This is a prayer of grief and loss after the sudden death of a dear one. See also: “Angel of Rest,” “Birthday No More” and “Hard Mournings.”

After a Sudden Death
It happened so fast.
You were here. Now gone.
We had joy. Now loss.
We celebrated. Now we mourn.

How fragile is each breath?
How uncertain is each hour?
How precious is each day?
How brief is one life?

God of generations,
Grant a perfect rest under Your tabernacle of peace
To ___________________ (name),
My/our ________________ (mother, husband, partner, sister, friend etc.),
Who has left this life and this world too soon.
Oh, to still be with you
In this beauty and wonder.
Oh, to hear your voice,
To hold your hand,
To sit beside you.

Source and Shelter,
Loving Guide of the bereaved,
In this darkness,
In this void that seems beyond repair,
Bless us with solace and comfort
As we remember his/her love and his/her heart,
Our joy, laughter and tears.
Let these memories continue to bless us,
Even as we pray for him/her to find peace
In the world to come.
May his/her soul be bound up in the bond of life,
A living blessing in our midst.

© 2017 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: Click here for a list of my other memorial and yizkor prayers.

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.

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