"I do" "I do"

 

By now the pomp and pageantry from the Royal Wedding have died down and Prince William and Kate  are (hopefully) on their way to happily ever after.    The media   surrounding the monarchs made note of the fact that the couple broke with tradition on several occasions, a sign that even time-honored traditions often change.

The Catholic Rite of Marriage, in use since 1969, broke with tradition when it laid out the order of the wedding procession:  The ministers come in first, followed by the priest, then the bride and bridegroom.  The parents may walk in the procession along with the witnesses.   Nowhere does the rite mention anything about the bride coming down the aisle alone or with her father.   This is because the Church recognizes that marriage is about   a man and a woman starting a life together and believes that this is best   expressed by   the bride and bridegroom walking down the aisle together   at the start of the ceremony.    This also communicates the Church’s teaching that the bride and bridegroom are the primary ministers of the sacrament.   In fact, it is their mutual consent, their “I do” that is the central part of the marriage rite.  Any extras, such as the lighting of the unity candle or a devotional presentation to an icon or statue of the Mother of God, are just that—extras.  It’s the mutual promise to be faithful to the end that counts.   No other ritual could top that—not even two kisses on the balcony of Buckingham Palace!!

The Royal Wedding was indeed a very public event.  It showed the public’s support for the new couple.  Likewise, the Rite of Marriage in the Catholic Church is a public event which allows the community to show their support for the couple by their presence and their participation in the wedding liturgy.

O Lord, bless all those married and engaged.  AMEN.