Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will not be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But I told you that you have seen me, and yet you don’t believe. All those whom the Father gives me will come to me. He who comes to me I will in no way throw out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. This is the will of my Father who sent me, that of all he has given to me I should lose nothing, but should raise him up at the last day. This is the will of the one who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
John 6:35-40, World English Bible Updated edition, which is in the public domain.
Which funeral services use it
- Catholic, US (Lectionary for Masses for the Dead): John 6:37-40, as a Gospel.
- Catholic, England and Wales (Order of Christian Funerals): John 6:37-40, as a Gospel.
- Church of England (Common Worship funeral readings): John 6.35-40.
Where it comes in the service
At a Catholic funeral Mass the Gospel is the last reading, proclaimed by the deacon or priest after the Gospel acclamation. In a Church of England funeral the Bible readings come in the readings and sermon part of the service; when the funeral is held within Holy Communion there should be a Gospel reading, preceded by one or two other Bible readings.
At a Catholic Mass the reader uses the parish Lectionary, which is a different translation from the one printed here, and in the US its text may not be reproduced without permission. You may prefer to print only the reference and the reader in the running order, for example "Gospel: John 6:35-40, read by Anne Hughes".
Add John 6:35-40 to your booklet, typeset in full, with the order of service around it. You can see the whole booklet before paying anything.
Put John 6:35-40 in my bookletAbout this translation
The words here are the World English Bible, a modern English translation whose translators dedicated it to the public domain, so it can be printed in a booklet in the US and the UK without permission or a fee. The King James Version is public domain in the US but is covered by Crown letters patent in the UK, which is why it is not used here. If your church prefers another translation, add it in step 5 with "Use your own words".
Funeral lists checked on September 28, 2026 against the USCCB, the Liturgy Office of England and Wales and the Church of England's Common Worship pages.