Commontide

Preparation for Personal Prayer

Holy Spirit, breath of God and fire of love, I cannot pray without your aid: Kindle in me the fire of your love, and illumine me with your light; that with a steadfast will and holy thoughts I may approach the Father in spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ my Lord, who reigns with you and the Father in eternal union. Amen.

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Commontide
Prayer
Prayers

The Burial of the Dead — The Committal

In sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, we commend to Almighty God our brother N., and we commit his body to the ground [or the deep or its resting place]; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The Lord bless him and keep him, the Lord make his face to shine upon him and be gracious unto him, the Lord lift up his countenance upon him and give him peace. Amen.

Found in the Prayer Book

  • Burial Of The DeadThe Burial of the Dead

Provenance

Cranmer 1549

Draft — AI-assisted research under editorial review.

These graveside words have accompanied Anglican burials since Thomas Cranmer's 1549 Book of Common Prayer. The triadic formula "earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust" is Cranmer's own English elaboration of Genesis 3:19; the ancient Aaronic blessing from Numbers 6 closes the committal in its current form.