The Sacrament of Marriage
The Sacrament of Marriage plays a very
important role in how we Catholics understand ourselves as the body of Christ in
the world in which we live. This description sounds very complex and does
not seem to be related to how most of us understand marriage as the relationship
of love between a husband and a wife. One way of seeing the
interrelationship of these two descriptions is through the multiple meanings of
the word presence. We say that a wife and a husband are present to each
other. We also say that Jesus is present to us who are the community of
his disciples, the Church. He shows us through his words and works, life,
death and resurrection who God is and what God is for us. Jesus is a
sacrament through which the meaning and presence of God is made real for us.
But since the resurrected Jesus is no longer visibly present in history, the Christian Community, the Church now becomes the sacrament of Jesus. The mission of the Church is to proclaim by word and example that Jesus is still present among us to to promote visible ways for all of us to grow in God's forgiveness and love. One of these ways is through the sacrament of marriage. Married couples in their daily bodily lives become a sacrament to the extent that they understand and witness the continuing action of Jesus through his Spirit in their meaning and presence to each other and our world.
To assist engaged couples in their understanding of God's love and forgiveness in their daily lives and witness of this to our world, St. Joseph's has a program of Marriage Preparation. Although it may take various forms and involve various members of our community, the process of preparation for the Sacrament of marriage has three steps.
- A conversation with the engaged couple and a priest or deacon in the Parish Center. This gives us an opportunity to meet personally and to explain the process more fully. We will answer any immediate questions the couple have and explore ways of addressing any special circumstances the couple might present. Here we would begin the process of helping the couple to assess their present readiness for the Sacrament of Marriage, what are the ways in which they have already prepared, and what are the areas of growth in their lives that they still have to address.
- The second step of the process is the referral of a couple to a marriage preparation program that is coordinated and led by married couples whose wisdom and experience is an important learning tool for couples to reflect upon their own plans for married life. This program is usually referred to a "Pre Cana". Actually, this is an umbrella term that contains many programs of preparation. Based upon their assessment of their needs and readiness, the priest or deacon will make a recommendation of a particular program for the engaged couple. In addition, we will also begin the process of documentation for the marriage. We will direct the gathering of the documents required by both the Catholic church and New York State as well as the papers to be signed by the couple themselves.
- After the couple completes their Marriage Preparation Program, they meet again with the priest or deacon. Here they begin the liturgical preparation for their marriage. We will invite their participation in the selection of the biblical readings, prayers, vows and ritual of their wedding and coordinate the involvement of the wedding party and a guest officiant if requested. We will also direct them to make contact with the Parish Musical Director to integrate music into the liturgy, set up a rehearsal date, and present the parish guidelines for the use of flowers and pictures.
To begin the process of preparing for celebrating the Sacrament of Marriage at St. Joseph's Church, please call the Parish Center (669-0068) and a priest or deacon will be happy to set up an appointment with you.
