The Rite for Celebrating Marriage During Mass is the preferred form when both the bride and the groom are Catholic. The elements for this rite follow.
Entrance Rite
The purpose of this rite is that the faithful coming together take on the form of a community and prepare themselves to listen to God’s word and celebrate the Eucharist properly. The rite calls for the bride and groom, as the ministers of the sacrament of marriage, to be part of the entrance procession along with the liturgical ministers.
Liturgy of the Word
The proclamation of the Word of God and the homily are an integral part of the wedding liturgy. There may be three readings, the first of them from the Old Testament. After the Gospel, the priest gives a homily that speaks about the mystery of Christian marriage, the dignity of wedded love, the grace of the sacrament and responsibilities of married people.
The Rite of Marriage
The principal symbol of the marriage celebration and the ministers of the sacrament are the bride and groom. The priest addresses the couple with respect to the sacrament they are to receive and questions them with regard to their freedom of choice, the promise of fidelity and the acceptance and upbringing of children, unless the couple are beyond child-bearing years. The priest then invites the couple to declare their consent and exchange vows. This is followed by the exchange of rings and the general intercessions.
The Liturgy of the Eucharist
The priest follows the Order of the Mass, with the exception that after the Lord’s Prayer, the Nuptial Blessing is said. During this blessing the priest first praises God for the role of marriage in human history and then asks God to bless the couple and to make their marriage fruitful and strong.
Concluding Rite
The concluding rite consists of the blessing and dismissal.
Rite of Celebrating Marriage Outside of Mass
The Rite for Celebrating Marriage Outside Mass is the preferred form when a Catholic marries a baptized person who is not Catholic. The entrance rite and Liturgy of the Word are celebrated in the usual manner. The blessing and exchange of rings takes place followed by the general intercessions and the nuptial blessing. The celebration concludes with the Lord’s Prayer and final blessing.
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