When choosing Scripture readings, find personal meaning

Published: March 31, 2007

By Emilie Lemmons
The Catholic Spirit

The wedding liturgy typically has three readings -- one from the Old Testament, one from the New Testament and one from the Gospels.

Your wedding will feel more meaningful if you choose readings that reflect your relationship and your love. Give yourself time to decide. Read through your choices together, and talk about what they mean to you.

Below are some Scripture passages commonly used for weddings.

Old Testament readings (first reading)

Genesis 1:26-28, 31a -- "Male and female God created them."
Genesis 2:18-21 -- "The two of them become one body."
Genesis 24:48-51, 58-69 -- Isaac and Rebekah get married.
Tobit 7:6-14 -- "May the Lord of heaven prosper you both."
Tobit 8:4b-8 -- "Allow us to live together to a happy old age."
Ruth 1:16-17 -- "Wherever you go I will go."
Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31 -- "The woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."
Song of Songs 2:8-10, 14, 16a; 8:6-7a -- "Love is as strong as death."
Song of Songs 2:10-14, 16 -- "Arise my love, my fair one."
Isaiah 61:10-11 -- "... a bride adorns herself with jewels."
Sirach 26:1-4, 13-16 -- "... the beauty of a virtuous wife is the radiance of her home."
Jeremiah 3:31-34 -- "I will make a new covenant."

New Testament readings (second reading)

Romans 8:31-35, 37-39 -- "If God is for us, who can be against us?"
Romans 12:1-2, 9-13 (or 9-18) -- "Let love be sincere."
Romans 15:1-3, 5-7, 13 -- "Welcome one another as Christ welcomed you."
1 Corinthians 6:13-15, 17-20 -- "Glorify God in your body"
1 Corinthians 12:31-13:8 -- "Love is patient, love is kind."
Ephesians 3:14-21 -- "Rooted and grounded in love."
Ephesians 5:2, 21-33 (or 25-32) -- "Husbands love your wives."
Philippians 4:4-9 -- "The God of peace will be with you."
Colossians 3:12-17 -- "Put on love."
Hebrews 13:1-4, 5-6 -- "Do not neglect hospitality."
1 Peter 3:1-9 -- "Wives be subordinate to your husbands."
1 John 3:18-24 -- "Love one another just as he commanded us."
1 John 4:7-12 -- "God is love."
Revelation 19:1, 5-9 -- "... the marriage feast of the lamb."

Gospel readings

Matthew 5:1-12 -- "Blessed are the poor in spirit."
Matthew 5:13-16 -- "You are the light of the world."
Matthew 7:21, 24-29 -- "A wise man built his house on rock."
Matthew 19:3-6 -- "What God has united, man must not separate."
Matthew 22:35-40 -- "You shall love the Lord, your God."
Matthew 25:31-46 -- "Separating the sheep from the goats."
Mark 10:6-9 -- "What God has joined together no human being must separate."
Luke 10:25-37 -- "The Good Samaritan."
John 2:1-11 -- "Marriage feast of Cana."
John 15:9-12 -- "Remain in my love."
John 15:12-16 -- "Love one another."
John 17:20-26 -- "... that they may all be one."

Choosing your readers

You may be tempted to ask a family member or distant friend to act as a reader because you want to include that person in your wedding. While this is a nice idea, it's important your readers be skilled and qualified. When choosing your readers, ask yourself these two questions:

Can the person read in public? A lector's job is not just to recite a Scripture verse, but to proclaim it, as if they were preaching to people hearing God's word for the first time. Choose a reader who can read slowly and loudly, pausing between words to give them impact.

Will the reader believe what he or she is reading? It is respectful to the Church to choose readers who believe in the Christian message.

The readers need to be able to rehearse in the church, at the microphone, ahead of the ceremony. Ask the church wedding coordinator to give readers an opportunity to practice at the rehearsal.

Sources:

http://www.catholicireland.net/gettingmarried/ ceremony/word.htm
"Together for Life" by Father Joseph Champlin
"Gather" hymnal.

Emilie Lemmons is a staff writer for The Catholic Spirit, the official Newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.