NUPTIAL BLESSING
A
Dear brothers and sisters,
let us humbly pray to the Lord
for these his servants, now married in Christ,
that he may mercifully pour out
the blessing of his grace
and make of one heart in love
(by the Sacrament of Christ’s Body and Blood)
those he has joined by a holy covenant.
(PAUSE)
Father, by your mighty power you have created all things out of nothing
When you had set in place the beginnings of the universe,
You formed man and woman in your own image,
making the woman an inseparable helpmate to the man
so that they might no longer be two, but one flesh,
and taught that what you were pleased to make one must never be divided;
Father, you consecrated the bond of Marriage in mystery.
In the wedding covenant you foreshadowed the Sacrament of Christ and his Church;
Father, by whom woman is joined to man
and the companionship they had in the beginning is endowed with the one blessing that was not forfeited by original sin nor washed away by the flood.
Look now with favor on your servants who are joined together in marriage and ask to be strengthened by your blessing.
Send down upon them the grace of the Holy Spirit and pour your love into their hearts so that they may remain faithful in the marriage covenant.
May the grace of love and peace abide in your daughter N,
May she always follow the example of those holy women whose praises are sung in the Scriptures.
May her husband entrust his heart to her, acknowledging her as his equal and joint heir to the life of grace.
May he show her due honor and cherish her always with the love that Christ has for his Church.
Lord, we implore you:
May these your servants hold fast to the faith and keep your commandments;
Made one in the flesh, may they be blameless in all they do.
With the strength that comes from the Gospel, may they bear true witness to Christ before all;
(May they be blessed with children, and prove themselves virtuous parents, who live to see their children’s children.)
Grant that,
reaching at last together the fullness of years for which they hope,
they may come to the life of the blessed in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
B
Let us pray to the Lord for N and N who come to the altar as they begin their married life so that they may always be bound together by love for one another (as now they share in the body and blood of Christ).
(PAUSE)
Holy Father, you formed man in your own image,
male and female your created them
So that as husband and wife, united in body and heart, they might fulfill their calling in the world.
Father, to reveal the great design your formed in your love,
you willed that the love of spouses for each other should foreshadow the covenant you made with your people.
In the union of husband and wife, the mystical marriage of Christ with his Church is made manifest among your faithful.
Father, stretch out your hand, and bless your servants N and N.
Pour into their hearts the power of the Holy Spirit.
Lord, grant that as they begin to live this sacrament they may share with each other the gifts of your love and become one in heart and mind as witnesses to your presence in their marriage. Help them to create a home together [and give them children to be formed by the gospel and to have a place in your family].
Give your blessings to N, your daughter, so that she may be a good wife [and mother], caring for the home, faithful in love for her husband, generous and kind.
Give your blessings to N, your son, so that he may be a faithful husband [and a good father].
Father, grant that as they come together to your table on earth, so may they one day have the joy of sharing your feast in heaven.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
C (between a Catholic and a Catechumen or Non-Christian)
Let us ask God for his continued blessings upon N and N so that in his kindness he may favor with his help those on whom he has bestowed the bond of Marriage.
Holy Father, creator of the universe, maker of man and woman in your own image,
You willed that their union be crowned with your blessing.
We humbly beseech you for these your servants who are joined today in the Marriage covenant.
May your abundant blessing come upon this bride, N, and upon N, her companion for life, and may the power of your Holy Spirit set their hearts aflame from on high, so that living out together the gift of Matrimony, they may be known for the integrity of their conduct
(and be recognized as virtuous parents).
Lord, may they both praise you when they are happy
and turn to you in their sorrows.
May they be glad that you help them in their work
and know that you are with them in their need.
May they reach old age in the company of their friends,
and come at last to the kingdom of heaven.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
FINAL BLESSING
A
May God the eternal Father keep you of one heart in love for one another, so that the peace of Christ may dwell in you and abide always in your home.
May you be blessed in your children, have solace in your friends and enjoy true peace with everyone.
May you be witnesses in the world to God’s charity, so that the afflicted and needy who have known your kindness may one day receive you thankfully into the eternal dwelling of God.
And may almighty God bless all of you, who are gathered here, the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit
B
May God, the almighty Father
give you his joy
and bless you (in your children)
May the Only Begotten Son of God
stand by you with compassion in good times and in bad.
May the Holy Spirit of God
always pour forth his love into your hearts.
And may almighty God bless all of you, who are gathered here, the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit
C
May the Lord Jesus, who graced the marriage at Cana by his presence,
bless you and your loved ones.
May Jesus, who loved his Church to the end,
Unceasingly pour his love into your hearts.
May he grant that, as you believe in his resurrection,
so you may wait for him in joy and hope.
And may almighty God bless all of you, who are gathered here, the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit