A reading from the book of Genesis

Then God said,
‘Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness;
and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea,
and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle,
and over all the wild animals of the earth,
and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.’
So God created humankind in his image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
God blessed them, and God said to them,
‘Be fruitful and multiply,
and fill the earth and subdue it;
and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.’
God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good.

The word of the Lord.

A reading from the Book of Genesis

A reading from the book of Genesis

Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.’ So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said,
‘This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
this one shall be called Woman,
for out of Man this one was taken.’
Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh.

The word of the Lord.

A reading from the Book of Genesis

Abraham’s servant said to Laban:

Then I bowed my head and worshipped the Lord, and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way to obtain the daughter of my master’s kinsman for his son. Now then, if you will deal loyally and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so that I may turn either to the right hand or to the left.’

Then Laban and Bethuel answered, ‘The thing comes from the Lord; we cannot speak to you anything bad or good. Look, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has spoken. Rebekah’s mother and brother called her, and asked her, ‘Will you go with this man?’ She said, ‘I will.’ So they sent away their sister Rebekah and her nurse along with Abraham’s servant and his men. And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,
‘May you, our sister, become
thousands of myriads;
may your offspring gain possession
of the gates of their foes.’
Then Rebekah and her maids rose up, mounted the camels, and followed the man; thus the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.

Now Isaac had come from Beer-lahai-roi, and was settled in the Negeb.Isaac went out in the evening to walk in the field; and looking up, he saw camels coming. And Rebekah looked up, and when she saw Isaac, she slipped quickly from the camel, and said to the servant, ‘Who is the man over there, walking in the field to meet us?’ The servant said, ‘It is my master.’ So she took her veil and covered herself. And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent. He took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

The word of the Lord.

A reading from the Book of Tobit

Raguel jumped up and kissed Tobias and wept. He also spoke to him as follows, ” Blessings on you, my child, son of a good and noble father! O most miserable of calamities that such an upright and beneficent man has become blind!”  He then embraced his kinsman Tobias and wept.  His wife Edna also wept for him, and their daughter Sarah likewise wept. Then Raguel slaughtered a ram from the flock and received them very warmly. When they had bathed and washed themselves and had reclined to dine, Tobias said to Raphael, ‘

“Brother Azariah, ask Raguel to give me my kinswoman Sarah.” But Raguel overheard it and said to the lad, “Eat and drink, and be merry tonight. For no one except you, brother, has the right to marry my daughter Sarah. Likewise I am not at liberty to give her to any other man than yourself, because you are my nearest relative. But let me explain to you the true situation more fully, my child. I have given her to seven men of our kinsmen, and all died on the night when they went in to her. But now, my child, eat and drink, and the Lord will act on behalf of you both.” ‘But Tobias said, “I will neither eat nor drink anything until you settle the things that pertain to me.” So Raguel said, “I will do so. She is given to you in accordance with the decree in the book of Moses, and it has been decreed from heaven that she should be given to you. Take your kinswoman; from now on you are her brother and she is your sister. She is given to you from today and for ever. May the Lord of heaven, my child, guide and prosper you both this night and grant you mercy and peace.” Then Raguel summoned his daughter Sarah. When she came to him he took her by the hand and gave her to Tobias, saying, ‘”Take her to be your wife in accordance with the law and decree written in the book of Moses. Take her and bring her safely to your father. And may the God of heaven prosper your journey with his peace.” Then Raguel called her mother and told her to bring writing material; and he wrote out a copy of a marriage contract, to the effect that he gave Sarah to Tobias as wife according to the decree of the law of Moses. Then they began to eat and drink.

A reading from the Book of Tobit 8:4b-8

On their wedding night, Tobias got out of bed and said to Sarah, “sister, get up, and let us pray and implore our Lord that he may grant us mercy and safety”. So she got up, and they began to implore that they might be kept safe. Tobias began by saying,
‘Blessed are you, O God of our ancestors,
and blessed is your name in all generations for ever.
Let the heavens and the whole creation bless you for ever.
You made Adam, and for him you made his wife Eve
as a helper and support.
From the two of them the human race has sprung.
You said, “It is not good that the man should be alone;
let us make a helper for him like himself.”
I now am taking this kinswoman of mine,
not because of lust,
but with sincerity.
Grant that she and I may find mercy
and that we may grow old together.’
And they both said, ‘Amen, Amen.’

The word of the Lord.

A reading from the Song of Songs

The voice of my beloved!
Look, he comes,
leaping upon the mountains,
bounding over the hills.
My beloved is like a gazelle
or a young stag.
Look, there he stands
behind our wall,
gazing in at the windows,
looking through the lattice.
My beloved speaks and says to me:
‘Arise, my love, my fair one,
and come away;

O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,
in the covert of the cliff,
let me see your face,
let me hear your voice;
for your voice is sweet,
and your face is lovely.
My beloved is mine and I am his;

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.
Love flashes are flashes of fire,
a raging flame.
Many waters cannot quench love,
neither can floods drown it.

The word of the Lord.

A reading from the Book of Sirach

Blessed is the husband of a good wife;
the number of his days will be doubled.
A loyal wife brings joy to her husband,
and he will complete his years in peace.
A good wife is a great blessing;
she will be granted among the blessings of the man who fears the Lord.
Whether rich or poor, his heart is content,
and at all times his face is cheerful.

A wife’s charm delights her husband,
and her skill puts flesh on his bones.
A silent wife is a gift from the Lord,
and nothing is so precious as her self-discipline.
A modest wife adds charm to charm,
and no scales can weigh the value of her chastity.
Like the sun rising in the heights of the Lord,
so is the beauty of a good wife in her well-ordered home.

The word of the Lord

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt.

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. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the Lord’, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord.
The word of the Lord.

R. The earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.

Blessed the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people whom he has chosen as his heritage.
Truly the eye of the Lord is upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope in his steadfast love.

R. The earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.

Our soul waits for the Lord,
he is our help and our shield,
Our heart is glad in Him;
because we trust in His holy name..

R. The earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.

Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us
even as we hope in you.

R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

R.  I will bless the Lord at all times.

I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually bein my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
Let the humble hear and be glad.

R.  I will bless the Lord at all times.

O magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together.
I sought the Lord, and he answered me,
and delivered me from all my fears.

R.  I will bless the Lord at all times.

Look to him, and be radiant;
so your faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor one cried, and the Lord heard,
and saved that person from every trouble.

R.  I will bless the Lord at all times.

The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
O taste and see that the Lord is good;
happy are those who take refuge in him.

R.  I will bless the Lord at all times.

R. The Lord is merciful and gracious.

Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and do not forget all his benefits.

R. The Lord is merciful and gracious.

The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
As a father has compassion for his children,
so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.

R. The Lord is merciful and gracious.
But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting
to everlasting on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children’s children,
to those who keep his covenant.

R. The Lord is merciful and gracious.

R. Happy are those who fear the Lord, who greatly delight in his commandments. 

Blessed are those who fear the Lord,
who greatly delight in his commandments.
Their descendants will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.

R. Happy are those who fear the Lord, who greatly delight in his commandments. 
Wealth and riches are in their houses,
and their righteousness endures for ever.
A light rises in the darkness as a light for the upright;
Gracious, merciful, and righteous.

R. Happy are those who fear the Lord, who greatly delight in his commandments. 
It is well with those who deal generously and lends,
who conducts their affairs with justice.
For the righteous will never be moved;
they will be remembered for ever.

R. Happy are those who fear the Lord, who greatly delight in his commandments. 
They are unafraid of evil tidings;
their heart is firm, secure in the Lord.
That person’s heart is steady and will not be afraid;
in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.

R. Happy are those who fear the Lord, who greatly delight in his commandments. 
One has distributed freely,
Who has given to the poor;
their righteousness endures for ever;
their name is exalted in honour.

R. Happy are those who fear the Lord, who greatly delight in his commandments. 

R. Indeed thus shall be blessed the man who fears the Lord

Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
who walks in his ways.
You shall eat the fruit of the labour of your hands;
you shall be happy, and it shall go well with you.

R. Indeed thus shall be blessed the man who fears the Lord
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
around your table.

R. Indeed thus shall be blessed the man who fears the Lord

Thus shall the man be blessed
who fears the Lord.
The Lord bless you from Zion.
May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.

R. Indeed thus shall be blessed the man who fears the Lord

R. The Lord Is Good To All

The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The Lord is good to all,
and his compassion is over all that he has made.

R. The Lord Is Good To All

All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord
and all your faithful shall bless you.
The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.

R. The Lord Is Good To All

The Lord is just in all his ways,
and kind in all his doings.
The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.

R. The Lord Is Good To All

R. Let them praise the name of the Lord

Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights!
Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his host!

R. Let them praise the name of the Lord
Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars!
Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!

R. Let them praise the name of the Lord
Mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars!
Wild animals and all cattle,
creeping things and flying birds!

R. Let them praise the name of the Lord
Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the earth!
Young men and women alike,
old and young together!

R. Let them praise the name of the Lord
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his glory is above earth and heaven. He has raised up a horn for his people.

R. Let them praise the name of the Lord

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans

Brothers and Sisters:

If God is for us, who is against us?

What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

The word of the Lord.

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.

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 honour.Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.

The Word of the Lord

A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians

Brothers and Sisters,

The body is meant not for fornication but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?

But anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Shun fornication! Every sin that a person commits is outside the body; but the fornicator sins against the body itself. 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.

The word of the Lord.

A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians

Brothers and sisters,

Strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.

If I speak in the tongues of Human beings and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

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. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends.

The word of the Lord.

(The shorter version of this reading begins at the asterisks)

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians

Brothers and sisters

Live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us.

Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, be subject to your husbands as you are to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife just as Christ is the head of the church, the body of which he is the Saviour. Just as the church is subject to Christ, so also wives ought to be, in everything, to their husbands.

**********

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, in order to make her holy by cleansing her with the washing of water by the word, so as to present the church to himself in splendour, without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind—yes, so that she may be holy and without blemish. In the same way, husbands should love their wives as they do their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hates his own body, but he nourishes and tenderly cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, because we are members of his body. ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ This is a great mystery, and I am applying it to Christ and the church.

The word of the Lord.

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Colossians

Brothers and sisters

As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful.

The word of the Lord.

A reading from the first Letter of Saint Peter

Wives, accept the authority of your husbands, so that, even if some of them do not obey the word, they may be won over without a word by their wives’ conduct, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Do not adorn yourselves outwardly by braiding your hair, and by wearing gold ornaments or fine clothing; rather, let your adornment be the inner self with the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God’s sight. It was in this way long ago that the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves by accepting the authority of their husbands. Thus Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him lord. You have become her daughters as long as you do what is good and never let fears alarm you.

Husbands, in the same way, show consideration for your wives in your life together, paying honour to the woman as the weaker sex, since they too are also heirs of the gracious gift of life—so that nothing may hinder your prayers.

Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called—that you might inherit a blessing.
The word of the Lord.

A reading from the first Letter of Saint John

Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.

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. All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.
The word of the Lord.

A reading from the first Letter of Saint John

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. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only  begotten Son into the world so that we might live through him.In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.

The word of the Lord.

A reading from the Book of Revelation

After this I, John, heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying,
‘Hallelujah!
Salvation and glory and power to our God,
And from the throne came a voice saying,
‘Praise our God,
all you his servants,
and all who fear him,
small and great.’
Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,
‘Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.
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;
to her it has been granted to be clothed
with fine linen, bright and pure’—
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

And the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.
The word of the Lord.