A Wedding Novena

Dear Heavenly Father, through the intercession of the Holy Family, we pray for A. and E. as they approach their wedding day. Please grant them a permanent faith in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony, an outward sign instituted by Christ to give them grace. Help them to always remember that by living their marriage in obedience to You, You will always give them the help they need to live life in a way pleasing to You.

We pray that You bless them with permanent faithfulness of heart and soul as they join their lives in love. Trusting not in themselves but always depending upon You, may You fill them with a patient hope and charity, in good times and in bad.

Please bless them further with generous spirits so that they may continue to grow in love. May they anticipate the needs of serving one another; may they treasure their gift of marriage, and may their marriage reflect the love of Christ for His Church. May the self-giving love between husband and wife unite them more perfectly, and may they be made cooperators in Your plan for bringing forth new life made in Your image.

Grant that A. and E. will cherish any children You might bless them with, giving them hearts ready to love any You might send; let them realize that family love, and all love that brings true happiness, is sacrificial in nature.

Grant them an understanding of higher things, that they may grow in wisdom and always encourage one another on the path toward Heaven.

Grant that they constantly choose to be cheerful and forgiving, so that their home may be a joyful refuge forever blessed by Your presence, protected by Your holy angels.

Make A. and E. the husband and wife you wish them to be, so they will be truly happy as husband and wife. Fulfill Your holy will for their lives, and may the path of holy marriage be for them their path to citizenship in heaven.

Finally, we ask for these same gifts to be granted to each married person joining in this novena.

We ask this in the Name of Jesus, through the intercession of His holy mother Mary and her most chaste spouse Joseph. Amen.

The Star of Wonder, by Eva Campbell

O God, the Creator of heaven and earth, with profound admiration we look up to the most Chaste Heart of Saint Joseph, purer than the lily flower; receptacle of divine love; the refuge of our Mother most pure; and the resting pillow of the Infant Jesus, who nestled upon Saint Joseph's strong, courageous, holy heart. Grant, O Lord, that by its contemplation we shall receive comfort and consolation, and with it be united to the most Sacred and Immaculate hearts of Jesus and Mary, now and forever. Amen.

(Left) For Revelation and for Glory, by Scott Freeman (Right) Raising of the Cross, by Sebastiano Mazzoni

On Calvary, He was lifted up, helpless, and held up for men to look upon. In Bethlehem He was lifted up, helpless, to be gazed upon.

O Holy Spirit, who builds the unity of the Church and shows Your infinite creativity through the diversity of charisms, fill the Church with Your gifts according to the marvelous design of God's providence, so that we may learn to appreciate the gifts of others and work together for the good of all, placing those charisms at the service of the community. May diversity among Christians never be a cause of division, but of mutual enrichment, because diversity gives depth and richness to life. Do not allow us to fall into the temptation to consider our gifts as superior to those of others, or ourselves as superior to them. May there be room for all in the Church, and may we grow together in harmony, in faith, and in love, as one body; the Body of Christ. Amen

- Carolyn C. Wilson (St. Joseph in Italian Renaissance Society and Art: New Directions and Interpretations, pages 1, 8)

The Holy Family, outside the Catholic Church of Saint Paul the Apostle, located on the Upper West Side, New York City. Photo original, taken October 25th, 2022.

According to Genesis, marriage is the first product of the mutual creation between God and people, and it grows out of the first negative notion in the Bible. In Genesis 2:18 God observes, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner." [...] The story about the creation of Eve is about families [...] It grows out of the sense that "it is not good to be alone" and moves to the conclusion that life will be better if people are together. That is the basic premise of marriage. People's concepts of what it takes to make life better has changed many times over the years. But the basic point has not. It may seem a little dated or naive to base the principles of a modern relationship on such an ancient story. But the old story is still current. Almost every married couple I know include something like the Genesis story in the account of their own relationship. Someone, at some point, concluded that it was no longer good to be alone and that life would be better if the two were together. That fresh, romantic, exciting idea is essentially a reenactment of the second chapter of Genesis.

Francis Wade (The Art of Being Together: Common Sense for Lifelong Relationships, pages 21, 21-22)

Father in heaven, Creator of all, You ordered the earth to bring forth life and crowned its goodness by creating the family of man. In history's moment, when all was ready, You sent Your Son to dwell in time, obedient to the laws of life in our world. Teach us the sanctity of human love, show us the value of family life, and help us to live in peace with all men, that we may share Your life for ever. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.