Would this song be okay at a Catholic wedding?

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It’s a nice song, but I don’t think it qualifies as sacred or liturgically appropriate music. There doesn’t seem to be much explicit mention of God–it’s just a more ‘spiritual’ love song.

I think it would be a nice song to play at the reception, but there are more appropriate, scripturally-based ‘love songs’ that would be appropriate for a Catholic wedding.

How about “Whither Thou Goest” (based on the Book of Ruth) or “The Servant Song”? Both are liturgically appropriate and share the same sentiment of the song you posted.

I can’t find the “Whither Thou Goest” lyrics, but they are taken right from Ruth 1:16.
But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.
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Also:
The Servant Song
Will you let me be your servant
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I might have the grace
To let me be your servant too
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We are pilgrims on the journey
We are brothers on the road
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load
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I will hold the Christ light for you
In the night time of your fear
I will hold my hand out to you
Speak the the peace you long to hear.
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I will weep when you are weeping
When you laugh, I’ll laugh with you
I will share your joy and sorrow
Till we’ve seen this journey through.
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When we sing to God in heaven
We shall find such harmony
Born to all we’ve known together
Of Christ’s love and agony
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ArdenB said:
I’m going to sing a song at my cousin’s wedding. I really want to sing I Say the Grace by Victoria Shaw. I heard it at a wedding last year and loved it. My cousin thinks it is great. I know secular music isn’t allowed, but this song has a religious theme. Here is a clip:

imeem.com/groups/zv4Of20v,imeem_country_music_volume_1//music/xwf2zqm4/victoria_shaw_i_say_the_grace/
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No, this cannot be sung at the wedding. Only sacred music can be used at Mass.

You could sing it at the reception.
 
Check with VAC or benedictgal (they would know), but I think what you have here, beautiful as it is, is secular music. The emphasis in liturgical music is just that, liturgy, and this is all about the couple.

You might also want to check with your cousin’s liturgist and pastor, or have her check. PERHAPS you could sing it before Mass starts, along with something liturgical, IF you get permission from the liturgist or priest.** I doubt it**, but it’s not like your singing “White Wedding” before the wedding.

Otherwise, it is a very appropriate first dance song, and you could sing it then, at the reception.
 
It might be ok after the Mass is over… Although I am not familiar with the song, I’m just not fond of secular songs at Church in general, but anyways, you can ask 🙂 I know that in other places the songs in the Mass have to be written for the Mass, but songs after the Mass (recessional included) can be different.
 
Here’s some good wedding advice for you and everyone else**: Worship God in the beauty of His Holiness, then PARTY!

**When we marry, we agree to follow the Church’s teachings on marriage. When we marry in the context of a Mass, we must also follow the Church’s teachings on the Mass and what kind of music is appropriate.

Initially my wife and I were concerned that our guests might be turned off by Gregorian Chant and renaissance polyphony. But to our surprise, people came up to us at the reception to thank us for not “turning the Mass into the beginning of the reception.” I should note that our reception lasted for over four hours, and in that time only four or five people left. 😃

Sing the song at the reception. It’ll mean much more to people than it would if it were being sung at Mass. And God won’t mind, so there’s a plus 😛
 
CatholicNerd (LOVE your name!) that is fantastic advice!! We just finished planning our music for our wedding and ran into the same problems; the list our organist gave us had a bunch of secular stuff on it. But we both wanted our marriage to be a Mass and about God, not our own personal preferences and uniqueness. So, the reception will be kind of goofy and nerdy, but not the Mass (I can’t tell you how many of my non-Catholic friends asked if we would have a ‘Star Wars wedding’ and couldn’t understand why that never even crossed our minds).

We’re having the Servant Song at our wedding! 🙂 Before we were even dating, we once had this conversation about how we really wanted it in our weddings…and now we are…together 🙂
 
You may want to check and see if you can sing it before mass starts. I think my girls are going to sing some josh groban.
 
Asillia said:
CatholicNerd (LOVE your name!) that is fantastic advice!! We just finished planning our music for our wedding and ran into the same problems; the list our organist gave us had a bunch of secular stuff on it. But we both wanted our marriage to be a Mass and about God, not our own personal preferences and uniqueness. So, the reception will be kind of goofy and nerdy, but not the Mass (I can’t tell you how many of my non-Catholic friends asked if we would have a ‘Star Wars wedding’ and couldn’t understand why that never even crossed our minds).

We’re having the Servant Song at our wedding! 🙂 Before we were even dating, we once had this conversation about how we really wanted it in our weddings…and now we are…together 🙂
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Awesome! And congratulations in advance! Nerd weddings are the best. 😃
 
Asillia said:
CatholicNerd (LOVE your name!) that is fantastic advice!! We just finished planning our music for our wedding and ran into the same problems; the list our organist gave us had a bunch of secular stuff on it. But we both wanted our marriage to be a Mass and about God, not our own personal preferences and uniqueness. So, the reception will be kind of goofy and nerdy, but not the Mass (I can’t tell you how many of my non-Catholic friends asked if we would have a ‘Star Wars wedding’ and couldn’t understand why that never even crossed our minds).

We’re having the Servant Song at our wedding! 🙂 Before we were even dating, we once had this conversation about how we really wanted it in our weddings…and now we are…together 🙂
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My fiance’s non-Catholic cousins had a Star Wars-themed rehearsal 👍. I think they practiced their vows as Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker. LOL!
 
Are you sure it wasn’t Leia and Han???

We’re having a Star Wars reception 🙂 We’re going to come in to the Throne Room songs and our wedding party will have lightsabers. But the wedding will be a Mass 🙂
 
Asillia said:
Are you sure it wasn’t Leia and Han???

We’re having a Star Wars reception 🙂 We’re going to come in to the Throne Room songs and our wedding party will have lightsabers. But the wedding will be a Mass 🙂
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LOL probably so. I’m not as up on my Star Wars trivia as I should be, I guess ;).
 
Rach620 said:
My fiance’s non-Catholic cousins had a Star Wars-themed rehearsal 👍. I think they practiced their vows as Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker. LOL!
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One-up on that: Non-Catholic friends of mine had a Star Wars wedding, in a non-denom. church, with Star Wars music, and the VOWS built around Star Wars.
 
Rach620 said:
It’s a nice song, but I don’t think it qualifies as sacred or liturgically appropriate music. There doesn’t seem to be much explicit mention of God–it’s just a more ‘spiritual’ love song.

I think it would be a nice song to play at the reception, but there are more appropriate, scripturally-based ‘love songs’ that would be appropriate for a Catholic wedding.

How about “Whither Thou Goest” (based on the Book of Ruth) or “The Servant Song”? Both are liturgically appropriate and share the same sentiment of the song you posted.

I can’t find the “Whither Thou Goest” lyrics, but they are taken right from Ruth 1:16.

Also:
Click to expand...
I love the Servant Song. DH used to sing it to me when we were dating. It makes me cry just to hear it.

Unfortunately we didn’t get to use it for our wedding. The choir director said it belonged in a funeral. 😃
 
hasikelee said:
I love the Servant Song. DH used to sing it to me when we were dating. It makes me cry just to hear it.

Unfortunately we didn’t get to use it for our wedding. The choir director said it belonged in a funeral. 😃
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That’s weird, because I am pretty sure that we are getting married in the same church as you, hasikelee (I saw your wedding pics when you posted them–New Cathedral, right?), and the CD the Cathedral music director sent us had the Servant Song on it. It’s what made me think of using it for our wedding in the first place 👍.
 
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