Many are called but few are chosen

March 20th, 2006 St. Joseph's Feast Day!!!

"Then he said to his servants, "The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the thoroughfares and invite to the marriage feast as many as you find." And those servants went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good; so the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment; and he said to him, "Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?" And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, "Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness; there men will week and gnash their teeth." For many are called, but few are chosen." (Matthew 22:8-14)

The part of the story that Matthew leaves out here is that the Queen had limited the guest list to 200 people and nobody listened to her. And you know what they say, When the Queen aint happy, nobody is.

What is it about guest lists at weddings.? I've heard it time and again "it's the most stressful part of planning a wedding." and I always thought that everybody else was just high maintenance. "I'll never have that problem" I said to myself," I"m easy going, let it roll off like water on a duck's back, no prob." Yeah right. I tried to tell them all that we wanted a small wedding. I swear, from day one I told them all. We can have a simple reception, people can cook and bring the food, we'll buy wholesale flowers...but they insisted. "No...no no.. it's a celebration, we want to do this for you, it's our wedding too, we want it to be nice and include the people we love. So now it's March, less than 4 months until "the big day", I"m a little exhausted from the stress of my comps, a little emotionally on edge, I haven't had the time to have a real conversation with hubby-to-be in over two weeks and on top of it all I worked out for close to 2 hours today and pushed myself so hard that I"m fairly sure I won't feel my legs for days.

I should have guessed though that today would be the day that the absolute urgency of the "number" would hit. People who once knew my third cousin's meat inspector MUST come to my wedding so other's have got to get cut. And traditionally, as the bride, it's my job to hold the knife. My advice is not to be standing next to me once they hand it to me.

Ok, so maybe I"m being a little dramatic. It's not that I don't understand. My parent's aren't "made of money" as they say, and I'm thankful for that. I never wanted for anything and I turned out ok, and I surely don't wish we were millionaires now just so that crazy horace the town shoe shine guy can make a toast to my happy life. Receptions are expensive, I get that and I get that the building only holds so many people anyway. So who gets cut then? Friends? Family?




It's really a shame that I"m learning the inexhaustible beauty of Sacramental Marriage right now because eloping would have been a thought.

On that note....check out this Nuptial blessing in the Rite of Marriage

My dear friends, let us turn to the Lord and pray that he will bless with his grace this woman now married in Christ to this man and that through the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, he will unite in love the couple he has joined in this holy bond.
Father, by your power you have made everything out of nothing.
In the beginning you created the universe and made mankind in your own likeness. You gave man the constant Help of woman so that man and woman should no longer be two, but one flesh, and you teach us that what you have united may never be divided.
Look with love upon this woman, your daughter, now joined to her husband in marriage. She asks your blessing. Give her the grace of love and peace. May she always follow the example of the holy women whose praises are sung in scriptures.
May her husband put his trust in her and recognize that she is his equal and the heir with him to the life of grace. May he always honor her and love her as Christ loves his bride, the Church.
Father, keep them always true to your commandments. Keep them faithful in marriage and let them be living examples of Christian life.
Give them the strength which comes from the gospel so that they may be witnesses of Christ to others. Bless them with children and help them to be good parents. May they live to see their children's children. And, after a happy old age, grant them fullness of life with the saints in the kingdom of heaven.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen

Solemn Blessing (at the end of Mass)

May almighty God, with his Word of blessing, nite your hearts in the never-ending bond of pure love.
R. Amen

May your children bring you happiness, and may your generous love for them be returned to you, many times over.
R. Amen

May the peace of Christ live always in your hearts and in your home.
May you have true friends to stand by you, botn in joy and in sorrow.
May you be ready and willing to help and comfort all who come to you in need.
And may the blessings promised to the compassionate be yours in abundance.
R. Amen

May you find happiness and satisfaction in your work.
May daily problems never cause you undue anxiety, nor the desire for earthly possessions dominate your lives.
But may your heart' first desire be always the good things waiting for you in the life of heaven.
R. Amen

May the Lord bless you with many happy years together, so that you may enjoy the rewards of a good life. And after you have served him loyally in his kingdom on earth, may he welcome you to his eternal kingdom in heaven.
R. Amen

And may almighty God bless you all, the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit.



Beautiful.