Marriages take place before a priest and he is Gods representative on earth. It takes place in a catholic church and there has to be two witnesses present in the church. After the wedding ceremony there is the signing of the register as a civil document of the marriage and the two witnesses also signs the register along with the priest.
The marriage ceremony starts off with the greeting where the priest welcomes the happy couple before the mass as a sign that the whole congregation share the joy of this happy occasion.
The mass starts off with the liturgy of the word and the reading which are about the meaning of marriage and through the readings God speaks to the couple. In the homily the priest speaks about the meaning Christian marriage and the responsibilities that comes with it.
The Marriage Rite is after the homily where the priest begins with an introductory prayer and it contains some important ideas on Christian marriage and the understanding of it. The priest then questions the couple to see if they are getting married for the correct reasons and by their own free will. The priest asks the couple three questions,
“Have you come here of your own free will and choice and without compulsion?”
“Will you love and honour each other in marriage and in health all the days of your life?”
“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?”
The couple should answer, “we do” to each question and the priest continues with the mass.
The couple then makes their vows to each other. This is the actual moment of the sacrament the couple vows to each other for a life long relationship. They say to each
“I take you, (name), as my wife/husband for better, for worse, for poorer, in sickness and in health, all the days of my life.”
The vows reflect the Christian belief that marriage is part of Gods plan for the human race like Jesus said,
(Mk10: 2-10) “From the beginning of creation God made them male and female for this reason man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife and the two become one flesh, so they are no longer two but one with God.”
The marriage vows also mean a life long commitment and fidelity and the setting up of a family and accepting of children from God lovingly.
The priest then says to the couple that they are now married in the eyes of God and the priest blesses the couple and asks God for his blessing and says,
(Mk: 10:9-10) “What God has joined together man must not separate” and by this he means the couple must stay married for the rest of their lives, they should not divorce or remarry.
The couple then exchange the rings, one plain ring for the husband and one plain ring with a diamond for the wife as shown, the priest blesses them. The married person then places the ring on the other partners’ finger as a sign of their love and fidelity. The couple have now promised themselves to each other in a permanent and exclusive relationship. The marriage ring is a sign of unity and everlasting love and relationship with each other and it is taken as a promise to one another.
The priest then says the Prayers of the Faithful which focuses on the needs of the couple and their new responsibilities. The priest then says the Liturgy of the Eucharist and after the Our Father.
The Nuptial Blessing is after the Our Father where the priest says a special prayer for the couple where they are assured of the help of the Holy Spirit in their marriage and to live a good Christian life. The blessing has ideas about the meaning of marriage as a sacrament and a reflection of Christ’s love for the church and that of a life giving, faithful and permanent relationship.
Holy Communion is then given out by the priest, first to the couple and after this the Eucharist they are strengthened and renew the covenant they have made to God and each other now unites the couple in God and each other, the same bread and wine as a sign of their unity and.
The priest then ends the mass with the Concluding Rite. When the mass is over the couple are invited up to sign the register as a civil requirement for marriage and a certificate is given by the priest.
Marriage is for life and it is a public affair, God gave marriage to us because God’s love is reflected in the love which a husband and wife share for each other. It is a Christian tradition and a life long commitment.
Couples who are getting married are advised to attend marriage preparation courses. These courses are directed by trained people with the support of the local priest. Couples are advised to attend these courses so that they can be prepared for the changes married life can bring. These courses highlight the responsibilities and problems that may arise, and they are taught how best to deal with these problems.
The teaching of family planning in the Roman Catholic Church is that only natural family methods are used. Artificial methods are rejected as they are deemed to interfere with nature as they prevent contraception and this is wrong in the eyes of the Catholic Church.
In the Catholic tradition marriage is a sacrament from God, it is permanent and is for life. There are certain conditions that need to be kept in Roman Catholic marriage like one can’t divorce and natural methods of family planning.
