The months of May and June are at the heart of the wedding season. Parishes are bustling with activity every Saturday as men and women approach God’s altar to exchange vows in the presence of their loved ones and a priest or deacon.
At most weddings the bride and groom choose a reading from the Book of Genesis which reveals how God created man and woman for each other and that a man leaves his father and mother to become one flesh with his wife. Less often, the couple chooses as a reading the beautiful prayer of Tobias and Sarah found in the Book of Tobit. After Raguel agrees that his daughter Sarah may marry Tobias, the couple weds, and on their wedding night before going to bed, the newlyweds lift up their hearts and minds to God in a beautiful prayer:
“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. Amen, amen.”
The heartfelt prayer resounds with the joy and excitement of newlyweds and captures how the love they share draws them closer to God. In their bliss, the couple properly turns to God. When the context of the prayer of Tobias and Sarah is considered however, the significance of the prayer takes an unexpected turn which most couples ignore when they choose this particular reading. Before marrying Tobias, Sarah had been married seven times and each of her husbands had died on their wedding night. The prayer is not only one of blessing, but one which turns to God in a time of distress. Since Sarah had lost her first seven husbands, Tobias must have felt somewhat uneasy on his wedding night!
The prayer of Sarah and Tobias is certainly a prayer of blessing and thanksgiving for the love they share, yet it is also a reminder that in times of restlessness and distress, like Sarah and Tobias, we must turn to God in prayer. We must lift up our hearts and minds to the Lord at all times and under all circumstances.
The sentiments experienced by Sarah and Tobias on their wedding day are shared by couples as they approach God’s altar on their wedding day today. There is great joy in surrendering to their beloved, yet at the same time there is a restlessness from making the greatest commitment of a lifetime. This beautiful prayer captures the magnitude and excitement of marriage making it always a delight to hear on wedding days.
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