Added: 09/14/2005 |
Celebrating Marriage Catholic Traditions Of Honor and LoveThe traditional rites of marriage, marriage Catholic and otherwise, are imbued with a spiritual meaning that has endured the test of centuries. If you've decided that you'd like to be married in the Catholic Church, there are traditions and forms that you'll be expected to follow. There is, however, a great deal of room for flexibility within the traditional wedding program. Catholic brides may choose between a Nuptial ceremony only, or a Nuptial Mass which includes the wedding program. Catholic wedding vows are traditional, but many Catholic priests nowadays offer the wedding couple a chance to recite their own vows in addition to the traditional ones. As long as you are willing to work within the guidelines set down by your Diocese and your parish priest, you'll find that there is much room for the personal touches that make your day specially meaningful.
Specifics of Preparing for Marriage Catholic
Most couples begin preparing for their wedding reception months before the wedding date. You may even have chosen the wedding date based on the availability of a reception hall. You should give at least that much consideration to the Church that will celebrate your marriage. Catholic churches may be booked a year in advance on popular dates, but the reasons are as much spiritual as they are practical. In general, the Catholic Church recommends first contacting your parish priest six to nine months before the date on which you plan to marry.
Preparing for the marriage
Catholic vary from parish to parish, but the preparations are designed to help the engaged couple grow spirtually to take on their new roles within a marriage. Catholic catechism states that spiritual preparation is necessary so that 'the 'I do' of the spouses may be a free and responsible act' and the marriage has a sound Christian foundation.
Preparations may include indivdual counsel with the parish priest, spiritual marriage retreats with couples who are living in the successful Catholic marriages.
The Wedding Program Catholic Liturgy and Personal Choice
The Catholic nuptial ceremony, both within and outside of a formal Mass, has a specific format, but within that format there is much room for the personal choice. You may choose specific readings that are meaningful to you, for instance, and the Church formally acknowledges the inclusion of non-liturgical popular music that celebrates marriage and love as sacred and divinely inspired.
If there are Bible passages that are meaningful to you, or songs that express how you feel about the sacred bonds of marriage Catholic priests and deacons will work with you to include them in the traditional Order of Marriage. The best course of action is to arrange a meeting with the pastor of the church in which you are being married, and discuss your wishes with him.
In planning your marriage, Catholic preparation, traditions and liturgy offer a solid base of spiritual and sacred grace in marriage Catholic bring through time for centuries. You can draw on that base to help make your wedding both beautiful and personally meaningful on your special day.
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