Readings and Prayers for Your Wedding Liturgy

Readings and Prayers

for Your

Wedding Liturgy

St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica

Revised July 2017

Table of Contents

Order of Celebration .......................................................... 1

Introductory Rites................................................................ 2

Liturgy of the Word ............................................................. 5

Old Testament Readings ............................................... 6

Psalms ............................................................................ 16

New Testament Readings............................................ 25

Gospels .......................................................................... 37

Homily ............................................................................. 43

Liturgy of the Sacrament/Wedding Rites ..................... 43

Consent .................................................................. 44

Blessing of the Rings ........................................... 45

Intercessions ......................................................... 46

Liturgy of the Eucharist ................................................... 47

Mass Prayers ......................................................... 48

Recessional .......................................................................... 54

The Order of Celebration

Marriage with Mass

Marriage without Mass

Introductory Rites

Rite of Welcome

Opening Prayer

Liturgy of the Word

First Reading

Psalm

Second Reading

Gospel Acclamation

Gospel

Homily

Wedding Rite

Introduction

Questions

Consent

Blessing of the Rings

Exchange of the Rings

General Intercessions

Nuptial Blessing

Liturgy of the Eucharist

Concluding Rites

Preface

The Lord’s Prayer

Eucharistic Prayer

Solemn Blessing

Lord’s Prayer

Signing of the Register

Nuptial Blessing

Prayer after Communion

Concluding Rites

Solemn Blessing

Signing of the Register

Introductory Rites

Greeting at the Entrance to the Church

Those who will be acting as your ushers should be at the church one half-

hour before the ceremony begins to seat your guests. Be sure to ask your

ushers to seat your guests as close to the front of the Cathedral as possible

so they will form a united gathering. In a celebration of your unity, there is

no need to separate your guests into the bride’s side and the groom’s side.

Seat them together so that they can get to know each other.

Entering the Church

The bride and the groom are the ministers of the Sacrament of Marriage;

they should enter the assembly from the same door, avoiding any visual

statement that says one is more important than the other. They should walk

up the aisle together with their attendants, best man and maid of honour,

parents and other ministers of the celebration such as a cross bearer,

servers and the Priest who will preside at the liturgy.

If children are a part

of the procession, they must be five years of age or older.

Separation of the men and women in the procession is discouraged. It is

improper to start a wedding ceremony separating those who will be acting

as couples at the reception after the ceremony. The separation of bride and

groom is also not recommended. The two of you are coming together as

one, so you should begin that commitment by walking up the aisle together.

This is not just the “Bride’s Day” and the superstition of not seeing the bride

beforehand has no place in a faith-centred ceremony.

Both sets of parents should also be in the opening procession, and the father

of the bride does not give away his daughter. That harkens back to Medieval

times when women were property and were literally dragged up the aisle

to be handed over to the parents of the groom along with a dowry. If the

bride wishes to walk with her father, then her mother should also

accompany her.

Below, you will find some suggested plans for your entrance into the

Cathedral. Keep in mind the bride and groom are at the end of the

procession line up.

Plan 1

Plan 2

Bride and Groom (end)

Parents of the Bride

Best Man and Maid of Honour

Parents of the Groom

Groomsman and Bridesmaid

Best Man and Maid of Honour

Groomsman and Bridesmaid

Ring Bearer and Flower Girl

Priest

Groomsman and Bridesmaid

Altar servers (if any)

Groomsman and Bridesmaid

Cross Bearer (front)

Priest

Altar servers (if any)

Cross Bearer (front)

Plan 3

Father - Bride – Mother (end)

Father – Groom - Mother

Best Man and Maid of Honour

Ring Bearer and Flower Girl

Groomsman and Bridesmaid

Priest

Altar servers (if any)

Cross Bearer (front)

If there are other attendants, such as Junior Bridesmaids, they should be

placed in front of the Groomsmen and Bridesmaids. You may also wish those

who will read at your wedding to process in with you. If you have other

ideas about the entrance procession, please discuss it at the second

interview with the Priest conducting your ceremony.

Introduction and Welcome

When all have taken their place, the Priest will make an introduction. He

will also state the Cathedral policies regarding photography and the use of

confetti. The Priest will then welcome you using one of the following

models:

(Please choose one of the following)

1. We have come rejoicing into the house of the Lord for this celebration,

dear brothers and sisters, and now we stand with N. and N. on the day

they intend to form a home of their own. For them this is a moment of

unique importance. So let us support them with our affection, with our

friendship, and with our prayer as their brothers and sisters. Let us

listen attentively with them to the word that God speaks to us today.

Then, with holy Church, let us humbly pray to God the Father, through

Christ our Lord, for this couple, his servants, that he lovingly accept

them, bless them, and make them always one.

2. N. and N., the Church shares your joy and warmly welcomes you,

together with your families and friends, as today, in the presence of

God our Father, you establish between yourselves a lifelong

partnership. May the Lord hear you on this your joyful day. May he send

you help from heaven and protect you. May he grant you your hearts’

desire and fulfill every one of your prayers.

Liturgy of the Word

Just as there are three readings at Mass, so too are three readings a part of

the wedding service. You will need to choose:

• One reading from the Old Testament

• A responsorial psalm (if this is not sung by the cantor/choir)

• A reading from the New Testament

• A Gospel

The first reading is chosen from the Old Testament, except in the Easter

Season, when the first reading is traditionally chosen from the Acts of the

Apostles or the Book of Revelation.

You will also need to select people to read these readings at your

celebration. Make sure that those you choose are comfortable reading in

front of a group of people, have an understanding of the Catholic liturgy,

and are able to attend the wedding rehearsal to practice their reading.

Make sure you provide your readers with a copy of the readings you have

chosen from this booklet. They do not have to bring their copies on the day

of the wedding as these readings will be placed in a binder on the Ambo

where they will proclaim the Word.

Old Testament Readings

1. Male and female God created them (Genesis 1.26-28, 31a)

A reading from the Book of Genesis

Then God said,

“Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness;

and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea,

and over the birds of the air,

and over the cattle,

and over all the wild animals of the earth,

and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”

So God created man in his image,

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them.

God blessed them, and God said to them,

“Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it;

and have dominion over the fish of the sea

and over the birds of the air

and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.”

God saw everything that he had made,

and indeed, it was very good.

The word of the Lord.

Old Testament Readings

1. They become one flesh (Genesis 2.18-24)

A reading from the book of Genesis

Then the Lord God said,

“It is not good that the man should be alone;

I will make him a helper as his partner.”

So out of the ground

the Lord God formed every animal of the field

and every bird of the air,

and brought them to the man to see what he would call them;

and whatever the man called every living creature,

that was its name.

The man gave names to all cattle,

and to the birds of the air,

and to every animal of the field;

but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner.

So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man,

and he slept;

then he took one of his ribs and close up its place with flesh.

And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man

he made into a woman and brought her to the man.

Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones

and flesh of my flesh;

this one shall be called Woman,

for out of Man this one was taken.”

Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother

and clings to his wife,

and they become one flesh.

The word of the Lord.

Old Testament Readings

3. The Marriage of Isaac and Rebekah (Genesis 24.48-51, 58-67)

A reading from the book of Genesis

Abraham’s servant said to Laban,

“I bowed my head and worshipped the Lord,

and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham,

who had led me by the right way

to obtain the daughter of my master’s kinsman for his son.

Now then, if you will deal loyally and truly with my master, tell me;

and if not, tell me,

so that I may turn either to the right hand or to the left.”

Then Laban and Bethuel answered,

“The thing comes from the Lord;

we cannot speak to you anything bad or good.

Look, Rebekah is before you,

take her and go,

and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has spoken.”

Rebekah’s mother and brother called her, and asked her,

“Will you go with this man?”

She said, “I will.”

So they sent away their sister Rebekah and her nurse

along with Abraham’s servant and his men.

And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,

“May you, our sister, become thousands of myriads;

may your offspring gain possession of the gates of their foes.”

Then Rebekah and her maids rose up,

mounted the camels, and followed the man;

thus the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.

(Continued on page 9)

Old Testament Readings

3. The Marriage of Isaac and Rebekah (Genesis 24.48-51, 58-67)

(Continued from page 8)

Now Isaac had come from Beer-lahai-roi,

and was settled in the Negev.

Isaac went out in the evening to walk in the field;

and looking up, he saw camels coming.

And Rebekah looked up, and when she saw Isaac,

she slipped quickly from the camel,

and said to the servant,

“Who is the man over there, walking in the field to meet us?”

The servant said, “It is my master.”

So Rebekah took her veil and covered herself.

And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.

Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent.

He took Rebekah, and she became his wife;

and he loved her.

So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

The word of the Lord.

Old Testament Readings

4. The Marriage of Tobias and Sarah (Tobit 7.6-14)

A reading from the book of Tobit

Raguel jumped up and kissed Tobias and wept.

He also spoke to him as follows,

“Blessings on you, my child,

son of a good and noble father!

O most miserable of calamities

that such an upright and beneficent man has become blind!”

He then embraced his kinsman Tobias and wept.

His wife Edna also wept for him,

and their daughter Sarah likewise wept.

Then Raguel slaughtered a ram from the flock

and received them very warmly.

When they had bathed and washed themselves

and had reclined to dine, Tobias said to Raphael,

“Brother Azariah, ask Raguel to give me my kinswoman Sarah.”

But Raguel overheard it and said to the lad,

“Eat and drink, and be merry tonight.

For no one except you, brother,

has the right to marry my daughter Sarah.

Likewise I am not at liberty to giver her

to any other man than yourself

because you are my nearest relative.

But let me explain to you the true situation more fully, my child.

I have give her to seven men of our kinsmen,

and all died on the night when they went in to her.

Bu now, my child, eat and drink,

and the Lord will act on behalf of you both.”

(Continued on page 11)

Old Testament Readings

4. The Marriage of Tobias and Sarah (Tobit 7.6-14)

(Continued from page 10)

But Tobias said,

“I will neither eat nor drink anything

until you settle the things that pertain to me.”

So Raguel said, “I will do so.

She is given to you in accordance with the decree in the book of Moses

and it has been decreed from heaven that she be given to you.

Take your kinswoman;

from now on you are her brother and she is your sister.

She is given to you from today and forever.

May the Lord of heaven, my child,

guide and prosper you both this night

and grant you mercy and peace.”

Then Raguel summoned his daughter Sarah.

When she came to him

he took her by the hand and gave her to Tobias saying,

“Take her to be your wife

in accordance with the law and decree written in the book of Moses.

Take her and bring her safely to your father.

And may the God of heaven prosper your journey with his peace.”

Then Raguel called her mother

and told her to bring writing material;

and he wrote out a copy of a marriage contract,

to the effect that he gave Sarah to Tobias as wife

according to the decree of the law of Moses.

Then they began to eat and drink.

The word of the Lord.

Old Testament Readings

5. Grant that we may grow old together (Tobit 8.4b-8)

A reading from the book of Tobit

On their wedding night,

Tobias got out of bed and said to Sarah,

“Sister, get up, and let us pray and implore our Lord

that he may grant us mercy and safety.”

So she got up,

and they began to implore that they might be kept safe.

Tobias began by saying,

“Blessed are you, O God of our fathers,

and blessed is your name in all generations forever.

Let the heavens and the whole creation bless you forever.

You made Adam,

and for him you made his wife Eve as a helper and support.

From the two of them the human race has sprung.

You said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone;

let us make a helper for him like himself.’

I now am taking this kinswoman of mine,

not because of lust, but with sincerity.

Grant that she and I may find mercy

and that we may grow old together.”

And they both said, “Amen, Amen.”

The word of the Lord.

Old Testament Readings

6. Love Is A Divine Fire

(Song of Songs 2.8-10, 14, 16a; 8.6-7a)

A reading from the Songs of Songs

The voice of my beloved!

Look, he comes,

leaping upon the mountains,

bounding over the hills.

My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag.

Look, there he stands behind our wall,

gazing in at the windows, looking through the lattice.

My beloved speaks and says to me:

“Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away;

O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,

in the covert of the cliff,

let me see your face, let me hear your voice;

for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.”

My beloved is mine and I am his.

“Set me as a seal upon your heart,

as a seal upon your arm;

for love is strong as death,

passion fierce as the grave.

Love’s flashes are flashes of fire, a raging flame.

Many waters cannot quench love,

neither can floods drown it.”

The word of the Lord.

Old Testament Readings

7. Woman; The Light of the Home

(Sirach 26.1-4, 13-16)

A reading from the book of Sirach

Blessed is the husband of a good wife;

the numbers of his days will be doubled.

A loyal wife brings joy to her husband,

and he will complete his years in peace.

A good wife is a great blessing;

she will be granted among the blessings of the man who fears the Lord

Whether rich or poor, his heart is content,

and at all times his face is cheerful.

A wife’s charm delights her husband,

and her skill puts flesh on his bones.

A silent wife is a gift from the Lord,

and nothing is so precious as her self-discipline.

A modest wife adds charm to charm,

and no scales can weigh the value of her chastity.

Like the sun rising in the heights of the Lord,

so is the beauty of a good wife in her well-ordered home.

The word of the Lord.

Old Testament Readings

8. God Makes a Covenant

(Jeremiah 31.31-32a, 33-34a)

A reading from the book of the Prophet Jeremiah

The days are surely come, says the Lord,

when I will make a new covenant

with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.

It will not be like the covenant that I made with their fathers

when I took them by the hand

to bring them out of the land of Egypt.

But this covenant

that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,

says the Lord:

I will put my law within them,

and I will write it on their hearts;

and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other,

“Know the Lord,”

for they shall all know me,

from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalms

The Responsorial Psalms give us words for responding to the Old Testament

Readings. Since they are often sung, you can find settings for them in the

Catholic Book of Worship III. If it is not sung, it is read, so you will need

another reader.

9. Psalm 33

Refrain: The earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,

the people whom he has chosen as his heritage.

Truly the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,

on those who hope in his steadfast love.

Refrain: The earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.

Our soul waits for the Lord;

he is our help and shield.

Our heart is glad in him,

because we trust in his holy name.

Refrain: The earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.

Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,

even as we hope in you.

Refrain: The earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalms

10. Psalm 34

Refrain: I will bless the Lord at all times.

I will bless the Lord at all times;

his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul makes its boast in the Lord;

let the humble hear and be glad.

Refrain: I will bless the Lord at all times.

O magnify the Lord with me,

and let us exalt his name together.

I sought the Lord, and he answered me,

And delivered me from all my fears.

Refrain: I will bless the Lord at all times.

Look to him, and be radiant;

so your faces shall never be ashamed.

The poor one called, and the Lord heard,

and saved that person from every trouble.

Refrain: I will bless the Lord at all times.

The Angel of the Lord encamps

around those who fear him, and delivers them.

O taste and see that the Lord is good;

blessed are those who take refuge in him

Refrain: I will bless the Lord at all times.

Responsorial Psalms

11. Psalm 103

Refrain: The Lord is merciful and gracious.

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

and do not forget all his benefits.

Refrain: The Lord is merciful and gracious.

The Lord is merciful and gracious,

slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

As a father has compassion for his children,

so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.

Refrain: The Lord is merciful and gracious.

The steadfast love of the Lord

is from everlasting to everlasting

on those who fear him,

and his righteousness to children’s children,

to those who keep his covenant.

Refrain: The Lord is merciful and gracious.

Responsorial Psalms

12. Psalm 112

Refrain: Blessed is the one

who greatly delights in the Lord’s commandments.

Blessed is the one who fears the Lord,

who greatly delights in his commandments.

Their descendants will be mighty in the land;

the generation of the upright will be blessed.

Refrain: Blessed is the one

who greatly delights in the Lord’s commandments.

Wealth and riches are in their house,

and their righteousness endures forever.

Light rises in the darkness for the upright:

gracious, merciful and righteous.

Refrain: Blessed is the one

who greatly delights in the Lord’s commandments.

It is well with the person who deals generously and lends,

who conducts their affairs with justice.

For the righteous person will never be moved;

they will be remembered forever, unafraid of evil tidings.

Refrain: Blessed is the one

who greatly delights in the Lord’s commandments.

(Continued on page 20)

Responsorial Psalms

12. Psalm 112

(Continued from page 19)

Their heart is firm, secure in the Lord.

That person’s heart is steady and will not be afraid;

In the end they will look in triumph on their foes.

Refrain: Blessed is the one

who greatly delights in the Lord’s commandments.

One who has distributed freely, who has given to the poor,

their righteousness endures forever:

their name is exalted in honour.

Refrain: Blessed is the one

who greatly delights in the Lord’s commandments.

Responsorial Psalms

13. Psalm 128

Refrain: Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord.

Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,

who walks in his ways.

You shall eat the fruit of the labour of your hands;

you shall be happy, and it shall go well with you.

Refrain: Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord.

Your wife will be like a fruitful vine

within you house;

your children will be like olive shoots

around your table.

Refrain: Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord.

Thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord.

The Lord bless you from Zion.

May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem

all the days of your life.

Refrain: Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord.

Responsorial Psalms

14. Psalm 145

Refrain: The Lord is good to all.

The Lord is gracious and merciful,

slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

The Lord is good to all,

and his compassion is over all that he has made.

Refrain: The Lord is good to all.

All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,

and all your faithful shall bless you.

The eyes of all look to you,

and you give them their food in due season.

Refrain: The Lord is good to all.

The Lord is just in all his ways,

and kind in all his doings.

The Lord is near to all who call on him,

to all who call on him in truth.

Refrain: The Lord is good to all.

Responsorial Psalms

15. Psalm 148

Refrain: Let them praise the name of the Lord.

Praise the Lord from the heavens;

praise him in the heights!

Praise him, all his angels;

praise him, all his host!

Refrain: Let them praise the name of the Lord.

Praise him, sun and moon;

praise him, all you shining stars!

Praise him, you highest heavens,

and you waters above the heavens!

Refrain: Let them praise the name of the Lord.

Mountains and all hills,

fruit trees and all cedars!

Wild animals and all cattle,

creeping things and flying birds!

Refrain: Let them praise the name of the Lord.

Kings of the earth and all peoples,

princes and all rulers of the earth!

Young men and women alike,

old and young together!

Refrain: Let them praise the name of the Lord.

(Continued on page 24)

Responsorial Psalms

15. Psalm 148

(Continued from page 23)

Let them praise the name of the Lord,

for his name alone is exalted.

His glory is above earth and heaven.

He has raised up a horn for his people.

Refrain: Let them praise the name of the Lord.

New Testament Readings

16. Who will separate us from the love of Christ?

(Romans 8.31b-35,37)

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans.

Brothers and sisters:

If God is for us, who is against us?

He who did not withhold his own Son,

but gave him up for all of us,

will he not with him also give us everything else?

Who will bring any charge against God’s elect?

It is God who justifies.

Who is to condemn?

It is Christ Jesus, who died,

yes, who was raised,

who is at the right hand of God,

who indeed intercedes for us.

Who will separate us from the love of Christ?

Will hardship, or distress, or persecution,

or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors

through him who loved us.

The word of the Lord.

New Testament Readings

17a. The New Life of Christians – regular version

(Romans 12.1-2,9-18)

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans.

I appeal to you, brothers and sisters,

by the mercies of God,

to present your bodies as a living sacrifice,

holy and acceptable to God,

which is your spiritual worship.

Do not be conformed to this world,

but be transformed by the renewing of your minds,

so that you may discern what is the will of God -

what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good;

love one another with mutual affection;

outdo one another in showing honour.

Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord.

Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering,

persevere in prayer.

Contribute to the needs of the saints;

extend hospitality to strangers.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

Live in harmony with one another;

do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly;

do not claim to be wiser than you are.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil,

But take thought for what is noble in the sight of all.

If it is possible, so far as it depends on you,

live peaceably with all.

The word of the Lord.

New Testament Readings

17b. The New Life of Christians – short version

(Romans 12.1-2,9-18)

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans.

I appeal to you, brothers and sisters,

by the mercies of God,

to present your bodies as a living sacrifice,

holy and acceptable to God,

which is your spiritual worship.

Do not be conformed to this world,

but be transformed by the renewing of your minds,

so that you may discern what is the will of God -

what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Let love be genuine;

hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good;

love one another with mutual affection;

outdo one another in showing honour.

Do not lag in zeal,

be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord.

Rejoice in hope,

be patient in suffering,

persevere in prayer.

Contribute to the needs of the saints;

extend hospitality to strangers.

The word of the Lord.

New Testament Readings

18. Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit

(1 Corinthians 6.13c-15a, 17-20)

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians.

Brothers and sisters:

The body is meant not for fornication but for the Lord,

and the Lord for the body.

And God raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power.

Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?

But anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.

Shun fornication!

Every sin that a person commits is outside the body;

but the fornicator sins against the body itself.

Or do you not know

that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you,

which you have from God,

and that you are not your own?

For you were bought with a price;

therefore glorify God in your body.

The word of the Lord.

New Testament Readings

19. Faith, hope and love abide; the greatest of these is love

(1 Corinthians 12.31-13.8a)

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians.

Brothers and sisters,

strive for the greater gifts.

And I will show you a still more excellent way.

If I speak in the tongues of human beings and of Angels,

but do not have love,

I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

If I have prophetic powers,

and understand all mysteries and all knowledge,

and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains,

but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient; love is kind;

love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude.

It does not insist on its own way;

it is not irritable or resentful;

it does not rejoice in wrongdoing,

but rejoices in the truth.

It bears all things, believes all things,

hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends.

The word of the Lord.

New Testament Readings

20a. Live in Love, Like Christ – regular version

(Ephesians 5.2a, 21-33)

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians.

Brothers and sisters:

Live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us.

Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Wives, be subject to your husbands as you are to the Lord.

For the husband is the head of the wife

just as Christ is the head of the Church,

the body of which he is the Saviour.

Just as the Church is subject to Christ,

so also wives ought to be, in everything, to their husbands.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the Church

and gave himself up for her, in order to make her holy

by cleansing her with the washing of water by the word,

so as to present the Church to himself in splendour,

without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind –

yes, so that she may be holy and without blemish.

In the same way, husbands should love their wives

as they do their own bodies.

He who loves his wife loves himself.

For no one ever hates his own body,

but he nourishes and tenderly cares for it,

just as Christ does for the Church,

because we are members of his body.

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother

and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”

This is a great mystery,

and I am applying it to Christ and the Church.

The word of the Lord.

New Testament Readings

20b. Live in Love, Like Christ – short version

(Ephesians 5.2a, 21-33)

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians.

Brothers and sisters:

Live in love, as Christ loved us

and gave himself up for us.

Husbands, love your wives,

just as Christ loved the Church

and gave himself up for her,

in order to make her holy

by cleansing her with the washing of water by the word,

so as to present the Church to himself in splendour,

without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind –

yes, so that she may be holy and without blemish.

In the same way, husbands should love their wives

as they do their own bodies.

He who loves his wife loves himself.

For no one ever hates his own body,

but he nourishes and tenderly cares for it,

just as Christ does for the Church,

because we are members of his body.

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother

and be joined to his wife,

and the two will become one flesh.”

This is a great mystery,

and I am applying it to Christ and the Church.

The word of the Lord.

New Testament Readings

21. Love is the Bond of Perfection

(Colossians 3.12-17)

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Colossians.

Brothers and sisters:

As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,

clothe yourselves with compassion,

kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.

Bear with one another and,

if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other;

just as the Lord has forgiven you,

so you also must forgive.

Above all, clothe yourselves with love,

which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,

to which indeed you were called in the one body.

And be thankful.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly;

teach and admonish one another in all wisdom;

and with gratitude in your hearts

sing Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.

And whatever you do, in word or deed,

do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,

giving thanks to God the Father through him.

The word of the Lord.

New Testament Readings

22. The Unity and Peace of the Christian Home

(1 Peter 3.1-9)

A reading from the first Letter of Saint Peter.

Wives, accept the authority of your husbands,

so that, even if some of them do not obey the word,

they may be won over without a word by their wives’ conduct,

when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.

Do not adorn yourselves outwardly by braiding your hair,

and by wearing gold ornaments or fine clothing;

rather, let your adornment by the inner self

with the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit,

which is very precious in God’s sight.

It was in this way long ago,

that the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves

by accepting the authority of their husbands.

Thus Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him lord.

You have become her daughters as long as you do what is good

and never let fears alarm you.

Husbands, in the same way,

show consideration for your wives in your life together,

paying honour to the woman as the weaker sex,

since they too are also heirs of the gracious gift of life -

so that nothing may hinder your prayers.

Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit,

sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind.

Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse;

but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing.

It is for this that you were called –

that you might inherit a blessing.

The word of the Lord.

New Testament Readings

23. A True Love

(1 John 3.18-24)

A reading from the first Letter of Saint John.

Little children, let us love,

not in word or speech, but in truth and action.

And by this we will know that we are from the truth

and will reassure our hearts before him

whenever our hearts condemn us;

for God is greater than our hearts,

and God knows everything.

Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us,

we have boldness before God;

and we receive from him whatever we ask,

because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.

And this is his commandment,

that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ

and love one another, just as he has commanded us.

Whoever obeys his commandments abides in him,

and he abides in them.

And by this we know that he abides in us,

by the Spirit that he has given us.

The word of the Lord.

New Testament Readings

24. God Is Love

(1 John 4.7-12)

A reading from the first Letter of Saint John.

Beloved,

let us love one another,

because love is from God;

everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

Whoever does not love does not know God,

for God is love.

God`s love was revealed among us in this way:

God sent his only-begotten Son into the world

so that we might live through him.

In this is love,

not that we loved God but that he loved us

and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Beloved, since God loved us so much,

we also ought to love one another.

No one has ever seen God;

if we love one another, God lives in us,

and his love is perfected in us.

The word of the Lord.

New Testament Readings

25. The Wedding Feast

(Revelation 19.1,5-9a)

A reading from the book of Revelation.

After this, I, John, heard what seemed to be the loud voice

of a great multitude in heaven, saying,

“Hallelujah!

Salvation and glory and power to our God.”

And from the throne came a voice saying,

“Praise our God, all you his servants,

and all who fear him, small and great.”

Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude,

like the sound of many waters

and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,

“Hallelujah!

For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.

Let us rejoice and exult

and give him the glory,

for the marriage of the Lamb has come,

and his bride has made herself ready;

to her it has been granted to be clothed

with fine linen, bright and pure” –

for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

And the Angel said to me,

“Write this:

Blessed are those

who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”

The word of the Lord.

Gospel Readings

26. This is the greatest and first commandment

(Matthew 22.35-40)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew.

One of the Pharisees, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him.

“Teacher, which commandment in the Law is the greatest?”

Jesus said to him,

“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,

and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’

This is the greatest and first commandment.

And a second is like it:

‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’

On these two commandments hang all the law and the Prophets.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Gospel Readings

27. They are no longer two, but one flesh

(Mark 10.6-9)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark.

Jesus said,

“From the beginning of creation,

‘God made them male and female.’

‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother

and be joined to his wife,

and the two shall become one flesh.’

So they are no longer two, but one flesh.

Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Gospel Readings

28. Jesus is Present at the Wedding

(John 2.1-11)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee,

and the mother of Jesus was there.

Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.

When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him,

“They have no wine.”

And Jesus said to her,

“Woman, what concern is that to you and to me?

My hour has not yet come.”

His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

Now standing there were six stone water jars

for the Jewish rite of purification,

each holding about a hundred litres.

Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.”

And they filled them up to the brim.

He said to them, “Now draw some out,

and take it to the chief steward.”

So they took it.

When the steward tasted the water that had become wine,

and did not know where it came from

(though the servants who had drawn the water knew),

The steward called the bridegroom and said to him,

“Everyone serves the good wine first,

and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk.

But you have kept the good wine until now.”

Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee,

and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Gospel Readings

29. Abide in my love

(John 2.1-11)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.

Jesus said to his disciples:

“As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you;

abide in my love.

If you keep my commandments,

you will abide in my love,

just as I have kept my Father’s commandments

and abide in his love.

I have said these things to you

so that my joy may be in you,

and that your joy may be complete.

This is my commandment,

that you love one another as I have loved you.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Gospel Readings

30. This is my commandment, that you love one another

(John 15.12-16)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.

Jesus said to his disciples:

“This is my commandment,

that you love one another as I have loved you.

No one has greater love than this,

to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

You are my friends if you do what I command you.

I do not call you servants any longer,

because the servant does not know what the master is doing;

but I have called you friends,

because I have made known to you everything

that I have heard from my Father.

You did not choose me but I chose you.

And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last,

so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Gospel Readings

31a. That they may become completely one

(John 17.20-26)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.

Jesus looked up to heaven and prayed:

“Holy Father, I ask not only on behalf of these,

but also on behalf of those

who will believe in me through their word,

that they may all be one.

As you, Father, are in me and I am in you,

may they also be in us,

so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

The glory that you have given me I have given them,

so that they may be one, as we are one,

I in them and you in me,

that they may become completely one,

so that the world may know that you have sent me

and have loved them even as you have loved me.

Father,

I desire that those also, whom you have given me,

may be with me where I am,

to see my glory, which you have given me

because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

Righteous Father,

the world does not know you, but I know you;

and these know that you have sent me.

I made your name known to them,

and I will make it known,

so that the love with which you have loved me

may be in them, and I in them.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Homily

The homily is an important moment in your marriage ceremony. The Priest

will reflect and comment on the meaning of your marriage, and its

sacramental nature, in the light of God’s Word.

Liturgy of the Sacrament

Preparation Dialogue

After the homily, the couple will move in front of the altar and the Priest

addresses them in these words:

My dear friends, you have come together in this church so that the

Lord may seal and strengthen your love in the presence of the Church’s

minister and this community. Christ abundantly blesses this love. He

has already consecrated you in Baptism and now, he enriches and

strengthens you by a special sacrament so that you may assume the

duties of marriage in mutual and lasting fidelity. And so, in the

presence of the Church, I ask you to state your intentions.

Statement of Intentions

The Priest now asks the couple the following three questions. Each of you

will answer in a clear, loud voice so that all may hear.

1. N. and N., have you come here freely and without reservation to give

yourself to each other in marriage?

2. Will you love and honour each other as man and wife for the rest of

your lives?

(The following question may be omitted if, for example, the couple is of advanced age.)

3. Will you accept children lovingly from God, and bring them up

according to the law of Christ and His Church?

Declaration of Consent

This is the central moment in the celebration of your marriage. Hand in

hand, you will give yourselves to each other by a mutual gift of love. Your

commitment is made in Jesus Christ. By your consent, you enter the

Sacrament of Matrimony.

The Priest now invites the couple to join their right hands as he says:

Since it is your intention to enter into marriage, join your right hands

and declare your consent before God and His Church.

The Groom says:

I,……………,take you,……………, to be my wife.

I promise to be faithful to you in good times and in bad,

in sickness and in health,

I will love you and honour you all the days of my life.

The Bride then says:

I,……………,take you,……………, to be my husband.

I promise to be faithful to you in good times and in bad,

in sickness and in health,

I will love you and honour you all the days of my life.

The following alternative form may be used:

The Groom says:

I,……………,take you,……………, for my lawful wife,

to have and to hold, from this day forward,

for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer,

in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish

until death do us part.

The Bride then says:

I,……………,take you,……………, for my lawful husband,

to have and to hold, from this day forward,

for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer,

in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish

until death do us part.

Blessing of the Rings

Following your Declaration of Consent, the Priest will bless the rings, using

one of the following prayers:

(Please choose one of the following)

1. May the Lord bless  these rings which you give to each other as the

sign of your love and fidelity. R. Amen.

2. Lord, bless these rings which we bless  in your name. Grant that those

who wear them may always have a deep faith in each other. May they

do your will and always live together in peace, good will, and love. R.

Amen.

3. Lord, bless  and consecrate N. and N. in their love for each other.

May these rings be a symbol of true faith in each other, and always

remind them of their love. We ask this through Christ our Lord. R.

Amen.

Exchange of the Rings

The covenant between husband and wife that marriage celebrates is also a

sign of the covenant between God and His people, between Christ and His

Church. The covenant that flows from your Declaration of Consent is

symbolized in the exchanging of the rings. After the blessing, the Priest

will invite you to give the rings to each other. As you do so, you say the

following words:

As the bridegroom places the ring on the bride’s finger he says:

N., take this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity. In the name of the

Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

As the bride places the ring on the bridegroom’s finger she says:

N., take this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity. In the name of the

Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

After the rings have been exchanged, the Priest may invite the couple to

seal their covenant with each other, and with God, with a kiss.

General Intercessions

The Liturgy of the Word now resumes as the community who are present

offer their prayers for the newly wed couple. These prayers are directed

toward your life and happiness together.

Choose one between option A or option B. You will also need to choose

someone to read these prayers.

The response to each prayer is: Lord, hear our prayer.

1. That he will bless their covenant as he chose to sanctify marriage at

Cana in Galilee, let us pray to the Lord.

2. That they be granted perfect and fruitful love, peach and strength,

and that they bear faithful witness to the name of Christian, let us

pray to the Lord.

3. That the Christian people may grow in virtue day by day and that all

who are burdened by any need may receive the help of grace from

above, let us pray to the Lord.

4. That the grace of the Sacrament will be renewed by the Holy Spirit in

all married persons here present, let us pray to the Lord.

1. For their relatives and friends, and for all who have assisted this

couple, let us pray to the Lord.

2. For young people preparing to enter Marriage, and for all whom the

Lord is calling to another state in life, let us pray to the Lord.

3. For all families throughout the world and for lasting peace among all

people, let us pray to the Lord.

4. For all members of our families who have passed from this world, and

for all the departed, let us pray to the Lord.

5. For the Church, the holy People of God, and for unity among all

Christians, let us pray to the Lord.

Liturgy of the Eucharist

If both of you are Roman Catholic, your marriage will be celebrated within

the context of the Eucharist. The celebration of the Eucharist at a wedding

gives you, the newly wed couple, your parents, your relatives, and your

friends, a chance to unite yourselves with Jesus as He offers His life to the

Father and gives Himself to us.

Communion

If you are celebrating the Eucharist at your wedding, the bride and groom,

as well as the maid of honour and the best man, if they are both Catholic,

will receive communion under both forms: bread and wine. Please inform

the Priest if there is a problem with this.

The communion hymn is sung while the congregation receives communion.

It should be a congregational hymn that speaks of our sharing in the Lord’s

Body and Blood – not a solo.

Mass Prayers

Of the three formulas which follow, choose the one that has the most

meaning for you.

If you are marrying an unbaptized person, Set 3 is the one that must be

used.

(Please choose one set of the Mass Prayers)

Set 1

Collect:

Be attentive to our prayers, O Lord, and in your kindness uphold what

you have established for the increase of the human race, so that the

union you have created may be kept safe by your assistance. Through

our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the

unity of the Holy Spirit, on God, forever and ever.

O God, who in creating the human race willed that man and wife should

be one, join, we pray, in a bond of inseparable love these your servants

who are to be united in the covenant of Marriage, so that, as you make

their love fruitful, they may become, by your grace, witnesses to

charity itself. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and

reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, on God, forever and

ever.

Nuptial Blessing:

The Priest invites all to pray:

Dear brothers and sisters, let us humbly pray to the Lord that on these

his servants, now married in Christ, he may mercifully pour out the

blessing of his grace and make of one heart in love (by the Sacrament

of Christ’s Body and blood) those he has joined by a holy covenant.

All pray silently for a moment. Then the Priest continues:

O God, who by your mighty power created all things out of nothing, and,

when you had set in place the beginnings of the universe, formed man and

woman in your own image, making the woman an inseparable helpmate to

the man, that they might no longer be two, but one flesh, and taught that

what you were pleased to make one must never be divided;

(Continued on Page 49)

(Continued from Page 48)

O God, who consecrated the bond of Marriage by so great a mystery

that in the wedding covenant you foreshadowed the Sacrament of

Christ and his Church;

O God, by whom woman is joined to man and the companionship they

had in the beginning is endowed with the one blessing not forfeited by

original sin nor washed away by the flood.

Look now with favour on these your servants, joined together in

Marriage, who ask to be strengthened by your blessing. Send down on

them the grace of the Holy Spirit and pour your love into their hearts,

that they may remain faithful in the Marriage covenant.

May the grace of love and peace abide in your daughter N., and let her

always follow the example of those holy women whose praises are sung

in the Scriptures. May her husband entrust his heart to her, so that,

acknowledging her as his equal and his joint heir to the life of grace,

he may show her due honour and cherish her always with the love that

Christ has for his Church.

And now, Lord, we implore you: may these your servants hold fast to

the faith and keep your commandments; made one in the flesh, may

they be blameless in all they do; and with the strength that comes

from the Gospel, may they bear true witness to Christ before all; (may

they be blessed with children, and prove themselves virtuous parents,

who live to see their children’s children)

And grant that, reaching at last together the fullness of years for which

they hope, they may come to the life of the blessed in the Kingdom of

Heaven. Through Christ our Lord.

Prayer After Communion:

By the power of this sacrifice, O Lord, accompany with your loving

favour what in your providence you have instituted, so as to make of

one heart in love those you have already joined in this holy union (and

replenished with the one Bread and the one Chalice) Through Christ

our Lord.

Solemn Blessing at the End of Mass:

May God the eternal Father keep you of one heart in love for one

another, that the peace of Christ may dwell in you and abide always

in your home.

May you be blessed in your children, have solace in your friends and

enjoy true peace with everyone.

May you be witnesses in the world to God’s charity, so that the

afflicted and needy who have known your kindness may one day

receive you thankfully into the eternal dwelling of God.

Set 2

Collect:

Be attentive to our prayers, O Lord, and in your kindness pour out your

grace on these your servants (N. and N.), that, coming together before

your altar, they may be confirmed in love for one another.Through our

Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity

of the Holy Spirit, on God, forever and ever.

O God, who consecrated the bond of Marriage by so great a mystery

that in the wedding covenant you foreshadow the Sacrament of Christ

and his Church, grant, we pray, to these your servants, that what they

receive in faith they may live out in deeds. Through our Lord Jesus

Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy

Spirit, on God, forever and ever.

Nuptial Blessing:

The Priest invites all to pray:

Let us pray to the Lord for this bride and groom, who come to the

altar as they begin their married life, that (partaking of the Body and

Blood of Christ) they may always be bound together by love for one

another.

All pray silently for a moment. Then the Priest continues:

Holy Father, who formed man in your own image and male and female

you created them, so that as husband and wife united in body and

heart, they might fulfill their calling in this world.

O God, who, to reveal the great design you formed in your love, willed

that the love of spouses for each other should foreshadow the covenant

you graciously made with your people, so that, by

fulfillment of the sacramental sign, the mystical marriage of Christ

with his Church might become manifest in the union of husband and

wife among your faithful;

Graciously stretch out your right hand over these your servants (N. and

N.), we pray, and pour into their hearts the power of the Holy Spirit.

Grant, O Lord, that, as they enter upon this sacramental union, they

may share with one another the gifts of your love and, by being for

each other a sign of your presence, become one heart and one mind.

May they also sustain, O Lord, by their deeds the home they are

forming (and prepare their children to become members of your

heavenly household by raising them in the way of the Gospel).

Graciously crown with your blessings your daughter N., so that, by

being a good wife (and mother), she may bring warmth to her home

with a love that is pure and adorn it with welcoming graciousness.

Bestow a heavenly blessing also, O Lord, on N., your servant, that he

may be a worthy, good and faithful husband (and a provident father).

Grant, holy Father, that, desiring to approach your table as a couple

joined in Marriage in your presence, they may one day have the joy of

taking part in your great banquet in heaven. Through Christ our Lord.

Prayer After Communion:

Having been made partakers at your table, we pray, O Lord, that those

who are united by the Sacrament of Marriage may always hold fast to

you and proclaim your name to the world. Through Christ our Lord.

Solemn Blessing at the End of Mass:

May God the all-powerful Father grant you his joy (and bless you in

your children.)

May the Only Begotten Son of God stand by you with compassion in

good times and in bad.

May the Holy Spirit of God always pour forth his love into your hearts.

Set 3

Collect:

Grant, we pray, almighty God, that these your servants, now to be

joined by the Sacrament of Matrimony, may grow in the faith they

profess and enrich your Church with faithful offspring. Through our

Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity

of the Holy Spirit, on God, forever and ever.

O God, who since the beginning of the world have blessed the increase

of offspring, show favour to our supplications and pour forth the help

of your blessing on these your servants (N. and N.), so that in the union

of Marriage they may be bound together in mutual affection, in

likeness of mind, and in shared holiness. Through our Lord Jesus Christ,

your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

on God, forever and ever.

Nuptial Blessing:

The Priest says:

Let us humbly invoke by our prayers, dear brothers and sisters, God’s

blessing upon this bride and groom, that in his kindness he may

favour with his help those on whom he has bestowed the Sacrament

of Matrimony.

All pray silently for a moment. Then the Priest continues:

Holy Father, maker of the whole world, who created man and woman

in your own image and willed that their union be crowned with your

blessing, we humbly beseech you for these your servants, who are

joined today in the Sacrament of Matrimony.

May your abundant blessing, Lord, come down upon this bride, N., and

upon N., her companion for life, and may the power of your Holy Spirit

set their hearts aflame from on high, so that, living out together the

gift of Matrimony, they may (adorn their family with children and)

enrich the Church.

In happiness may they praise you, O Lord, in sorrow may they seek you

out; may they have the joy of your presence to assist them in their

toil, and know that you are near to comfort them in their need; let

them pray to you in the holy assembly and bear witness to you in the

world, and after a happy old age, together with the circle of friends

that surrounds them, may them come to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Through Christ our Lord.

Prayer After Communion:

Grant, we pray, almighty God, that the power of the Sacrament we

have received may find growth in these your servants and that the

effects of the sacrifice we have offered may be felt by us all. Through

Christ our Lord.

Solemn Blessing at the End of Mass:

May the Lord Jesus, who graced the marriage at Cana by his presence

bless you and your loved ones.

May he who loved the Church to the end, unceasingly pour his love into

your hearts.

May the Lord grant that, bearing witness to faith in his Resurrection,

you may await with joy the blessed hope to come.

Signing of the Register and Recessional

The Priest will instruct everyone to sit down while the couple and their

witnesses come to the altar to sign the register. A solo, or instrumental

song may be done at this time. The Priest will then give the wedding

certificate to the groom and introduce the newly married couple to the

congregation.

As the music plays, the couple and their attendants will leave the church.