“The body, in fact, and only the body, is capable of making visible what is invisible: the spiritual and the divine. It has been created to transfer into the visible reality of the world, the mystery hidden from eternity in God, and thus to be a sign of it” – St. John Paul II
A guest blog by Madeline Larson
The Lord created us very good, body and soul. As Catholics we should never ignore the reality that our bodies are made very good and what we do with them matters. God gave us our physical bodies and the physical experience as a great gift. St. John Paul II constantly gave this reminder in his Theology of the Body teachings. He knew the depth of the reality that God cares about all of His creation, especially the human body.
Your wedding day is a revelation of the embodiment that God created us all for. It is in the communion of man and woman that the invisible is made visible. The spiritual and divine make these two people into one that are now responsible for one another before God. Your marriage is a reflection of what is happening between God and the Church. Your posture of receptivity, love, and a complete outpouring and gift to the other is but a glimpse at the divine, supernatural reality of God’s marriage to us, the Church.
What we do with our bodies is so important. The spaces and things that we surround ourselves with shape us and reveal what we believe about ourselves. We deserve to be surrounded by beautiful, meaningful things because God created the entire universe with beauty and meaning.
The church that you are married in is thick with religious meaning and revelation of God’s intentional goodness of creation.
The Eternal Within Your Nuptial Mass: The Facade
This is the outside of the Church, which is just as intentional as what is inside. The outside is the public witness that God resides in this place and it is a Church, a place of worship. The reasoning of why you choose to get married is usually very personal and it means something to you. Churches hold importance and memory which continues to build in meaning when you choose to get married there.
The Eternal Within Your Nuptial Mass: The Narthex
The narthex is the entry way. It provides this transition space from the outside world to the sacred area. Christ knows we need a period of preparation, a time to collect ourselves before we place it all before the Lord. Brides will know this space well as they gather themselves and take a deep breath before walking down the aisle.
The Eternal Within Your Nuptial Mass: The Nave
The nave is the central hall where the pews for people to sit reside. This word comes from the Latin word “navis” which means ship. This space reminds us of Noah’s ark as well as the various boats in the Gospels. This space is where the community gathers to worship as one. We are together on the journey of life, constantly moving towards the Lord in worship as one. During the wedding procession this is the movement of our bodies showing this journey towards an ultimate act of worship – giving oneself as a gift to another.
The Eternal Within Your Nuptial Mass: The Sanctuary
The sanctuary is the focal point of the Church and the place where the altar resides and mass is celebrated. The sanctuary is a reminder that there is a separation between God and the rest of His creation. It is the role of the clergy to offer the sacrifice of the mass and bring God to the people. During the wedding ceremony, the couple is invited into the sanctuary area. It is husband and wife who confers and brings the sacrament of marriage to one another, the priest is just there to witness it. The marriage is the offering and sacrifice which then is tasked to bring Christ to the whole world.
The Eternal Within Your Nuptial Mass: The High Altar and Relics
There is a relic of a saint in every altar in every church. Every permanent altar needs a relic that is embedded into the stone itself. The presence of these relics are physical reminders of the saints who have given their lives to the Lord before us. Including other relics present on the altar if possible are a great gift because in a special way they present the saints that mean the most to us. Ask your priest what saint is in the altar and request special intercession from them.
The Eternal Within Your Nuptial Mass: The Side Altars
Side altars are usually dedicated to a specific saint or a few that are related in mission, goal, or identity. Priests are able to say mass on these side altars for special occasions if it is applicable. These side altars are great reminders that we need support in marriage. The saints are a living, active part of the Church that we need to be in relationship with and on our side in order to live a better life. Altars of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph are typical in many churches and placing flowers on each altar during the wedding ceremony is a great gesture of awareness of their influence and intercession for your marriage.
The Eternal Within Your Nuptial Mass: The Congregation
The people who are present are an obvious reminder of the church. The people that surround us on our wedding day are just as important as where we decide to get married. The lives of our loved ones are who will encourage us in the joys and struggles of marriage. Married couples need community in order to thrive. Marriages are public witnesses to Christ’s goodness, making visible the invisible divine reality. The people who are present for your marriage will be able to testify to the great goodness, power, and vitality of a marriage lived out for God and one another.
The Eternal Within Your Nuptial Mass: To Conclude
This is only the beginning of what physical reminders are present for us to live an integrated, embodied life. God imbues everything with meaning and His mysteries are waiting for us to explore and see. Marriage will be full of hidden times, but nothing passes God. He is always there, present and waiting for us to see Him and invite Him in.
We need these physical reminders to turn our eyes towards the eternal. God gave us body and soul in order to experience the fullness of creation and relationship with Him. All the sacraments are lived out both in body and soul, but especially marriage. It is within marriage that two become one. Only God can take two people and unite them as one. From that day forward it is the couple’s task to get each other to heaven. They are no longer responsible for just their own body and soul, they are responsible for one another.
God loves the Church in a free, full, faithful and fruitful way. This love is to be lived out both physically and spiritually. Wherever we look in creation we can see the fingerprints of this love. As Catholics we hold a special gaze and understanding of the creation that surrounds us whether it be made by human hand or created by God Himself. We are very good and marriage is a testament to that eternal, invisible, divine goodness of God.
