Introduction to the Order of Service.

This time last year, during the excavation of foundations for the new John Paul II Centre, human remains were unearthed. In all, eight articulated skeletons were discovered which had suffered various degrees of damage because of the construction of the centre and the work carried out a decade before on the church car park. These were in distinct grave-cuts, oriented east-west in the Christian manner, but without any evidence of having been buried in a coffin. Most were adults. One was the body of a child less than one year old. In addition, the disarticulated remains of a number of individuals were also recovered, suggesting that the area had been used as a cemetery over a considerable period of time, with the original graves being disturbed. In total, fifteen skeletons that were threatened by the building of the centre were removed for analysis. The bones were subjected to radiocarbon dating which gave a burial date for each between AD 640 and 770.

Today, accompanied by the funeral rites of Holy Mother Church, we shall return these remains to the earth, close to their original place of burial. We have inherited from them a rich legacy of faith. Therefore our prayer for them is one, not of sadness, but of gratitude. It is a prayer offered in the spirit of resurrection hope.

The more recent discovery of medieval skeletons and of what might prove to be the relics of St. Edburg, the patron saint of Bicester, is a further reminder of our Christian heritage and of our important links with the past. So much of our history lies buried beneath our feet. The skilful work of archaeologists and historians has helped us to understand much more clearly how this town had grown and developed into what it is today, and with the Church at the very centre of its life. We are indebted to them and also honoured that some of them are able to be present with us at this Requiem Mass today.

Opening Prayer.

Let us pray
God of mercy, you are the hope of sinners and the joy of saints. We pray for our brothers and sisters whose bodies we honour with Christian burial. Give them happiness with your saints, and raise up their bodies in glory on the last day to be in your presence forever. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

A reading from the prophet Ezekiel.

The hand of the Lord was laid on me, and he carried me away by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley, a valley full of bones. He made me walk up and down among them. There were vast quantities of these bones on the ground the whole length of the valley; and they were quite dried up. He said to me.”Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “You know, O Lord.” He said, “Prophesy over these bones. Say, “Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. The Lord says to these bones: i am now going to make the breath enter you, and you shall live. I shall put sinews on you, I shall make flesh grown on you. I shall cover you with skin and give you breath, and you will live; and you will learn that I am the Lord.”” I prophesied as I had been ordered. While I was prophesying, there was a noise, a sound of clattering; and the bones joined together. I looked, and saw that they were covered with sinews; flesh was growing on them and skin was covering them, but there was no breath in them. He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy son of man. Say to the breath, “The lord says this, Come from the four winds, breath; breathe on these dead; let them live!”” I prophesied as he had ordered me, and the breath entered them; and they came to life again and stood up on their feet, a great, an immense army.

A reading from the book of the Apocalypse.

I, John, saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands. They shouted aloud, “Victory to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” They now stand in front of God’s throne and serve him day and night in his sanctuary; and the One who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. They will never hunger or thirst again; neither the sun nor scorching wind will ever plague them, because the Lamb who is at the throne will be their shepherd and will lead them to springs of living water; and God will wipe away all tears from their eyes.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.

Jesus said to the crowd: “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I shall not turn away; because I have come from heaven, not to do my own will, but to do the will of the one who sent me. Now the will of him who sent me is that I should lose nothing of all that he has given to me, and that I should raise it up on the last day. Yes, it is my Father’s will that whoever sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and that I should raise him up on the last day.”

Prayer of Commendation.

”Because God has chosen to call our brothers and sisters from this life to himself, we commit their bodies to the earth, for we are dust and unto dust we shall return. But the Lord Jesus Christ will change our mortal bodies to be like his in glory, for he is risen, the first-born from the dead. So let us commend our brothers and sisters to the Lord, that the Lord may embrace them in peace and raise up their bodies on the last day."

Fæder ure, ðu ðe eart on heofenum, si ðin nama gehalgod; to-becume ðin rice; geweorþe ðin willa on eorðan swa swa on heofenum. Urne ge dæghwamlican hlaf syle us to-deag, and forgyf us ure gyltas swa swa we forgifaþ urum gyltendum, ane ne gelæde ðu us on costnunge, ac alys us of yfle. Amen.

I know that my Redeemer lives,
and on that final day of days,
his voice shall bid me rise again:
unending joy, unceasing praise!

This hope I cherish in my heart:
to stand on earth, my flesh restored,
and, not a stranger but a friend,
behold my Saviour and my Lord.

To you, O Lord, we commend the souls of your servants; in the sight of this world they are now dead; in your sight they live forever. Forgive whatever sins they committed through human weakness and in your goodness grant them everlasting peace. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.