"God, who created man out of love, also calls him to love-- the fundamental and innate vocation of every human being... their mutual love becomes an image of the absolute and unfailing love with which God loves man. It is good, very good in the Creator's eyes."
-- Catechism of the Catholic Church, Article 7: The Sacrament of Matrimony #1604*
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When we reached the altar, we hugged our parents,
Took our places at the altar for the opening prayer,
Then settled in our seats...
(Um... I promise we were both really happy on our wedding day. I guess we just took our readings VERY seriously. Just don't look at our faces and focus on those pretty Easter lilies.)
To hear Kenneth's sweet cousin Emily, who has opened her house to me/us several times over the last year, give the first reading, speaking words she can probably relate to, having just been married to her husband Dylan about a year and a half ago...
Genesis 2: 18-24
The LORD God said: "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a suitable partner for him." So the LORD God formed out of the ground various wild animals and various birds of the air, and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them; whatever the man called each of them would be its name. The man gave names to all the cattle, all the birds of the air, and all the wild animals; but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man. So the LORD God cast a deep sleep on the man, and while he was asleep, he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. The LORD God then built up into a woman the rib that he had taken from the man. When he brought her to the man, the man said: "This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; This one shall be called 'woman,' for out of 'her man' this one has been taken." That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body.
We continued with the responsorial psalm, #145: "The LORD is good to all/and compassionate toward all his works..." And the congregation responded, "I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God."
We progressed to the second reading, Colossians 3:12-17, my favorite from the entire Bible, and read by the best person in the world for it-- my humble, kind-hearted, genuine, and totally family-oriented Uncle John.
Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
If those aren't words to live by, in your marriage and elsewhere, then I don't know what is.
Before we could move to the homily, and the rest of the ceremony, there was one more reading, the Gospel, read by Fr. Dick.
Matthew 19:3-6
Some Pharisees approached him, and tested him, saying, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?" He said in reply, "Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator '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, no human being must separate."
The reading is fairly legalistic-- no flowery love-dovey language here-- but it certainly lays things out very plainly. Marriage is forever-- according to the Catholic church, and for us. And that's how we look at our marriage-- divorce is not an option.
Now, what Fr. Dick had to say about it in his homily, I have no clue. I know I listened during his sermon... but I really don't remember at all what he said. However, I do remember how earnest he looked while he said it, and how he spoke it while mostly looking at us.
And, since the others weren't all that flattering of Fr. Dick, here's a fantastic picture of our priest. Would you believe he's going to be retiring soon? I'm not going to put his age online, but he's about 20 years older than he looks!
Up next, rings, vows, and if I'm feeling productive, the first time I cry in during our ceremony. I promise the reception will be more lively postings. We had an open bar... and lots of fun pictures to prove it.
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