Readings from the Old Testament
Genesis 1:26-28, 31
A reading from the book of Genesis
Then God said: "Let us make
man in our image, after our likeness. Let
them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the
cattle, and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on
the ground." God created
man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he
created them. God blessed them,
saying: "Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.
Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all
the living things that move on the earth." God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very
good.
The word of the Lord.
Genesis 24:48-51, 58-67
A reading from the book of Genesis
The
servant of Abraham said to Laban: "Then
I bowed down in worship to the LORD, blessing the LORD, the God of my master
Abraham, who had led me on the right road to obtain the daughter of my
master's kinsman for his son. If,
therefore, you have in mind to show true loyalty to my master, let me know;
but if not, let me know that, too. I
can then proceed accordingly." Laban
and his household said in reply: "This thing comes from the LORD; we
can say nothing to you either for or against it.
Here is Rebekah, ready for you; take her with you, that she may
become the wife of your master's son, as the LORD has said."
So they called Rebekah and asked her, "Do you wish to go with
this man?" She answered, "I do."
At this they allowed their sister Rebekah and her nurse to take
leave, along with Abraham's servant and his men.
Invoking a blessing on Rebekah, they said: "Sister, may you grow
into thousands of myriads; and may your descendants gain possession of the
gates of their enemies!" Then
Rebekah and her maids started out; they mounted their camels and followed
the man. So the servant took
Rebekah and went on his way. Meanwhile
Isaac had gone from Beer-lahai-roi and was living in the region of the Negeb.
Meanwhile Isaac had gone from Beer-lahai-roi and was living in the
region of the Negeb. One day
toward evening he went out. . . in the field, and as he looked around, he
noticed that camels were approaching. Rebekah, too, was looking about, and when she saw him, she
alighted from her camel and asked the servant, "Who is the man out
there, walking through the fields toward us?"
"That is my master," replied the servant.
Then she covered herself with her veil.
The servant recounted to Isaac all the things he had done.
Then Isaac took Rebekah into his tent; he married her, and thus she
became his wife. In his love
for her Isaac found solace after the death of his mother Sarah.
The word of the Lord.
Tobit 7:9-10, 11-15
A reading from the book of Tobit
Afterward, Raguel slaughtered a ram from the flock and gave them a cordial
reception. When they had bathed
and reclined to eat, Tobiah said to Raphael, "Brother Azariah, ask
Raguel to let me marry my kinswoman Sarah."
Raguel overheard the words; so he said to the boy:
"Eat and drink and be merry tonight, for no man is more entitled
to marry my daughter Sarah than you, brother.
Besides, not even I have the right to give her to anyone but you,
because you are my closest relative. But
I will explain the situation to you very frankly.
She is yours according to the decree of the Book of Moses.
Your marriage to her has been decided in heaven!
Take your kinswoman; from now on you are her love, and she is your
beloved. She is yours today and
ever after. And tonight, son,
may the Lord of heaven prosper you both.
May he grant you mercy and peace."
Then Raguel called his daughter Sarah, and she came to him. He took her by the hand and gave her to Tobiah with the
words: "Take her according to the law.
According to the decree written in the Book of Moses she is your
wife. Take her and bring her
back safely to your father. And
may the God of heaven grant both of you peace and prosperity."
He then called her mother and told her to bring a scroll, so that he
might draw up a marriage contract stating that he gave Sarah to Tobiah as
his wife according to the decree of the Mosaic law.
Her mother brought the scroll, and he drew up the contract, to which
they affixed their seals. Afterward they began to eat and drink.
The word of the Lord.
Tobit 8:5-7
A reading from the book of Tobit
On their wedding night Sarah got up, and she
and Tobiah started to pray and beg that deliverance might be theirs.
He began with these words: "Blessed are you, O God of our
fathers; praised be your name forever and ever.
Let the heavens and all your creation praise you forever.
You made Adam and you gave him his wife Eve to be his help and
support; and from these two the human race descended.
You said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone; let us make him a
partner like himself.' Now,
Lord, you know that I take this wife of mine not because of lust, but for a
noble purpose. Call down your mercy on me and on her, and allow us to live
together to a happy old age."
The word of the Lord.
Song of Songs 2:8-10, 14, 16; 8:6-7
A reading from the Song of Songs
Hark! my lover-here he comes springing across
the mountains, leaping across the hills.
My lover is like a gazelle or a young stag. Here he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows,
peering through the lattices. My
lover speaks; he says to me, "Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one, and
come! "For see, the winter
is past, the rains are over and gone. The
flowers appear on the earth, the time of pruning the vines has come, and the
song of the dove is heard in our land.
The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines, in bloom, give forth
fragrance. Arise, my beloved,
my beautiful one, and come! "O
my dove in the clefts of the rock, in the secret recesses of the cliff, let
me see you, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and you are
lovely." My lover belongs
to me and I to him. He said to
me: Set me as a seal on your
heart, as a seal on your arm; for stern as death is love, relentless as the
nether world is devotion; its flames are a blazing fire.
Deep waters cannot quench love, nor floods sweep it away.
The word of the Lord.
Sirach 26:1-4, 13-16
A reading from the book of Sirach
Happy the husband of a good wife,
twice-lengthened are his days; a worthy wife brings joy to her husband,
peaceful and full is his life. A
good wife is a generous gift bestowed upon him who fears the LORD; be he
rich or poor, his heart is content, and a smile is ever on his face.
A gracious wife delights her husband, her thoughtfulness puts flesh
on his bones; a gift from the LORD is her governed speech, and her firm
virtue is of surpassing worth. Choicest
of blessings is a modest wife, priceless her chaste person.
Like the sun rising in the LORD'S heavens, the beauty of a virtuous
wife is the radiance of her home.
The word of the Lord.
Jeremiah 31:31-32, 33-34
A reading from the book of the prophet Jeremiah
The days are 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 I made with their fathers the day I
took them by the hand to lead them forth from the land of Egypt.
But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel
after those days, says the LORD. I
will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts; I will be
their God, and they shall be my people.
No longer will they have need to teach their friends and kinsmen how
to know the LORD. All, from
least to greatest, shall know me, says the LORD
The word of the Lord