The Big Day

A wedding … the beautiful flowers, music and singing, the bridesmaids and groomsmen, flower girl and ring bearer. The amazing church, so attractive for the ceremony. The stunning bride and handsome groom. We all have glorious memories of weddings we have attended, weddings we participated in, and even our own wedding ceremony with our spouse. When most of us think of and talk about weddings, we focus on the things of the wedding that appear glamorous, rich, and very beautiful. For many of us, our Catholic wedding ceremony included a mass.

Was the mass the focus of your wedding?

For the first time ever, I experienced a MASS that happened to have a wedding within it. That’s right…a mass with the commitment of man and wife right in the middle of it. Just after the Liturgy of the Word, and just before the Eucharist.

I am not sure what made the difference for me experiencing this change…maybe it is getting older, maybe it was the fact the wedding was on a Sunday afternoon, or maybe it was…

Whatever the reason, it was AWESOME!

Everything about the wedding ceremony spoke of the importance of the mass, our commitment to one another in God’s house with God’s chosen people, the church. I couldn’t help but be reminded of the verse “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” Matthew 18: 20 When we marry, we become one with Christ. It is not man and wife, but man, wife, and God. Two gathered together for a lifetime, and God so graciously joins the union.

The focus of that special wedding wasn’t the wedding glamour. It was the heart of our Catholic faith: the Eucharistic celebration, the breaking of bread with our family and friends. How wonderful it was to share that meal with this couple beginning their life journey together!

As Valentine’s Day approaches, let us be reminded of our union as a couple and the presence of God in that union. The next time you and your spouse attend mass together, take time to reflect on your commitment to one another, the commitment you made in the middle of a mass, with family and friends celebrating the Eucharistic feast with you.

Karen Dunne