As a priest, the phone call is sometimes dreaded: "Father, can you do our wedding?" What's the couple like? Do they 'get it'? Is the faith important to them?
All of these thoughts ruminate through the mind as you meet the couple for the first time. Where are they on the spectrum?
Every great once in a while, they surprise you. They are 'Number 1's!' Their wedding is only truly important if the Church is included! WOW!
Today was one of those experiences. Joey and Julie were married today at the Basilica of the Assumption in Covington. Joey had discerned a call to the priesthood, but felt that God was directing him to married life. Julie is an identical twin and had looked at religious life, but also felt the call to married life. They got it, and their wedding reflected it.
Before the rehearsal, they had a holy hour for the wedding party. WHAT?!?!? They expected their friends to pray for an hour before everything else got started. They, too, prayed for each other. Wow, what a way to start a life together.
The wedding today was one of those rare ones where there was an obvious spiritual dimension. The reading from Tobit and the Wedding at Cana framed the dimension that prayer is the foundation of all that they do, and Christ is at the center of this marriage.
To be honest, as a priest we get so many weddings where it seems to be a charade. I've never seen the couple at Mass, yet they are here and I work with them. It is refreshing to see a couple begin their relationship with such a prayerful presence. Please pray for Joey and Julie that they may have a long and fruitful life. (Plus, that they have many boys together to send to the seminary!)
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4 comments:
Awesome! If I ever get married, that's the kind of wedding I want.
And...never wrote about this, but when I thought I was supposed to marry the guy I was with, I realized that it would only be a real wedding if it were in the Church. If it wasn't..it wasn't real. And now that I've really come home, there ARE no other options...no God, no marriage. Period. Not negotiable. And I LOVE the idea of a Holy Hour.
Would it be possible to have a Holy Hour with Benediction for the wedding party...and anyone else interested invited, before the wedding, whether the rehearsal or wedding itself? Is that kind of thing possible?
And the readings..I love Tobit and the Wedding at Cana as well. (Altough I realize the irony of Tobit...) :-P
What an incredible couple...God bless them!
What a wonderful story, Father. Thanks for sharing it. Parish worship commissions ought to consider making this a standard suggestion for young couples.
That sounds wonderful! I did something similar for our wedding - on Saturday morning I had a close friend put together a prayer service for the women in my life - family, family-to-be, and many friends. We were about 35 women in the chapel of the church praying for our marriage. It was very powerful!!! And from there we headed off to the salon to get all fixed up... but we started the day off right.
And, how often do you get to have your priest be your chauffeur?
Kelly,
Your's is one of the three or four weddings that I've done that really stick out. And yes, starting the day as you did really helped to set the tone of prayer that filled in the rest of the activities.
And I don't often get to drive a Lincoln, so that was a nice touch, too!
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