Catholic Rite for Celebrating Marriage During the Mass in the Philippines

PROCESSIONAL

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THE INTRODUCTORY RITES

Entrance Song

Greetings

Priest: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

People: Amen.

Priest: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

People: And with your spirit.

Commentator: God is love and has, in some mysterious way, drawn you together in love. But he leaves you free to make that love grow or let it wither and die. The Lord will help you to forge a future for your love, if you do your share when you stand to the commitment to love and honor one another in good times and in bad, in poverty and in plenty, in sickness and health for better and for worse, in that covenant which you are about to seal. Insert it into that other covenant which we celebrate in each celebration of the Holy Eucharist.

Penitential Act

Priest: Brethren (brothers and sisters), let us acknowledge our sins, and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.

Priest and People: I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do,

We strike our breast when saying "through my fault... until grievous fault":

through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault; therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers and sisters to pray for me to the Lord our God.

Priest: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.

People: Amen.

Kyrie (this hymn is either sung or said)

Priest: Lord, have mercy.

People: Lord, have mercy.

Priest: Christ, have mercy.

People: Christ, have mercy.

Priest: Lord, have mercy.

People: Lord, have mercy.

Priest: Let us pray... Be attentive to our prayers, O Lord, and in your kindness uphold what you have established for the increase of the human race so that the union you have created may be kept safe by your assistance. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever.

People: Amen.

THE LITURGY OF THE WORD

First reading

Lector: A reading from the book of Tobit (8:4-9)

Tobias rose from the bed, and said to Sarah, Get up my sister! You and I must pray and petition our Lord to win his grace and his protection. She stood up, and they began praying for protection, and this was how they began: You are blessed; O God of our fathers, blessed too is your name forever and ever. Let heaven bless you and all the things you have made forevermore. It was you who created Adam; you created Eve his wife to be his help and support and from these two, the human race was born. It was you who said. "It is not good that man should be alone; let us make him a helpmate like himself." And so I do not take my sister for any lustful motive. I do it in singleness of heart. Be kind enough to have pity on her and on me and bring us to old age together. And she said "Amen." Then they both went to sleep for the night.

The word of the Lord.

People: Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Response: The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

Lector: They are happy; whose God is the Lord. The people he has chosen as his own. The Lord looks on those who revere him on; those who hope in his love. (Response)

People: The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

Lector: Our soul is waiting for the Lord; the Lord is our help and our shield. In him do our hearts find joy. We trust in his holy Name. (Response)

People: The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

Lector: May your love be upon us, O Lord as we place all our hope in you. (Response)

People: The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

Commentator: Please stand to acclaim the Gospel.

The Gospel

Gospel Acclamation

Priest: The Lord be with you.

People: And with your spirit.

Priest: A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. John (5:9-12).

People: Glory to You, O Lord.

Priest: Jesus said to his disciples: "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments you will remain in my love, just as I kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my own joy may be in you and your joy be complete. This is my commandment: love one another, as I have loved you."

The Gospel of the Lord.

People: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Homily...

THE MATRIMONIAL RITE

Allocution

Priest: Dearly beloved (name of groom) and (name of the bride), you are here today to seal your love with an eternal bond before the Church. I assure you of the prayers of our community that God may pour his abundant blessings on your love and help you to carry out the duties of the married state. And you, dear brothers and sisters, may I ask you to help them with your prayers and accept them as a new couple in our Christian community.

Scrutiny

Priest: May I now ask you to answer truthfully the following questions:

Priest: (to the bride), did you come here of your own free will to bind yourself forever in the love and service of your husband?

Bride: Yes, Father.

Priest: (to the groom), did you come here of your own free will to bind yourself forever in the love and service of your wife?

Groom: Yes, Father.

Priest: (to the groom and bride), are you both ready to raise as good Christians the children whom God will give you?

Both: Yes, Father.

Exchange of Consent

Priest: (to the groom and bride), since you wish to contract Holy Matrimony, please join your right hands and express your intention before God and his Church.

Priest: (name of bride) do you take (name of groom) here present, for your lawful husband according to the rite of our Holy Mother, the Church?

Bride: Yes, I do.

Priest: Do you give yourself to him as his wife?

Bride: Yes, I do.

Priest: Do you accept him as your lawful husband?

Bride: Yes, I do.

Priest: (name of groom) do you take (name of the bride) here present, for your lawful wife according to the rite of our Holy Mother, the Church?

Groom: Yes, I do.

Priest: Do you give yourself to her as her husband?

Groom: Yes, I do.

Priest: Do you accept her as your lawful wife?

Groom: Yes, I do.

Priest: Now, please say this prayer together after me:

Grant us, O Lord, to be one heart and one soul from this day forward for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.

Confirmation of Marriage Bond

Priest: And I, by the authority of the Church, calling on all those present here as witnesses, confirm and bless the bond of marriage which you have contracted. In the name of the + Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

People: Amen.

Priest: (name of groom) and (name of bride) we shall now bless your arrhae and rings. Our help is in the name of the Lord.

People: He made heaven and earth.

Blessing of the Rings

Priest: Bless + O Lord these rings so that your servants (name of groom) and ( name of bride) who wear them may ever live in mutual love and in unbroken loyalty. Through Christ Our Lord.

People: Amen.

Blessing of the Arrhae

Priest: Let us pray. Bless + O Lord, your servants (name of groom) and ( name of bride) with the sufficiency of material possessions which these arrhae symbolize so that they may use them to attain eternal life through Christ our Lord.

People: Amen.

Blessing of the Bible

Priest: Bless O Lord this Holy Bible which symbolizes your presence among us. May this Bible inspire (name of groom) and ( name of bride) to live an exemplary Christian Life through Christ our Lord.

People: Amen.

Giving of the Wedding Rings

Priest: Now give these rings to one another, and say after me:

The groom takes the bride's ring from the priest and puts it on the bride's ring finger. It is a very old custom in the Philippines to have the wedding rings of the groom and the bride on the ring finger of the right hand. The groom says after the priest:

Groom: (name of bride), wear this ring as a sign of my love and loyalty. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Bride: (name of groom), wear this ring as a sign of my love and loyalty. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Giving of Arrhae

The groom takes now the arrhae in both hands: the bride plate, her cupped hands under those of the groom. The groom lets them fall into her hands, saying after the priest:

Groom: I give you these arrhae as a pledge of my dedication to your welfare. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Bride: And I accept them.

Giving of the Bible

Priest: (name of groom) and (name of bride) accept this Holy Bible for you to read, learn and live as your guide in your daily life through Christ our Lord.

Couple: Amen.

Commentator: Please stand for the Prayers of the Faithful.

PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL

Priest: Dearly beloved, let us now pray for the Church and for our newly wedded couple whose marriage reflects their union with Christ. In every prayer, we say, Lord, graciously hear us.

Priest and People: Lord, graciously hear us.

Lector: For the holy Church spread over the world, for its leaders and for the rulers of our nation, let us pray to the Lord.

Priest and People: Lord, graciously hear us.

Lector: For the poor and the sick and all those in trial and affliction, let us pray to the Lord.

Priest and People: Lord, graciously hear us.

Lector: For (name of the couple) that He may keep their hearts united forever, let us pray to the Lord.

Priest and People: Lord, graciously hear us.

Lector: That He may protect them from evil, lighten their burdens and fortify them in their trials, let us pray to the lord.

Priest and People: Lord, graciously hear us.

Lector: That He may stir up the grace of the sacrament in all the married couples here present; let us pray to the Lord.

Priest and People: Lord, graciously hear us.

Priest: Almighty, eternal God, look down with favor upon your servants. Grant them to remain faithful to you and to one another. At the end of a long and well-spent life, reward them with eternal happiness together with (their children and with) all those who love them. Through Christ our Lord.

People: Amen

Commentator: Please be seated to prepare our gifts.

Offertory Song

THE LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

Priest: Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received the bread we offer you: fruit of the earth and work of human hands it will become for us the bread of life.

People: Blessed be God forever.

Priest: Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received
the wine we offer you: fruit of the vine and work of human hands it will become our spiritual drink.

People: Blessed be God forever.

Commentator: Please stand.

Invitation to prayer

Priest: Pray, brethren (brothers and sisters), that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God,
the almighty Father.

The people rise and reply:

People: May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of his name, for our good and the good of his holy Church.

Priest: Lord, accept our offering for this newly-married couple (name of groom) and (name of bride) 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.

People: Amen.

THE EUCHARISTIC PRAYER

Priest: The Lord be with you.

People: And with your spirit.

Priest: Lift up your hearts.

People: We lift them up to the Lord.

Priest: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

People: It is right and just.

Priest: It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks, Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God.

For you have forged the covenant of marriage as a sweet yoke of harmony and an unbreakable bond of peace, so that chaste and fruitful love of Holy Matrimony may serve to increase the children you adopt as your own.

By your providence and grace, O Lord, you accomplish the wonder of this twofold design: that, while the birth of children brings beauty to the world, their rebirth in Baptism gives an increase to the Church, through Christ our Lord.

Through him, with the Angels and all the Saints, we sing the hymn of your praise, as without end we acclaim:

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts...

Holy (this hymn is either sung or said)

Priest and People:

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.
Heaven and earth are full, are full of your glory
Hosanna in the highest
Blessed is He who comes, who comes in the name of the Lord
Hosanna in the highest.

Commentator: Please kneel.

Priest: You are indeed Holy, O Lord, The fount of all holiness. Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, By sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall, so that they may become for us the Body and + Blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ. At the time he was betrayed and entered willingly into his Passion, He took the bread and, giving thanks, broke it, And gave it to his disciples, saying:

Take this, all of you, and eat of it, For this is My Body, which will be given up for you.

In a similar way, when supper was ended, he took the chalice and, once more giving thanks, he gave it to his disciples, saying:

Take this, all of you, and drink from it, for this is the chalice of my Blood, the Blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Do this in memory of me.

Priest: The mystery of faith.

People: We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your resurrection until you come again. (this hymn is either sung or said)

Priest: Therefore, as we celebrate the memorial of his Death and Resurrection, we offer you, Lord, the Bread of life and the Chalice of salvation, giving thanks that you have held us worthy to be in your presence and minister to you.

Humbly we pray that partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ, we may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit.

Remember, Lord, your Church, spread throughout the world, and bring her to the fullness of charity, together with (name of the Pope) our Pope and (name of the Bishop) our Bishop and all the clergy.

Remember also our brothers and sisters who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection, and all who have died in your mercy: welcome them into the light of your face. Have mercy on us all, we pray, that with the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with blessed Joseph, her spouse with the blessed Apostles, and all the Saints who have pleased You throughout the ages, we may merit to be coheirs to eternal life, and may praise and glorify you

Through your Son, Jesus Christ.

Through him, and with him, and in him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, forever and ever.

People: Amen.

Commentator: Please stand

THE COMMUNION RITE

The Lord's Prayer

Priest: At the Savior’s command and formed by divine teaching, we dare to say:

The Lord's Prayer: (this hymn is either sung or said)

Priest and People:

Our Father who art in heaven,
hollowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive
those who trespassed against us.
Do not bring us into the test but deliver us from evil.

THE NUPTIAL BLESSING

Priest: My dear friends, let us turn to the Lord and pray that he will bless with his grace this woman (name of bride) now married in Christ to this man (name of groom) and that (through the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ,) He will unite in love the couple he has joined in this holy bond.
AII pray silently for the short while. Then the priest extends his hands and continues:

Prayer Proper:

Father, by your power you have made everything out of nothing. !n 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 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 for 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 the equal and the heir with him to the life of grace. May he always honor 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 the Christian life.

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

People: Amen

Invitation to Peace

Priest: Lord Jesus Christ, who said to your apostles: Peace I leave you, my peace I give you, look not on our sins, but on the faith of your church, and graciously grant her peace and unity in accordance with your will. Who live and reign forever and ever.

People: Amen

Priest: The peace of the Lord be with you always.

People: And with your spirit.

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

Lamb of God (this hymn is either sung or said)

Priest and People: Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Commentator: Please kneel

Invitation to Communion

Priest: Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world
Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.

Priest and People: Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.

HOLY COMMUNION

Priest: The Body of Christ.

Communicants: Amen.

After the Holy Communion

Commentator: Veil and cord sponsors, please remove them respectively.

Commentator: Please stand.

Prayer after communion

Priest: Let us pray....

Lord, in your love you have given us the Eucharist to unite us with one another and with you. As you have made (name of groom and name of bride) one in this sacrament of marriage (and in the sharing of the one bread and one cup), So now make them one in love for each other. (We ask this) through Christ our Lord.

People: Amen.

CONCLUDING RITE

Priest: (name of groom) and (name of bride), now that you have received the holy sacrament of Matrimony, I admonish you to remain faithful to one another.

To the bride:

Priest: (name of bride), love your husband and be a good housewife, persevere in faith and love and holiness.

To the groom:

Priest: (name of groom), love your wife as Christ loves His Church and live with her in the holy fear of the Lord.

Commentator: Please stand.

FINAL BLESSING

Solemn Blessing

Priest: The Lord be with you.

People: And with your spirit.

Priest: May the Lord bless you by the word of His mouth.

People: Amen.

Priest: May He unite your hearts in an enduring bond of pure love.

People: Amen.

Priest: May the peace of Christ dwell always in your hearts and in your home; may you have true friends to stand by you, both in joy and in sorrow.

People: Amen.

Priest: May you be ready with help and consolation for all those who come to you in need; and may the blessing promised to the compassionate descend in abundance on your house.

People: Amen

Priest: May you be blessed in your work and enjoy its fruits. May care never cause you distress, nor the desire for earthly possessions leads you astray; but may your hearts concern be always for the treasures laid up for you in the life of heaven.

People: Amen.

Priest: May the Lord grant you the fullness of years so that you may reap the harvest of a good life and after you have served Him with loyalty in His Kingdom on earth, may He take you up into His eternal dominions in heaven.

People: Amen.

Priest: May almighty God bless you, The Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

People: Amen.

Dismissal

Priest: The mass is ended, go in peace.

People: Thanks be to God.

Final Song

PICTURE TAKING

References:

1. Saint Jerome Parish Bagabag Nueva Vizcaya (2018, April 8). Rite for celebrating marriage during the mass [Images].
2. St. Paul's Media Pastoral Ministry. (2012, March 31). People’s guide for the new order of the mass [PDF]. Retrieved from http://sekc.org.ph/download/Guide%20to%20the%20New%20Roman%20Missal%20printable_2.pdf