Last week we talked about the questions before consent where the minister assesses the readiness of the couple to enter into this sacred covenant. From the moment that the couple profess the subsequent vows, they are husband and wife. While it is common to place other rituals alongside the exchange of consent (the rings, the lazo and arras in the Latino tradition, even the announcement “I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. N”), the union has already been contracted with the second person’s Yes. As the wedding ceremony proceeds (whether in or out of Mass), it comes to the Nuptial Blessing which follows the Our Father. This blessing, a special gift of God through His Church to the couple, draws upon themes we’ve already explored in this series so far.

Holy Father, who formed man in your own image, male and female you created them, so that as husband and wife, united in body and heart, they might fulfill their calling in the world;

   We can see the clear references to the creation story of Genesis, where humanity is made in God’s image with an intellect to know God and a will to lovingly choose Him. As was mentioned, the original solitude of Adam pointed to a communion of body and heart that he was meant to share with his beloved Eve. Their union doesn’t just benefit them, but has a mission in the world, to show forth God’s love and bring more people into friendship with Him. This was the created purpose and meaning of marriage.

O God, who, to reveal the great design you formed in your love, willed that the love of spouses for each other should foreshadow the covenant you graciously made with your people, so that, by fulfillment of the sacramental sign, the mystical marriage of Christ with his Church might become manifest in the union of husband and wife among your faithful;

   Here the logic of creation is enhanced and beautified by the logic of redemption. The beauty of natural marriage is a visible metaphor that points to the intimate friendship that God desired with His people. God is the ever-faithful Bridegroom of His People Israel, He who is willing to go to any lengths to love them and care for them. This Love became Incarnate as the Son of God Jesus Christ who showed this loving care by laying down His life for the sake of His Beloved, the Church. In the great sacrifice of the Cross, we see the mystical marriage of Christ and His Church, and in the little sacrifices of married life we see an echo of this great sacrifice. When husband and wife submit to one another and love down their lives for each other, they are participating in the love of God in a unique and unrepeatable way.

With the biblical theology out of the way, next week we’ll look at the intercessions of the Church for this couple and the specific blessings promised in married life.

   -Fr. Stephen