Funeral Readings & Reflections for Your Order of Service
By FuneralPress Editorial Team · 3 min read · Editorially reviewed 09/10/2026
The quick answer
Choose a reading that the family and service leader approve, give the reader the correct text, and check attribution and reproduction permission. Scripture, poems and personal reflections serve different purposes; a poem does not automatically replace an authorised church reading.
Choose the purpose before choosing the words
A reading can express the person’s faith, share a memory or offer a quiet moment of reflection. Agree which purpose belongs at the chosen point in the service. The minister may prescribe Scripture for the worship while allowing a personal reading at an associated gathering.
Scripture and personal reflections are different
Catholic funeral guidance explains that Scripture readings in the Liturgy of the Word cannot be replaced with nonbiblical readings. That requirement should not be assumed to describe every other denomination’s programme. Ask your service leader which reading is suitable and where it belongs.
Prepare a reading the speaker can deliver
- Choose the text with the family and service leader.
- Identify its author or Scripture reference and verify the exact wording.
- Check permission or licence requirements before reproducing an entire poem, song or other text.
- Give the reader a legible copy with the agreed pronunciation of names.
- Rehearse the reading and agree its place and time allowance.
- Proofread the printed version against the approved copy.
An original reflection to adapt
The following is an original illustrative reflection, not a quotation from a poet or a traditional proverb: “We remember the ordinary moments that made a life precious: a welcome at the door, a patient answer, a meal shared, a kindness offered without display. As we say farewell, we carry those memories into the way we care for one another.”
Change that wording to reflect true memories and the family’s beliefs. Do not add a religious closing if the family has chosen a nonreligious gathering. A few sincere sentences can be more appropriate than a long passage that the speaker does not understand or the family does not recognise.
Avoid uncertain attribution
A line described online as an African proverb or a famous poem may have uncertain authorship. This revision removes unverified attributions instead of repeating them as cultural fact. If the source cannot be established, use your own words or choose a text you can identify and reproduce appropriately.
Common questions
Can I print a poem I found online?
Check the author and rights before reproducing it. Online availability does not by itself grant permission to print the entire work.
Who chooses the reading?
The family can suggest it, but the service leader approves its place in the programme. Give the reader a final copy and agree pronunciation and timing.
References and scope
- USCCB: readings in Christian funeral rites
Catholic guidance on Scripture and funeral rites; your Ghanaian parish approves its own programme.
