I recall the summer I lost my father in a tragic kayaking accident. It was the worst day of my life. Because it was sudden, I felt especially shocked that I was experiencing grief to that degree. I know that there were people in my life who felt like they wanted to console me, but didn’t know how to “fix it.” We all know the feeling because when someone we love is hurt, we want to take the pain away. However, sometimes we can’t do it. We need to let our loved ones experience the grief and suffering that God gave them. But we can always pray for them. And often, that’s the best thing we can do for them. This “Prayer for Grieving Family” is helpful for you and your own family, but also for a family in your life who experiencing tremendous loss. Keep reading for more tips, encouragement, and prayers during this time.
What is someone going through when suffering a loss?
When a loved one passes away, we may experience a myriad of emotions depending on our relationship with the person, how significant they were throughout our lives, how often we interacted with them, how much we loved them, how many memories we shared with them, and so on and so forth. In a nutshell, there’s no “one size fits all” way to help someone grieving. It can be difficult to understand what they are going through if we haven’t experienced similar grief (or the loss of a loved one at all). But most often, people who are grieving appear to feel lost. They seem to feel like they range from extreme highs to extreme lows, great crying outbursts to depressed silence. I like what the National Catholic Register says about grieving: “The greatest gift about being Catholic is resting in the mystery of God, in surrendering to His infinitude and allowing my limited scope of human experience to yield to what cannot be known this side of heaven.”
Why do we feel the need to help?
We are naturally communal, especially as Catholics! It is normal for us to feel like we want to offer love, support, and encouragement to a family member or friend who is sad, lonely, or upset. We want to fix it and make our loved one smile again! Most people do not feel joy when another person is suffering, especially when we follow the principles of Christianity. So it is normal to feel like you want to “do something.” Especially in our modern “Go, go, go,” “Be productive,” “Go out and crush it,” hustle culture, we have a hard time not acting.
What can we do for someone suffering loss?
Depending on how you choose to express your love language, you may feel the need to bake someone a casserole or give them a big hug and cry with them. Perhaps it allows you to feel “helpful” when you come over and talk about feelings with a grieving loved one. I highly recommend mulling over how the grieving family would like to experience love and support. Maybe they don’t have an appetite, so a casserole would only make them feel guilty if they didn’t eat it. If your grieving friend is normally chatty, but processing grief in silence, it may be wise to go with the silence instead of prodding them to talk about everything. But as I stated at the beginning of this article, the best thing you can do for anyone grieving is to pray for them.
How to Pray for a Grieving Family
Ask God for peace in their hearts. Ask the Lord for relief– that the heavy feeling in their chests may feel ease with each passing moment. Pray that they may grow in understanding of God’s plan, avoiding bitterness, resentment, and anger over their loss.
Pray for the soul of the person who has passed. We all want to go to Heaven! Continue to pray for the repose of the soul of that loved one so that he or she may join Jesus, Mary, and all of the angels and saints in Heaven. I always ask that the sanctification period in purgatory may be shortened.
Prayer for Grieving Family
Lord Jesus Christ,
You died upon the Cross to bring us Everlasting Life. We gather together to pray for this grieving family, mourning the loss of their loved one, [name]. Bless them with peace in their hearts during this difficult time, reminding them that in union with God the Father, with You, and with the Holy Spirit, our hopes and prayers are that this loved one may enter Heaven, fully sanctified and perfect to enjoy the merits You desire for them. We ask St. Joseph of Arimathea to help us to work through this season of preparation and prayer, honoring our loved one in Your Name. O Lord, we also ask that you continue to bring joyful moments to this grieving family, reminding them of the many blessings that God has bestowed upon them on this day and throughout their lives. Lastly, we pray for the intercession of the Blessed Mother and Good St. Joseph, asking that God may be merciful upon the dearly departed soul of [name].
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory Be…
Angel of God…
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle…
Eternal rest grant unto the soul of _________,
and let perpetual light shine upon him/her.
May he/she rest in peace.
Amen.
Pray, Pray, and Pray Some More
Grief has no expiration date. We also cannot compare time on earth with time in purgatory or time in Heaven. Therefore, we should never stop praying for our loved ones, both living and deceased. I highly recommend praying Psalm 23 during this time of loss. Go to Eucharistic Adoration for the grieving family and say this Prayer Before the Blessed Sacrament. Also, this Prayer for Protection Against Evil may be timely, since the devil likes to drive wedges between families during difficult times like bereavement when emotions are heightened and senses are dim.
If you know anyone who is experiencing loss, feel free to contact me with those prayer requests! And of course, I’d love to continue to make Catholic friends! Learn more about my mission here.
Blessings to you always!
