Nuptial Mass readings and hymns

[SenorSalsa]

My future SIL just contacted me to ask what some good choices would be for readings and hymns at their nuptial Mass.

They picked out Ecc. 4:9-12 and Col 3:12-17, while I also found Tobit 8:4-8, which I like.

The priest said he would like the Wedding Feast of Cana for the Gospel, as it makes the homily a little easier for him, but if they find a different gospel, they can ask.

I find no problems with any of the choices, and looking on line they seem to be acceptable choices.

Wondering if anyone here heard any stunning readings at their or someone else’s wedding that they would like to suggest.

They also wanted to know about hymns, which here I must admit my bias, were it up to me, I’d be just as likely to choose chant, but I know that’s not what they are looking for

Their choices included:
How Can I keep from singing
For the beauty of the Earth
Companions on the Journey

I do not know the second two, although I managed to find some version of both online, For the Beauty of the Earth doesn’t seem terrible as a hymn, Companions on the Journey, I couldn’t find a good version of it online, and so I will hold my opinion.

Again, I defer here where people may know better than I. Even if all their hymns stay, they still need one more for the offertory (the three listed are introit, Communion, and Closing hymn).

 

[benedictgal]

When are they getting married? The music will probably be influenced by the liturgical season. If your daughter is going to be a June bride, the first weekend in June will be Holy Trinity Sunday and the second will be Corpus Christi.

Also, are they going to be married at 4PM or shortly thereafter on a Saturday? At the Cathedral, we’ve had the policy of using one of the Sunday readings (and Gospel) while the couple could choose one wedding reading.

One reading that the couple could choose would be from the Song of Songs. I do not have my lectionary with me, but, it is one of the choices for the Nuptial Mass. The Wedding at Cana would be okay, but, I think that the celebrant could explore the fact that the marriage is the handing over of oneself to another.

Jesus is the personification of marriage because he is the union between God and Man, a union that cannot be dissolved. Furthermore, Jesus handed Himself to us in an nuptial manner during the Crucifixion.

As far as hymns are concerned, you could have (again, depending on the liturgical season):

Alleluia, Sing to Jesus (Communion)
Love’s Divine All Loves Excelling (Communion)
Where Charity and Love Prevail
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence (Communion)
God, We Praise You (the paraphrase of the TeDeum)
Ave Maria (if your daughter will be presenting flowers to the Blessed Mother)
Regina Caeli (if the wedding will occur during the Easter season)
Salve Regina (always a good alternative to the Ave Maria)
Ubi Caritas
The Church’s One Foundation (talks about the Church as the Bride of Christ) (Entrance and it makes a great hymn to march down the aisle)

Now, for the offertory, we would get the mothers of the couple to bring up the gifts. The cantor would sing either the Ave Maria or Panis Angelicus. If the priest is going to use incense (my parochial vicar likes to incense the couple), the organist might want to play something as the celebrant is incensing.
Hope this helps.

 

[SenorSalsa]

When are they getting married? The music will probably be influenced by the liturgical season. If **your daughter ** Oh my, i hope not!, brother and future sister in lawis going to be a June bride, the first weekend in June will be Holy Trinity Sunday and the second will be Corpus Christi.

Also, are they going to be married at 4PM or shortly thereafter on a Saturday? At the Cathedral, we’ve had the policy of using one of the Sunday readings (and Gospel) while the couple could choose one wedding reading.

One reading that the couple could choose would be from the Song of Songs. I do not have my lectionary with me, but, it is one of the choices for the Nuptial Mass. The Wedding at Cana would be okay, but, I think that the celebrant could explore the fact that the marriage is the handing over of oneself to another.

Jesus is the personification of marriage because he is the union between God and Man, a union that cannot be dissolved. Furthermore, Jesus handed Himself to us in an nuptial manner during the Crucifixion.

As far as hymns are concerned, you could have (again, depending on the liturgical season):

Alleluia, Sing to Jesus (Communion)
Love’s Divine All Loves Excelling (Communion)
Where Charity and Love Prevail
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence (Communion)
God, We Praise You (the paraphrase of the TeDeum)
Ave Maria (if your daughter will be presenting flowers to the Blessed Mother)
Regina Caeli (if the wedding will occur during the Easter season)
Salve Regina (always a good alternative to the Ave Maria)
Ubi Caritas
The Church’s One Foundation (talks about the Church as the Bride of Christ) (Entrance and it makes a great hymn to march down the aisle)

Now, for the offertory, we would get the mothers of the couple to bring up the gifts. The cantor would sing either the Ave Maria or Panis Angelicus. If the priest is going to use incense (my parochial vicar likes to incense the couple), the organist might want to play something as the celebrant is incensing.
Hope this helps.

their wedding will be the 13th of June, a Saturday. I do not know what time the wedding is, the bride to be made it sound like they have talked to the priest, so I assume the regulations about what can be read has been covered.

Thanks for the hymn suggestions, I’ll check em out and see what I like, and what they like

 

[FrDavid96]

My future SIL just contacted me to ask what some good choices would be for readings and hymns at their nuptial Mass.

They picked out Ecc. 4:9-12 and Col 3:12-17, while I also found Tobit 8:4-8, which I like.

The priest said he would like the Wedding Feast of Cana for the Gospel, as it makes the homily a little easier for him, but if they find a different gospel, they can ask.

I find no problems with any of the choices, and looking on line they seem to be acceptable choices.

Wondering if anyone here heard any stunning readings at their or someone else’s wedding that they would like to suggest.
…

You need to have
A one Old Testament, one psalm, one New Testament

or

B one Old or New Testament and one psalm

Looks like right now you have too many readings. In either case, you need 1 Gospel. I think there are at least 9 Gospel options, so picking one shouldn’t be too difficult.

I didn’t see a Psalm selection.

Going purely from memory, it sound like what you’ve listed are all from the approved readings for a wedding Mass (don’t have the marriage rite on my desk at the moment), so they would all be fine choices. Remember though that the readings have to be those from the wedding Mass, so avoid looking elsewhere. The priest-celebrant at the Mass sometimes has some license to use other readings from an approved Lectionary, but it’s best NOT to think about that, but to stick with the ones the Church has chosen.

Also remember that it is the priest’s option to choose the readings–not the couple. Allowing the couple to pick the readings is a courtesy. If the priest is “suggesting” the wedding at Cana, my suggestion is to leave it at that. On a more personal note, wedding homilies are never easy, so if the priest already has some theme in mind from Cana, I suggest not trying to change it.

 

[agapewolf]

You need to have
A one Old Testament, one psalm, one New Testament

or

B one Old or New Testament and one psalm

Looks like right now you have too many readings. In either case, you need 1 Gospel. I think there are at least 9 Gospel options, so picking one shouldn’t be too difficult.

I didn’t see a Psalm selection.

Going purely from memory, it sound like what you’ve listed are all from the approved readings for a wedding Mass (don’t have the marriage rite on my desk at the moment), so they would all be fine choices. Remember though that the readings have to be those from the wedding Mass, so avoid looking elsewhere. The priest-celebrant at the Mass sometimes has some license to use other readings from an approved Lectionary, but it’s best NOT to think about that, but to stick with the ones the Church has chosen.

Also remember that it is the priest’s option to choose the readings–not the couple. Allowing the couple to pick the readings is a courtesy. If the priest is “suggesting” the wedding at Cana, my suggestion is to leave it at that. On a more personal note, wedding homilies are never easy, so if the priest already has some theme in mind from Cana, I suggest not trying to change it.

They do not need to pick the readings from the wedding group. There are many other readings that are also appropriate for a wedding mass. I played one last year that had the last supper as the Gospel. I’ve asked many many priests about this and all of them have said that its ok to pick beyond the suggested wedding readings…because they are just that…suggested.

 

[benedictgal]

When you wrote SIL, I thought you meant son-in-law, not sister-in-law. Mea culpa.

June 13th falls on a Saturday. If it’s Saturday evening, it might not be a bad idea to use the readings for Corpus Christi Sunday. Believe it or not, they could very well match up with the nuptial Mass since, as I indicated in my initial post, marriage is about the handing over of the body to the beloved. Jesus handed Himself over to us, both at the Last Supper and at the Crucifixion. My parochial vicar preached a magnificent homily on this when a wedding fell on the vigil for Corpus Christi. I was a little taken aback when he preached this, but, he said that St. Augustine made a similar observation. Since then, the theme has been a regular wedding homily staple for him.

Agapewolf is right. The responsorial psalm is missing. It should be sung. The parts of the Mass, as a general rule of thumb, should also be sung, including the Gospel Acclamation, the Sanctus, the Memorial Acclamation and the Great Amen. This is from Musicam Sacram, the authoritative document of the Holy See on liturgical music. Even Sing to the Lord reinforces that.

 

[Red_Meg]

I don’t think it’s on the “official” list of choices, but DH & I read through every single psalm together before settling on Psalm 127 for our wedding. We were very psyched up to have a large family, and the psalm reflects that… Plus it clearly talks about establishing God in the center of the household/marriage/family.

Margaret

 

[FrDavid96]

They do not need to pick the readings from the wedding group. There are many other readings that are also appropriate for a wedding mass. I played one last year that had the last supper as the Gospel. I’ve asked many many priests about this and all of them have said that its ok to pick beyond the suggested wedding readings…because they are just that…suggested.

Again, I don’t have the Rite of Marriage (or full Lectionary) handy right now. But where does the Church say that the readings for a wedding are just “suggestions” ??? Perhaps I’ve never noticed it, but would appreciate something to substantiate that if it’s true.

The GIRM doesn’t say that.
359. In addition, the Lectionary has a special selection of texts from Sacred Scripture for Ritual Masses into which certain Sacraments or Sacramentals are incorporated, or for Masses that are celebrated for certain needs.

I also know of some priests who will tell you that the words of Consecration are “just suggestions.”

 

[SenorSalsa]

You need to have
A one Old Testament, one psalm, one New Testament

or

B one Old or New Testament and one psalm

Looks like right now you have too many readings. In either case, you need 1 Gospel. I think there are at least 9 Gospel options, so picking one shouldn’t be too difficult.

I didn’t see a Psalm selection.

Going purely from memory, it sound like what you’ve listed are all from the approved readings for a wedding Mass (don’t have the marriage rite on my desk at the moment), so they would all be fine choices. Remember though that the readings have to be those from the wedding Mass, so avoid looking elsewhere. The priest-celebrant at the Mass sometimes has some license to use other readings from an approved Lectionary, but it’s best NOT to think about that, but to stick with the ones the Church has chosen.

Also remember that it is the priest’s option to choose the readings–not the couple. Allowing the couple to pick the readings is a courtesy. If the priest is “suggesting” the wedding at Cana, my suggestion is to leave it at that. On a more personal note, wedding homilies are never easy, so if the priest already has some theme in mind from Cana, I suggest not trying to change it.

Yeah, they are using an old, psalm, new, Gospel selection, I just put out a few suggestions to show what they and I had come up with.

I also noted in my reply to her that they should probably be looking into a psalm if they hadn’t already. They may have just left it out in the note she sent me.

 

[agapewolf]

Yeah, they are using an old, psalm, new, Gospel selection, I just put out a few suggestions to show what they and I had come up with.

I also noted in my reply to her that they should probably be looking into a psalm if they hadn’t already. They may have just left it out in the note she sent me.

The psalm should be sung, so they should choose that with the musician

 

[Sarabande]

They also wanted to know about hymns, which here I must admit my bias, were it up to me, I’d be just as likely to choose chant, but I know that’s not what they are looking for

Their choices included:
How Can I keep from singing
For the beauty of the Earth
Companions on the Journey

I do not know the second two, although I managed to find some version of both online, For the Beauty of the Earth doesn’t seem terrible as a hymn, Companions on the Journey, I couldn’t find a good version of it online, and so I will hold my opinion.

Again, I defer here where people may know better than I. Even if all their hymns stay, they still need one more for the offertory (the three listed are introit, Communion, and Closing hymn).

Some brides choose hymns for their introit and extroit. Most that I’ve been a musician for choose instrumental works.

Personally, I have never liked “Companions on the Journey” since I was a kid, but it’s not my wedding. (We’re like you - had Latin chant, polyphony and other classical works for our wedding.) I’m not sure which version of “For the Beauty of the Earth” they are talking about. I know of two and both are nice. Actually, when I was thinking of having my little students’ bell choir and voice choir to play and sing at our wedding, I thought of having them do the first version “For the Beauty of the Earth” they did it so well.

youtube.com/watch?v=R5u37Nx6Dzg&feature=related

Here’s the other version by Rutter:
youtube.com/watch?v=gWNaoG2Dqak&feature=related

If they want only hymns for their nuptial mass, these are ones that have been used at weddings I’ve done:

• When Love is Found
• Lord, of All Hopefulness (Slane melody)
• Now With Thanksgiving (Slane melody)
• Be Thou My Vision (Slane melody)
• Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
• One Bread, One Body
• O God Beyond All Praising (We had this as our introit, but as an organ instrumental. It is beautiful sung as well.)

These are some vocal works often done at weddings I’m involved in:

• Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring - Bach(sung or instrumental - it is often times done as a solo, but very much can be sung as a hymn by everyone)
• The Gift of Love - Hal Hopson - Same melody as “When Love is Found”, just a different, more modern arrangement.
• Panis Angelicus - Franck or Lambilotte
• Hail, Queen of Heaven - Hemy
• Ave Maria - Schubert; Bach-Gounod; Arcadelt; Faure;
• Ave Verum Corpus - Mozart (can be done as solo, even though it is a choral work); Faure (need for at least two femal voices, if not female choir)
• O Mary of Graces - Traditional Irish Hymn
• Whither Thou Goest - Heinrich Schutz or Flor Peeters
• Wedding Hymn - Handel
• Laudate Dominum - Mozart (There is a solo version of this rather than the solo/choral version)
• Panis Vivus - Mozart

If they want instrumental works for their introit and extroit, I suggest they talk to the music director there to find out what he/she is comfortable playing - also for the vocal pieces.

 

[Sarabande]

The psalm should be sung, so they should choose that with the musician

Very true. It is rare that it isn’t sung. Only times I’ve ever heard of it not being sung is when the couple does not hire a cantor for the wedding and just has a pianist/organist/string group, etc. But I know that some parishes do stipulate they have to use a cantor, so have your SIL look into that.

 

[Cluny]

There is a solo setting of 1 Cor 13 by Roberta Bitgood that was intended for weddings.

Johannes Brahms wrote one in German in his Four Serious Songs, but it may be beyond the reach of the average singer.