• Jesus invited the children to come to him in today’s Gospel story. Imagine that you are the child in the story. What is it like to be embraced and blessed by Jesus?
• In today’s Gospel, Jesus confirms that the union of a husband and wife is not a human convention, but a bond made by God himself. Why is it important for a husband and a wife to have God at the center of their relationship?
• Why does God want men and women to be faithful to each other in their marriage? In what way does this faithfulness strengthen the family?

Wedding Reception 2.0

Recreate your wedding reception or a special wedding/anniversary reception of a friend or family member. Set the table and use fancy decorations. Have everyone dress up. Try to recreate the menu as best as possible. Play instrumental music during the meal. At dinner, share memories from the special day. Afterward, pull out photo albums and continue the discussion.

Nuptial Blessing

The Nuptial Blessing is a beautiful moment in a Catholic wedding ceremony. It takes place after the bride and groom have exchanged their consent and have become husband and wife. In this blessing, the celebrant prays for the married couple and asks that God give them special graces. Invite one person to lead your family in this prayer. Offer the prayer for all the married couples in your immediate and extended family and any future marriages of your children.

O God, who by your mighty power
created all things out of nothing,
and, when you had set in place
the beginnings of the universe,
formed man and woman in your own image,
making the woman an inseparable helpmate to the man,
that they might be no longer two, but one flesh,
and taught that what you were pleased to make one
must never be divided;
O God, who consecrated the bond of Marriage
by so great a mystery
that in the wedding covenant you foreshadowed
the Sacrament of Christ and his Church;
O God, by whom woman is joined to man
and the companionship they had in the beginning
is endowed with the one blessing
not forfeited by original sin
nor washed away by the flood.
Look now with favor on these your servants,
joined together in Marriage,
who ask to be strengthened by your blessing.
Send down on them the grace of the Holy Spirit
and pour your love into their hearts,
that they may remain faithful in the Marriage covenant.
May the grace of love and peace
abide in your daughters
and let them always follow the example of those holy women
whose praises are sung in the Scriptures.
May husbands entrust their hearts to their wives,
so that, acknowledging them as their equal
and joint heir to the life of grace,
they may show them due honor
and cherish them always
with the love that Christ has for his Church.
And now, Lord, we implore you:
may these your servants
hold fast to the faith and keep your commandments;
made one in the flesh,
may they be blameless in all they do;
and with the strength that comes from the Gospel,
may they bear true witness to Christ before all;
(may they be blessed with children,
and prove themselves virtuous parents,
who live to see their children’s children.)
And grant that,
reaching at last together the fullness of years
for which they hope,
they may come to the life of the blessed
in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

In today’s Gospel, people brought children to Jesus so that he could bless them. What are some ways that Jesus blesses us during Mass?

Invite an engaged

or newly married couple into your home for dinner and pray over them for a

strong faith-filled marriage.