WEDDINGS

OPTIONS FOR YOUR WEDDING CEREMONY:

Preparing the Church Wedding Ceremony

Before beginning to prepare your ceremony, you must decide whether you wish to have a “Wedding Liturgy” or a “Wedding Liturgy including Mass.” (The wedding with Mass, involved the blessing of the Bread and Wine and Holy Communion).

Here is the comparative structure of both options:

WEDDING LITURGY

Entrance Rite

Entrance

Opening Prayer

Liturgy of the Word

Scripture Readings

Homily

Rite of Marriage

Giving of Consent (Vows)

Blessing and Exchange of Rings

General Intercessions

Nuptial Blessing

Conclusion

Lord’s Prayer

Blessing

Signing of Register

WEDDING LITURGY INCLUDING MASS

Entrance Rite

Entrance

Opening Prayer

Liturgy of the Word

Scripture Readings

Homily

Rite of Marriage

Giving of Consent (Vows)

Blessing and Exchange of Rings

General Intercessions

Liturgy of the Eucharist

Preparation of the Gifts (bringing forward of the bread and the wine)

Eucharistic Prayer

Lord’s Prayer

Nuptial Blessing

Communion

Prayer after Communion

Conclusion

Blessing

Signing of Register

The choice of service must take into consideration the people attending. If the marriage is between a Catholic and Non-catholic, then at the Communion, members of one family may not be able to receive communion. This could introduce a negative aspect into the celebration.

If you are not sure of the implications of the two choices, then please seek the advice of the priest.

Once you have made your choice, then contact the priest who will give you the information which will enable you to plan your service.

For the basic order of service of a wedding prayer service, please click here. (This is the basic info you can feature in your Order of Service).

For the basic order of a wedding Mass, please click here. (This is the basic info you can feature in your Order of Service).

WEDDING INFORMATION

Check out this next document. It has options for prayers and readings:-
Preparing the Church Wedding Ceremony

Whether the ritual is a Wedding Liturgy or a Wedding Liturgy including Mass, please follow the plan below.

Step 1

Choose a suitable Introductory Prayer (between numbers 1 & 4).

Step 2

EITHER:

Choose three readings:

FIRST (between numbers 5 and 10 (Old Testament readings)) who reads?........................................

SECOND (between numbers 11 and 18 (New Testament readings)) who reads?........................................

GOSPEL (between numbers 19 and 26) The Priest or Deacon always reads the Gospel.

Choose two readings

FIRST (between 5 and 18 (Old or New Testament) who reads?........................................

GOSPEL (between 19 and 26(New Testament readings)) The Priest or Deacon always reads the Gospel.

Step 3

Choose a Response Psalm (between numbers 27 & 34) or a suitable hymn .

Step 4

Choose your vows on page (between numbers 35 & 36).

Step 5

Choose a Nuptial Blessing (between 37 & 39).

Step 6

Choose or write the Prayers of the Faithful and who will read them.

Step 7

Choosing a Reader (Lector)
Either a family member or friend. The Readers ought to be used to reading in a Church. A Reader from another Christian congregation [not Catholic] is always welcome to do the readings. A reader (lector) from the parish is available to read at your request.

++++

Options for opening prayer:-

1. Father,

you have made the bond of marriage

a holy mystery,

a symbol of Christ’s love for the Church.

Hear our prayers for N.... and N....

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 you this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

2. Father,

hear our prayers for N.... and N....

who today are united in marriage before your altar.

Give them your blessing,

and strengthen their love for each other.

We ask you this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

3. Almighty God,

hear our prayers for N.... and N....

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 you this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

4. Father,

when you created the world

you willed that husband and wife should be one.

Bind N.... and N....

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 you this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

OPTIONS FOR FIRST READING: --

(5) from the book of Genesis 1:26-28,31a

God said, "Let us make humankind 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 humankind in his image,
in the image of God he created them;
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.

(6) from the book of Genesis 2:18-24

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 closed 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.

(7) from the Song of Songs
2:8-10,14,16a;8:6-7a

The voice of my beloved!
Look, he comes,
leaping upon the mountains,
bounding over the hills.
My beloved is like a gazelle,
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;
He said to me:
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.
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
a raging flame.
Many waters cannot quench love,
neither can floods drown it.
The Word of the Lord.

(8) from the Song of Songs
8:6-7

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.
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
a raging flame.
Many waters cannot quench love,
neither can floods drown it.
If one offered for love
all the wealth of his house,
it would be utterly scorned.
The Word of the Lord

(9) from Jeremiah 31:31-32a, 33-34a

The days are surely 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 that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. But this is the 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

(10) from Eccelesiastes 3:1-8

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
The Word of the Lord

OPTIONS FOR SECOND READING --

(11) from Romans 12:1-2,9-18

I appeal to you therefore, 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 honor. 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.

(12) from the first letter of Paul
to the Corinthians 12:31-13:8a

Strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.
If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And 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 am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, 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.

(13) from the letter of Paul to the
Colosssians 3:12-17

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.

(14) from the first letter of John 3:18-24

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 he 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. All who obey his commandments abide 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.

(15) from the first letter of John 4:7-12

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 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.

(16) from the book of Revelation 19:1,5-9a

After this I 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 thunderpeals, 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

(17) from 1 Peter 4:10-11

Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
The Word of the Lord.

(18) from 1 Peter 1:3-4

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.
The Word of the Lord.

OPTIONS FOR THE GOSPEL THAT THE PRIEST READS OUT --

(19)

from the holy gospel acording to Matthew 5:1-10,12a

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
"Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.
The Gospel of the Lord.

(20) from the holy gospel according to Matthew 5:13-16

Jesus said to his disciples:
"You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.
"You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
The Gospel of the Lord

(21) from the holy gospel
according to Matthew 19:3-6

Some Pharisees came to Jesus, and to test him they asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?" He answered, "Have you not read that the one who made them at the beginning '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, let no one separate."
The Gospel of the Lord.

(22) from the holy gospel according to
Mark 10:6-9

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.

(23) from the holy gospel according to
John 2:1-11

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 rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, "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.

(24) from the holy gospel according to
John 15:9-12

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.

(25) from the holy gospel according to
John 15:12-16

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.

(26) from the holy gospel according to
Matthew 13:44-46

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
The Word of the Lord

One of these is chosen and is located between the first and second reading. Usually the psalm is recited by all persons present. The psalm may be replaced by a suitable hymn.

OPTIONS FOR THE PSALM. (THIS ASSUMES IT IS TO BE PRINTED OUT AND EVERYONE READS IT TOGETHER. OTHERWISE YOU COULD REPLACE THIS WITH A SUITABLE HYMN OR GET ONE READER TO READ IT OUT LIKE POETRY)

(The format of this responsorial psalm is slightly different from what you may be familiar in an ordinary Catholic ceremony. Instead of everyone repeating a line after each paragraph, these psalms are designed to be printed in the Wedding Booklet and everyone in the congregation reads it out together. It is a wonderful way of getting everyone to join together in prayer).

(27) Psalm 33

Sing God a new song.
Play music to match
your shout of joy.
For the word of the Lord is true:
what God says, God does.
This lover of truth and justice
fills the earth with love.

The Lord looks down
and sees our human kind.
From heaven God surveys
all peoples on earth
The maker of human hearts
knows every human act.

God keeps a loving eye
on all who believe,
on those who count on God
to bring relief from famine,
to rescue them from death.

With all we are, we wait for God,
the Lord, our help, our shield.
Our hearts find joy in the Lord;
we trust God’s holy name.
Love us, Lord!
We wait for you.

(28) Psalm 34

I will never stop thanking God,
with constant words of praise.
My soul will boast of God;
the poor will hear me and be glad.

Join me in praising the Lord,
together tell of God’s name.
I asked and the Lord responded,
freed me from all my fears.

Turn to God, be bright with joy;
you shall never be let down.
I begged and God heard,
took my burdens from me.

God’s angel defends the faithful,
guards them on every side.
Drink in the richness of God,
enjoy the strength of the Lord.

Live in awe of God, you saints:
you will want for nothing.

(29) Psalm 105

Give thanks, acclaim God’s name,
tell all that the Lord has done.
Make music and sing
the Lord’s might wonders!

Revel in God’s holy name,
delight in seeking the Lord.
Look always for the power,
for the presence of God.

Recount the signs and wonders,
the just decrees of God,
you heirs of Abraham and Jacob,
the chosen of the Lord.

(30) Psalm 113

Servants of God, praise,
praise the name of the Lord.
Bless the Lord’s name
now and always.
Praise the Lord’s name
here and in every place,
from east to west.

The Lord towers above nations,
God’s glory shines over the heavens.
Who compares to our God?
Who is enthroned so high?

The Lord bends down
to see heaven and earth
to raise the weak from the dust
and lift the poor from the mire,
to seat them with princes
in the company of their leaders.
The childless, no longer alone,
rejoice now in many children.
Hallelujah!
(31) Psalm 112

Happy those who love God
and delight in the law.
Their children shall be blest,
strong and upright in the land.
Their households thrive,
their integrity stands firm.
A light shines on them in darkness,
a God of mercy and justice.

The good lend freely
and deal fairly,
they will never stumble;
their justice shall be remembered.

Bad news holds no power,
strong hearts trust God.
Steady and fearless,
they look down on their enemy.
They support the poor,
their integrity stands firm,
their strength brings them honour.

(32) Psalm 127

If God does not build the house,
the builders work in vain.
If God does not watch over the city,
the guards watch in vain.

How foolish to rise early
and slave until night for bread.
Those who please God receive as much
even while they sleep.

Children are God’s gift,
a blessing to those who bear them;
like arrows in the hand of an archer
are children born to the young.
Happy those with a full quiver:
facing their enemies at the gate,
they stand without shame!

(33) Psalm 148

Praise the Lord!
Across the heavens,
from the heights,
all you angels, heavenly beings,
sing praise, sing praise!

Sun and moon, glittering stars,
sing praise, sing praise.
Highest heavens, rain clouds,
sing praise, sing praise.
Praise God’s name,
whose word called you forth
and fixed you in place for ever
by eternal decree.

(34) Psalm 145

I will bless you every day,
for ever praise your name.
Great is the Lord, highly to be praised,
great beyond our reach.

Age to age proclaims your works,
recounts your mighty deeds.
I ponder your splendour and glory
and all your wonderful works.

Gracious and merciful is the Lord,
slow to anger, full of love.
The Lord is good in every way,
merciful to every creature.

The eyes of all look to you,
you give them food in due time.
You open wide your hand
to feed all living things.

The Lord is just in every way,
loving in every deed.
The Lord is near to those who call,
who cry out from their hearts.

OPTIONS FOR THE VOWS ETC...

INTRODUCTORY ADDRESS

The priest addresses the bride and groom in these or similar 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 then questions them about their freedom of choice, faithfulness to each other, and the acceptance and upbringing of children:

1. N. And N., have you come here freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other in marriage? R./ I HAVE

2. Will you love and honour each other as husband and wife for the rest of your lives? R./ I WILL

3. Will you accept children lovingly from God, and bring them up according to the law of Christ? R./ I WILL

CONSENT

The priest invites the couple to declare their consent:

Since it is your intention to enter into marriage, join your right hands, and declare your consent before God.

(35) NEW VOWS

I, N...., take you, N...., 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 an honour you all the days of my life.

The following alternative form may be used:

(36) TRADITIONAL VOWS

I, N...., take you N...., 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.

RECEPTION OF CONSENT

Receiving their consent, the priest says:

You have declared your consent before the Church.

May God strengthen your consent and fill you both with his blessings.

What God has joined, we must not divide.

The Rings are Blessed and the couple give each other a ring saying:-

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.

OPTIONS FOR THE BLESSING PRAYER THAT THE PRIEST PRAYS OVER THE NEWLY MARRIED COUPLE
NUPTIAL BLESSING:

(37)

My dear friends, let us turn to the Lord and pray

that God will bless this woman (or N)

now married in Christ to this man (or N) and that God will unite in love the couple joined in this holy bond.

(All pray silently for a short while. Then the priest extends his hands and continues: )

Father, by your power you have made everything out of nothing.

In the beginning you created the universe

and made the world in your own likeness.

You gave men and women the constant support of each other

so that they should no longer be two, but one flesh,

and you teach us that what you have united

may never be divided.

Look with love upon N., your daughter, now joined to N. in marriage.

She asks your blessing.

Give her the grace of love and peace.

May she always follow the example of the holy women

whose praises are sung in the scriptures.

May N. put his trust in her and recognise that she is his equal

and the heir with him to the life of grace.

May he always honour her and love her

as Christ loves his bride, the Church.

Father, keep them always true to your commandments.

Keep them faithful in marriage

and let them be living examples of Christian life.

Give them the strength which comes from the gospel

so that they may be witnesses of Christ to others.

Bless them with children

and help them to be good parents.

May they live to see their children’s children.

And, after a happy old age,

grant them fullness of life with the saints

in the kingdom of heaven.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

(38)

Let us pray to the Lord for N.... and N....

who come to God’s altar at the beginning of their married life

so that they may always be united in love for each other

(as now they share in the body and blood of Christ).

(All pray silently for a short while. Then the priest extends his hands and continues: )

Holy Father, you created the world in your own image

and made man and woman to be joined as husband and wife

in union of body and heart

and so fulfil their mission in this world.

Father, to reveal the plan of your love,

you made the union of husband and wife

an image of the covenant between you and your people.

In the fulfilment of this sacrament,

the marriage of Christian man and woman is a sign of the marriage between Christ and the Church.

Father, stretch out your hand, and bless N.... and N.....

Grant that as they begin to live this sacrament

they may share with each other the gifts of your love

and become one in heart and mind

as witnesses to your presence in their marriage.

Help them to create a home together

and give them children to be formed by the gospel

and to have a place in your family.

Give your blessings to N.......,

so that she may be a good wife and mother,

caring for the home,

faithful in love for her husband,

generous and kind.

Give your blessings to N......,

so that he may be a good husband

and father,

caring for the home

faithful in love for his wife,

generous and kind.

Father, grant that as they come together to your table on earth,

so they may one day have the joy of sharing your feast in heaven.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

(39)

My dear friends, let us ask God

for continued blessings upon .N..... and .........

(All pray silently for a short while. Then the priest extends his hands and continues: )

Holy Father, creator of the universe,

maker of man and woman in your own likeness,

source of blessing for married life,

we humbly pray to you for .N......... and N.……….., who today are united in this sacrament of marriage.

May your fullest blessing come upon them

so that they may together rejoice in your gift of married love

(and enrich your Church with their children).

Lord, may they both praise you when they are happy

and turn to you in their sorrows.

May they be glad that you help them in their work

and know that you are with them in their need.

May they pray to you in the community of the Church,

and be your witnesses in the world.

May they reach old age in the company of their friends,

and come at last to the kingdom of heaven.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

OPTIONS FOR PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL:--

PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL

(ALSO KNOWN AS “GENERAL INTERCESSIONS”)

You are invited to compose some of your own prayers. There is a FORMAT to be used when writing these prayers. The format is set out below, for your guidance. Please read them carefully. If you would like to use these prayers, they can be adapted if a word or phrase does not suit the circumstances of this wedding.

Usually people choose between 5 and 9 prayers. You are invited to choose a person to read these. Alternatively, more than one person may be called to share these prayers.

If more than one person reads these prayers, all should come to the microphone together, and return to their places together, after all the prayers are read.

(please note, newer versions of this handout have re-numbered and even deleted selections from below. Please double-check which prayers are requested)

The response by the congregation, after each of these prayers is “Lord hear us.”