Mass of Thanksgiving for the life of Gillian Jennifer Dalton

Mass of Thanksgiving

for the life of

Gillian Jennifer Dalton

Born: 4th March 1936

Entered Eternal Life: 31st August 2021

St Louis de Montfort’s Church, Aspendale

Wednesday 8th September 2021

Celebrant: Father Andrew Jekot

ENTRANCE HYMN: Amazing Grace – Celtic Woman

Amazing Grace, How sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me

I once was lost, but now am found

T'was blind but now I see

T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear

And Grace, my fears relieved

How precious did that grace appear

The hour I first believed

Through many dangers, toils and snares

We have already come.

T'was grace that brought us safe thus far

And grace will lead us home,

And grace will lead us home

Amazing grace, How Sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me

I once was lost but now am found

T'was blind but now I see

Was blind, but now I see.

WELCOME: Fr Andrew

CHRISTIAN SYMBOLS:

LIGHTING OF THE PASCHAL CANDLE: Sharon

Gill lived her life being light to others.

May the light of Resurrection give us

faith in being reunited with Gill in the future.

All: May she now share eternal light and life.

SPRINKLING WITH HOLY WATER: Anthony

In sprinkling this Holy Water it reminds us

of our unity with Gill and each other through Baptism.

All: May she now share with Him eternal glory.

PLACING OF THE WHITE PALL: Brendan

We place this white cloth on Gill’s coffin as a reminder of the white

garment Gill received at her Baptism. It is a sign of her Christian

dignity.

All: May Christ enfold her in His love and clothe her in bright

glory.

LIFE SYMBOLS:

Flowers/Lavender: Helen

Rosary Beads/Scapula: Anthony

Chocolate: Benita

EULOGY: Anthony Dalton

OPENING PRAYER:

Fr. Andrew: Into your hands, O Lord, we humbly entrust our

sister. In this life, you embraced her with your tender love: deliver

her now from every evil and bid her eternal rest. The old order

has passed away; welcome her then into paradise, where there will

be no sorrow, no weeping nor despair, but the fullness of peace

and joy with your Son and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever.

All: Amen.

FIRST READING: (Apocalypse 14:13) read by Helen

A reading from the book of the Apocalypse.

I, John, heard a voice from heaven say to me, ‘write down:

Happy are those who die in the Lord! Happy indeed, the Spirit

says; now they can rest for ever after their work since their good

deeds go with them.’ The Word of the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM: Psalm 114, 115

Response: I will walk in the presence of the Lord in the land of the living.

How gracious in the Lord, and just;

Our God of compassion.

The Lord protects the simple hearts;

I was helpless so he saved me.

Response: I will walk in the presence of the Lord in the land of

the living.

I trusted, even when I said:

‘I am sorely afflicted,’

And when I said in my alarm

‘No man can be trusted.’


the living.

O precious in the eyes of the Lord

Is the death of his faithful.

Your servant, Lord, your servant am I;

You have loosened my bonds.


the living.

SECOND READING: (Ephesians 1:3-10) read by Amanda

A reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who has blessed us with all the spiritual blessings of heaven in

Christ.

Before the world was made, he chose us, chose us in Christ,

to be holy and spotless, and to live through love in his presence,

determining that we should become his adopted children,

through Jesus Christ for his own kind purposes, to make us praise

the glory of his grace, his free gift to us in the Beloved, in whom,

through his blood, we gain our freedom, the forgiveness of our

sins. Such is the richness of the grace which he has showered on

us in all wisdom and insight.

He has let us know the mystery of his purpose, the hidden plan

he so kindly made in Christ from the beginning to act upon when

the times had run their course to the end: that he would bring

everything together under Christ, as head, everything in the

heavens and everything on earth.

The Word of the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

All: Alleluia, alleluia.

I am the Resurrection and the Life, says the Lord.

He who believes in me will not die forever. Alleluia.

GOSPEL READING: (John 14:1-4)

Fr Andrew: The Lord be with you

All: And with your spirit.

Fr Andrew: A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John

All: Glory to you, Lord.

Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.

Trust in God still and trust in me. There are many rooms in my

Father’s house; if there were not, I should have told you. I am

going now to prepare a place for you and after I have gone and

prepared you a place, I shall return to take you with me; so that

where I am, you may be too. You know the way to the place

where I am going.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

All: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

HOMILY: Fr Andrew

PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL:

Fr Andrew: My friends, Jesus Christ is risen from the dead and sits

at the right hand of the Father, where he intercedes for his Church.

Confident that God hears the voices of those who trust in the Lord

Jesus, we join our prayers to his.

Benita: (Favourite child)

In baptism, Gill received the light of Christ. Let us pray that God

will now scatter the darkness and lead her over the waters of death.

Lord hear us. All: Lord hear our prayer

Benita: (Favourite child)

We pray that the Lord Jesus who is with those who are mourning

And in pain will look upon Gill’s family and friends who gather

around her virtually and physically today and surround them with

His peace. Lord hear us All: Lord hear our prayer

Alexandra:

We pray for the carers who provided support to Gill in her later

years, that their works of service may be richly blessed.

Lord hear us. All: Lord hear our prayer

Alexandra:

We pray for all those who have fallen asleep in the hope of rising

again especially, Pat, Resa and Richard, that they may see God face

to face. Lord hear us. All: Lord hear our prayer

Fr Andrew: God, our shelter and our strength, you listen in love

to your people. Hear the prayers we offer for Gill and grant her

the fullness of life promised by your son, Jesus. We ask this

through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

All: Holy, holy, holy Lord God of hosts.

Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest.

Fr. Andrew: Pray, friends, that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to

God, the almighty Father.

All: May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands

for the praise and glory of God’s name,

for our good and the good of all God’s holy Church.

Fr. Andrew: The Lord be with you.

All: And with your spirit.

Fr. Andrew: Lift up your hearts.

All: We lift them up to the Lord.

Fr. Andrew: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

All: It is right and just.

MEMORIAL ACCLAMATION:

All: When we eat this bread and drink this cup,

we proclaim your death, O Lord, until you come again.

OUR FATHER:

All: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation.

But deliver us from evil. Amen

Fr Andrew: Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil, graciously grant

peace in our days, that, by the help of your mercy, we may be always free

from sin and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope and the

coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

All: For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and for ever.

Lamb of God: All

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy of us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy of us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

Fr. Andrew: Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sin

of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.

All: Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only

say the word and my soul shall be healed.

COMMUNION SONG:

“Meet Me in the Middle of the Air” – Paul Kelly

I am your true shepherd

I will lead you there

Beside still waters

Come and meet me in the middle of the air I will meet you in the middle of the air

I will lay you down

In pastures green and fair

Every soul shall be restored

I will meet them in the middle of the air Come and meet me in the middle of the air

Through the lonesome valley

My rod and staff you'll bear

Fear not death's dark shadow


With oil I shall anoint you

A table shall I prepare

Your cup will runneth over


In my house you'll dwell forever

You shall not want for care

Surely goodness and mercy will follow you


PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION:

Fr. Andrew: Lord God, whose Son left us, in the sacrament of his

Body, food for the journey, mercifully grant that, strengthened by

it, Gill may come to the eternal table of Christ.

Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

All: Amen.

VISUAL PRESENTATION OF GILL’S LIFE:

FINAL COMMENDATION

Response:

Receive her soul and present her to God the Most High.

FINAL SONG:

‘Ave Maria’ – Sarah Brightman

Gill’s family would like to thank you

for your kind thoughts, prayers and

support at this time.

Songs used with permission ‘One License’ No. A-641099

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Mass of Thanksgiving for the life of Gillian Jennifer Dalton