Intercessory Prayers 1 1. That their love may be patient and kind, ready to trust, and to endure whatever comes.

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1 Intercessory Prayers 1 1. That their love may be patient and kind, ready to trust, and to endure whatever comes. 2. That they may pray together in joy and in sorrow, and always give thanks for the gift of each other. 3. That God will bless their daily work and complete through them the work of creation. 4. That Gods peace may dwell in their home and give hope of peace to the world. 5. That all married people may be helped to renew and deepen their love. 6.That the Church will bring salvation to the world by expressing Christ's love for all people.

2 Intercessory Prayers 2 1. For married persons that they may continue to give, be able to forgive and find happiness deepen with the passing of each day, 2. For N. and N., now beginning their life together, that they may have divine assistance at every moment, the constant support of friends, the rich blessing of children, a warm love reaching out to others and good health until a ripe old age, 3. For those who are sick, lonely, discouraged or oppressed that they may be strengthened by God's help and aided by their friends, 4. For those who have died, especially the relatives and friends of N. and N., that they may enjoy perfect happiness a nd total fulfillment in eternal life, 5. For those personal needs which we mention now in silence [pause]

3 Intercessory Prayers 3 1. For our Church, to keep the promise of salvation, 2. For our world, to keep the promise of peace, 3. For our country, to keep the promise of freedom, 4. For our parish community, to keep the promise of discipleship, 5. For our hearts, to keep the promise of living, 6. For our hands, to keep the promise of giving, 7. For our lives, to keep the promise of growing, 8. For this couple, to keep the promise of marriage,

4 Prayer for Married Couple Lord of Love, we thank You for your numerous gifts and your special gift of married love. With the wisdom of generosity laid open since Creation, You have blessed the union of man and woman with deep beauty in the song of love. A mystic melody of sacred unity arises when two hearts are fused as one in the love of the Eternal One. Lord God, we thank You for this holy gift. Edward Hays Lord and Creator of Life, Your loving union with Your people was sung by the ancients in symbols of wedding feasts and intimate unions. No other vocation in life have You, Lord, so richly blessed by interlacing intimacy and affection in the sacred union of hearts and bodies. All who share this ministry of marriage must also share its heavy burdens. But moments of loving affection, so human and so holy, lighten trials and nourish us day by day in our common journey to You, our Lord and Beloved. Lord, may the happiness of this our wedding day be for us a sacrament of our future and endless unity with You, with each other, (with our children,) and with all Your holy saints and lovers. Blessed are You, Lord our God, who crowns marriage with love and affection. Amen+

5 Optional Prayer of the Couple After the Vows (Bride and groom together:) All-powerful, ever-living God, we now stand before you very happy, but somewhat nervous. We feel you brought us together in the beginning, helped our love grow and at this moment are with us in a special way. We ask that you stay by our side in the days ahead. Protect us from anything which might harm this marriage, give us courage when burdens come our way, teach us to forgive one another when we fail. (For the groom:) I ask from you the assistance I need to be a good husband and father. Never let me take my wife for granted or forget she needs to be loved. If you bless us with children, I promise to love and care for them, to give them the best possible example. (For the bride:) I ask from you the assistance I need to be a good wife and mother. May I never fail to give my husband encouragement. If you bless me with motherhood, I promise to devote myself to the children, even to the point of stepping aside when they must walk alone. (Bride and groom together:) We ask, finally, that in our old age we may love one another as deeply and cherish each other as much as we do at this very moment. May you grant these wishes which we offer through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

6 1. Prayer at the beginning of rehearsal All of us are thankful to N and N for bringing us together tonight. We know how important this event is to them and their future. We want them to know that even through our joking, we feel this an important occasion for us, too. So, before we begin the wedding practice, I am asking all of us to spend a moment in silent prayer. Our brief prayer will also be a way of preparing ourselves for tomorrow when we gather to pray with the larger community of the church. In your own way, because of your unique relationship to N and N I want you to join with me in praying for them tonight. 'Think about your deepest ideals and hopes for them. Pray that these come to reality in them and in their married life together. Think of their limitations and their needs and pray that they will always turn to God and to those who can help them. let us pray. Lord God, Father of our lives. You have brought us together as family and friends. For this we thank you. N and N and all of us are preparing now for a new life together. Strengthen us with understanding and fill us with joy. Hear the prayers we ask of you for you will guide and direct us always as long as we turn to you in faith. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen

7 2. Prayer at the end of the rehearsal. I know N and N are grateful that you could be here tonight. You mean very much to them. That is why they have asked you to be a part of their ceremony With them I am confident you will perform your tasks well and with the strength and grace that N and N as well as everyone who will be here deserves. Before leaving, I am going to ask. you for a moment to focus on the principle thing you can do for N and N at their marriage. Be in touch with your personal relationship to them, remain honest before them and before God. Don t be distracted by all the rushing around, formal wear and externals. You know them and you know yourself. Stay in touch with what is going on inside of you. And so that we might all keep alive that spirit of hope and love that we have for N and N tomorrow, let us now look within ourselves and uncover there the prayer we will bring to their wedding. For a moment, now, let us pray in silence: A period of silence. Lord God of the universe and author of our lives, we are not always comfortable in your presence. But we know you accept us and our prayer for N and N They mean very much to us. Keep them faith-filled, always trusting in you. Keep them faithful to each other. May all of us who gather to celebrate their wedding tomorrow be filled with love and joy. In that way, we can bring the very best of ourselves to the banquet of your presence and the feast of prayer when we gather here again. Until then, be with us all in spirit. We ask this calling upon Christ Jesus who lives here and now in our midst, and will be forever. Amen.

8 Final Blessing (choose a few parts from this column) May the Blessing of our loving God unite your hearts in the never-ending bond of pure love. Amen May your children bring you happiness, and may your generous love for them be returned to you, many times over. Amen May the peace of Christ live always in your hearts and in your home. May you have true friends to stand by you, both in joy and in sorrow. May you be ready and willing to help and comfort all who come to you in need. And may the blessings promised to the compassionate be yours in abundance. Amen. May you find happiness and satisfaction in your work. May daily problems never cause you undue anxiety, nor the desire for earthly possessions dominate your lives. But may your hearts' first desire be always the good things waiting for you in the kingdom of heaven. Amen. (or) Alternate Final Blessing As spring unfolds the dream of the earth, May you bring each other's hearts to birth. As the ocean finds calm in view of land, May you love the gaze of each other's mind. As the wind arises free and wild, May nothing negative control your lives. As kindly as moonlight might search the dark, So gentle may you be when light grows scarce. As surprised as the silence that music opens, May your words for each other be touched with reverence. As warmly as the air draws in the light, May you welcome each other's every gift. As elegant as dream absorbing the night, May sleep find you clear of anger and hurt. As twilight harvests all the day's color, May love bring you home to each other. To Bless the Space between us John O Donohue May the Lord bless you with many happy years together, so that you may enjoy the rewards of a good life. And after you have served God loyally in the kingdom on earth, May God welcome you to the eternal kingdom in heaven. Amen