Marriage and Communion

[nnaaseret]

My husband and I were non Catholics when we married. First marriage for both. He is Baptised, I am not. We are completing RCIA and looking forward to my Baptism, our confirmation and receiving Communion during the Easter Mass Vigil.

Does our Marriage have to be blessed by our Priest before we can receive Communion?

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

You should double check with your pastor to be sure, but I think you’re just fine. Neither of you were Catholic when you married so you didn’t have to be married according to Catholic form and this is the first marriage for each of you so there are no prior marriages to straighten out. Your marriage is currently a valid natural marriage. Once you are baptized it will be a valid sacramental marriage.

There is a nuptial blessing that can be given. You might talk with your pastor about it. This is something extra, not something required for your marriage to be valid.

 

[Cider]

You can choose to have the sacrament of marriage if you want to. By that I mean the marriage ceremony. We did that when we were received into the church by baptism and confirmation.

Convalidation is what people mean when they say getting a marriage “blessed” but convalidation is actually the form of making something that was invalid, valid. As in the case when Catholics marry outside the Church without a dispensation.

Your marriage is a valid natural marriage and does not need to convalidated. If you want, you can choose to have the sacrament of marriage after you are baptized but you can receive the eucharist after your baptism either way.

Confirm with your priest what your options are. We had ours in front of the altar at our church.

 

[SMHW]

You can choose to have the sacrament of marriage if you want to. By that I mean the marriage ceremony. We did that when we were received into the church by baptism and confirmation.

Convalidation is what people mean when they say getting a marriage “blessed” but convalidation is actually the form of making something that was invalid, valid. As in the case when Catholics marry outside the Church without a dispensation.

Your marriage is a valid natural marriage and does not need to convalidated. If you want, you can choose to have the sacrament of marriage after you are baptized but you can receive the eucharist after your baptism either way.

Confirm with your priest what your options are. We had ours in front of the altar at our church.

The OP’s marriage will become sacramental the moment she is baptized so she can’t receive it later. However as SuscipeMeDomine states, this couple should be able to receive a nuptial blessing.

This is not the same thing as having the marriage convalidated although you are correct that having the “marriage blessed” is usually a euphemism for a convalidation.

 

[Cider]

Your confusing the state of marriage being sacramental and having the sacrament of marriage wedding ceremony. We did it. It can be done.

 

[Phemie]

Your confusing the state of marriage being sacramental and having the sacrament of marriage wedding ceremony. We did it. It can be done.

What you did was renew your vows and that’s always an option that’s open to the OP.

That said, renewing the vows when the marriage is already valid is a nice ceremony but one that has no effect on the marriage. In this case, only the baptism will have an effect on the marriage and that is to make it a sacrament.

 

[1ke]

Your confusing the state of marriage being sacramental and having the sacrament of marriage wedding ceremony. We did it. It can be done.

No, actually, it cannot.

A couple that is validly married cannot get married again. There is no such thing as the “sacrament of marriage wedding ceremony”.

A couple that is already validly married cannot be any more married. Their marriage becomes a sacrament at the moment of the unbaptized spouse’s baptism. They can receive the nuptial blessing.

Edited to add: You can renew your vows, but this is not a convalidation, and has no impact at all on your marital status.

 

[1ke]

My husband and I were non Catholics when we married. First marriage for both. He is Baptised, I am not. We are completing RCIA and looking forward to my Baptism, our confirmation and receiving Communion during the Easter Mass Vigil.

Does our Marriage have to be blessed by our Priest before we can receive Communion?

NO. You are validly married.

You can ask for and receive the Nuptial Blessing. But, you would not give new consent (i.e. convalidate). Convalidation makes an invalid marriage valid, yours is already valid. It becomes a sacrament when you are baptized.

 

[maryj]

A married couple, being received into the church at the Easter vigil…and a nuptual blessing…there wouldn’t be a dry eye in the church!!! God Bless you as you are welcomed home!!!