GETTING MARRIED
AT ST. MARY
Matrimony is one of the two sacraments of service. Married couples promise to serve each other with love and to serve the whole Church. They enter into a lifelong covenant of love. This is their vocation. They serve the Church by their love and they share in God’s creation in a special way when they give birth to children. In Matrimony, God gives a man and woman the special grace and blessings to build a Christian family together. The Church celebrates the call to love in a special way in the sacrament of Matrimony or marriage.
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The Sacrament of Matrimony, whereby a man and woman are joined together in a life-long union of procreative love, is a calling from God. The creator established this purpose from the very beginning by the very manner in which He made men and women. Jesus taught that the nature of marriage itself reflects the indivisible unity of the love of God. In this way, Jesus raised the natural bond of marriage to a supernatural sacrament of life and love.
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The movement toward this life choice, the union of marriage, is, therefore, a moment requiring careful deliberation and spiritual preparation. The parish staff should be contacted at least six months prior to the desired date of marriage so appropriate arrangements and preparation can be made 740-363-4641. Individual sessions with the parish clergy and attendance at a Pre-Cana session are required for marriage. If one or both partners have been married before, the couple can work with someone on the staff to receive an annulment.
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The Sacrament of Matrimony, whereby a man and woman are joined together in a life-long union of procreative love, is a calling from God. The creator established this purpose from the very beginning by the very manner in which He made men and women. Since God created man and woman, their mutual love becomes an image of the absolute and unfailing love with which God loves humanity. While the Old Testament gives witness to this loving union, the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament give ample evidence of Jesus’ desire to raise this union to a new level of meaning. While in the old covenant the possibility of breaking this union by a decree of divorce is in evidence, Jesus pronounces new teaching. In Matthew 19:3-12 Jesus teaches, “whatever God has joined no man must separate.” Jesus clearly has a new teaching on the nature of marriage itself, it reflects the indivisible unity of the love of God. In this way, Jesus raised the natural bond of marriage to a supernatural sacrament of life and love. The movement toward this life choice, the union of marriage, is, therefore, a moment requiring careful deliberation and spiritual preparation. One of the parish priests should be contacted at least six months prior to the desired date of marriage so appropriate arrangements and preparation can be made.
The St. Mary Wedding Guidelines are available to help you plan your wedding.​
St. Mary Marriage Guidelines​​
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Download our Marriage Guidelines
This PDF includes all you need to know about getting married at St. Mary Church, including forms and logistics.
Wedding Forms
The following forms will help you plan your wedding. The priest or deacon working with you in your wedding preparation will gladly answer any questions and assist you in completing the necessary forms. All required forms are available through the packets which are made available to our couples. The following may be helpful in assisting in your planning.
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Guest Celebrant Form
This form is to be used by any celebrant other than a priest currently assigned to St. Mary. This form will help us at St. Mary know who is responsible for the necessary wedding preparation for the couple.
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Ceremony Selection Form
This form includes all the selections of the prayer texts and scripture texts to be used in your wedding. It may be very useful for you and the minister officiating at your wedding celebration.
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Music Selection Form
This form will help identify for you possible musical moments in your wedding celebration. It may help you and your music ministers to plan the wedding music.
Wedding Liturgy Planning
The Wedding liturgy should be planned with the priest or deacon who will be the official witness of the church at your wedding. He will help you to prepare a ceremony that speaks of your love united in the love of Jesus Christ. The following will assist you in this planning.
Preparation of the Wedding Liturgy
The wedding liturgy has two forms, either a wedding within the Mass or a wedding without the Mass. It is presumed that the former is the normal manner of celebration when both the bride and the groom share our Catholic faith. The option for a wedding without Mass is preferred when either the bride or the groom do not share our Catholic faith. In this way, the celebration of the Sacrament of Marriage, a sacrament of unity, will not be followed by a sign of disunity—only a portion of the invited guests being able to participate in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. It is understood, furthermore, that when the Sacrament of Marriage is celebrated between a Catholic and an unbaptized person that the rite of Marriage without Mass is the proper manner of celebration.
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Readings for the Wedding Ceremony
The Liturgy of the Word, a proclamation of the Sacred Scriptures, is a major part of any wedding ceremony. The wedding Mass or service would normally have four selections from the bible in this order:
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Old Testament Reading
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Responsorial Psalm (normally sung)
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New Testament Reading (other than a Gospel reading)
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Gospel Reading
The Ceremony Selection Form will guide you through the process of selecting the scripture readings as well as the other major texts to be used at your wedding. These selections include all the possible choices for prayers at the wedding ceremony and the wedding Mass. Please mark your choices on the Ceremony Selection Form. Any questions in regards to these texts can be put to the minister helping you to prepare your wedding day.
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Music
Music that is selected for the ceremony in a church, before, during and afterward, must be appropriate to the sacred character of the wedding liturgy. Therefore, all music to be used in the church must be of a sacred character; show tunes, love songs, popular music and the like, while perhaps very eloquent in its evocation of the meaning of love and commitment, will be more appropriate for the celebration at the reception following your wedding liturgy.
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Please review the Wedding Music Planning Guide.
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The Director of Music will help you make suitable musical selections for the wedding liturgy and assist you in completing the Music Selection Form.
All music for weddings must be approved.
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Wedding Music
Initial Contact with the Director of Music
Once you begin your marriage ceremony preparation at St. Mary Parish, contact the department of music to schedule a meeting and begin the music selection process. You may contact the Director of Music to schedule an appointment.
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The Marriage Ceremony, whether celebrated within Mass or alone, is a sacrament of the Church. The music chosen must appropriately fit the seriousness and joyful spirit of the covenant proclaimed. The ceremony requires certain standards that must be upheld. Popular and or secular music such as Broadway, film music, top 40 songs, and or taped music will not be considered. This general policy extends itself to vocal and instrumental music performed during the pre-wedding recital, Communion, Meditation, Postlude, etc. For instance, The Wagner and Mendelssohn wedding marches, associated with secular plays and operas, will not be performed. St. Mary Parish asks that these customs and regulations be honored.
A Church wedding is not only a very personal event; it is also a sacrament of the Church. As such, the religious nature of the ceremony must be carefully preserved. However meaningful some music maybe to the couple personally, the principle that governs the sacredness and acceptability of the wedding music is the religious aspect.
With all due respect to other styles of musical expression, only liturgically appropriate music may be used at weddings. Popular and secular music, such as Broadway, film music, top 40 songs, and taped music (previously recorded music) is not appropriate for liturgical use in Church during the wedding ceremony. This general policy also refers to vocal and instrumental music performed during the Prelude, Communion Meditation, and Postlude, etc. All music, sacred or classical in nature, is to be approved by the Director of Music. The Wagner and Mendelssohn wedding marches associated with secular operas have not traditionally been used in the Catholic Church. St. Mary Parish would ask that you honor these customs and regulations.
The Parish requests that you also honor the tone of the liturgical season that corresponds with the date of your wedding. For instance, some types of music may not fit with the more subdued nature of the Advent or Lenten seasons of the Church’s liturgical calendar year. The Director of Music will guide you through these sensitivities as they relate to the liturgical calendar and will help you make suitable musical selections for the wedding liturgy and assist you in completing the Music Selection Form. All music for weddings must be approved by him.
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Musicians For Your Wedding Ceremony
Ordinarily, the parish’s music director and organist serve as the primary musician for weddings. If there are any musicians you wish to play at your wedding, inform the department of music at the time of initial contact. In addition, consider having the musician(s) reach out to the department of music.
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Day Of The Rehearsal
The director of music or other musicians may or may not be present for the wedding rehearsal. The purpose of the rehearsal is to familiarize the wedding party with the flow of the ceremony. As such, it is emphasized that the bride, groom, and any musicians meet with the department of music six weeks prior to the day of the ceremony.
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Musician Fees
Fees are to be collected by the parish office. Fee schedules may be discussed with the department of music no later than 6 weeks prior to the ceremony.
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Fees for instrumental or vocal musicians recruited by St. Mary Church from outside the parish music program will depend on prevailing customs and the rates of the individual musicians. The Director of Music can guide you in these at the time that you meet with her.
Fees for instrumental or vocal musicians recruited by the bridal party from outside the Parish are the exclusive responsibility of the bride and bridal party. St. Mary Church accepts no responsibility for payment of musicians recruited by the bride or groom.
Scriptural Readings
Old Testament
Responsorial Psalms
New Testament
The Gospels
Readings from the Old Testament
Below you will find the readings the church suggests for a wedding; they, however, do not exhaust the riches of the scriptures in the bible. The minister working with you to prepare your wedding can help you find other scripture readings for your wedding should you so desire.
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B-1 The Creation of Man and Woman
Genesis 1:26-28, 31
A reading from the book of Genesis
Then God said: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle, and overall the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground.” God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them, saying: “Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that move on the earth.” God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good.
The word of the Lord.
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B-2 The Creation of Woman
Genesis 2:18-24
A reading from the book of Genesis
The LORD God said: “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a suitable partner for him.” So the LORD God formed out of the ground various wild animals and various birds of the air, and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them; whatever the man called each of them would be its name. The man gave names to all the cattle, all the birds of the air, and all the wild animals; but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man. So the LORD God cast a deep sleep on the man, and while he was asleep, he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. The LORD God then built up into a woman the rib that he had taken from the man. When he brought her to the man, the man said: “This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called ‘woman,’ for out of ‘her man’ this one has been taken.” That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body.
The word of the Lord.
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B-3 The Meeting of Isaac and Rebekah
Genesis 24:48-51, 58-67
A reading from the book of Genesis
The servant of Abraham said to Laban: “Then I bowed down in worship to the LORD, blessing the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right road to obtain the daughter of my master’s kinsman for his son. If, therefore, you have in mind to show true loyalty to my master, let me know; but if not, let me know that, too. I can then proceed accordingly.” Laban and his household said in reply: “This thing comes from the LORD; we can say nothing to you either for or against it. Here is Rebekah, ready for you; take her with you, that she may become the wife of your master’s son, as the LORD has said.” So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Do you wish to go with this man?” She answered, “I do.” At this they allowed their sister Rebekah and her nurse to take leave, along with Abraham’s servant and his men. Invoking a blessing on Rebekah, they said: “Sister, may you grow into thousands of myriads; And may your descendants gain possession of the gates of their enemies!” Then Rebekah and her maids started out; they mounted their camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and went on his way. Meanwhile, Isaac had gone from Beer-lahai-roi and was living in the region of the Negeb. Meanwhile, Isaac had gone from Beer-lahai-roi and was living in the region of the Negeb. One day toward evening he went out. . . in the field, and as he looked around, he noticed that camels were approaching. Rebekah, too, was looking about, and when she saw him, she alighted from her camel and asked the servant, “Who is the man out there, walking through the fields toward us?” “That is my master,” replied the servant. Then she covered herself with her veil. The servant recounted to Isaac all the things he had done. Then Isaac took Rebekah into his tent; he married her, and thus she became his wife. In his love for her Isaac found solace after the death of his mother Sarah.
The word of the Lord.
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B-4 The Marriage of Tobias and Sarah
Tobit 7:9-10, 11-15
A reading from the book of Tobit
Afterward, Raguel slaughtered a ram from the flock and gave them a cordial reception. When they had bathed and reclined to eat, Tobiah said to Raphael, “Brother Azariah, ask Raguel to let me marry my kinswoman Sarah.” Raguel overheard the words; so he said to the boy: “Eat and drink and be merry tonight, for no man is more entitled to marry my daughter Sarah than you, brother. Besides, not even I have the right to give her to anyone but you, because you are my closest relative. But I will explain the situation to you very frankly. She is yours according to the decree of the Book of Moses. Your marriage to her has been decided in heaven! Take your kinswoman; from now on you are her love, and she is your beloved. She is yours today and ever after. And tonight, son, may the Lord of heaven prosper you both. May he grant you mercy and peace.” Then Raguel called his daughter Sarah, and she came to him. He took her by the hand and gave her to Tobiah with the words: “Take her according to the law. According to the decree written in the Book of Moses she is your wife. Take her and bring her back safely to your father. And may the God of heaven grant both of you peace and prosperity.” He then called her mother and told her to bring a scroll, so that he might draw up a marriage contract stating that he gave Sarah to Tobiah as his wife according to the decree of the Mosaic law. Her mother brought the scroll, and he drew up the contract, to which they affixed their seals. Afterward, they began to eat and drink.
The word of the Lord.
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B-5 The Prayer of New Spouses
Tobit 8:5-7
A reading from the book of Tobit
Tobias rose from the bed and said to Sarah, “Get up, my sister; You and I must pray and petition our Lord to win his grace and his protection.” She stood up and they began praying for protection and this is how he began: ” You are blessed, O God of our fathers; blessed too, is your name forever and ever. Let the heavens and all your creation praise you forever. You made Adam and you gave him his wife Eve to be his help and support; and from these two the human race descended. You said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone; let us make him a partner like himself.’ Now, Lord, you know that I take this wife of mine not because of lust, but for a noble purpose. Call down your mercy on me and on her, and allow us to live together to a happy old age.”
The word of the Lord.
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B-6 Love is Strong as Death
Song of Songs 2:8-10, 14, 16; 8:6-7
A reading from the Song of Songs
Hark! my lover-here he comes springing across the mountains, leaping across the hills. My lover is like a gazelle or a young stag. Here he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattices. My lover speaks; he says to me, “Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one, and come! “For see, the winter is past, the rains are over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of pruning the vines has come, and the song of the dove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines, in bloom, give forth fragrance. Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one, and come! “O my dove in the clefts of the rock, in the secret recesses of the cliff, let me see you, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and you are lovely.” My lover belongs to me and I to him. He said to me: Set me as a seal on your heart, as a seal on your arm; for stern as death is love, relentless as the nether world is devotion; its flames are a blazing fire. Deep waters cannot quench love, nor floods sweep it away.
The word of the Lord.
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B-7 A Really Good Wife and a Joyful Husband
Sirach 26:1-4, 13-16
A reading from the book of Sirach
Happy the husband of a good wife, twice-lengthened are his days; a worthy wife brings joy to her husband, peaceful and full is his life. A good wife is a generous gift bestowed upon him who fears the LORD; be he rich or poor, his heart is content, and a smile is ever on his face. A gracious wife delights her husband, her thoughtfulness puts flesh on his bones; a gift from the LORD is her governed speech, and her firm virtue is of surpassing worth. Choicest of blessings is a modest wife, priceless her chaste person. Like the sun rising in the LORD’S heavens, the beauty of a virtuous wife is the radiance of her home.
The word of the Lord.
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B-8 The New Covenant of the People of God
Jeremiah 31:31-32, 33-34
A reading from the book of the prophet Jeremiah
The days are coming, 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 I made with their fathers the day I took them by the hand to lead them forth from the land of Egypt. But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD. I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer will they have need to teach their friends and kinsmen how to know the LORD. All, from least to greatest, shall know me, says the LORD
The word of the Lord.
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Responsorial Psalms
Below you will find the readings the church suggests for a wedding; they, however, do not exhaust the riches of the scriptures in the bible. The minister working with you to prepare your wedding can help you find other scripture readings for your wedding should you so desire.
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C-1 The Goodness of the Lord
Psalm 33:12, 18, 20-21, 22
The earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.
Happy the nation whose God is the LORD, the people chosen as his very own. But the LORD’S eyes are upon the reverent, upon those who hope for his gracious help.
The earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.
Our soul waits for the LORD, who is our help and shield. For in God our hearts rejoice; in your holy name we trust.
The earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.
May your kindness, LORD, be upon us; we have put our hope in you.
The earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.
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C-2 Bless the Lord
Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
I will bless the LORD at all times.
I will bless the LORD at all times; praise shall be always in my mouth. My soul will glory in the LORD that the poor may hear and be glad.
I will bless the LORD at all times.
Magnify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together. I sought the LORD, who answered me, delivered me from all my fears.
I will bless the LORD at all times.
Look to God that you may be radiant with joy and your faces may not blush for shame. In my misfortune I called, the LORD heard and saved me from all distress.
I will bless the LORD at all times.
The angel of the LORD, who encamps with them, delivers all who fear God. Learn to savor how good the LORD is; happy are those who take refuge in him.
I will bless the LORD at all times.
Alternate response: Taste and see the goodness of the LORD.
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C-3 The Lord is Kind
Psalm 103:1-2, 8, 13, 17-18
The LORD is kind and merciful.
Bless the LORD, my soul; all my being, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, my soul; do not forget all the gifts of God.
The LORD is kind and merciful.
Merciful and gracious is the LORD, slow to anger, abounding in kindness. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on the faithful.
The LORD is kind and merciful.
But the LORD’S kindness is forever, toward the faithful from age to age. He favors the children’s children of those who keep his covenant, who take care to fulfill its precepts.
The LORD is kind and merciful.
Alternate response: The LORD’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
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C-4 Happy the Man
Psalm 112:1-2, 3-4, 5-7, 7-8, 9
Happy are those who do what the LORD commands.
Happy are those who fear the LORD, who greatly delight in God’s commands. Their descendants shall be mighty in the land, generation upright and blessed.
Happy are those who do what the LORD commands.
Wealth and riches shall be in their homes; their prosperity shall endure forever. They shine through the darkness, a light for the upright; they are gracious, merciful, and just.
Happy are those who do what the LORD commands.
All goes well for those gracious in lending, who conduct their affairs with justice. They shall never be shaken; the just shall be remembered forever.
Happy are those who do what the LORD commands.
They shall not fear an ill report; their hearts are steadfast, trusting the LORD. Their hearts are tranquil, without fear, till at last they look down on their foes.
Happy are those who do what the LORD commands.
Lavishly they give to the poor; their prosperity shall endure forever; their horn shall be exalted in honor.
Happy are those who do what the LORD commands.
Alternate response: Alleluia.
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C-5 Happy All Those
Psalm 128:1-2, 3, 4-5
Happy are those who fear the LORD.
Happy are all who fear the LORD, who walk in the ways of God. What your hands provide you will enjoy; you will be happy and prosper.
Happy are those who fear the LORD.
Like a fruitful vine your wife within your home, Like olive plants your children around your table.
Happy are those who fear the LORD.
Just so will they be blessed who fear the LORD. May the LORD bless you from Zion, all the days of your life That you may share Jerusalem’s joy.
Happy are those who fear the LORD.
Alternate response: See how the LORD blesses those who fear him.
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C-6 The Lord is Compassionate
Psalm 145:8-9, 10, 15, 17-18
The LORD is compassionate to all his creatures.
The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in love. The LORD is good to all, compassionate to every creature.
The LORD is compassionate to all his creatures.
All your works give you thanks, O LORD and your faithful bless you. The eyes of all look hopefully to you; you give them their food in due season.
The LORD is compassionate to all his creatures.
You, LORD, are just in all your ways, faithful in all your works. You, LORD, are near to all who call upon you, to all who call upon you in truth.
The LORD is compassionate to all his creatures.
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C-7 Praise the Lord
Psalm 148:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12, 12-14
Let all praise the name of the LORD.
Praise the LORD from the heavens; give praise in the heights. Praise him, all you angels; give praise, all you hosts.
Let all praise the name of the LORD.
Praise him, sun and moon; give praise, all shining stars. Praise him, highest heavens, you waters above the heavens.
Let all praise the name of the LORD.
You mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars; You animals wild and tame, you creatures that crawl and fly.
Let all praise the name of the LORD.
You kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all who govern on earth; Young men and women too, old and young alike.
Let all praise the name of the LORD.
Let them all praise the LORD’S name, for his name alone is exalted, majestic above earth and heaven. The LORD has lifted high the horn of his people; to the glory of all the faithful, of Israel, the people near to their God.
Let all praise the name of the LORD.
Alternate response: Alleluia.
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Readings from the New Testament
Below you will find the readings the church suggests for a wedding; they, however, do not exhaust the riches of the scriptures in the bible. The minister working with you to prepare your wedding can help you find other scripture readings for your wedding should you so desire.
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D-1 The Love of Christ
Romans 8:31-35, 37-39
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans
If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with him? Who will bring a charge against God’s chosen ones? It is God who acquits us. Who will condemn? It is Christ (Jesus) who died, rather, was raised, who also is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The word of the Lord.
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D-2 The Life of a Christian
Romans 12:1-2, 9-18 (Long Form)
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans
I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship. Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect. Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor. Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the holy ones, exercise hospitality. Bless those who persecute (you), bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Have the same regard for one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly; do not be wise in your own estimation. Do not repay anyone evil for evil; be concerned for what is noble in the sight of all. If possible, on your part, live at peace with all.
The word of the Lord.
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Romans 12:1-2, 9-13 (Short Form)
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans
I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship. Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect. Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor. Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the holy ones, exercise hospitality.
The word of the Lord.
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D-3 Your Members Are Temples of the Holy Spirit
1 Corinthians 6:13-15, 17-20
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Corinthians
The body, however, is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body; God raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? But whoever is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Avoid immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the immoral person sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body.
The word of the Lord.
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D-4 The Greatest of These Is Love
1 Corinthians 6:13-15, 17-20
1 Corinthians 12:31-13:8
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Corinthians
Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts. But I shall show you a still more excellent way. If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, (love) is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.
The word of the Lord.
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D-5 The Mystery of Marriage
Ephesians 5:2, 21-33 (Long Form)
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Ephesians
Live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us. Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of the church, he himself the savior of the body. As the church is subordinate to Christ, so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word, that he might present to himself the church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. So (also) husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “For this reason a man shall leave (his) father and (his) mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the church. In any case, each one of you should love his wife as himself, and the wife should respect her husband.
The word of the Lord.
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Ephesians 5:2, 25-32 (Short Form)
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Ephesians
Live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us. Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word, that he might present to himself the church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. So (also) husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “For this reason a man shall leave (his) father and (his) mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the church.
The word of the Lord.
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D-6 Live in Love and Thanksgiving
Colossians 3:12-17
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Colossians
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
The word of the Lord.
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D-7 Peace and Harmony in the Family
1 Peter 3:1-9
A reading from the first letter of Peter
Likewise, you wives should be subordinate to your husbands so that, even if some disobey the word, they may be won over without a word by their wives’ conduct when they observe your reverent and chaste behavior. Your adornment should not be an external one: braiding the hair, wearing gold jewelry, or dressing in fine clothes, but rather the hidden character of the heart, expressed in the imperishable beauty of a gentle and calm disposition, which is precious in the sight of God. For this is also how the holy women who hoped in God once used to adorn themselves and were subordinate to their husbands; thus Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him “lord.” You are her children when you do what is good and fear no intimidation. Likewise, you husbands should live with your wives in understanding, showing honor to the weaker female sex, since we are joint heirs of the gift of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. Finally, all of you, be of one mind, sympathetic, loving toward one another, compassionate, humble. Do not return evil for evil, or insult for insult; but, on the contrary, a blessing, because to this you were called, that you might inherit a blessing.
The word of the Lord.
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Scriptural Readings: Readings from the Four Gospels
Below you will find the readings the church suggests for a wedding; they, however, do not exhaust the riches of the scriptures in the bible. The minister working with you to prepare your wedding can help you find other scripture readings for your wedding should you so desire.
E-1
1 John 4:8 and 11
God is love; let us love one another as he has loved us.
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E-2
1 John 4:12
If we love one another God will live in us in perfect love.
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E-2
1 John 4:16
He who lives in love, lives in God and God in him.
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E-2
1 John 4:7b
Everyone who loves is born of God and knows him.
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F-1 The Beatitudes
Matthew 5:1-12
When he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you (falsely) because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.
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F-2 Salt of the Earth and Light of the World
Matthew 5:13-16
Jesus said to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lamp stand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.
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F-3 House Built Upon a Rock
Matthew 7:21, 24-29 (Long form)
Jesus said to his disciples: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.” When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
Matthew 7:21, 24-25 (Short form)
Jesus said to his disciples: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
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F-4 What God Has United, Man Must Not Divide
Matthew 19:3-6
Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and tested him, saying, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?” He said in reply, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female’ and said, ‘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, no human being must separate.”
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F-5 Love, The Greatest Commandment
Matthew 22:35-40
One of the Pharisees (a scholar of the law) tested Jesus by asking, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”
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F-6 Two Become One Body
Mark 10:6-9
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, no human being must separate.”
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F-7 Marriage Feast of Cana
John 2:1-11
There was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” (And) Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it. And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from (although the servers who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.” Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him.
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F-8 Remain in My Love
John 15:9-12
Jesus said to his disciples: “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.”
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F-9 Love One Another as I Have Loved You
John 15:12-16
Jesus said to his disciples: “This is my commandment: love one another as I love 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 no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.”
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F-10 That They May Be One as We Are One
John 17:20-26 (Long Form)
Jesus looked up to heaven and prayed: “Holy Father, I pray not only for my disciples, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me. Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father, the world also does not know you, but I know you, and they know that you sent me. I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them.”
John 17:20-23 (Short form)
Jesus looked up to heaven and prayed: “Holy Father, I pray not only for my disciples, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me.”
Wedding Text Selections:
Wedding Vows, Blessing of Rings, Opening Prayer
Below you will find the text selections to be used at your wedding including all the possible choices for prayers at the wedding ceremony and the wedding Mass. Please mark your choices on the Ceremony Selection Form.
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Wedding Vows
Since it is your intention to enter into marriage, join your right hands, and declare your consent before God and his Church.
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H-1
I, [name], take you, [name], to be my wife (husband). I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.
H-2
I, [name], take you, [name], for my lawful wife (husband), to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.
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Blessing of Rings
I-1
May the Lord bless these rings which you give to each other as a sign of your love and fidelity.
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I-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. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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I-3
Lord bless and consecrate [name] and [name] 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. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Opening Prayer Selections
A-1
Father, You have made the bond of marriage a holy mystery, a symbol of Christ’s love for his Church. Hear our prayers for [name] and [name] With faith in you and in each other they pledge their love today. May their lives always bear witness to the reality of that love. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
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A-2
Father, Hear our prayers for [name] and [name], who today are united in marriage before your altar. Give them your blessing, and strengthen their love for each other. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
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A-3
Almighty God, Hear our prayers for [name] and [name], who have come here today to be united in the sacrament of marriage. Increase their faith in you and in each other, and through them bless your Church (with Christian children). We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
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A-4
Father, When you created mankind you willed that man and wife should be one. Bind [name] and [name] in the loving union of marriage and make their love fruitful so that they may be living witnesses to your divine love in the world. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.