O St.Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms. I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart..........

I was so touched by the simple prayers on the front and back of Tom VanderWoude's funeral Mass booklet , that I thought I would post another one of my favorite prayers about the loss of a loved one.


We seem to give them back to Thee, 0 God,
who gavest them to us.
Yet as Thou didst not lose them in giving,
so we do not lose them by their return.
Not as the world giveth, givest Thou, 0 Lover of souls.
What Thou givest, Thou takest not away,
for what is thine is ours also if we are Thine.

And life is eternal and love is immortal,
and death is only an horizon,
and an horizon is nothing, save the limit of our sight.

Lift us up, strong Son of God, that we may see further;
cleanse our eyes that we may see more clearly;
draw us closer to thyself so that we may know ourselves to be
nearer to our loved ones who are with Thee.
And while Thou dost prepare a place for us,
prepare us also for that happy place,
that where Thou art we may be also for evermore. Bede Jarrett


Not to be morbid, but this is the one I'd like to have printed on my Mass booklet.