Below you will find a list of readings provided by the Rite of Marriage, the book that guides worship for Catholic weddings. You may choose your wedding readings from this list, or from any of the readings that appear in the Lectionary for Mass (see the link at the bottom of this page). The readings provided by the Rite of Marriage are listed here with a descriptive title, the citation, a brief excerpt from the reading, and a link to the relevant chapter in the New American Bible provided by the U.S. Catholic bishops online (links open in a new window).

Options for the First Reading (Old Testament)

1. The first creation story (Genesis 1:26-28, 31): "So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them" (verse 27). Genesis 1 in the NAB.

2. The second creation story (Genesis 2:18-24): "Then the Lord God said, 'It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.... Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh" (verses 18, 24). Genesis 2 in the NAB.

3. With God's help, Isaac finds a suitable wife in Rebekah (Genesis 24:48-51, 58-67): "Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent. He took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her" (verse 67). Genesis 24 in the NAB.

4. Tobias asks Raguel for Sarah's hand in marriage (Tobit 7:9-10, 11-15): "May the Lord of heaven, my child, guide and prosper you both this night, and grant you mercy and peace" (verse 11).  Tobit 7 in the NAB.

5. Tobias prays for God's mercy for himself and Sarah on their wedding night (Tpbit 8:5-7): "Grant that she and I may find mercy and that we may grow old together" (verse 7). Tobit 8 in the NAB.

6. A biblical love song (Song of Songs 2:8-10, 14, 16; 8:6-7): "Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death, passion fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, a raging flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If one offered for love all the wealth of one's house, it would be utterly scorned" (Song of Songs 8:6-7). Song of Songs 2 in the NAB; Song of Songs 8 in the NAB.

7. The qualities of a good spouse (Sirach 26:1-4, 13-16): "A wife's charm delights her husband, and her skill puts flesh on his bones" (verse 13). Sirach 26 in the NAB.

8. God's covenant with his people as a model for the marriage covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-32a, 33-34a): "But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people" (verse 33). Jeremiah 31 in the NAB.

Options for the Second Reading (New Testament)

1. The depth of God's love (Romans 8:31-35, 37-39): "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (verses 38-39). Romans 8 in the NAB.

2. A summary of Christian life. (Romans 12:1-2, 9-18 [long form] or Romans 12:1-2, 9-13 [short form]): "Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor" (verses 9 and 10). Romans 12 in the NAB.

3. The sanctity of the body (1 Corinthians 6:13-15, 17-20): "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body" (verses 19 and 20). 1 Corinthians 6 in the NAB.

4. The qualities of love (1 Corinthians 12:31 - 13:8). "Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth" (verses 4 - 6). 1 Corinthians 12 in the NAB; 1 Corinthians 13 in the NAB.

5. Marriage compared to the relationship between Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:2, 21-33 [long form] or Ephesians 5:2, 25-32 [short form]): "Just as the church is subject to Christ, so also wives ought to be, in everything, to their husbands. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" (verses 24-25). Ephesians 5 in the NAB.

6. Love perfects all virtues (Colossians 3:12-17): "Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony" (verse 14). Colossians 3 in the NAB.

7. The conduct of Christian wives and husbands (1 Peter 3:1-9): "Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind" (verse 8). 1 Peter 3 in the NAB.

8. Love of God requires love of one another (1 John3:18-24): "And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us." 1 John 3 in the NAB.

9. God is love (1 John 4:7-12): "Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love" (verses 7-8). 1 John 4 in the NAB.

10. The wedding feast of the lamb (Revelation 19:1, 5-9): "Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready..." (verse 7). Revelation 19 in the NAB.

Options for the Gospel Reading

1. The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12): "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (verse 3). Matthew 5 in the NAB.

2. Be salt and light for the world (Matthew 5:13-16): "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven" (verse 16). Matthew 5 in the NAB.

3. Build your house on rock (Matthew 7:21, 24-29 [long form] or Matthew 7:21, 24-25 [short form]): ""Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock" (verses 24-25). Matthew 7 in the NAB.

4. The indissolubility of marriage (Matthew 19:3-6): "So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate" (verse 6). Matthew 19 in the NAB.

5. The Greatest Commandment (Matthew 22:35-40): "He said to him, '"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself'" (verses 37-39). Matthew 22 in the NAB.

6. The indissolubility of marriage (Mark 10:6-9): "Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate" (verse 9). Mark 6 in the NAB.

7. The wedding at Cana (John 2:1-11): "Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, 'They have no wine'" (verses 2-3). John 2 in the NAB.

8. Jesus' commandment (John 15:9-12): "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you" (verse 12). John 15 in the NAB.

9. No greater love (John 15:12-16): "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends" (verse 13). John 15 in the NAB.

10. That they may be one (John 17:20-26): "As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one..." (verses 21-22). John 17 in the NAB.