(or 17 November) for those who have died by suicide
Hear my cry, O God;
listen to my prayer.
Let those who have died by suicide abide in your tent for ever,
find refuge under the shelter of your wings. (cf Psalm 61)
Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.
Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my supplications!
If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with you,
so that you may be revered. from Psalm 130
Few of us can imagine the anguish that leads someone to take their own life – to believe that others would be better off without them – even when those who love them assure them that they are loved and needed. Their deaths cause anguish and regrets – as all the what ifs and if onlys compound the already painful bereavement journey.
A minute of silence.
We pray for those who have died by suicide –
(especially Nxxxx – name of someone you know)
their families, their friends and all affected by their deaths.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for Samaritans and other helpline and support services that work to prevent suicide,
and those who support the loved ones in its aftermath.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of tenderness,
we trust to your promise that you yourself with be with those how have died
and with those who mourn
and will wipe every tear from their eyes;
that death will be no more;
and mourning and crying and pain will be no more. cf Revelation 21: 3-4
Trusting in your mercy and love, we pray:
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May they rest in peace.
Amen.
