KASAL

ACT 1

SCENE 1

THE PROPOSAL - ONE EVENING

Aevan steps on rocks and accompanies Gab to reach the end of the
river.

The two of them successfully reach the peak of the mountain. Just in
time for sunset.

GAB

Wow!! And gandaaaaaa, so amazing.

Kaya naman pala noon mo pa ako gusto dalhin dito.

AEVAN

Syempre naman, deserve mo lahat ng kagandahan sa mundong ito.

GAB

*nag pabebe* Ay enebe! Babanat pa baka hindi nako sayo mahulog baka
sa bangin na ‘to.

AEVAN

Nako para namang hindi kita sasaluhin!

GAB

TSE!

Gab slightly slaps his shoulder.

AEVAN

OH! Wait lang, mag picture tayo para sa memories.

 GAB

Sige, BET KO YAN!

Aevan grabs the camera from his bag.

AEVAN

Picturan mo muna ako!

GAB

Aba! Uunahan pa’ko ha. Kung ‘di lang kita mahal, osge na nga.

Aevan hands the camera over to her with the camera lid still on.

Aevan then poses.

Gab then turns on the camera.

GAB

Okay, one two— ay anuba yan ‘di mo tinanggal takip!

AEVAN

Ay ganun ba! Sorry Sorry tanga lang! *laughing*

Gab removes the lid. But when she looks through the camera. Aevan was
holding a box in his hand.

GAB

AEVAN

Gab…

Aevan kneels down.

GAB

HOIIII.
*kinilig si Gab*

AEVAN
I like you

I love you

I had plenty of what-ifs in my life, scared of what the future might

bring. What if magsawa siya sa akin? What if maging boring ako? What
if she finds someone much better than me?

Aevan smiles.

What if hindi naman?

The world is a scary place, even if it’s beautiful it is destructive,

dangerous… We can fall over this cliff any second now, but together,
I know that I’ll never be afraid because I have someone I want to
protect and to fight for.

Aevan laughs softly

With that.

Aevan opens the box to reveal a beautiful ring.

Gab, I know I may sound cringy right now. Sobrang cringe pero I just
wanna say na I am ready to commit my life to you. Wala nang siguro
siguro, dahil alam kong sigurado nako sayo.

Now, Gab Macapagal, will you be my greatest what-if?

Gab blushes.

GAB

Oo naman!

ACT 2

SCENE 2

WEDDING VENUE - MORNING

SONG: BEAUTIFUL IN WHITE X CANON IN D INSTRUMENTALS

The procession to the altar then takes place.

The priest and servers are already in front of the altar.

The groom enters.

The best man Sean and maid of honor Jannie walks down the aisle.

And the following sponsors:

Jaylord and Blessie

followed by the following bridesmaids and groomsmen:

Gem and CJ

Karylle and Grant

Fab and Rainiel

Zha and Ryan

Shek and Clarence

The ring bearer Wesley and flower Girl Jasmine enter.

Followed by the Bible bearer Liam, and hands it over the priest

Gab then enters the aisle accompanied by her father Idwald.

The priest receives them and greets them kindly, showing that the
Church shares in their joy

PRIEST

In the name of the father, and of the son, and of the holy spirit.”

GUESTS

Amen.

PRIEST

Grace to you and peace from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
 GUESTS
And with your spirit.

PRIEST

We have come rejoicing into the house of the Lord for this
celebration, dear brothers and sisters, and now we stand Aevan and
Gab on the day they intend to form a home of their own. For them this
is a moment of unique importance. So let us support them with our
affection, with our friendship, and with our prayer as their brothers
and sisters. Let us listen attentively with them to the word that God
speaks to us today. Then, with the Holy Church, let us humbly pray to
God the Father, through Christ our Lord, for this couple, his
servants, that he lovingly accept them, bless them, and make them
always one.

GUESTS

Amen.

Everyone then takes their seats.

Charles comes to the Podium to read the first reading.

CHARLES

A reading from the book of Genesis 1:26-28:

Then God said:
‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.
Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea,
the birds of the air, and the cattle,
and over all the wild animals
and all the creatures that crawl on the ground.”
God created man in his image;
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
God blessed them, saying:
“Be fertile and multiply;
fill the earth and subdue it.
Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air,
and all the living things that move on the earth.”
God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good. The
word of the Lord.
 ANDRE

A reading from the New Testament, 1 John 4:7-12:

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.
Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does
not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God
showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world
that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God,
but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our
sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one
another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God
lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
The word of the Lord.

GUESTS

Thanks be to God

PRIEST

A reading from the gospel, 1 Corinthians 13:4–8

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast,
it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,
it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not
delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects,
always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But
where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues,
they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

The word of the Lord.

GUESTS

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

The Priest goes to the podium.

PRIEST

We live in a day that is characterized by the shallow half–read page.

We have everything from instant pudding to instant sermons. We go
through instant marriages like a gallon of water.
Perhaps in no area of our lives has this shallow superficiality had
its most ill effect than in our churches and our homes. We go from
one shallow superficial fad or relationship to another. The day of
depth in theology and relationships is almost gone.
One of the characteristics of a strong stable home is depth of
relationships. Strong families have a sacrificial love. The apostle
Paul used the word agape, to define unselfish love. This kind of love
always seeks the highest good in the other person. Where does one
learn that kind of love? It must be discovered in God's exceedingly
great love for us and nurtured in family relationships. It is not a
product of the natural man; it is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. You
cannot manufacture it. It must always come from the abiding presence
of the Lord. He expresses His love through us.
Love is not a four-letter word. It is spelled COMMITMENT. Agape love
is something you do. God loved us by sending His Son, Jesus Christ,
to come to this earth and die for our sins on the cross. Love is
something God did. It demonstrates His commitment to a lost world.
Agape demands exercise of the whole person in which we seek the
highest good in other people, including those whom we find it
difficult to naturally love. This kind of love will transform your
marriage and your family. It says I will seek nothing but the highest
good for my mate, my children, my in-laws, etc. It is not simply a
wave of emotion; it is an attitude and includes the mind and the
will.
Let's examine some characteristics of this sacrificial love in First
Corinthians chapter thirteen, and apply it to our home life.

The apostle Paul personifies love with a description of its

characteristics. He examines both sides of the coin. Keep in mind the
context is dealing with spiritual gifts. Here Paul contrasts and
compares other gifts with sacrificial love.

Love "is not jealous" (v. 4). It is not fervent, boiling with envy
and jealousy. Envy, jealousy and character assassination are
destructive to any family. You won't believe the "celebrity"
mentality that goes on even in churches and among preachers. We live
in a day when bigger is better, the winner is the one who ends the
game of life with the most toys and is the envy of his peers. The
tragedy is we miss the eternal purpose of God in our lives and our
families are destroyed in the process.

Love "does not brag" (v. 4). True love does not put on a self–parade.
Jesus did not parade Himself, or put on a show. Love doesn't talk a
lot and act presumptuously. Our Lord humbled Himself, and became
obedient even to the point of death on the cross. Mark 10:45 reads,
"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and
to give His life a ransom for many." He is the supreme example of
humility.

Love "is not arrogant" (v. 4). It is not puffed up like a big
oversized advertising balloon. "Knowledge makes arrogant, but love
edifies [builds up]" (1 Corinthians 8:1). "God is opposed to the
proud, but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6). Philippians 2:6-8
is the most beautiful picture of humility. Jesus Christ "existed in
the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be
grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond–servant, and
being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a
man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death,
even the death on a cross."

Love "does not act unbecomingly" (v. 5). It is not indecent. It does
not act shamefully. You would have never heard a dirty joke or
off-color story from the lips of Jesus. He never made a woman, or
even a man, blush. The missionary David Livingston said, "The Lord
Jesus was a perfect Gentleman."
Love "does not seek its own" (v. 5). It is not possessive. God's love
is unselfish. A possessive parent will destroy a home.

Love "is not provoked" (v. 5). Love does not yield to irritation or
sharpness of spirit. It is not touchy. Our original word means to
irritate, promote to anger, to be irritable or touchy. This
touchiness is caused by selfishness. Our Lord had no need to be
irritable about someone else's toys. He had His priorities straight,
and He stated His philosophy clearly in Matthew 6:33. "Continually
seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things
shall be added to you.

Love "does not take into account a wrong suffered" (v. 5). It "thinks
no evil." Love does not record wrongs and doesn't keep accounts of
people's transgressions. Love does not keep a ledger of evils done.
It does not keep a notebook diary of evil done to it. It does not
throw the whole kitchen sink at the other person when discussing
problems. Love bears no malice. It does not store up resentments
toward people. While dying on the cross Jesus prayed for those who
were responsible for crucifying Him. He prayed over and over again,
"Father forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke
23:34). Forgiveness means that we wipe the record clean and never
hold things against people (Ephesians 4:26, 32). Do you have a
perfect memory when you think about wrongs done to you? Do you have a
good forgetter and poor recall when you try to recall wrongs people
have done?
Love "does not rejoice in unrighteousness" (v. 6). Moffatt gives us
the best paraphrase, "Love is never glad when others go wrong." Jesus
stood overlooking the city of Jerusalem a few days before His death
on the cross and He wept over the city. He knew the city would be
destroyed by the Romans in AD 70. He cried, "O Jerusalem, O
Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to
her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a
hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling"
(Matthew 23:37). His love did not rejoice when judgment came. He
cried! How often do we fall on our knees and weep over the sins of
those who do us wrong?

William Barclay observes: "If we seek nothing but a man's highest

good, we may well have to resist a man; we may well have to punish
him; we may well have to do the hardest things to him––for the good
of his immortal soul . . . It will always be done in that forgiving
love which seeks, . . . always his highest good. In other words,
agape means treating men as God treats them––and that does not mean
allowing them unchecked to do as they like" (New Testament Words, p.
22-23).

Love "never fails" (v. 8). It is eternal; it never comes to an end.

"Love is patient" (v. 4). "Patience" (makrothymia) is to be

long-suffering. It is the capacity to be wronged and not retaliate.
Trench said it is a long holding out of the mind before it gives into
action or passion. It will remain steadfast and not give in. Peter
asked Jesus, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I
forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to
you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven." It takes a
long time before becoming irritated and braking into flames. Paul's
emphasis is on the continual and habitual state of patience. That is
love in action.

"Love is kind" (v. 4). This is the person who demonstrates gracious
healthy wholesome service to others. It is a disposition that acts
with kindness. "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly
love, in honor preferring one another" (Romans 12:10). We see the
kindness of Jesus when He "felt compassion" for the multitudes, and
healed "every kind of disease and every kind of sickness" (Matthew
9:35).
Love "rejoices with the truth" (v. 6). Love does not rejoice in a
fraud or cover-up regardless of whose side you are on. It rejoices in
the truth regardless of whose pride is at stake. We live in a day
that admonishes "don't hurt anybody's feelings" instead of rejoicing
in the truth. We put carnal feelings ahead of truth. In our day we
are encouraged, almost demanded, to be "tolerant" and go by personal
biases instead of rejoicing with the truth. This is a day in which it
is wrong to side with truth. Love "rejoices with the truth.'

Love "bears [covers] all things" (v. 7). Love covers like the
protection of a roof, and endures. It has the ability to weather the
storms of life. 1 Peter 4:8 reminds us that "love covers a multitude
of sins." It throws a veil over things. Love patiently and silently
endures persecution. We see it incarnate in the life of Jesus as He
stood before Pilate and Herod and "He answered him not one word"
(Matthew 27:14).
Love "believes all things" (v. 7). We are admonished to remain
steadfast in the face of unpleasant situations in life. You don't
have to be suspicious and question everyone. Try to see things in the
best light. Don't be gullible, but do have faith in men.

Love "hopes all things" (v. 9). It perseveres and does not easily
give up, even on the hopeless. It does not despair because it is
optimistic.
Love "endures all things" (v. 7). It is dependable; it never fails.
It bears up patiently and survives everything. Jesus endured the
cross, despising its shame and remained faithful to the Father's
will. " . . . While being reviled, He did not revile in return; while
suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him
who judges righteously . . . " (1 Peter 2:23).

Love "abides" (v. 13). What was true of Christ's love toward His
disciples is true of His love now. It abides.
Love is "the greatest" (v. 13). It is an attribute of God.
Love is something God does.
1 John 4:10, "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He
loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." John
3:16, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten
Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal
life." Ephesians 5:25, ". . . Christ . . . loved the church and gave
Himself up for her." Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with
Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and
the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of
God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." Cf. 1 John 4:8, 16
Did you notice how love edifies? It builds up the body of Christ.
Forgiveness means that we wipe the record clean and never hold things
against people (Ephesians 4:26, 32).
Compare these characteristics with the fruit of the Spirit in
Galatians 5:22-23. I like what Spurgeon wrote: "Joy is love enjoying
itself; Peace is love resting; Patience is love waiting; Kindness is
love reacting; Goodness is love choosing; Faithfulness is love
keeping its word; Gentleness is love empathizing; and Self-control is
love resisting temptation."
Perhaps someone is saying, "Yeah, that sounds great, but how do I
respond with loving attitudes and behaviors in my situation? How do
you do it? How do you put this into practice in my home?

The Son of God indwells every believer.

"It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me," wrote the
apostle Paul in Galatians 2:20.
Romans 5:5, "the love of God has been poured out within our hearts
through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Wuest translates, " . .
. the love of God has been poured out in our hearts and still floods
them through the agency of the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Cf.
Titus 3:5-7) It is "the act of the Spirit at the time of the
conversion of the individual taking up His permanent abode in his
inner being" (Wuest). Every believer has the Spirit of Christ (Rom.
8:9) in the sense that He is indwelt by the Holy Spirit (cf. 1 John
3:24; 4:13).
The Holy Spirit makes real the living presence of Jesus Christ in the
believer. It was Jonathan Swift, the satirical author of Gulliver’s
Travels, who said, "We have just enough religion to make us hate, but
not enough to make us love one another." How tragic when Christ lives
within us and desires to love the world through us.

Christ seeks to live His live through us.

1 John 4:7-8, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from
God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who
does not love does not know God, for God is love."
Has the Holy Spirit placed someone in your life that is hard to love?
The Holy Spirit releases the love of God in us to reach out to
others. The only way we can love the unlovely and unlovable is by
abiding in Christ. Only as we walk in the Spirit can we put to death
daily our "flesh" nature that is all together unlovely. Only by
Christ living in me can I overcome jealousy, arrogant pride, an
unbecoming behavior, selfishness, a quick flash of temper, or tear up
a long agenda of wrongs done me by others.

The Holy Spirit takes possession of the believer and sheds abroad the
love of God in his heart. It is realistic. It says, "Lord, I can't
love that person's arrogant pride, or obstinate behavior, or the
selfish attitudes. I can't, but You do. Here is my attitude. Here are
my opinionated views, here I am. Please, you do what I cannot do.
Here I am, You love this person through me. I sincerely want the very
best for this person the way you view it."
It is Christ living in me that produces patience, kindness, hope,
endurance, steadfastness, etc.
God has provided us the power to die daily to our selfish ambitions
and unwholesome motives and behaviors. He lives His life through us
enabling us to love sacrificially those who are altogether unlovely.
C. T. Studd said, "If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no
sacrifice is too great for me to make for Him."
Ephesians 4:31-32 expresses love in action. "Let all bitterness and
wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along
with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving
each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you."
Husbands, do you love your wife in the same sacrificial love in which
Christ loved and gave Himself for His church? (cf. Ephesians 5:25)
This grand passage of Scripture reminds us of the ABC's of love.

A = I ACCEPT you just the way you are.

B = I BELIEVE you are valuable.
C = I CARE when you hurt.
D = I DESIRE what is best for you.
E = I EASE the burdens you carry.
F= I FORGIVE you of all offenses.

There are people all about us who need that touch of Christ. Christ
in you is the only one who can reach out and touch that individual.
He has chosen to love that person through you. Perhaps, from past
experience, you feel you cannot do it. The Lord knows you cannot do
it in your strength alone. He does not even ask you to do it alone.
But if you will ask Him He will love that person through you. May the
Lord give us His grace to apply this great truth in our lives this
week.

Amen.

Everyone stands up.

PRIEST

Dearly beloved,
you have come together into the house of the Church, so that in the
presence of the Church’s minister and the community your intention to
enter into Marriage may be strengthened by the Lord with a sacred
seal. Christ abundantly blesses the love that binds you. Through a
special Sacrament, he enriches and strengthens those he has already
consecrated by Holy Baptism, that they may be faithful to each other
for ever and assume all the responsibilities of married life. And so,
in the presence of the Church, I ask you to state your intentions.

The priest then questions them about their freedom of choice, fidelity
to each other, and the acceptance and upbringing of children, and each
responds separately.

Aevan and Gab, have you come here to enter into Marriage without
coercion, freely and wholeheartedly?

AEVAN

I have.

GAB

I have.

The priest continues

PRIEST

Are you prepared, as you follow the path of Marriage, to love and
honor each other for as long as you both shall live?

AEVAN
I am

GAB

I am

PRIEST

Are you prepared to accept children lovingly from God and to bring
them up according to the law of Christ and his Church?

AEVAN
I am

GAB

I am
 PRIEST

Since it is your intention to enter the covenant of Holy Matrimony,

declare your consent before God
and his Church.

The priest looks at Aevan.

Aevanrein Guatlo, do you freely and willingly take Alyssa Gabrielle

Macapagal here present, for your lawful wife according to the laws of
God and of holy Mother Church?

AEVAN
I do.

PRIEST

Alyssa Gabrielle Macapagal, do you freely and willingly take

Aevanrein Guatlo here present, for your lawful husband according to
the laws of God and of the Holy Mother Church?

GAB

I do.

PRIEST

Aevan and Gab, join your right hands.

The couple face each other, and the bridegroom takes the bride’s right
hand in his.

AEVAN

Gab Macapagal, my soon to be Alyssa Gabrielle Guatlo. I have never

thought we’d go this far. Back from when we were in Senior High
School, I’ve been scared on getting into a relationship. Who would’ve
thought we’d be standing in the same church one day. I have faced
countless betrayals, and false hopes… I thought I’d never learn to
love again. But when I met you, ikaw ang nagbigay dahilan sa’kin na
magmahal muli. Kaya siguro Gab Mapagmahal ka. Charot. Kahit na
magtago man ako, tumakbo… ikaw pa rin hinahanap ng puso ko. Kahit
takot akong tanggapin ang pagmamahal mo, gusto ka pa rin paniwalaan
ng puso ko. Subukan man kitang iwasan, nakukuha pa rin kitang silipin
tuwing alam kong nandyan ka lang. Pasensya na, sa mga panahong naging
magulo ako sa relasyon natin. Pero ngayon na nasa simbahan tayo,
siguradong sigurado nako. Totoo na ‘to, wala nako tatakasan dahil
sayo na’ko uuwi.

GAB

Eyban, charot lang. Okay serious na. My… Aevan Guatlo. *laughs* In my
life I’ve been in a lot of relationships, but yours never felt the
same with them. Yes, you were really unsure lalo na close friends
tayo, and you had traumas in your past relationships. Ang hirap mo
suyuin! Pero never naging problema yun saken. You were different,
very different from others. And that’s why I fell in love with you.
It was a tough one, pero it was all worth it. I fell deeper as we
spent more time together, you’ve shown me your weak side, your strong
side… and I loved them all. Nilalambing kita lagi, pero ang dry mo!
Pero ‘di ko napansin na binabalik mo na rin pala, manhid pa nmn ako!
Pero ayun, bigla nalang nagka kahulugan ang mundo ko noong narealize
ko na na ffall nako. Ikaw ang naging dahilan bat nag mamahal ako,
kaya nga puso ko sayong sayo na ayaw na kumawala! *slight pause* The
day you confessed to me was the greatest moment of my life, hindi
talaga ako makapaniwala na magugustuhan mo rin ako. Lagi mo sinasabi
saken na marami kang flaws, pero let me tell you this, to all the
people here right now sa Church na ‘to I pproclaim ko na. I love you
for who you are. For who you were. And for who you will become.

Everyone claps.

PRIEST

May the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God
who joined together our first parents in paradise, strength and bless
in Christ the consent you have declared before the Church, so that
what God joins together, no one may put asunder.

Let us bless the Lord.

GUESTS

Thanks be to God.

The ring bearer brings the rings.

PRIEST
Bless, O Lord, these rings

which we bless in your name. so that those who wear them

may remain entirely faithful to each other, abide in peace and in
your will, and live always in mutual charity. Through Christ our
Lord.

GUESTS

Amen.

The priest now sprinkles the wedding rings with holy water before
handing them to each partner.

AEVAN

Gab, receive this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity. In the name
of the father, and the son, and the holy spirit.

Aevan places the ring on Bride’s finger.

GAB

Aevan, receive this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity. In the

name of the father, and the son, and the holy spirit.

Bride places the ring on Groom’s finger

GIVING OF ARRAS

PRIEST

Bless, O Lord, these arras

that Aevan and Gab will give to each other
and pour over them the abundance of your good gifts.

The husband takes the arras and hands them over to his wife

AEVAN

Gab, receive these arras as a pledge of God’s blessing

and as a sign of the good gifts we will share.

The wife takes the arras and hands them over to her husband.
 GAB

Aevan, receive these arras as a pledge of God’s blessing

and as a sign of the good gifts we will share.

PRIEST

Dear brothers and sisters,

as we call to mind the special gift of grace and charity
by which God has been pleased to crown and consecrate
the love of our sister Gab. and our brother Aevan,
Let us commend them to the Lord.

MARK

That these faithful Christians, Aevan and Gab,

newly joined in Holy Matrimony,
may always enjoy health and well-being,
let us pray to the Lord.

GUESTS

Lord, we ask you, hear our prayer.

MARK

That he will bless their covenant

as he chose to sanctify marriage at Cana in Galilee,
let us pray to the Lord.

GUESTS

Lord, we ask you, hear our prayer.

MARK

That they be granted perfect and fruitful love,

peace and strength,
and that they bear faithful witness to the name of Christian,
let us pray to the Lord.

GUESTS

Lord, we ask you, hear our prayer.

 MARK

That the Christian people

may grow in virture day by day
and that all who are burdened by any need
may receive the help of grace from above,
let us pray to the Lord.

GUESTS

Lord, we ask you, hear our prayer.

MARK

That the grace of the Sacrament

will be renewed by the Holy Spirit
in all married persons here present, let us pray to the Lord.

GUESTS

Lord, we ask you, hear our prayer.

PRIEST

Graciously pour out upon this husband and wife, O Lord,

the Spirit of your love,
to make them one heart and one soul,
so that nothing whatever may divide those you have joined
and no harm may come to those you have filled with your blessing.
Through Christ our Lord.

GUESTS

Amen.

PRIEST

Dear brothers and sisters,

let us accompany this new family with our prayers,
that the mutual love of this couple may grow daily
and that God in his kindness
will sustain all families throughout the world.
For this bride and groom,
and for their well-being as a family,
let us pray to the Lord.

GUESTS

Lord, we ask you, hear our prayer.

GUESTS

For their relatives and friends,

and for all who have assisted this couple,
let us pray to the Lord.

GUESTS

Lord, we ask you, hear our prayer.

PRIEST

For young people preparing to enter Marriage,

and for all whom the Lord is calling to another state in life,
let us pray to the Lord.

GUESTS

Lord, we ask you, hear our prayer.

PRIESTS

For all families throughout the world

and for lasting peace among all people,
let us pray to the Lord.

GUESTS

Lord, we ask you, hear our prayer.

PRIEST

For all members of our families

who have passed from this world,
and for all the departed,
let us pray to the Lord.
 GUESTS

Lord, we ask you, hear our prayer.

PRIEST

For the Church, the holy People of God,

and for unity among all Christians,
let us pray to the Lord.

GUESTS

Lord, we ask you, hear our prayer.

PRIEST

Lord Jesus, who are present in our midst,

as Aevan and Gab seal their union
accept our prayer
and fill us with your Spirit.
Who live and reign for ever and ever.

GUESTS

Amen.

The Blessing and Placing of the Lazo or the Veil

According to local customs, the rite of blessing and imposition of the

lazo (wedding garland) or of the veil may take place before the
Nuptial Blessing. The spouses remain kneeling in their place. Then if
it is convenient to do so, the lazo may be placed at this time, or
else, a veil is placed over the head of the wife the the shoulders of
the husband, thus symbolizing the bond that unites them.

PRIEST

Bless, O Lord, this lazo,

a symbol of the indissoluble union
that Aevan and Gab have established from this day forward
before you and with your help.

The lazo (or the veil) is held by two family members or friends and is
placed over the shoulders of the newly married couple.
Then the minister, with hands extended over the bride and bridegroom
continues

PRIEST

Holy Father, maker of the whole world,

who created man and woman in your own image
and willed that their union be crowned with your blessing, we humbly
beseech you for these your servants,
who are joined today in the Sacrament of Matrimony.

May your abundant blessing, Lord,

come down upon this bride, Gab
and upon Aevan, her companion for life,
and may the power of your Holy Spirit
set their hearts aflame from on high,
so that, living out together the gift of Matrimony,
they may enrich the Church.

In happiness may they praise you, O Lord,

in sorrow may they seek you out;
may they have the joy of your presence
to assist them in their toil,
and know that you are near
to comfort them in their need;
let them pray to you in the holy assembly
and bear witness to you in the world,
and after a happy old age,
together with the circle of friends that surrounds them,
may they come to the Kingdom of Heaven.
Through Christ our Lord.

GUESTS

Amen.

PRIEST

In the sight of God and these witnesses, I now pronounce you husband
and wife! You may now kiss!

Kiss (jk)
PRIEST

May almighty God bless all of you, who are gathered here,
the Father, and the Son + and the Holy Spirit.

GUESTS

Amen.

OUTRO SONG