Wedding Mass Book
The Complete Wedding Mass Book
Nuptial Mass Liturgy of the Word & Rite of Marriage
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The Complete Wedding Mass Book
Entrance Hymn:- Aisling and James each light a single candle on the altar.
P In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen
P The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C And also with you
Penitential Rite
P My sisters and brothers, to prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries, let us call to mind our sins.
I confess to almighty God, and to you my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned through my own fault, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done, and in what I have failed to do; and I ask the blessed Mary, ever virgin, all the angels and saints, and you my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.
P May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins,
and bring us to everlasting life.
C Amen.
P Lord, have mercy. C Lord, have mercy.
P Christ, have mercy. C Christ, have mercy.
P Lord, have mercy. C Lord, have mercy.
Gloria
P Glory to God in the highest,
C And peace to his people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us;
You who are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Opening Prayer
P Let us pray
Father when you created mankind you willed that man 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 this through Christ our Lord.
C Amen.
F i r s t R e a d i n g s
A reading from the Song of Songs
I hear my Beloved. See how he comes leaping on the mountains, bounding over the hills. My Beloved is like a gazelle, like a young stag. See where he stands behind our wall. He looks in at the window, he peers through the lattice. My Beloved lifts up his voice, he says to me, “Come then my love, my lovely one, come. My dove, hiding in the clefts of the rock, in the coverts of the cliff, show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet and your face is beautiful”. My Beloved is mine and I am his. Set me like a seal on you heart, like a seal on you arm. For love is strong as Death, jealously relentless as Sheol. The flash of it is a flash of fire, a flame of the Lord himself. Love no flood can quench, no torrents drown.
This is the word of the Lord.
R e s p o n s o r i a l P s a l m s
Response: O blessed are those who fear the Lord!
O blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways!
By the labour of your hands you shall eat.
You will be happy and prosper. (R)
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the heart of your house; your children like shoots of the olive,around your table. (R)
Indeed thus shall be blessed the man who fears the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Zion all the days of your life! (R)
S e c o n d R e a d i n g s
A reading from the first letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians
Be ambitious for the higher gifts. And I am going to show you a way that is better than any of them. If I have all the eloquence of men or of angels, but speak without love, I am simply a gong booming or a cymbal clashing. If I have the gift of prophecy, understanding all the mysteries there are, and knowing everything, and if I have faith in all its fullness, to move mountains, but without love, then I am nothing at all. If I give away all that I possess, piece by piece, and if I even let them take my body to burn it, but am without love, it will do me no good whatever. Love is always patient and kind; it is never jealous; love is never boastful or conceited; it is never rude or selfish; it does not take offence, and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people’s sins but delights in the truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes. Love does not come to an end.
This is the word of the Lord.
G o s p e l A c c l a m a t i o n s
Alleluia, Alleluia!
God is love;
let us love one another
as God has loved us.
Alleluia
The Acclamation may be sung
G o s p e l s
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was joined by his disciples. He began to speak. This is what he taught them:
‘How happy are the poor in spirit: theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Happy the gentle: they shall have the earth for their heritage.
Happy those who mourn: they shall be comforted.
Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right: they shall be satisfied.
Happy the merciful: they shall have mercy shown them.
Happy the pure in heart: they shall see God.
Happy the peacemakers: they shall be called sons of God.
Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right: theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad for your reward will be great in heaven.’
This is the Gospel of the Lord
Homily
RITE OF MARRIAGE
The Address
P Dear children of God, you have come today to pledge your love before God and before the Church here present in the person of the priest, your families and friends.
In becoming husband and wife you give yourselves to each other for life. You promise to be true and faithful, to support and cherish each other until death, so that your years together will be the living out in love of the pledge you now make. May your love for each other reflect the enduring love of Christ for his Church.
As you face the future together, keep in mind that the sacrament of marriage unites you with Christ, and brings you, through the years, the grace and blessing of God our Father. Marriage is from God: he alone can give you the happiness which goes beyond human expectation, and which grows deeper through the difficulties and struggles of life.
Put your trust in God as you set out together in life. Make your home a centre of Christian family life. In this you will bequeath to your children a heritage more lasting than temporal wealth.
The Christian home makes Christ and his Church present in the world of everyday things. May all who enter your home find there the presence of the Lord; for he has said: “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them.”
Now as you are about to exchange your marriage vows the Church wishes to be assured that you appreciate the meaning of what you do, and so I ask you:
P Have you come here of you own free will and choice to marry each other?
Both: We have.
P Will you love and honour each other in marriage all the days of your life?
Both: We will
P Are you willing to accept with love the children God may send you and bring them up in accordance with the law of Christ and his church?
Both: We are.
Declaration of Consent
P I invite you then to declare before God and his Church, your consent to become husband and wife.
Ref: Declaration-2
N: I, James, take you Aisling as my wife, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, til death do us part (or – all the days of our life)
N: I, Aisling, take you James as my husband, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, til death do us part (or – all the days of our life)
til death do us part ( or all the days of our life)
Priest: The Lord has joined you together.
May he confirm the consent that you have given, and enrich you with his blessing.
Blessing of Rings
P Lord, bless James and Aisling and consecrate their married life.
May these rings be a symbol of their faith in each other and a reminder of their love. Through Christ our Lord.
Both: Amen.
N: Aisling, wear this ring as a sign of our faithful love, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
N: James, wear this ring as a sign of our faithful love, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
N: I give you this gold and silver tokens of all I possess.
(or I give you this gift a token of all I possess)
Aisling and James now light a single candle together symbolising that they are united in the sacrament of marriage.
Prayer of the Faithful
Priest Now that _James and __Aisling_ have given themselves to each other in Christian Marriage let us ask God our Father to keep them and
all married couples faithful to him, and united in themselves.
R For James and Aisling as they begin their married life together and
for happiness in their home. Lord, hear us.
C Lord, graciously hear us.
R For their parents and friends and all who have helped them
to this happy day. Lord, hear us.
C Lord, graciously hear us.
R May James and Aisling be blessed in their children and may their children return their love a hundredfold. Lord, hear us.
C Lord, graciously hear us.
R For the sick and the suffering: that God may lay his hands gently upon them. Let them feel His strength and His peace. Lord, hear us.
C Lord, graciously hear us.
R For peace in the world and for all who are deprived of love and affection.
Lord, hear us.
C Lord, graciously hear us.
R For all the faithful departed, especially those whom we ourselves have loved and would have wished to be present on this day. (especially …)
Lord, hear us.
C Lord, graciously hear us.
Priest O Lord, fill the hearts of __James and Aisling with joy and love. May their home be a place of goodness and of peace. May their door be closed to no neighbour, especially if in need. May their lives be solidly rooted in faith and prayer. May their love for each other help them to know You, who are eternal love. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
God, our Father, you have taught us that love is the fulfilment of the law: may N and N grow in love for each other, and always remain in your love. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
C Amen.
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
Preparation of the Gifts
Hymn:-
P Pray, sisters and brothers, that our sacrifice may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father.
C May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands to the praise and glory of his name, for our good, and the good of all his Church.
Prayer over the gifts
P Lord, hear our prayers and accept the gifts we offer for N and N. Today you have made them one in the sacrament of marriage. May Eucharist, increase their love for you and for each other. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
C Amen.
Eucharistic Prayer III
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Life up your hearts.
C We lift them up to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give him thanks and praise.
P Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks.
By this sacrament your grace unites man and woman in an unbreakable bond of love and peace.
You have designed the chaste love of husband and wife for the increase both of the human family and of your own family born in Baptism.
You are the loving Father of the world of nature; you are the loving Father of the new creation of grace.
In Christian marriage you bring together the two orders of creation:nature’s gift of children enriches the world and your grace enriches also your Church.
Through Christ the choirs of angels and all the saints praise and worship your glory.
May our voices blend with theirs as we join in their unending hymn:
C Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
P Father, you are holy indeed, and all creation rightly gives you praise.
All life, all holiness comes from you through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, by the working of the Holy Spirit.
From age to age you gather a people to yourself, so that from east to west a perfect offering may be made to the glory of your name.
And so, Father, we bring you these gifts.
We ask you to make them holy by the power of your Spirit, that they may become the body + and blood of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
at whose command we celebrate this Eucharist.
On the night he was betrayed, he took bread and gave you thanks and praise.
He broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said:
TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND EAT IT:
THIS IS MY BODY WHICH WILL BE GIVEN UP FOR YOU.
When supper was ended, he took the cup.
Again he gave you thanks and praise,
gave the cup to his disciples, and said:
TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND DRINK FROM IT:
THIS IS THE CUP OF MY BLOOD,
THE BLOOD OF THE NEW AND EVERLASTING COVENANT.
IT WILL BE SHED FOR YOU AND FOR ALL
SO THAT SINS MAY BE FORGIVEN.
DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME.
Let us proclaim the mystery of faith:
C When we eat this bread and drink this cup
we proclaim your death, Lord Jesus,
until you come in glory.
P Father, calling to mind the death your Son endured for our salvation, his glorious resurrection and ascension into heaven, and ready to greet him when he comes again, we offer you in thanksgiving this holy and living sacrifice.
Look with favour on your Church’s offering, and see the Victim whose death has reconciled us to yourself.
Grant that we, who are nourished by his body and blood, may be filled with his Holy Spirit, and become one body, one spirit in Christ.
May he make us an everlasting gift to you and enable us to share in the inheritance of your saints, with Mary, the virgin Mother of God; with the apostles, the martyrs and all your saints, on whose constant intercession we rely for help.
Lord, may this sacrifice, which has made our peace with you, advance the peace and salvation of all the world.
Strengthen in faith and love your pilgrim Church on earth; your servant, Pope John Paul, our Bishop Michael, and all the bishops, with the clergy and the entire people your Son has gained for you.
Father, hear the prayers of the family you have gathered here before you.
In mercy and love unite all your children wherever they may be.
Welcome into your kingdom our departed brothers and sisters, and all who have left this world in your friendship.
We hope to enjoy forever, the vision of your glory, through Christ our Lord, from whom all good things come.
P Through him, with him, in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honour is yours, almighty Father, for ever and ever.
C Amen.
Communion Rite
P Let us pray with confidence to the Father in the words our Saviour gave us.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
The Nuptial Blessing
Father, You created the universe and made man and woman in your own likeness. You gave woman as companion to man so that they should no longer be two, but one flesh, teaching us that those you have so united may never be separated.
Father, you have sanctified the union of man and wife by a mystery so holy, that it symbolises the marriage of Christ and his Church. Look with love upon Sarah as she asks your blessing. May she live in peace with you and always follow the example of the women whose praises are sung in the scriptures.
May Darren put his trust in her and see her as his companion. May he always honour her and love her as Christ loves the Church. Father, keep this husband and wife strong in faith and true to your commandments. May they be faithful to each other, examples of Christian living, and witnesses of Christ. Bless them with children and help them to be parents.
And, after a long and happy life together, may they enjoy the company of your saints in heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
C Amen.
that love which hopes and shares, heals and forgives.
We ask you to bless Darren and Sarah as they set out on their new life.
Fill their hearts with your Holy Spirit, the Spirit of understanding, joy, fortitude and peace.
Strengthen them to do your will, and in the trials of life to bear the cross with Christ.
May they praise you during the bright days, and call on you in times of trouble.
(May their children bring them your blessing, and give glory to your name.) Let their love be strong as death, a fire that floods cannot drown, a jewel beyond all price.
May their life together give witness to their faith in Christ.
May they see long and happy days, and be united forever in the kingdom of your glory.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
P Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your apostles: I leave you peace, my peace I give you. Look not on our sins, but on the faith of your
Church, and grant us the peace and unity of your kingdom where you live for ever and ever.
C Amen.
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
P Let us offer each other a sign of peace.
All: Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: grant us peace.
P Lord Jesus Christ, with faith in your love and mercy,
I eat your body and drink you blood.
Let it not bring me condemnation, but health in mind and body.
This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
Happy are those who are called to his supper
Lord, I am not worthy to receive you,
but only say the word and I shall be healed.
Communion Hymns:-
Prayer after Communion
Lord, in your love you have given us this Eucharist to unite us with one another and with you. As you made Darren and Sarah one in this sacrament of marriage, so now make them one in love for each other.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
C Amen.
CONCLUDING RITE
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you
P May God, the almighty Father, grant you his joy; may he bless you in your children.
C Amen.
P May Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in his mercy help you
in good times and in bad.
C Amen.
P May the Holy Spirit of God always fill you with his love.
C Amen.
P May almighty God bless you all, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Signing of the Civil Register:-
Recessional March:-
It takes a ring, it takes a prayer.
It takes a dream two people share.
It takes two hearts that beat as one.
It takes faith in years to come.
It takes God’s blessing from above.
But most of all it takes your love.
To our parents, families and our friends, we thank you for your help in making this day so special for us.