During the Sermon the Priest will usually talk about what is meant by a Christian wedding, he will mention the dignity of being married and loved. He will also mention the responsibilities of marriage showing that the couple are growing closer to God by loving each other.
This Sermon represents the responsibilities that a couple will have to undertake during their marriage. It just brings back to mind all of the things that the bride and bridegroom have been preparing for. It is saying that Marriage isn’t something that you should go into light heartedly and reminds the bride and groom of the seriousness of the decision they are about to be make.
The next part of the mass is the most important part, the ceremony itself. The priest will ask the couple three simple questions to which they will reply honestly. The Priest asks:
- “Have you come to give yourselves to each other, freely and without reservation?
In simple terms what the priest is asking is ‘Are you already married?’ or `Are you being forced into marriage?’ This question represents freedom of life and you should not be forced into something.
- “Will you love and honour each other for life?”
This question sounds exactly as it is put. It represents the exclusiveness of marriage i.e. one person and also that marriage is for life not something you can discard ten or twenty years down the line.
Christians believe very strongly about the fidelity of marriage, they believe it is a sign of faithfulness and exclusiveness. This is why Christians do not believe in divorce as it goes totally against the teachings of Christ and God. We can find many references referring to the topic of the fidelity of marriage; this is one very useful quote:
The part of the quote which is in italics I think is the most important part because it tells us that marriage is for life and not something to be rushed into.
- “Will you accept children lovingly from God?”
This question refers to sexual intercourse in a marriage and that it is an exclusive expression of love between man and wife. It asking “are you going to reserve intercourse for the most sacred things and not use contraceptives or have abortions.”
These questions prove that the couple know the responsibilities of marriage and they are free to undertake them.
The next part of the mass is where the actual marriage vows are taken between the couple. What most people seem to forget is that it is not the Priest that marries them, he and the congregation are only witnesses before God. It is the consent between the two that makes the Sacrament of Marriage take place.
The vows are one of the most important parts of the ceremony; it is where the couple pledge themselves to each other. They will say:
These words show that the couple are willing to pledge themselves to each other for life and will love and cherish each other.
Catholics believe that this is the last opportunity to turn back because they have now pledged themselves to each other.
In the next stage of the mass the couple accept their consents and the Priests gives a blessing to the new couple.
It is important and essential that a Priest is present; he represents the people of God and also accepts the mutual consent of the couple with these words:
It is at this stage where the couple are actually married in the eyes of the church. They have agreed that they have given their consent and the priest has confirmed it.
This next part of the mass is one of the most well known parts throughout the world; this is the exchanging of the rings. The rings are a symbol of the love and fidelity, which the couple have and will share for the rest of their lives. The couple have promised themselves to each other for life admitting no other partners. The ring is a token of their promises, which they have made to each other.
The ring also symbolises the eternity of the marriage, it is ongoing and never ending and also everlasting as the ring has no end.
At the exchanging of the rings the couple will say in turn to each other the priest will also say:
The next part of the mass is an optional part; the couple decide if they would like to receive a blessing, this will come just after the ‘Our Father’ of the mass. The priest will step up to the bride and say:
This blessing symbolises two very important themes or parts of the Catholic Marriage, these are:
- That a husband’s love is a replica as Christ shares with us
- Marriage evolves around faithfulness, there for all to see.
The next is anther key moment in the Marriage Mass; this is the signing of the Marriage register. This though is a civil requirement not one needed by the Church. The couple must both sign it along with the registrar and there must be at least two witnesses present to also sign it. After this a marriage certificate will be issued confirming that the couple are now officially and legally married.
There are other symbols that are associated with the wedding. Brides traditionally wear a white dress with a veil. In the old days the whiteness of the dress would symbolise the virginity of the bride that she has reserved the greatest gift for her husband. However in modern times this tradition has been forgotten about but there are some who do follow this ancient tradition.
To some up all of the points above here are four brief bullet points:
Marriage is a sign of God’s love and the couple love and serve God as they love each other.
Marriage is a lifelong relationship ending only in death.
Marriage is special; it is unique, exclusive and permanent.
Marriage has the possibility of life giving and has the opportunity of children and needs a lot of hard work with parenthood.
James Mitchell Page 5/8/2007
