The Purpose of Prayers
Memorial prayers and readings are a way of speaking words that carry meaning at a time when silence is hardest. They are not prayers of asking but prayers of speaking — words that give voice to what the living most need to hear, and what the departed most need to be remembered.
Common Readings
Some readings that have become traditional at memorial ceremonies include:
- The Prayer for the Departed: A prayer spoken in the name of the deceased, asking that the one who has been taken may be given meaning and that the one who has been lost may be found.
- Readings of poetry: Poems that carry meaning about loss, remembrance, and the passage of life.
- Readings of literature: Excerpts from books that have been deeply meaningful to the family.
- Personal readings: Words that the family has chosen, that the person who has passed chose, or that have been part of the family's traditions.
How to Choose
The right reading is not the one that is traditional but the one that carries meaning for your family. The right prayer is not the one that is common but the one that speaks of what you most need to hear. The right words are the ones that are yours.
Consider:
- What was the person who has passed deeply moved by?
- What were the words that your family has carried through time?
- What is the meaning that you most need to hear at this time?
The Reading of the Name
Perhaps the most powerful reading is not a poem or a prayer but a reading of the name. The speaking of the name is the most important act — it is the word that carries the meaning of the life that was, and the speaking of it is an act of remembrance that does not require any other words.
In the Metasphere
In the Aeternum metasphere, you can leave written tributes and prayers at a digital memorial — words that carry meaning in a place that does not fade. They are the same words that are spoken at a graveside, only they are written in the night of the internet and held in a place that is still.