Beyond The Empty Chair
Look beyond the empty chair
To know a life well spent
Look beyond the solitude
To days of true content
Cherish in your broken heart
Each moment gladly shared
And feel the touch of memory
Beyond the empty chair.
Turn Again To Life
If I should die and leave you here a while,
Be not like others sore undone,
Who keep long vigil by the silent dust.
For my sake turn again to life and smile,
Nerving thy heart and trembling hand to do
Something to comfort other hearts than thine.
Complete these dear unfinished tasks of mine
And I perchance may therein comfort you.
Under The Wide Starry Sky
Under the wide and starry sky,
Dig the grave and let me lie.
Glad did I live and gladly die,
And I laid me down with a will.
This be the verse you gave for me:
Here he lies where he longed to be;
Home is the sailor, home from the sea,
And the hunter home from the hill.
She/He is Gone
You can shed tears that she is gone
Or you can smile because she has lived
You can close your eyes and pray that she will come back
Or you can open your eyes and see all that she has left
Your heart can be empty because you can’t see her
Or you can be full of the love that you shared
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday
Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday
You can remember her and only that she is gone
Or you can cherish her memory and let it live on
You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back
Or you can do what she would want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on.
Let Me Go
When I come to the end of the road
And the sun has set for me
I want no rites in a gloom filled room
Why cry for a soul set free?
Miss me a little, but not for long
And not with your head bowed low
Remember the love that once we shared
Miss me, but let me go.
For this is a journey we all must take
And each must go alone.
It’s all part of the master plan
A step on the road to home.
When you are lonely and sick at heart
Go to the friends we know.
Laugh at all the things we used to do
Miss me, but let me go.
A Song For Living
Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die.
I have sent up my gladness on wings, to be lost in the blue of the sky.
I have run and leaped with the rain,
I have taken the wind to my breast.
My cheek like a drowsy child
to the face of the earth I have pressed.
Because I have loved life,
I shall have no sorrow to die.
The Afterglow
I’d like the memory of me
To be a happy one,
I’d like to leave an after glow
Of smiles when life is done.
I’d like to leave an echo
Whispering softly down the ways,
Of happy times and laughing times
And bright and sunny days.
I’d like the tears of those who grieve
To dry before the sun,
Of happy memories that I leave
When life is done.
Bridge of Love
There is a bridge of memory.
From earth to heaven above.
It keeps you always near us,
it’s called the bridge of love.
May you always walk in sunshine
and God’s love around you flow,
for happiness you gave us
no one will ever know.
It broke our hearts to lose you,
but you did not go alone,
for part of us went with you.
The day God called you home.
When I Must Leave You
When I must leave you
for a little while,
Please do not grieve
and shed wild tears
Or hug your sorrow
to you through the years.
But start out bravely
with a gallant smile,
And for my sake and in my name,
Live on and do all things the same.
Feed not your loneliness on empty days,
But fill each waking hour
in useful ways,
Reach out your hand
in comfort and cheer,
And I in turn will comfort you
and hold you near my dear.
And never, never be afraid to die,
For I am waiting for you in the sky.
The Serenity Prayer
God grant me the
Serenity
to accept the things
I cannot change…
Courage to
change the things I can
and the Wisdom
to know the difference.
God’s Beautiful Garden
God looked around his garden,
And found an empty place,
He then looked down upon the earth,
And saw your tired face.
He put his arms around you,
And lifted you to rest,
God’s garden must be beautiful,
He always takes the best.
He saw the road was getting rough,
And the hills were hard to climb,
So he closed your weary eyelids,
And whispered “Peace be thine”.
It broke our hearts to lose you,
But you didn’t go alone,
For part of us went with you,
The day God called you home.
A Soul Set Free
When I come to the
end of the road
And the sun has set for me,
I want no rites in
a gloom filled room
Why cry for a soul set free?
Miss me a little, but not too long
And not with your head bowed low.
Remember the love
that we once shared
Miss me, but let me go.
When you are lonely
and sick of heart
Go to the friends we know,
And bury your sorrow
in doing good deeds
Miss me, but let me go.
They Say There’s A Reason
They say there is a reason,
They say that time will heal;
But neither time nor reason,
Will change the way we feel.
For no-one knows the heartache,
That lies behind our smiles;
No one knows how many times,
We have broke down and cried.
Gone from our home that smiling face,
Those cheerful, happy ways;
The heart that won so many friends,
In bygone, happy days.
We want to tell you something,
So there won’t be any doubt;
You’re so wonderful to think of,
But so hard to do without.
We cannot bring the old days back,
When we were all together;
The family chain is broken,
But memories live forever.
Do Not Grieve For Me
Don’t grieve for me,for now I’m free;
I took His hand when I heard him call;
I turned my back and left it all.
If my parting has left a void;
Then fill it with remembered joy.
My life’s been full, I savoured much;
Good friends, good times,
a loved one’s touch.
A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss;
Ah yes, these things, I too, will miss.
Perhaps my time seemed all too brief;
Don’t lengthen it now with undue grief.
Lift up your hearts and share with me;
God wanted me now,
He set me free
Death Is Not The End
Death is nothing at all – I have only
slipped away into the next room.
Whatsoever we were to each other,
that we are still.
Call me by my old familiar name,
speak to me in the
easy way which you always used to.
Laugh as we always laughed at the
little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be the household word
that it always was.
Let it be spoken without effort.
Life means all that it has ever meant.
It is the same as it ever was,
there is absolutely unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of your mind
because I am out of your sight?
I am but waiting for you, for an interval,
somewhere very near,
just around the corner.
All is well.
Heart Of Gold
We lost a mother with a heart of gold,
How much we miss her can never be told,
She shared our troubles and helped us along,
If we follow her foot steps,
We will never go wrong.
We miss you from your fireside chair,
Your loving smile and gentle air,
Your vacant place no one can fill,
We miss you mother and always will.
She was a mother so very rare,
Content in her home and always there,
On earth she toiled, in heaven she rests,
God bless you mother,
You were one of the best.
Each time we look at your picture,
You seem to smile and say,
Don’t be sad but courage take,
And love each other for my own sake.
There Comes A Time
There comes a time for all
When we must say goodbye,
But faith, hope, love and trust
Can never, never die.
Although the curtain falls at last,
is that a cause to grieve?
The future’s fairer than the past
if only we believe.
Trust in God’s eternal care –
So when the Master calls
Let’s say that life is still more
than fair although the curtain falls.
God Saw You Getting Tired
God saw you getting tired
and a cure was not to be.
So He put His arms around you
and He whispered “Come to Me”.
With tearful eyes we watched you.
We watched you fade away.
Although we loved you dearly,
We could not make you stay.
A golden heart stopped beating,
Hard-working hands at rest.
God broke our hearts to prove to us,
He chose to take the best.
It’s lonesome here without you
we miss you more each day.
Life doesn’t seem the same
since you have gone away.
When days are sad and lonely
and everything goes wrong,
we seem to hear you whisper
“Cheer Up and Carry On”
Each time we see your picture
you seem to smile and say,
“Don’t cry, I’m in God’s hands,
we’ll meet again someday!”
Life Is But A Stopping Place
Life is but a stopping place,
A pause in what’s to be,
A resting place along the road,
To sweet eternity.
We all have different journeys,
Different paths along the way,
We are all meant to learn some things,
But never meant to stay.
Our destination is a place,
Far greater than we know,
For some the journey’s quicker,
For some the journey’s slow.
But when the journey finally ends,
We’ll claim a great reward,
And find an everlasting peace,
Together with the Lord.
Little Did We Know That Morning
Little did we know that morning
God was going to call your name.
In life we loved you dearly,
in death we do the same.
It broke our hearts to lose you,
but you did not go alone.
For part of us went with you,
the day God called you home.
You left us peaceful memories,
your love is still our guide.
And though we cannot see you,
you are always by our side.
Our family chain is broken
and nothing seems the same.
But as God calls us one by one,
the chain will link again.
Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep
Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am a diamond glint of snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awake in the morning hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft star shine at night.
Do not stand by my grave and cry
I am not there…
I did not die.
Footprints
One night I dreamed I was walking
along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life
flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed
footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were
two sets of footprints,
other times there were
one set of footprints.
This bothered me because I noticed
that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from
anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see one set of footprints.
So I said to the Lord,
“You promised me Lord,that if
I followed you, you would
walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during
the most trying periods of my life
there have only been one
set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most,
you have not been there for me?”
The Lord replied, “The times when you
have seen only one set of footprints in the sand,
is when I carried you.”
Don’t Grieve For Me
Don’t grieve for me, for now I’m free
I took His hand when I heard him call
I turned my back and left it all.
If my parting has left a void
Then fill it with remembered joy.
My life’s been full, I savoured much
Good friends, good times,
a loved one’s touch.
A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss
Ah yes, these things, I too, will miss.
Perhaps my time seemed all too brief
Don’t lengthen it now with undue grief.
Lift up your hearts and share with me
God wanted me now,
He set me free.
She Told But A Few
What she suffered she told but few,
She did not deserve what she went through,
Tired and weary she made no fuss,
But tried so hard to stay with us.
Two tired eyes are sleeping,
Two willing hands are still;
The one who worked so hard for us,
Is resting at God’s Will.
Our lips cannot speak how we loved her,
Our hearts cannot tell what to say;
But God only knows how we miss her,
In our home that is lonely today.
She bade no one a last farewell,
She raised her hand to none;
Her spirit flew before she knew,
That she from us had gone.
Your life was love and labour,
Your love for your family true;
You did your best for all of us,
We will always remember you.
Right Now I’m In a Different Place
Right now I’m in a different place
And though we seem apart
I’m closer than I ever was
… I’m there inside your heart
I’m with you when you greet each day
And while the sun shines bright
I’m there to share the sunsets, too
… I’m with you every night
I’m with you when the times are good
To share a laugh or two,
And if a tear should start to fall
… I’ll still be there for you
And when that day arrives
That we no longer are apart,
I’ll smile and hold you close to me
… Forever in my heart
I’m Writing This From Heaven
I’m writing this from Heaven
Where I dwell with God above
Where there’s no more
tears and sadness
There’s just eternal love.
When you are walking down the street
And you’ve got me on your mind
I’m walking in your footsteps
Only half a step behind.
And when you feel that gentle breeze
Or the wind upon your face
That’s me giving you
A great big hug
Or just a soft embrace.
And when it’s time for you to go
From that body to be free
Remember you’re not going
You are coming here to me.
You Can Only Have One
You can only have one mother
patient kind and true;
no other friend in all the world,
will be the same to you.
When other friends forsake you,
to mother you will return, for
all her loving kindness, she asks
nothing in return.
As we look upon her picture,
sweet memories we recall,
of a face so full of sunshine,
and a smile for one and all.
Sweet Jesus, take this message,
to our dear mother up above;
tell her how we miss her,
and give her all our love.
Don’t Remember Me With Sadness
Don’t remember me with sadness,
Don’t remember me with tears,
Remember all the laughter,
We’ve shared throughout the years.
Now I am contented
That my life it was worthwhile,
Knowing as I passed along the way
I made somebody smile.
When you are walking down the street
And you’ve got me on your mind,
I’m walking in your footsteps
Only half a step behind.
So please don’t be unhappy
Just because I’m out of sight,
Remember that I’m with you
Each morning, noon and night.
You’ll Never Walk Alone
When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don’t be afraid of the dark
At the end of a storm
There’s a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark
Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown
Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you’ll never walk alone
You’ll never walk alone
Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you’ll never walk alone
You’ll never walk alone
Now I Am Contented
Now I am contented
that my life it was worthwhile,
Knowing as I passed along the way
I made somebody smile.
When you are walking down the street
And you’ve got me on your mind
I’m walking in your footsteps
Only half a step behind.
And when you face the gentle breeze
Or the wind upon your face,
That’s me giving you a great big hug
Or just a soft embrace.
So please don’t be unhappy,
Just because I’m out of sight,
Remember that I’m with you,
Every morning, noon and night.
Hail Holy Queen
Hail, Holy Queen,
Mother of Mercy,
Hail our Life, our Sweetness,
and our Hope.
To Thee do we cry,
poor banished children of Eve.
To Thee do we send up
our sighs mourning
and weeping in this
valley of tears.
Turn then, most
gracious Advocate,
Thine Eyes of Mercy
toward us, and after this
our exile show us the Blessed
Fruit of thy Womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving,
O sweet Virgin Mary.
Pray for us O Holy Mother of God
That we may be made worthy
of the promises of Christ.
Amen.
Prayer To St. Patrick
O Great Apostle of Ireland, glorious St. Patrick, to whom under God,
so many are indebted for the most preciousof all treasures, the great gift of Faith, receive our fervent thanks for the zealand charity which have been to thousands the source of blessings so invaluable.
Ask for all who dwell in this land and the land of thy labors, the precious light of Faith, and beg for us on whom its glorious rayshave long since beamed, the grace to regulateour lives by its sacred maxims.
Prayer to St. Pio of Pietrelcina
Dear God, you generously
blessed your servant,
St. Pio of Pietrelcina,
with the gifts of the Spirit.
You marked his body with the five wounds
of Christ Crucified, as a powerful witness
to the saving Passion and Death of your Son.
Endowed with the gift of discernment,
St. Pio laboured endlessly in the confessional
for the salvation of souls.
With reverence and intense devotion
in the celebration of Mass,
he invited countless men and women
to a greater union with Jesus Christ
in the Sacrament of the Holy eucharist.
Through the intercession
of St. Pio of Pietrelcina,
I confidently beseech you to grant me
the grace of (here state your petition).
Amen.
St. Francis Prayer
Lord, make me an instrument
of Your peace.
Where there is hatred,
let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon,
Where there is doubt, faith,
Where there is despair, hope,
Where there is darkness, light,
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may
not so much seek to be consoled,
as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved, as to love;
For it is in giving that
We receive
It is in pardoning that we are
pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are
born to eternal life.
Prayer To St. Martin
Most humble Saint Martin
whose burning charity embraces all,
but especially those who are sick,
afflicted or in need,
we turn to thee for help
in our present difficulties and
we implore thee to obtain for us from
God health of soul and body,
and in particular the
favour we now ask….
May we, by imitating
thy charity and humility,
find quiet and contentment
all our days, and cheerful
submission to God’s
holy will in all the trials and
difficulties of life.
Amen
Prayer to St. Anthony
O gentle St. Anthony, by your holy and
apostolic life, you led countless souls
to the love of our Divine Lord.
I implore you, obtain for me and
my loved ones His guidance,
you who have the power to lead straying
sheep back to the fold of Christ,
and to find articles that are lost.
On earth your heart was filled with
compassion for those in distress or
sorrow. Please bring my request
before the Child Jesus,
Who loved to rest in your arms,
and I believe that you will help me
to remain always close to our
Divine Lord. O miraculous
Wonder Worker, in this hour
of need obtain what I ask of you.
Amen
Prayer to St. Thérèse
O glorious Saint Thérèse, whom almighty
God has raised up to aid and counsel mankind,
I implore your miraculous intercession.
So powerful are you in obtaining every need
of body and soul our Holy Mother Church
proclaims you a “Prodigy of Miracles…
the Greatest Saint of Modern times.”
Now I fervently beseech you to answer my
petition (mention specifics here) and to carry
out your promises of spending Heaven doing
good upon the earth…of letting fall
from Heaven a Shower of roses.
Henceforth, dear little Flower,
I will fulfil your plea “to be made known
everywhere” and I will never cease to lead
others to Jesus through you.
Amen.
Prayer To St. Bridget
O Glorious St. Brigid,
Patroness of Ireland and Mother
of the Churches,
protect the Irish Church
and preserve the true Faith
in every Irish heart,
at home and abroad.
Obtain for us the grace to walk
faithfully in the path of
Christian perfection during life,
and so to secure
a holy and happy death,
with life everlasting,
in thy blessed company,
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
Prayer to St. Joseph
Oh, guard and protect me,
St. Joseph, each day
as onward I journey
to Heaven, I pray.
I ask, when I’m dying
That thou wilt be there.
to cheer by thy presence,
to aid by thy prayer.
Now hear me, St. Joseph
I count upon thee
to grant my petitions,
Whatever they be.
