The loss of a loved one is always a devastating and heartbreaking event. We often do not know what to say to someone who is experiencing so much grief. At such time, we can always rely on rest in peace quotes to help you express your empathy, and the people who receive them will definitely appreciate the gesture. Words are never easy to come by, but you need them as you extend condolences to friends, family or co-workers who have just lost someone very important to them.
When famous people and those who have done seminal things that changed the ways the world works dies, we find ourselves drawn to grief as well, even if we’ve never met them in person. When Steve Jobs passed away, the world mourned and paid tribute to the man and his genius. His obituary in the New York Times read thus in part: “ “Steven P. Jobs, the visionary co-founder of Apple who helped usher in the era of personal computers and then led a cultural transformation in the way music, movies and mobile communications were experienced in the digital age, died Wednesday. He was 56. When faced with the opportunity to comfort someone who has lost an important person in his or her life, here are some words that you could use.
10. Psalm 40
We say, “Rest in Peace” or “Requiesce in pace” in Latin to people we love and care about who pass on to the other side of the veil. We say this to usher them on, and at the same time we are also saying a prayer for them. But if we are looking for more words to pray with, this Psalm from the Bible is a good prayer to say for the dead. The message is also very comforting, putting the living at ease knowing that their prayers will be heard and answered.
9. A light of remembrance
In the sadness that we experience in the wake of a loss of a loved one, we are comforted by the knowledge that our dearly departed are in a better place. We miss them, but we make do with the memories that we shall cherish forever in their absence. Life has a beginning and an end and the sooner that we accept this, the better off we will be.
8. Rest in Peace, Jimi Hendrix
The guitar playing virtuosity of Jimi Hendrix is alive within rock and blues guitarist circles. His immortal legacy of four years of unprecedented electric guitar playing ended on September of 1970. Upon his death he was considered among the most important and influential 20th century musicians.
7. Rest in Peace, Whitney Houston
When singer-actress Whitney Houston’s death was made public in February 2012, the world was shocked at the loss of a unique and unparalleled talent. Houston was a best-selling and award-winning recording artist whose songs resonated in the hearts and minds of many around the world. She also paved the way for many talented African-American artists who followed in her lead.
6. Memory of Love
The death of a loved one may leave us heartbroken but we can choose to linger on the happy memories that we shared together no matter how short it may have been. If we choose to dwell on the heartaches instead of the love, we will find ourselves wallowing in sadness. But if we let loving memories lead us to the rest of our life we can then begin again and carry our dearly beloved’s memory safely tucked in our hearts.
“We thought of you with love today, but that’s not new.
We thought about you yesterday and days before that too.”
5. Rest in Peace, Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi was the initiator of non-violent disobedience in India during the British occupation. He was instrumental in India’s independence from the colonizers and he inspired others around the world that was in the same predicament. Gandhi died in 1948 an old man. The date of his death is remembered yearly in India as Martyr’s Day. Gandhi’s name is honored not just in his country but in many countries worldwide who believe in his principles and ideals.
4. In the Arms of God
It is often said that our lives here on earth have only been borrowed from our Creator. When we die we return into His arms. If we remember this when we mourn the loss of someone, then we are bound to find respite in our grief.
“We think of you in silence and we often speak your name;
all we have now are memories and a picture in a frame.”
3. Our time on earth is limited
Death is the end of our time on earth. From the time we are born, we have been moving towards this inevitability. When we recognize this fact early on in life, then maybe we’ll make sure that each day we spend on this earth is not a waste.
“Your memory is our keepsake, and with it we will never part;
God has you in his keep and we have you in our hearts.”
2. Ineffable sadness
Sometimes, the grief is just too acute that the only thought in our minds is to look for ways to bring back our lost love back to life. But death is final and there is no going back.
“It broke our heart to lose you, but you did not go alone,
for a part of us went with you that day God took you home.”
1. Redemption
Those raised as Christians find comfort in the belief that there is life everlasting after death. This verse from the Gospel of John of Patmos is just one of the many expressions of this belief. And for the faithful, this belief gives them comfort in their extreme sadness. This belief in life after death gives the bereaved a future time, though still very far ahead, to look forward to—a time when they will be reunited with their loved ones. And when that time comes there will be no separation ever again.
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