The Introduction

Bishop Eric Menees

Dear Brothers and Sisters, today’s Bishop’s Note concludes the pastoral Rite of Holy Matrimony with two important things, the Post Communion Prayer and the Introduction of the Husband and Wife.  Assuming that there has been a celebration of the Holy Eucharist the following is used as the Post Communion Prayer:

Post Communion Prayer   O God, the giver of all that is true and lovely and gracious: we thank you for binding us together in these holy mysteries of the Body and Blood of your Son Jesus Christ, uniting us with him, and giving us a foretaste of the great marriage supper of the Lamb. Grant that by your Holy Spirit, N. and N., now joined in Holy Matrimony, may become one in heart and soul, live in fidelity and peace, and obtain those eternal joys prepared for all who love you; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

This beautiful prayer wraps up the liturgy the way it began, by reminding us that the sacrament of holy matrimony, and more importantly the life of the married couple, are to reflect the relationship between Christ and his Church. As St. Paul tells us in Ephesians, we husbands are to love our wives the way Christ loves the Church and gave himself up for her, an offering and sacrifice to God. As I often pray for couples on their anniversary – “I pray that young and old will look to you and say to themselves, ‘I want what they have,’ because what they have is Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.” The liturgy concludes quite naturally with the presentation by the celebrant of the couple as husband and wife.  Somehow DJs and MCs think that it is their responsibility to present the couple at the reception, but that job rightly belongs to the church.   The couple came into the church as a single man and single woman. They presented themselves to God and the Church seeking his blessing with the knowledge that marriage is so much bigger than either one of them, and without God’s help they will never succeed in representing Christ. However, at the end of the service they go out into the world transformed in a way that can only come from God – they are presented as husband and wife.   In the additional directions in the 2019 BCP it says:

“Dearly Beloved please greet ____________.”  I ask the couple how they would like to be introduced; Bob & Jane Doe, Mrs. & Mrs. Bob Doe etc. etc. but that always follows: “Dearly beloved please great for the first time as husband and wife _______________.”

As the congregation applauds, the music swells, and the recessional hymn begin, the couple are welcomed into the world as the new people they are as husband and wife, blessed by God and supported by the Church. I pray you all a truly blessed week!