C. Consent.
The priest then invites the couple to declare their consent. Instead of a simple “yes” in reply to the question of the celebrant demanded by the old ritual, a more complete formula is preferred; a formula that has been in use from medieval times in English speaking countries.
Priest:” Since it is your intention to enter into marriage, declare your consent before God and his church”
Groom: “I call upon these persons here present to witness that I, N.N. (Full name, including surname) do take thee, N.N (Full name, including surname), to be my lawful wedded wife to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part”.
D. Reception of Consent.
The priest receives their consent for the whole church and invokes the blessing of God on their consent, saying:
Priest: “You have declared your consent before the Church. May the Lord in his goodness strengthen your consent and fill you both with his blessings. What God has joined together, let no man put asunder”.
All: “Amen”.
E. Blessing and Exchange of Rings.
At this point in the ceremony, the priest blesses the rings.
Priest: “May the Lord bless this ring (these rings) which you give (to each other) as the sign of your love and fidelity.
All: “Amen”.
The bridegroom then puts the ring on the finger of the bride, saying:
Husband: “N. (Christian name only), 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”.
The rings are lovingly exchanged by the couple as the bride does the same for the bridegroom repeating the same formula. The ring is a symbol for eternal love.
III. Liturgy of the Eucharist.
The marriage mass continues pretty much as usual with a few minor changes.
A. After the Lord’s Prayer, the priest faces the couple and gives a beautiful nuptial blessing. He chooses an opening paragraph which corresponds to the reading. The priest praises God for his divine plan of creation in his image and likeness, for the beauty of marital love and marriage which symbolizes Christ’s love for his church.
Priest: “Father, you have made the union of man and wife so holy a mystery that it symbolizes the marriage of Christ and his Church”.
Then he prays specifically for the couple that they might love and cherish each other for life.
B. Before blessing the people, the Priest blesses the Bride and Bridegroom, in such a form as the following:
Priest: “God the eternal Father keep you in love for each other, so that the peace of Christ may stay with you and be always in your home”.
All: “Amen”.
Priest: “May (your children bless you,) your friends console you and all men live in peace with you.
All: “Amen”.
Priest: “May you always bear witness to the love of God in the world so that the afflicted and the needy will find in you generous friends, and welcome you into the joys of heaven.
All: “Amen”.
After the dismissal the newly married couple, together with the witnesses, go to sign the civil register.
In the celebration of marriage (which normally should be within Mass), certain elements should be stressed. The first is the liturgy of the word, which brings out the importance of Christian marriage in the history of salvation and the duties and responsibilities it involves in the sanctification of the couple and their children. Also to be emphasized are: the consent of the contracting parties, which the priest asks and receives; the special nuptial blessing on the bride, by which the priest implores God’s blessing on the wedding covenant; and, finally, the reception of holy communion by the groom and the bride and by others present, which above all is the source of love and lifts up into communion with our Lord and with one another.
The Church’s Understanding of the Vocation of Marriage.
The Church considers marriage as a special sign, a sacrament of God’s love. It says that God loves men and women the way they are and that he blesses their life together in a special, unique way. Marital love is a sign of God’s love for us. Jesus is present to the couple to help them live their daily lives. The Spirit enters their hearts to sustain them in their commitment to each other. In virtue of the sacrament of marriage, married Christians signify and share in the mystery of the unity and the fruitful love that exists between Christ and his Church; they thus help each other attain holiness in their married life and in welcoming and rearing children; and they have their own special place and gift among the people of God.
By their very nature, the institution of marriage and wedded love have as their purpose the procreation and education of children and find in them their ultimate crown. Children are a tremendous symbol of divine love which is made manifest in marriage. According to the Church therefore, married Christians, without in any way considering the other purposes of marriage of less account, should be steadfast and willing to cooperate with the love of the Creator and Saviour, who through them will constantly enlarge and enrich their own family. The Church thus advocates that Christian marriage has two purposes: the mutual sharing and growth in grace and love between husband and wife and the procreation of children.
A marriage is established by the marriage covenant, the irrevocable consent that the spouses freely give to and receive from each other. This unique union of a man and woman and the good of the children impose total fidelity on each of them and the unbreakable unity of their bond. To make the indissoluble marriage covenant a clearer sign of this full meaning and a surer help in its fulfilment, Christ the Lord raised it to the dignity of a sacrament, modelled on his own nuptial bond with the Church. The Church therefore stresses that Christian couples are to strive to nourish and develop their marriage by undivided affection, which wells up from the foundation of divine love: in a merging of the human and the divine, they remain faithful in body and in mind, in good time and in bad. Marriage as covenant – an open ended, 100 per cent commitment to love and be faithful to the other partner – is a rich biblical way to image Christian marriage. Seen this way, marriage is in miniature a symbol of God’s love in Jesus Christ for his people, the church.
Bibliography
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The Marriage Book, Redemptorist Publications, 1996.
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The Sacraments & You, Living Encounters with Christ, Michael Pennock, 1966.
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How to Understand Marriage, Jean Pierre Bagot, SCM Press 1987.
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Christian Marriage A Sacrament of Love, Ronald J.Wilkins & Mary E. Gryczka – Wm.C.Brown 1986.
