The Unveiling Ceremony
An unveiling is a ceremony which marks the dedication of a gravestone for a loved one. It is a brief ceremony and its beauty is in its simplicity.
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Opening Prayer
Grant consolation, O God, to our sorrowing family, and to all who mourn with us. Heal our hurt. Sustain our faith.
May the memory of our beloved ____________ make life precious to us.
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May this marker/monument be a reminder of what is most enduring, the immortality of the soul, memories that never fade and love that remains alive.
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Though the pain of our mourning is deep, the love we had for ______ and the love that calls upon us to care lovingly for one another.
May he/she always live in our hearts.
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May we think of him or her tenderly and revere his/her memory.
May we devote ourselves wholeheartedly to our chosen tasks for his/her sake.
Thus will our beloved _________ be recalled and live everyday.
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Unveiling of Monument
The following reading may be used:
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A thousand years, in the sight of our eternal and merciful Father, are but a day; the year of our life but a passing hour. God grants us life and life God has taken away; praised be the name of the Lord.
_____________ has been taken from our midst. We are saddened by the gap in our lives. Yet love is as strong as death; the bonds love creates are eternal. And ours is the blessing of memory, through which the lives of the departed continue to exist with us.
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(covering removed)
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In the name of the family of ____________ and in the presence of his/her family (and friends) we consecrate this monument/marker, as a token of our love and respect.
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Tehei nishmato/nishmatah tzereurah bitzror hachayim.
May his/her soul be bound up in the bond of eternal life. Amen.
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