Please join in saying the words and singing the hymns printed in bold type.

The church is served by a hearing loop. Users should turn their hearing aid to the setting marked T.

Photography, filming, and sound recording are not allowed in the Abbey during services. Please ensure that mobile telephones and other electronic devices are silent.

The service is sung by the Choir of Westminster Abbey.

Setting: Requiem Op 9, Maurice Duruflé (1902–86)

Order of Service

All stand as the choir and clergy enter. The choir sings the Introit and Kyrie eleison

Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine: et lux perpetua luceat eis. Te decet hymnus, Deus in Sion: et tibi reddetur votum in Jerusalem: exaudi orationem meam, ad te omnis caro veniet.

Rest eternal grant to them, O Lord: and let light perpetual shine upon them. Praise befits you in Zion, O God: and to you is offered prayer in Jerusalem. Hear my prayer, for to you shall all flesh come.

Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison.
Kyrie eleison.

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

All remain standing for the Collect

Let us pray.

All sit for the Reading from the Old Testament, Lamentations 3: 17–26, 31–33

My soul is bereft of peace;
   I have forgotten what happiness is;
so I say, 'Gone is my glory,
   and all that I had hoped for from the Lord.'

The thought of my affliction and my homelessness
   is wormwood and gall!
My soul continually thinks of it
   and is bowed down within me.
But this I call to mind,
   and therefore I have hope:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
   his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
   great is your faithfulness.
'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul,
   'therefore I will hope in him.'

The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
   to the soul that seeks him.
It is good that one should wait quietly
   for the salvation of the Lord.

For the Lord will not
   reject for ever.
Although he causes grief, he will have compassion
   according to the abundance of his steadfast love;
for he does not willingly afflict
   or grieve anyone.

The choir sings Psalm 27: 1–6, 16–end

Antiphon The Lord is my light, and my salvation; whom then shall I fear?

The Lord is the strength of my life;
   of whom then shall I be afraid?

When the wicked—
even my enemies and my foes—
   came upon me to eat up my flesh,
   they stumbled and fell.

Though a host encamp against me,
   my heart shall not be afraid;
and though there rise up war against me,
   yet will I put my trust in him.

One thing have I asked of the Lord,
   and that alone I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
   all the days of my life,
to behold the fair beauty of the Lord,
   and to seek his will in his temple.

   For in the day of trouble
he shall hide me in his shelter;
in the secret place of his dwelling shall he hide me,
   and set me high upon a rock.

I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord
   in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
   be strong and he shall comfort your heart;
   wait patiently for the Lord!

The Epistle, 1 Peter 1: 3–9

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed. Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

All stand for the Procession of the Gospel, during which the soloist sings Pie Jesu Domine

Pie Jesu Domine, dona eis requiem; dona eis sempiternam requiem.

Holy Lord Jesus, grant them rest; grant them everlasting rest.

The reader announces the Gospel, John 5: 19–25

Jesus said, 'Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. The Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing; and he will show him greater works than these, so that you will be astonished. Indeed, just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomsoever he wishes. The Father judges no one but has given all judgement to the Son, so that all may honour the Son just as they honour the Father. Anyone who does not honour the Son does not honour the Father who sent him. Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come under judgement, but has passed from death to life.

'Very truly, I tell you, the hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.'

The Sermon by The Reverend David Stanton, Canon in Residence

All stand for the Prayers of Intercession. At the end of each petition there is said

The intercession ends

Merciful Father,
accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.

All sit. The altar is prepared as the choir sings

Domine Jesu Christe, Rex gloriae, libera animas omnium fidelium defunctorum de pœnis inferni et de profundo lacu: libera eas de ore leonis, ne absorbeat eas tartarus, ne cadant in obscurum: sed signifer sanctus Michael repraesentet eas in lucem sanctam: Quam olim Abrahae promisisti, et semini eius.

Hostias et preces tibi, Domine, laudis offerimus: tu suscipe pro animabus illis, quarum hodie memoriam facimus: fac eas, Domine, de morte transire ad vitam. Quam olim Abrahae promisisti, et semini eius.

Lord Jesus Christ, King of glory, deliver the souls of all the faithful departed from the pains of hell and from the bottomless pit: deliver them from the lion's mouth, that hell swallow them not up, that they fall not into darkness, but let the standard-bearer holy Michael lead them into that holy light: Which you promised of old to Abraham and to his seed.

We offer to you, O Lord, sacrifices and prayers: receive them on behalf of those souls of whom we make memorial this day. Grant them, O Lord, to pass from death to that life, Which Thou didst promise of old to Abraham and to his seed.

All stand for the Eucharistic Prayer. The president says

Blessed are you, gracious God, creator of heaven and earth, giver of life, and conqueror of death. By his death on the cross, your Son Jesus Christ offered the one true sacrifice for sin, breaking the power of evil and putting death to flight. Through his resurrection from the dead you have given us new birth into a living hope, into an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. The joy of the resurrection fills the universe, and so we join with angels and archangels, with all your faithful people, evermore praising you and saying:

The choir sings Sanctus and Benedictus

Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth, pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria tua. Hosanna in excelsis. Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini. Hosanna in excelsis.

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, 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.

The president continues the Eucharistic Prayer

Lord, you are holy indeed, the source of all holiness; grant that by the power of your Holy Spirit, and according to your holy will, these gifts of bread and wine may be to us the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ;

who, in the same night that he was betrayed, took bread and gave you thanks; he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.

In the same way, after supper he took the cup and gave you thanks; he gave it to them, saying: Drink this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.

The president concludes the Eucharistic Prayer

And so, Father, calling to mind his death on the cross, his perfect sacrifice made once for the sins of the whole world; rejoicing in his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension, and looking for his coming in glory, we celebrate this memorial of our redemption. As we offer you this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, we bring before you this bread and this cup and we thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you.

All remain standing. The president introduces the Lord's Prayer

As we join our prayers with those of the Church Universal, so we say, each in our own language, the prayer that Jesus Christ has taught us,

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.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

All remain standing for the Breaking of the Bread

The congregation is invited to sit as the president and other ministers begin the distribution of Holy Communion. Those wishing to receive come forward as directed by the Stewards. If you receive communion in your own church you are welcome to do so here. Gluten-free wafers are available. Please refrain from dipping the wafer in the chalice. Those who do not wish to receive communion are invited to come for a blessing; please bow your head as you approach. The minister says to each communicant

The body of Christ. Amen.

The blood of Christ. Amen.

During the giving of communion, the choir sings Agnus Dei and Lux aeterna

Lux aeterna luceat eis, Domine, cum sanctis tuis in aeternum, quia pius es.

Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis.

Let light perpetual shine upon them, O Lord, with your saints for ever, for you are holy. Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them.

Libera me, Domine, de morte aeterna, in die illa tremenda quando coeli movendi sunt, et terra: dum veneris judicare saeculum per ignem.

Tremens factus sum ego et timeo, dum discussio venerit, atque ventura ira.

Dies illa, dies irae, calamitatis et miseriae, dies magna et amara valde.

Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis.

Deliver me, O Lord, from eternal death in that dread day when the heavens and the earth shall be shaken, and thou shalt come to judge the world by fire. I tremble in fear of the judgement and the wrath that are to come. Day of wrath, day of calamity and woe, great and exceeding bitter day. Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them.

Let us pray.

All stand. The president says the Prayer after Communion

Remember, O Lord, we beseech you, the souls of the departed, both those whom we remember and those whom we remember not. And grant them rest in the land of the living, in the joy of Paradise, from which all pain and grief have fled away, where the light of your countenance shines for ever. And guide in peace the end of our lives, O Lord, when you will and as you will, only without shame and sin; through your only-begotten Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

The president pronounces the Blessing

May God give you his comfort and his peace, his light and his joy, in this world and the next; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen.

All remain standing. The choir sings

In paradisum deducant te Angeli: in tuo adventu suscipiant te Martyres, et perducant te in civitatem sanctam Jerusalem.

Chorus Angelorum te suscipiat, et cum Lazaro quondam paupere aeternam habeas requiem.

May the angels lead you into Paradise; at your coming may the martyrs receive you and lead you into the holy city Jerusalem. May the Choir of Angels receive you, and with Lazarus who once was poor may you have eternal rest.

The choir and clergy depart in silence

Choristerships at Westminster Abbey

St Margaret's Choristers

If you have a daughter aged 10 or 11 who would like to sing with the St Margaret's Choristers, please contact Greg Morris, Director of Music, St Margaret's Church, [email protected]. Find out more about Music at St Margaret's Church.

The Choir of Westminster Abbey

If you have a son who enjoys singing, you can find out more information about our world-renowned Abbey Choir and its unique Choir School. 

Alternatively, please contact Dr Emma Margrett, Headteacher, Westminster Abbey Choir School, [email protected]. Mr Andrew Nethsingha, Organist and Master of the Choristers, [email protected].

If you attend worship at the Abbey regularly, you may like to add this page to your home screen for easy access to our orders of service.

Common Worship (Church House Publishing, 2000), material from which is included in this service, is copyright © The Archbishops' Council. Scripture Readings are from the New Revised Standard Version.