First Letter of St. Paul to the
Corinthians: 13:4-13
Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, love is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing. For we know partially and we prophesy partially, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things. At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known. So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
If you are visiting this page as a newly engaged couple, Congratulations! We rejoice with you as you prepare to enter into the sacrament of Holy Matrimony. Please know that you will be kept in our prayers.
Every engaged couple, like the two of you, has concerns for the future. You also have goals, promises, and dreams you wish to attain. The priest and your parish community want to help you prepare to meet those goals, keep those promises, and live out your dreams well equipped to face the pressures placed on married living today.
Your wedding day will take a great deal of planning and we are here to help you and answer any questions you might have. We are happy that you are considering St. Mary Church for the celebration of your marriage. Couples planning their wedding at St. Mary Church are to be registered in a Catholic Church. If you are not registered in any church and wish to register at St. Mary Church, we ask that you do so at least six months prior to contacting the priest to discuss the desired wedding date.
Please contact the Parish Office for more information: 925-891-8900.
What is Marriage...
The Catholic Church believes that Christian marriage is the union of a baptized man and woman who freely enter into a covenant of love with each other in Christ for the purpose of giving and receiving love and for the procreation and education of children.
Married couples live their sacrament by the way they care for one another, love one another, and are enthusiastic for one another as husband and wife. In their daily love for each other, their children, and the larger community, they become a living sign (a sacrament) for all of how much Jesus loves us and wishes to embrace us as His brothers and sisters. As they work their way through marital and family crises and struggles, they are witness to the power of the Holy Spirit at work in all our lives.
In order to live out this ideal Christian marriage, couples must have the ability to give and receive love and to sustain an intimate relationship. They must also have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and His Body, the Church.