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“A much greater source of anxiety to Us is the style of action of those who maintain that liturgical worship should shed its sacred character, who foolishly say we should substitute for sacred items & furnishings ordinary common things in daily use.” —Pope Saint Paul VI (14 Oct 1968)

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Views from the Choir Loft

Weddings: Some Practical Advice – The End and the New Beginning

Andrew R. Motyka · October 15, 2014

FTER the Rite of Marriage is completed in the Nuptial Mass, the rest seems almost anticlimactic. You know, it’s just the miracle whereby the Creator of the universe is consumed by us under the appearance of bread and wine. No big deal.

Snarkiness aside (fat chance), the Liturgy of the Eucharist seems like no big deal because it is so much more routine to us. We have to be careful not to neglect it as “just the Mass” from this point on, because there is nothing routine about the Mass, at least not in the dull, lifeless sense. Just as we seek beauty and excellent worship in our normal parish liturgy, so should we seek it in the Nuptial Mass. Remember that the congregation at this Mass is probably from far and wide, so the Mass Ordinary that works so well on the weekends might draw a dud response from this group. Keep it simple. The Missal chants are pretty well known across the country right now (a great blessing from the new translation). Even though the adaptations of these chants are, in my opinion anyway, not particularly inspired, they are a good common repertoire for these kinds of Masses. They are much better than many of the newer settings pushed by the major publishers, to be sure.

One custom that has worked its way into the Nuptial Mass, toward the end, is the presentation of flowers to an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. While I am reluctant to discourage any kind of devotion to Our Lady, this probably isn’t the best time for it. It would be much better placed at the rehearsal, or even directly after Mass. Private devotions like this are not particularly suited to the public act of the Mass. That said, there are far worse corruptions that have wormed their way into the wedding liturgy.

The rest is easy. While Mass should never be mindlessly easy, we are still back in the comfort zone at this point. As an additional point of advice, now that I consider the mixed congregation we have at these liturgies, is to make a good worship aid. I don’t mean the little card programs that get handed out, the “cast of characters” that make sure everyone knows who the 8th bridesmaid processing down the aisle is. I mean a full blown, texts-and-music order of service, including the full spoken responses for the congregation. If these texts are available in a hymnal or missal in the pews (I have no idea where you could find a good one of those), then that can function, too. Just make sure the congregation is made aware of these texts before the liturgy starts. Many of them are not Catholic, and some that are have not darkened the doors of a church in some time. Make them welcome and help them re-acclimate to the liturgy. For that matter, including the norms for receiving Holy Communion is a good idea, too.

I know it’s a grand cliche, but remember that this sacrament is the beginning, not the end, of a couple’s journey together toward salvation. Too often it is seen as the goal line, and “happily ever after” is the end of the story. That’s one of the reasons people overdo it with all the bells and whistles at their wedding. Put more effort into your marriage than into your wedding, and you’ll be much more successful.

And by the way, congratulations to my baby sister, Laurie, who is getting married this weekend.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Andrew R. Motyka

Andrew Motyka is the Archdiocesan Director of Liturgical Music and Cathedral Music for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
    Our readers will be interested in this job offering for Music Director at Saint Adalbert’s Basilica, located 40 minutes from where I live. My pastor was recently elevated to this basilica. He is offering $80,000 per year, plus benefits. I’m told Saint Adalbert’s Basilica is utterly gorgeous and contains one of America’s most magnificent pipe organs. It would be fantastic to have a colleague nearby!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Simplest “Agnus Dei” Ever Published
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. I needed a relatively simple “Agnus Dei,” so I composed this setting for organ & voice in honor of Saint René Goupil. It has been called the simplest setting ever composed. I love CARMEN GREGORIANUM (“Gregorian Chant”), especially the ALLELUIAS, INTROITS, and COMMUNION ANTIPHONS. That being said, some have pointed out that certain sections of the Kyriale aren’t as strong as the Graduale or Vesperale. There’s a reason for this—but it would be too complicated to explain at this moment.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“The main place should be given, all things being equal, to gregorian chant, as being proper to the roman Liturgy. Other kinds of sacred music, in particular polyphony, are in no way excluded, provided that they correspond to the spirit of the liturgical action and that they foster the participation of all the faithful.”

— ‘2011 GIRM, §41 (Roman Missal, 3rd Edition)’

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