The Church
Little Flower Catholic Church
The church was very important to me. I wanted to get married at a chapel. My dream was to do it at the Baughman Center in Gainesville, but it would be too much trouble for family. So, I was on a mission for a chapel that gave off that intimate feeling, but was large enough for about 100 people. I found it! This chapel is everything I was looking for and more.
Ring "Pillow"
Ok, so we saw this idea in a magazine and we thought why not. Ring pillows are so expensive and this is a cute way to represent who we are. This will totally shock others, because I'm so traditional. My brother always called me 'penguino' and Dario has always been known as the 'chimp'. Hope it goes well. =)
Readings & More
FIRST READING
Song of Songs 2:8-10, 14, 16; 8:6-7
A reading from the Song of Songs.
Hark! my lover—here he comes
springing across the mountains,
leaping across the hills.
My lover is like a gazelle
or a young stag.
Here he stands behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
peering through the lattices.
My lover speaks; he says to me,
"Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one,
and come!
"O my dove in the clefts of the rock,
in the secret recesses of the cliff,
Let me see you,
let me hear your voice,
For your voice is sweet,
and you are lovely."
My lover belongs to me and I to him;
[He said to me:]
Set me as a seal on your heart,
as a seal on your arm;
For stern as death is love,
relentless as the nether world is devotion;
its flames are a blazing fire.
Deep waters cannot quench love,
nor floods sweep it away.
The Word of the Lord.
Response: Thanks be to God.
RESPONSIAL PSALM
Psalm 103:1-2. 8. 13. 17-18
Response (verse 8): The Lord is kind and merciful.
Bless the Lord, 0 my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, 0 my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
Response: The Lord is kind and merciful.
Merciful and gracious is the Lord,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.
Response: The Lord is kind and merciful.
But the kindness of the Lord is from eternity
to eternity toward those who fear him,
And his justice toward children's children
among those who keep his covenant.
Response: The Lord is kind and merciful.
Or (verse 17): The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
SECOND READING
1 Corinthians 12:31—13, 8
A reading from the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians.
Set your hearts on the greater gifts. I will show you the way which surpasses all the others. If I speak with human tongues and angelic as well, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong, a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and, with full knowledge, comprehend all mysteries, if I have faith great enough to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If [ give everything I have to feed the poor and hand over my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient; love is kind. Love is not jealous, it does not put on airs, it is not snobbish. Love is never rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not prone to anger; neither does it brood over injuries. Love does not rejoice in what is wrong but rejoices with the truth. There is no limit to love's forbearance, to its trust, its hope, its power to endure.
Love never fails.
The Word of the Lord.
Response: Thanks be to God.
GOSPEL READING
Matthew 7:21. 24-29 or 7:21. 24-25
Presider: The Lord be with you.
Response: And also with you.
Presider: A reading from the holy gospel according to Matthew.
Response: Glory to you, Lord.
(Short Form)
Jesus said to his disciples: "None of those who cry out, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of God but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
"Anyone who hears my words and puts them into practice is like the wise man who built his house on rock. When the rainy season set in, the torrents came and the winds blew and buffeted his house. It did not collapse; it had been solidly set on rock."
This is the gospel of the Lord
Response: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
RITE OF MARRIAGE
Vows:
The bridegroom says: I, (Name), take you, (Name), 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 honor you all the days of my life. The bride says: I, (Name), take you, (Name), 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 honor you all the days of my life. BLESSING AND EXCHANGE OF RINGS
Priest: Lord, bless and consecrate (Name) and (Name) in their love for each other. May these rings be a symbol of true faith in each other, and always remind them of their love. Through Christ our Lord.Response: Amen.PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL?????PRAYER OF THE GIFTS
Lord,
accept our offering
for this newly-married couple, [Name] and [Name].
By your love and providence you have brought them together;
now bless them all the days of their married life.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
NUPTIAL BLESSING
My dear friends, let us ask God
for his continued blessing upon this bridegroom and his bride (or Name and Name).
All pray silently for a short while. Then the priest extends his hands and continues:
Holy Father, creator of the universe,
maker of man and woman in your own likeness,
source of blessing for married life,
we humbly pray to you for this woman
who today is united with her husband in this sacrament of marriage.
May your fullest blessing come upon her and her husband
so that they may together rejoice in your gift of married love
(and enrich your Church with their children).
Lord, may they both praise you when they are happy
and turn to you in their sorrows.
May they be glad that you help them in their work
and know that you are with them in their need.
May they pray to you in the community of the Church,
and be your witnesses in the world.
May they reach old age in the company of their friends,
and come at last to the kingdom of heaven.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Response: Amen.
BLESSING AT THE END
May almighty God, with his Word of blessing, unite your hearts
in the never-ending bond of pure love.
Response: Amen.
May your children bring you happiness, and may your generous
love for them be returned to you, many times over.
Response: Amen.
May the peace of Christ live always in your hearts and in your home.
May you have true friends to stand by you, both in joy and in sorrow.
May you be ready and willing to help and comfort all who come to you in need.
And may the blessings promised to the compassionate be yours in abundance.
Response: Amen.
May you find happiness and satisfaction in your work. May daily problems never cause you undue anxiety, nor the desire for earthly possessions dominate your lives. But may your hearts’ first desire be always the good things waiting for you in the life of heaven.
Response: Amen.
May the Lord bless you with many happy years together, so that you may enjoy the rewards of a good life. And after you have served him loyally in his kingdom on earth, may he welcome you to his eternal kingdom in heaven.
Response: Amen.
And may almighty God bless you all,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Response: Amen.
Blessing of the Hands
In lieu of a unity candle or sand thing I will be doing this blessing. I saw it on one's Knottie page way back when and I just fell in love with it. The words are perfect for a marriage union!
Bride & Groom, please gaze now into each other’s hands, so you may see the gift that they are to you. (or say something to introduce it)“These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow, and forever.These are the hands that will work alongside yours, as together you build your future.These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch, will comfort you like no other.These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief fills your mind. These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes; tears of sorrow, and tears of joy.These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children.These are the hands that will help you to hold your family as one.These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it.And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged, will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.”God, bless these hands that you see before you this day. May they always be held by one another. Give them the strength to hold on during the storms of stress and the dark of disillusionment. Keep them tender and gentle as they nurture each other in their wondrous love. Help these hands to continue building a relationship founded in your grace, rich in caring, and devoted in reaching for your perfection. May [Groom] and [Bride] see their four hands as healer, protector, shelter and guide. We ask this in your name, Amen.
