XXX
&
YYY

Wedding

June 17, 2006

We would like to thank each and every one of you for sharing our special day with us. We would especially like to thank our parents for all of the love and support they have given us throughout our lives. Your love and support means the world to us, not only today but also in the days to come.
With Love,
Niki & Chris

The Nuptial Mass of
XXX
&
YYY

At 8090, Albert hall, NY, USA

August 14, 2005

If I give away all that I possess, piece by piece, and if I even let them take my body to burn it, but am without love, it will do me no good whatsoever.

Love is always patient and kind; it is never jealous; love is never boastful or conceited; it is never rude or selfish; it does not take offence, and is not resentful.

Love takes no pleasure in other people’s sins but delights in the truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes.

Love does not come to an end.
This is the word of the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.

Gospel Reading: The celebrant goes to the lectern. All sit and listen. A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew. Chapter 5 Verse 1 to 12a

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”
The Gospel of the Lord.

All: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

RITE OF MARRIAGE

Introductory Address: All stand, including the bride and groom, and the priest addresses them:

My dear friends, you have come together in this church so that the Lord may seal and strengthen your love in the presence of the Church’s minister and this community. Christ abundantly blesses this love. He has already consecrated you in baptism and now he enriches and strengthens you by a special sacrament so that you may assume the duties of marriage in mutual and lasting fidelity. And so, in the presence of the Church, I ask you to state your intentions.

Statement of Intentions: The priest then questions the bride and groom about their freedom of choice, faithfulness to each other, and the acceptance and upbringing of children. The bride and groom answer the questions separately.

XXX and YYY, have you come here freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other in marriage?

Will you love and honour each other as husband and wife for the rest of your lives?

Will you accept children lovingly from God and bring them up according to the law of Christ and his Church?

Consent and Reception of Consent: The priest invites the couple to declare their consent.

Celebrant: Since it your intention to enter into marriage, join your right hands, and declare your consent before God and his Church.

Groom: I, XXX, take you, YYY, to be my wife. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honour you all the days of my life.

Bride: I, XXX, take you, YYY, to be my husband. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honour you all the days of my life.

Celebrant: 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, men must not divide. All: Amen.

Blessing of Thali

Celebrant: Lord Jesus, who accepted the church as your spouse by your death on the cross, bless this cross that binds the bride and groom in faith and love. May this Thali, which is a symbol of unity, bind them in invisible love and fidelity. Let this cross give them the strength to accept all the difficulties they may encounter in their life, and to lead a holy life according to your will. Celebrant sprinkles holy water.

Blessing of Manthrakodi

Celebrant: Merciful Lord, who decorated our souls with the eternal cloth of grace, bless this garment. Bless this couple so that they may wear you always through complete dedication and mutual love. Let them live in this world without sin and receive the garment of glory in heaven. Celebrant sprinkles holy water.

The groom ties Thali around bride’s neck and then covers the head of the bride with Manthrakodi

Blessing and Exchange of Rings

Celebrant: May the Lord bless these rings which you give to each other as the sign of your love and fidelity.

All: Amen.

The groom places his wife’s ring on her ring finger and says: XXX, 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 bride places her husband’s ring on his ring finger and says:

YYY, take this ring as a sign on my love and fidelity. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Bride & Groom keeping the right hand on the Bible repeat after the priest:

Bride & Groom: We solemnly pledge that we will live in one accord, in joy and sorrow, in wealth and poverty, in health and sickness, with mutual love and fidelity until our death. We command to you O Lord, this is our promise, by the Holy Bible.

Prayer of the Faithful

Dear friends, having just witnessed the exchange of vows between Diya and Sandeep, we now turn to the Heavenly Father and pray that He may shower his blessings on them. Your response to every petition will be: Lord, bless their love.

We pray for XXX and YYY that their love which has brought them together today may mature into a deep, strong bond and that they may be able to live joyfully the pledge they have made to each other today. For this we pray to you O Lord.

All: Lord, bless their love.

Lord, we ask you to bless the parents, grandparents and near and dear ones of the newly wed couple. They have brought them up with so much love and affection and prepared them for this great day. Grant them long life and happiness to witness in turn the happiness of their children and grandchildren.

All: Lord, bless their love.

For relatives and friends who walk with us on life’s journey, and for those who have gone before us. Let us Pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, bless their love.

Heavenly Father, we place all our petitions at your feet. There may be many more we would like to make, which remain unexpressed, silent desires of our hearts. May you look after our needs and may we be ever grateful to you, we pray to the Lord.

All: Amen.
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
Prayer Over the Gifts
Celebrant: Lord, accept the gifts we offer you on this happy day. In your fatherly love watch over and protect XXX and YYY whom you have united in marriage. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Preface

Celebrant: Father, all powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks. By this sacrament your grace united man and woman in an unbreakable bond of love and peace.
You have designated the chaste love of husband and wife for the increase both of the human family and of your own family born in baptism.
You are the loving Father of the world of nature; you are the loving Father of the new creation of grace. In Christian marriage you bring together the two orders of creation: nature’s gift of children enriches the world, and your grace enriches also your Church.
Through Christ the choirs of angels and all the saints praise and worship your glory. May our voices blend with theirs as we join in their unending hymn:

All: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be they name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Do not bring us to the test but deliver us from evil.

We pray for XXX and YYY that their love which has brought them together today may mature into a deep, strong bond and that they may be able to live joyfully the pledge they have made to each other today. For this we pray to you O Lord.

All: Lord, bless their love.

Lord, we ask you to bless the parents, grandparents and near and dear ones of the newly wed couple. They have brought them up with so much love and affection and prepared them for this great day. Grant them long life and happiness to witness in turn the happiness of their children and grandchildren.

All: Lord, bless their love.

For relatives and friends who walk with us on life’s journey, and for those who have gone before us. Let us Pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, bless their love.

Heavenly Father, we place all our petitions at your feet. There may be many more we would like to make, which remain unexpressed, silent desires of our hearts. May you look after our needs and may we be ever grateful to you, we pray to the Lord.

Lord you are the author of marriage and our guiding light. We ask you to watch over XXX and YYY and all married couples. May each day of their married life bring them closer to you because of your continuing guidance and care. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
Prayer Over the Gifts

Celebrant: Lord, accept the gifts we offer you on this happy day. In your fatherly love watch over and protect XXX and YYY whom you have united in marriage. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Preface

Celebrant: Father, all powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks. By this sacrament your grace united man and woman in an unbreakable bond of love and peace.

You have designated the chaste love of husband and wife for the increase both of the human family and of your own family born in baptism.

You are the loving Father of the world of nature; you are the loving Father of the new creation of grace. In Christian marriage you bring together the two orders of creation: nature’s gift of children enriches the world, and your grace enriches also your Church.

Through Christ the choirs of angels and all the saints praise and worship your glory. May our voices blend with theirs as we join in their unending hymn:

All: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be they name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Do not bring us to the test but deliver us from evil.

Nuptial Blessing

Celebrant: My dear friends, let us turn to the Lord and pray that he will bless with his grace XXX now married in Christ to YYY and that he will unite in love the couple he has joined in this holy bond.

All pray silently for a short while.

Father, by your power you have made everything out of nothing. In the beginning you created the universe and made mankind in your own likeness. You gave man the constant help of woman so that man and woman should no longer be two, but one flesh, and you teach us that what you have united may never be divided.

Father, you have made the union of man and wife so holy a mystery that it symbolizes the marriage of Christ and his Church.

Father, by your plan man and woman are united, and married life has been established as the one blessing that was not forfeited by original sin or washed away in the flood.

Look with love upon this woman, your daughter, now joined to her husband in marriage. She asks your blessing. Give her the grace of love and peace.

May she always follow the example of the holy women whose praises are sung in the scriptures.

May her husband put his trust in her and recognize that she is his equal and the heir with him to the life of grace. May he always honour her and love her as Christ loves his bride, the Church.

Father, keep them always true to your commandments. Keep them faithful in marriage and let them be living examples of Christian life.

Give them the strength which comes from the gospel so that they may be witnesses of Christ to others. Bless them with children and help them be good parents. May they live to see their children’s children. And, after a happy old age, grant them fullness of life with the saints in the Kingdom of heaven.
We ask this though Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Celebrant: Let us offer each other the sign of peace.

All present show their peace and love for each other by bringing their palms together in a sign of peace.
Choir: Sings Communion Hymn Ave Maria. All those who wish to receive communion proceed to the front, while other remain seated.
Prayer After Communion

Celebrant: Lord, in your love you have given us this Eucharist to unite us with one another and you. As you have made XXX and YYY one in this sacrament of marriage and the sharing of the one bread and one cup, so now make them one in love for each other.

As ask this through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.

CONCLUDING RITE

Final Blessing

Celebrant: God the eternal Father keep you in love with each other, so that the peace of Christ may stay with you and be always in your home.

All: Amen.

Celebrant: May your children bless you, your friends console you, and all men live in peace with you.

All: Amen.

Celebrant: May you always bear witness to the love of God in this world so that the afflicted and the needy will find in you generous friends, and welcome you into the joys of heaven.

All: Amen.

Celebrant: And may almighty god bless you all, the Father and the son, + and the Holy Spirit.

All: Amen.

Choir sings recessional Hymn.