SACRAMENTS AT THE SERVICE OF COMMUNION (Matrimony and Holy Orders)

"Two other sacraments, Holy Orders and Matrimony, are directed towards the salvation of others; if they contribute as well to personal salvation, it is through service to others that they do so. They confer a particular mission in the Church and serve to build up the People of God." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1534)

1. Sacrament of Matrimony

"The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1601).

In the Latin Rite the celebration of marriage between two Catholics normally takes place during Mass because of the connection of all the sacraments with the death and resurrection of Christ.

The parties to a marriage covenant are a baptized man and woman, free to contract marriage, who freely express their consent. The Church holds "the exchange of consent between the spouses to be the indispensable element that 'makes the marriage'" (Catechism,1626). If there is no true consent, there is no marriage.

A couple wishing to marry should contact their parish priest one year prior to the anticipated date of the wedding. Couples are required to engage in a marriage preparation process provided or arranged by the parish. Such preparation allows the couple to come to a deeper knowledge of each other and of the sacrament they will receive, including the reasons for its indissolubility.

Your Wedding Music

During this time of preparation for your joyous celebration of the sacrament of marriage, we wish to help you to plan the music for your wedding liturgy. Like all of the Church's sacramental celebrations, the wedding liturgy directs our hearts and minds to the praise and glory of God. The music must thus be chosen with care, according to sound liturgical principles. The guidelines that we use to select music for marriage are the same as those that we use for the Sunday Eucharist. This pamphlet provides the preliminary guidelines for choosing music for your wedding liturgy.

WHERE DO WE BEGIN?

We recommend that you discuss music with your parish priest when you first meet with him about your wedding. He can answer your initial questions and inform you of any parish policy regarding wedding music and the use of musicians other than your parish music leaders. He can also give you the name(s) of parish music leaders who will help you to choose the music for your wedding, as they are familiar with both the policies and the musical repertoire of your own parish. They will also assist you in securing musicians and a cantor.

It is very important that you know the parish policy about music and musicians before you choose music or hire musicians.

WHY MUSIC AT WEDDINGS?

Music is one of the finest expressions of joy that comes from the heart. It speaks a language that is understood by all cultures and traditions. Music:

Unites a people of faith in praise and thanksgiving to God, who touches our lives in so many wonderful ways.
Fosters the ecclesial dimension of a celebration, bonding individuals into a community, heightening their sense of worshipping as a people, the people of God. Unity of voices brings about unity of hearts.
Helps people to express with more meaning and conviction the words of the liturgy especially the acclamations such as 'Alleluia' or 'Amen'.
Gives deeper meaning to prayer: to sing well is to pray twice.
By choosing to be married in the Church, you are expressing your desire for a sacred and sacramental celebration of your vows of mutual and lasting fidelity. The music that you choose should lift the congregation's hearts in praise and thanksgiving for this joyful and holy beginning of your lives together.

MUSIC FOR WORSHIP

It is important to keep in mind that your wedding music is first and foremost prayer; it is worship of God. For this reason, secular music, however expressive of love, is not used in Catholic wedding liturgies. A document published by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops notes:

"There are very deeply religious songs which have a "secular" origin, and many so called "religious" songs are trashy and sentimental. What is being brought to expression in a wedding liturgy is the mystery of human love as a covenant relationship...Songs which express the religious dimension of love explicitly, of course, have pride of choice. Songs which imply this religious dimension are also suitable. But a song which denies this dimension either explicitly or implicitly must be avoided at all costs, for it belies the mystery: it is a falsehood in liturgy." (1)
(1) Music at your Wedding, edited by the National Liturgical Office, published by the C.C.C.B. (Ottawa: Concacan, Inc. 1980). This document is now out of print.

If you are unsure of the origin or context of a particular piece of music, your parish music leader(s) will be able to help you. Secondly, the selection and arrangements of music in the wedding liturgy should respect the role of the assembly as full, active participants in the liturgy. The music chosen should enable the believing community to express the faith of the universal Church. Your parish music leaders will help you to select music that will foster this expression. The music chosen for the wedding liturgy should be familiar to the people of the church where the celebration takes place, and familiar to those attending the wedding. Be sure to inform your music leader if your wedding involves another religion or Christian denomination so that music may be chosen from a common repertoire. The primary resource for your wedding music is normally your parish hymnal; if you choose something that is not in the hymnal, a music programme should be provided so that the assembly will be able to participate.

If a programme is used, copyright laws must be followed. Your parish musicians will be able to assist you in obtaining reprint permission.

PLACE OF MUSIC IN THE RITE

There are several places in the wedding liturgy where music is appropriate. Your parish music leader(s) or priest will help you to choose music in some or all of the following parts of the liturgy, especially the parts in bold print:

• Processional
• Gathering Hymn
• Lord, have mercy/Glory to God
• Responsorial Psalm
• Gospel Acclamation
• Music during the preparation of the gifts:
• * Holy, Holy
• * Memorial Acclamation
• * Great Amen
• * Lord's Prayer
• * Lamb of God
• * Communion song (during the communion procession)
• * Hymn of praise after communion
• Music during the signing of the register
• Closing Hymn/Recessional

(*) Indicates places in the wedding liturgy where there may be music when the Rite of Marriage is celebrated with the Liturgy of the Eucharist (Mass)

2. Holy Orders

"Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time; thus it is the sacrament of apostolic ministry. It includes three degrees: episcopate <bishops>, presbyterate <priests> and diaconate <deacons> (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1536)

The essential rite of this sacrament for all three degrees consists in the bishop's imposition of hands on the head of the ordained and his specific consecratory prayer asking God for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and his gifts proper to the ministry to which the candidate is being ordained. It is desirable that the ceremony take place within the Eucharistic liturgy and that as many of the faithful as possible take part.

If you wish more information on the priesthood or assistance with discerning whether or not God is calling you to this vocation, contact Father Patrick O'Dea, Rector, Serra House, 226A St. George St., Toronto, Ont., M5R 2N5. Phone: 416-968-0997.

If you wish information concerning the permanent diaconate, contact Deacon Dan Murphy, Catholic Pastoral Centre, 1155 Yonge St., Toronto, Ont., M4T 1W2. Phone: 416-934-0606, ext. 304.