soul be bound up in the bond of life,
An eternal blessing in our midst.

© 2017 CCAR Press from This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers For a New Day

Postscript: This prayer was first posted on August 29, 2013. See also: “Meditation on the Burial of a Young Child,” “For Bereaved Children,” “After Shiva” and “For the Bereaved.”

Please check out my ELItalk video, “Falling in Love with Prayer,” and This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day. For reprint permissions and usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” To receive my latest prayers via email, please subscribe (on the home page). You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo Source: TerredIsrael

Memorial Prayer for a Child

Posted on: August 29th, 2013 by tobendlight

grieving-parents-004For those who struggle with this unimaginable loss, a memorial prayer for grieving parents. May you find comfort, strength and renewal. Here’s a related “Meditation on the Burial of a Young Child” and one you can say on behalf of your surviving children called “For Bereaved Children.” This prayer appears my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

Memorial Prayer for a Child
My child,
Dear _________________ [first name],
You are love in my heart
And tears in my eyes.
You are longing in my chest,
A well of memories,
Joyous and crushing,
Holy and touched by sorrow.
My yearning for you will never cease.

G-d of all Being,
Grant my/our son/daughter _______________ [full name]
A perfect rest under Your tabernacle of peace.
Guide his/her soul back to Your holy realm,
For he/she left this world
According to Your will,
Too soon for me,
Too soon for me.

Grant our family strength as we move forward,
A tribute to Your healing
In memory of our dear daughter/son.
May his/her soul be bound up in the bond of life,
An eternal blessing in our midst.

© 2013 Alden Solovy and www.tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: See also: “Meditation on the Burial of a Young Child,” “For Bereaved Children,” “After Shiva” and “For the Bereaved.”

For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. Connect with To Bend Light on Facebook and on Twitter.  If you use this prayer, please click take a moment to post a link to your Facebook page, your blog or mention it in a tweet.

Photo Source: Micah Wessman Foundation

On Removing a Child’s Life Support (Clergy Version)

Posted on: June 17th, 2013 by tobendlight

Baby on Life SupportThis is the clergy version of prayer written for a moment beyond imagination. It’s an adaption of “On Removing a Child’s Life Support.” The prayer is divided into two parts: a meditation before the removal of life support and a brief prayer after the child passes on. This revision includes sections for both clergy and parents. The original prayer was written at the request of Rabbi Stephanie Covitz, resident chaplain at an Ohio children’s hospital. She was asked to assist a family at that difficult moment. May all who face these choices find consolation and renewal.

On Removing a Child’s Life Support (Clergy Version)

Before the Removal

Clergy:
What is healing?
And what is kindness?
What is mercy?
And what is grace?
What is love?
And what is compassion?

Soul of the Universe,
You are our beginning
And you are our ending.
When ______________________ (name of parent/parents/guardian)
Dreamed of becoming [a father/a mother/parents/modify as appropriate]
He /She/They never expected to face the death of a child,
Still only [a baby/child/youth /teen/in (his/her prime)],
To remove life support,
And, in days to come, to bury him/her.
You have challenged them to make painful choices,
Unimaginable choices,
And yet, G-d of Ages, benevolent and holy choices.

Parents:
We do this in the name of healing.
And we do this in the name of kindness.
We do this in the name of mercy.
And we do this in the name of grace.
We do this in the name of love.
And we do this in the name of compassion.
We do this from the depths our despair
Praying to find a path back to wholeness and life renewed.

Clergy:
G-d of Old, we ask for Your blessing, for Your Shelter and for Your Peace.

After Passing

Clergy:
Author of Life,
Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under your tabernacle of peace to
______________________ (name of the child in Hebrew or your native tongue),
Whose life has ended too soon.
Bless this family with
Faith to mourn,
Courage to heal,
Strength to rebuild,
And devotion to each other.
May the memory ___________ (first name)
Be sanctified with joy and love.
May his/her soul be bound up in the bond of life,
A source of blessing in our midst.

© 2013 Alden Solovy and www.tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: Here’s a “Meditation on the Burial of a Young Child.” See also “On Removing a Child’s Life Support,” “For the Bereaved” and “For Bereaved Children.” Thanks to Rabbi Covitz for using some of my work in her Rabbinic thesis. I am touched that she has turned to me for assistance on several occasions.

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Photo Credit: The Sunday Times

On Removing a Child’s Life Support

Posted on: December 26th, 2012 by tobendlight

baby-teardropThis is a difficult prayer for a difficult moment. A private moment. A moment no one should have to face. It’s for use by parents when removing the life support of a child. It is divided into two parts: a meditation before the removal of life support and a brief prayer after the child passes on. I wrote this at the request of Rabbi Stephanie Covitz, resident chaplain at a children’s hospital in Ohio, who recently participated in such a moment. May the family, and all who face these unthinkable choices, find consolation and healing. In the weeks ahead, I will also post an adaptation of this prayer for use by clergy. This prayer will appear in my forthcoming book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

On Removing a Child’s Life Support
Before the Removal

Soul of the Universe,
When I/we dreamed of becoming [a father / a mother / parents]
I (we) never expected to face the death of my/our son/daughter,
Still only [a baby / child / youth / teen / in his/her prime],
Or to remove life support,
And, in days to come, to bury him/her.
You have challenged me/us to make painful choices,
Unimaginable choices,
And yet, G-d of Ages, benevolent and holy choices.

I/We do this in the name of healing.
And I/we do this in the name of kindness.

I/We do this in the name of mercy.
And I/we do this in the name of grace.

I/We do this in the name of love.
I/we do this in the name of compassion.

I/We do this from the depths our despair
Praying to find a path back to wholeness and life renewed.

After Passing
Author of Life,
Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under your tabernacle of peace to
______________________ (name of the child in Hebrew or your native tongue),
My child,
Whose life has ended too soon.
May the memory of my/our son/daughter be sanctified with joy and love.
May his / her soul be bound up in the bond of life,
A source of blessing in our midst.

© 2012 Alden Solovy and www.tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: Here’s a “Meditation on the Burial of a Young Child.” See also “For the Bereaved” and “For Bereaved Children.” I’m honored that Rabbi Covitz used some of my work in her Rabbinic thesis and has turned to me for assistance on several occasions.

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Photo Credit: Raji Saran on Pictures Collections

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