Celebrating Catholic Weddings, Part 2

Some additional thoughts on Introductory Rites

     Sometimes presiders, fearing the ritual can be cold, attempt to “warm it up” by adding niceties and anecdotal things outside of the ritual. For instance, the presider’s first words should always be, “In the name of the Father . . . ”, yet sometimes he will skip both the sign of the cross and the Pauline greeting in favor of a more mundane greeting. Let’s not forget, we are on holy ground, and the presider is the Church’s minister and witness, and not a game show host, if you will. Thus, it is always best for the presider to stay within the rubrics, leading the sign of the cross and greeting the assembly in the way prescribed, yet without following the greeting with a “translation” of “Good afternoon, everyone.”.

    The new Roman Missal states that the Penitential Act is to be omitted and that the Glory to God is to be included in a wedding Eucharist. This inclusion of the Glory to God, I believe, assumes the wedding is taking place on a Sunday. Although a good idea in theory, if it must be included it would best be recited, unless there is present an assembly ready to heartily sing it.

     Probably nothing makes me cringe more at a wedding than seeing a presider who arrives with his own binder. This usually indicates that he has amassed his own collection of prayers, etc. for use, and thus the musicians may have no idea what to expect next.

Liturgy of the Word at Weddings

     Couples are encouraged to select the readings for their wedding liturgy. Most of the time they are given a resource, Together for Life, by the late Rev. Joseph Champlain. This comprehensive resource gives to couples all the options for all the prayers and readings of the wedding liturgy. Personally, I don’t think that couples need to select which prayers the priest uses, but that’s a matter of one’s opinion. 

     It is important that couples choose their readings together. Couples should read the options and the commentaries, and might even take the opportunity to pray together over them. 

     Who should proclaim the readings? It is common for the couple to choose family or friends to proclaim the Scripture readings. Proclaiming Scripture is serious business, because as Catholics we believe Christ is truly present in the Word as in the Eucharist. Therefore, its proclamation must be entrusted to those who are properly able to minister. Someone who does not have a life in the Church is probably not the right person to proclaim Scripture.

     True story: During a February wedding one year, a groomsman (who seemed to have been drinking prior to the liturgy) got up to proclaim the second reading, from 1 Corinthians. Arriving at the ambo he said, “Before I do this, I’d just like to say that a lot of people were nervous having a February wedding because of the weather, but it was 11 years ago today that [bride & groom] had their first date, so let’s hear it for them!”. With that, thunderous applause from the otherwise stoic assembly, followed by, “Um . . . a reading from the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians . . . ”. 

     Fortunately, it seems we are long past the days when Kahlil Gibran passages were requested or snuck in in lieu of Scripture readings. I even know a bishop who as a presbyter presided at the 1970s wedding of his cousin, and allowed a Gibran passage during the Liturgy of the Word, only crossing out the words “This is the word of the Lord.”! Needless to say, the Word of God is never to replaced by anything.

     It is also not necessary to have two readings before the Gospel. One can have a reading from either the Old or New Testament, the psalm, the Gospel acclamation and the Gospel, bearing in mind the Gospel is never to be omitted.
     The psalm is to be selected from among the psalms of Scripture. Must the psalm be selected from the prescribed psalms in the Lectionary? Not necessarily. For example, a seasonal psalm could be used, e.g. singing Psalm 118: This Is the Day at an Eastertide wedding. The psalm, however, must never be replaced by something that is not in the proper form or drawn from proper sources. Not to disparage a beautiful song or its wonderful composer, but one example would be using I Have Loved You as a “psalm”. But it is based on Psalm 24, you might say. Well, the verses, are inspired by Psalm 24, but that is all. The refrain is drawn from Jeremiah 31. While this song can be (and is) appropriately included in many weddings, it cannot be used as a setting of the psalm. Having said all that, there are countless wonderful settings of psalms for weddings that are available. Must the psalm be sung? Except for serious pastoral reason, yes. And as the Word of God, it should always be proclaimed (that is, sung) from the ambo rather than the cantor’s stand.
     Just as in any Mass, the Gospel is to be proclaimed from the ambo or pulpit, and not from anywhere else, e.g. standing in front of the couple or on the floor in front of the assembly. Following the Gospel and the homily, we come to the moment for which the couple have been waiting . . .