24 Psalms for Funerals and Memorials: Comfort, Faith, and Healing

For many people, a thoughtfully chosen Psalm can bring deep comfort during a funeral, memorial service, or graveside ceremony. These poetic verses from the Hebrew Bible express sorrow, faith, hope, and love, and have offered comfort across generations.

Psalms are central to Jewish, Catholic, Anglican, and many Protestant services. They can be read aloud, chanted, or used as a responsorial reading, where the audience repeats a refrain. Many families also include Psalms in printed funeral programs, video tributes, or graveside prayers.

Whether you’re looking for a Psalm to reflect your loved one’s faith or to offer healing and support to guests, the selections below are meaningful choices.

Popular Psalms for a Funeral

These Psalms are often used across multiple Judeo-Christian religious traditions, including Judaism, Catholicism, Anglicanism, and other Christian denominations. You may hear them at funerals, Jewish shiva services, or memorials.

1. Psalm 16 – The Presence of the Lord

“You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay.”

This Psalm affirms God’s presence and protection, even beyond death — a powerful reading for a graveside or memorial service.

2. Psalm 23 – The Lord Is My Shepherd

“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.”

Used widely in Christian and Jewish traditions, including Shabbat services, Psalm 23 offers reassurance that God walks beside us in dark times.

3. Psalm 32 – The Joy of Forgiveness

“Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.”

A reflective option that focuses on grace and redemption, this Psalm may be fitting for someone who valued forgiveness and faith.

4. Psalm 39 – I Will Watch My Ways

“My hope is in You. Deliver me from all my transgressions.”

Used across Catholic, Jewish, Anglican, and Protestant funerals, this Psalm expresses hope and a desire for spiritual healing.

5. Psalm 90 – A Prayer for God’s Mercy

“Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.”

Psalm 90 speaks of human frailty and God’s eternity — ideal for a service that reflects on life’s shortness and the promise of everlasting peace.

6. Psalm 93 – The Lord Reigns

“Holiness adorns Your house, O Lord, for all the days to come.”

This short but powerful Psalm reminds mourners of God’s eternal authority and goodness.

7. Psalm 122 – Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem

“I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’”

This verse celebrates the joy of reaching a sacred place, making it a symbolic choice for someone who viewed life as a spiritual journey.

8. Psalm 148 – Praise from the Heavens

“Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights above.”

This Psalm honors God through creation — a beautiful reading to celebrate someone who found God in nature or all living things.

Catholic Psalms for a Funeral Mass

Catholic funeral liturgies often feature Psalms as part of the Liturgy of the Word or as a Responsorial Psalm. These readings can be used at church, at a graveside service, or a memorial service.

9. Psalm 25 – To You I Lift Up My Soul

This Psalm expresses trust in God and a desire for guidance, ideal for someone whose life was grounded in their faith.

10. Psalm 27 – The Lord Is My Light

“The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?”

This Psalm offers comfort during grief and affirms God's role as protector and guide through darkness.

11. Psalms 42 and 43 – Longing for God’s Presence

Often combined, these Psalms express a yearning for closeness with God and are especially poignant during times of mourning.

12. Psalm 63 – Thirsting for God

“My soul thirsts for you … your love is better than life.”

This reading captures the soul’s deep longing for divine comfort and can be particularly moving at a memorial.

13. Psalm 103 – Bless the Lord, O My Soul

“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.”

Psalm 103 offers an uplifting message of gratitude and God's everlasting mercy.

14. Psalm 116 – The Lord Has Heard My Voice

A personal and heartfelt reading, Psalm 116 speaks of answered prayers and thanksgiving for God’s deliverance in times of suffering.

15. Psalm 130 – Out of the Depths

“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I put my hope.”

This is one of the most common funeral Psalms in Catholic and Jewish services, filled with themes of sorrow, hope, and divine mercy.

16. Psalm 143 – I Stretch Out My Hands to You

“I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works.”

Though not often used, Psalm 143’s themes of remembering, loss, and spiritual thirst make it a moving choice.

Responsorial Psalms for a Funeral

Responsorial Psalms involve audience participation. A clergy member, cantor, or reader sings or speaks the verse, and the congregation responds with a repeated line (antiphon).

17. Psalm 16:2

“You are my Lord; apart from You I have no good thing.”

18. Psalm 23:4

“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.”

19. Psalm 25:1

“To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.”

20. Psalm 27:1

“The Lord is my light and my salvation.”

21. Psalm 103:6

“The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.”

22. Psalm 116:9

“I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.”

23. Psalm 122:1

“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

24. Psalm 130:2

“O Lord, hear my voice.”

Psalms for Healing and Comfort

Psalms can also be used at prayer vigils, memorials, or shared with a friend who is grieving. Here are a few more focused on healing and strength:

• Psalm 34:18 – “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.”
• Psalm 46:1 – “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”
• Psalm 147:3 – “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

These verses can be spoken at the beginning or end of a service, or used in a slideshow tribute. You may also include them in a card along with a sympathy or memorial gift. 

Psalms Bring Solace 

Psalms can offer words of solace, especially when emotions are otherwise difficult to express. Whether you are planning a Catholic funeral Mass, a Jewish memorial, or a Christian celebration of life, Psalms offer both spiritual and emotional support for mourners. 

If you find comfort in Psalms or other sacred texts, you can make sure they are included in your own funeral by noting them in your end-of-life wishes. Any steps you take today, whether choosing readings, selecting music, or outlining other preferences, will guide your loved ones and ease the burden of decision-making when the time comes. Click here for our free planning guide. 

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