weddings

¹⁸The Lord God also said: “It is not good for the man to be alone. Let us make a helper for him similar to himself.” ¹⁹Therefore, the Lord God, having formed from the soil all the animals of the earth and all the flying creatures of the air, brought them to Adam, in order to see what he would call them. For whatever Adam would call any living creature, that would be its name. ²⁰And Adam called each of the living things by their names: all the flying creatures of the air, and all the wild beasts of the land. Yet truly, for Adam, there was not found a helper similar to himself. ²¹And so the Lord God sent a deep sleep upon Adam. And when he was fast asleep, he took one of his ribs, and he completed it with flesh for it. ²²And the Lord God built up the rib, which he took from Adam, into a woman. And he led her to Adam. ²³And Adam said: “Now this is bone from my bones, and flesh from my flesh. This one shall be called woman, because she was taken from man.”

¹Similarly also, wives should be subject to their husbands, so that, even if some do not believe the Word, they may benefit without the Word, through the behavior of these wives, ²as they consider with fear your chaste behavior. ³For you, there should be no unnecessary adornment of the hair, or surrounding with gold, or the wearing of ornate clothing. ⁴Instead, you should be a hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptibility of a quiet and meek spirit, rich in the sight of God. ⁵For in this way, in past times also, holy women adorned themselves, hoping in God, being subject to their own husbands. ⁶For so Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. You are her daughters, well-behaved and unafraid of any disturbance.

¹And responding, Jesus again spoke to them in parables, saying: ²“The kingdom of heaven is like a man who was king, who celebrated a wedding for his son. ³And he sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding. But they were not willing to come. ⁴Again, he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell the invited: Behold, I have prepared my meal. My bulls and fatlings have been killed, and all is ready. Come to the wedding.’ ⁵But they ignored this and they went away: one to his country estate, and another to his business. ⁶Yet truly, the rest took hold of his servants and, having treated them with contempt, killed them.

⁸But, before all things, have a constant mutual charity among yourselves. For love covers a multitude of sins.

²⁴For this reason, a man shall leave behind his father and mother, and he shall cling to his wife; and the two shall be as one flesh.

⁴And he said to them in response, “Have you not read that he who made man from the beginning, made them male and female?” And he said: ⁵“For this reason, a man shall separate from father and mother, and he shall cling to his wife, and these two shall become one flesh. ⁶And so, now they are not two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no man separate.”

²¹Be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. ²²Wives should be submissive to their husbands, as to the Lord. ²³For the husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the Church. He is the Savior of his body. ²⁴Therefore, just as the Church is subject to Christ, so also should wives be subject to their husbands in all things. ²⁵Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the Church and handed himself over for her, ²⁶so that he might sanctify her, washing her clean by water and the Word of life,

¹³rescinding the word of God through your tradition, which you have handed down. And you do many other similar things in this way.”

⁹Therefore, it is better for two to be together, than for one to be alone. For they have the advantage of their companionship. ¹⁰If one falls, he shall be supported by the other. Woe to one who is alone. For when he falls, he has no one to lift him up. ¹¹And if two are sleeping, they warm one another. How can one person alone be warmed? ¹²And if a man can prevail against one, two may withstand him, and a threefold cord is broken with difficulty.

²Now Jesus was also invited to the wedding, with his disciples.

⁷Let us be glad and exult. And let us give glory to him. For the marriage feast of the Lamb has arrived, and his wife has prepared herself.” ⁸And it was granted to her that she should cover herself with fine linen, splendid and white. For the fine linen is the justifications of the Saints. ⁹And he said to me: “Write: Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These words of God are true.”

¹And so, as a prisoner in the Lord, I beg you to walk in a manner worthy of the vocation to which you have been called: ²with all humility and meekness, with patience, supporting one another in charity. ³Be anxious to preserve the unity of the Spirit within the bonds of peace.