Anyone who has planned, witnessed, catered, photographed, presided over or rehearsed a modern wedding ceremony needs to read this on-target assessment of the modern American wedding.
This gives a good sense of why so many priests I know hate weddings. And wedding rehearsals. And all that goes with them.
Sacraments shouldn't be like this. But they are -- and First Communions and Baptisms are rapidly deteriorating, too.
'Til death...
Sunday November 1, 2009
Categories: Links-R-Us, Sacraments
Filed Under: Great links, Sacraments
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Deacon Greg KandraDeacon Greg Kandra is a Roman Catholic deacon serving the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York.
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Love Rev. Know-it-All! I think he's our pastor! That's why I never got married, LOL!
To Michelle--We're trying to make planning your own funeral better with our site--which is free. Too many people don't let their wishes be known, and we want to give families more time to grieve and take the guess work out for them. Hope you'll check it out!
Deacon Greg and All,
Yes this is funny, but it is also sad. This is a reflection on how poor our catechesis has been regarding the sacrament of marriage and how little those approaching the sacrament think of it. When I was in formation to be ordained a Deacon, I had spent 4 to 5 years preparing and being taught what that might mean. Why don't we take the vocation of marriage as serious as other vocations? Perhaps we should be spending more time praying, contemplating, and seriously learning how we will encounter Christ in this vocation. Maybe if parishes and diocese had young people really become formed in this sacrament (one that most Catholics will partake of)we could build better marriages and weddings up front and not worry about the marriage counseling after the reception. Great post, I love your BLOG.
About a year or so ago I remember hearing a priest, (I think on Catholic Answers), say that "for the most part, most marriages could be annuled." What he meant was on the point of this article, that most newly married couples don't have a clue as to what the sacrament of marrige is. I wonder how many even realize that as a couple, as "one", it's each other's 'job' to get the other to heaven?
Realizing that many people in weddings or at baptisms are not Catholic, I don't understand why they aren't "given instructions for silence", told of the Real Presence, etc. It would only take a few minutes. We recently had a visiting young priest from Ireland who took the whole gang outside before a wedding rehersal or a baptism and give them "cathechisis 101." It not only worked, I think people were really appreicative. Could you imagine that kind of 'scene' taking place in a Jewish Temple? It doesn't and won't because they "set the tone", as well as proper dress code. Try finding anyone going to temple in shorts and a T shirt.
Speaking of clothes, what amazes me more than the lack of reverence inside the church are the clothes allowed at Catholic Weddings; none of which would be acceptable to enter into the Vatican to visit the art.
I did enjoy this column more than than most. The sad part is that it happens so often. Is it that our "to be marrieds" do not have better instruction when starting the marriage preparation program as to what is expected of couples and their families when planning a wedding? I think there are shortcomings long before the wedding plans start or the "move in" happens. The cost of weddings is a sad reflection on our culture. It is not going to be the happiest day of your life most probably. That happens in movies. Life has many happy moments as well as sad. It seems the longer people plan these weddings the more expensive and elaborate they become. I identify with the widow planning a funeral in a couple of days.
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