We pray to the Lord

A little over ten years ago, M and I got married. And the night before that wonderful day, we looked at each other and said, "Oh, shit. The Intercessions!"

For those of you who aren't Catholic, Intercessions are the prayers that the lector leads the congregation in, oh, about three quarters of the way through Mass. They're generally prayers for big important things like world peace and no more starving children and the like. I don't know about other churches, but ours are pretty standard from week to week, and there's been some fine folk we've been prayin' for, for over six years now.

But I digress.

So, a little over ten years ago, on our wedding eve, we realized that we hadn't even talked about our wedding mass intercessions, much less written them. I'm pretty sure that came up when my soon-to-be FIL (who was lectering for us) asked me, "Hey, I'm lecturing tomorrow, so's how about you give me the Intercessions."

Yikes.

We called in the holy troops.

My BIL and my FIL, who, unbeknownst to me, are phenomenal writers.

Under immense pressure and an impossible deadline, they wrote the following:

For Michael and Amy,
That they grow in God's love and their love for each other and that God will continue to protect them and bless them with peace, happiness, health, and the love and support of their families and friends;

For the extended arms of the G, Z and Z families,
That God will grant them the grace to further their love and support of Michael and Amy and, by so doing, grow in their own love for one another;

For the clergy, musicians, attendants, and parishioners;
In gratitude for their role in bringing Michael and Amy to this day, that God will continue to bless them in their ministry to all God's people;

For all those here present in body and spirit to celebrate this blessed union of Michael and Amy,
That their prayers and intercession to God for Michael and Amy's happiness and wellbeing will be answered manifold;

For all those who have touched Michael's and Amy's lives with their love and have since departed this life, especially grandfathers Curran, William, Carl, and Frank;
That their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed may rest in peace and rise in glory;

For all God's people,
That the love shown on this day will be imitative of a love spreading througout the world to unite all as one flock under one Shepherd;

Lord Hear Our Prayer.

We have our intercessions matted and framed, and hanging on our bedroom wall.

Damn. Ten years later and that's still some powerful stuff.

If I haven't shown my gratitude before, Dad and Steve, thank you. It's great writing and inspirational when, ten years later, it can still move me to tears.