Standard disclaimers apply. The text for the wedding ceremony was shamelessly poached directly from gettingmarried.ie. God bless them all, says my little agnostic self.
Chapter 6
Sean was glad the next morning that he'd gone to bed early; he woke up with the sun, and despite his efforts to get some more sleep before his alarm clock went off, he stayed wide awake, heart thumping visibly through his ribs. Fifteen minutes before his alarm was set to ring, he gave up and got out of bed. His room was soon to be their room, full of Maeve's belongings brought down from previous weekend trips, and recently outfitted with a new king-size bed. While lumbering towards the bathroom to shave, he decided to pretend the "discussion" at the previous night's dinner table hadn't happened. After all, Tom was still living in the Keep, and Sean wasn't about to evict him, as his father had once done to his own brother. They still had to get along, and he knew Tom would mellow out once Maeve had moved in. It was clear that the last ten months had done nothing about his feelings for her. As long as he didn't try to get between Sean and Maeve---and if Sean was right in seeing how much his cousin respected her, he wouldn't try---then things would be okay. While he was shaving, there was a knock at the door. Sean put down his razor and opened the door. It was Tom.
"I'm sorry about last night," he said somberly. "About all that questioning. It was rubbish, and I hope you'll forgive me."
Sean glanced down, and nodded. "I wasn't all that worried about it."
"I wasn't trying to get in the way," he continued. "I was frustrated, and needed to vent on someone. You wouldn't have wanted me to unload on Mrs. Bridges, would you?"
"That's a fair point," Sean agreed. "I'm sorry about calling you a 'layabout.'"
"But you weren't all that far off. Good luck today."
"Thanks."
Tom left the bathroom, and Sean let a long breath out through his nose before he went back to shaving.
Later that morning, they were on the way to leaving for the church. Mrs. Bridges had found another reason to be anxious.
"Sean, are you all packed up?" she asked urgently, looking eerily unfamiliar in her special lavender dress with no apron or dust rag in sight, and a nice hat over her brilliant white hair.
"Yes, I put my luggage in the trunk last night, remember?" He suddenly felt much less nervous at seeing that his housekeeper had enough nerves for everyone.
"Tom, have you got enough gas in the car?"
"Yes, ma'am, I filled up the tank yesterday," Tom answered with a slight smirk at calling her "ma'am," which they both knew gave her fits.
"Good," Sean pronounced. "Now, can we get on the road? I don't want to have to tell Maeve I was late for our wedding because we got caught in traffic."
In the lower level of St. Bartholomew's Church in Belfast, Tom was not very surprised to find Sean stuck in front of the mirror in the men's room, growling determinedly at the neck of his reflection. When he saw Tom come in, he turned around to reveal that his fingers were tangled up with his bowtie. "This thing is trying to kill me!"
Tom snickered under his breath as he walked up to the sink to help his cousin out of his predicament. He had two fresh white roses in his hand, and laid them over the corner of the sink.
"What are those for?" Sean asked.
"Relax your hands," Tom instructed. After Sean did so, Tom pulled his fingers out of the twisted loops of the bowtie, and began to correct it. "Didn't your Da teach you how to tie your own tie? Even my useless father taught me that much, and I was only thirteen when he died."
"He taught me, but I haven't had much practice."
"I suppose there's something to be said for that," Tom conceded. Sean was twenty-five; it had been nine years since his parents had lost control of their car during a thunderstorm. "That's better. These are from the garden at home," he said, picking up the roses. "I thought they'd look good in our front pockets. Do you want one?"
"Please," Sean nodded.
Tom broke off the blossoms with a little bit of stem to hold them together, and handed one to Sean to stick into his tux jacket's chest pocket. "Let's see if we can convince Anne that these were her idea."
"Why couldn't I have your suaveness and dapper charm?" Sean remarked.
"You hold the deed to a tenth-century castle, you have a useful education and an interesting job, and you're about to marry a wonderful woman. Leave me my rosebuds and black ties."
To say that Sean was taken aback would have insufficient. After eight years of distancing and haughty superiority, following an indeterminate number of years of Sean looking at Tom like he made the moon wax and wane, his older cousin admitted to feeling envy towards him.
"It was only a rhetorical question," said Sean, his voice betraying his shock.
"I know. How do you feel?"
"Nervous. But good."
"So are you ready to go up there?"
"As ready as I'm going to get."
"Then we'd better take our places."
If Anne Rourke was an overly enthusiastic wedding planner, then Maeve had done a fine job of restraining her. The decorations were limited to some cream-colored bunting draped around the sanctuary doors, front pews, and choir loft, and flowers arranged on either side of the altar. There was a string quartet seated in front of the organ to accompany the choir, and little embellishment other than that. Rather, the stained glass in the windows spoke for itself, and the sanctuary looked full and busy enough with all the guests. Sean and Tom saw now that Maeve had only mildly exaggerated when she said she had enough relatives to fill up Omagh. Her side of the sanctuary was full of people ranging from small children to elderly, and three or four sets of physical traits appeared frequently. Sean's side, while not quite as dense, was admirably full considering all those people from the area that Maeve had affectionately named "10 Miles West of Nowhere, Mayo" had had to travel over 2 hours to get there, but his guests clearly shared no common bloodlines. Once the bridegroom and best man had taken their place at the front, there was nothing they could do but stand politely and wait. Monsignor Roberts stood in front of the altar on the top step, and he gave Sean a gentle smile and nod before returning to watch the entrance. Their wait was over when Dr. Rourke came through the doorway with Maeve at his side. The quartet led the choir into a passage from Pachelbel's Canon in D, and the congregation rose to face the bride.
"Maeve wins the prize for best disguise," was Tom's first thought when he saw Maeve in her poufy white gown and veil. "I'll bet she's wearing jeans under that." It wasn't that she looked uncomfortable or inappropriate; in fact, she was stunning as ever, but he knew Maeve, and he knew she was not the type to truss herself up in twenty pounds of satin and tulle.
When Maeve made eye contact with Sean, her face broke into the warmest smile they'd ever seen from her, and with Maeve, that was saying something. Tom's cynical thoughts were soundly snuffed out. When she reached the bottom step with her father, it was time for Mass to begin.
"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit," said Msgr. Roberts.
"Amen," said the congregation.
"The grace and peace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you."
"And also with you."
"My brothers and sisters, to prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries, let us call to mind our sins."
"Father, hear our prayers for Maeve and Sean, who today are united in marriage before
your altar. Give them your blessing, and strengthen their love for each other.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son who lives and reigns with you and the
Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever."
"Amen."
The guests rose again. The priest spoke to Maeve and Sean. "Dear children of God, you have come to this church so that the Lord may seal your love in the presence of the priest and this community. Christ blesses this love. He has already consecrated you in baptism; now, by a special sacrament, he strengthens you to fulfill the duties of your married life.
"Sean and Maeve, you are about to celebrate this sacrament. Have you come here of your own free will and choice and without compulsion to marry each other?"
"We have," they said together.
"Will you love and honor each other in marriage all the days of your life?"
"We will."
"I invite you then to declare before God and His Church your consent to become husband and wife."
Maeve and Sean joined hands, and Monsignor Roberts addressed Sean.
"Sean, do you take Maeve as your wife,
for better, for worse,
for richer, for poorer,
in sickness and in health,
all the days of your life?"
Sean looked at Maeve and said, "I do."
"Maeve, do you take Sean as your husband,
for better, for worse,
for richer, for poorer,
in sickness and in health,
all the days of your life?"
Maeve returned Sean's gaze and said, "I do."
"What God joins together man must not separate. May the Lord confirm the consent that you have given and enrich you with his blessings."
"Amen," rumbled the guests.
"Almighty God, bless these rings, symbols of faithfulness and unbroken love. May Sean and Maeve always be true to each other, may they be one in heart and mind, may they be united in love forever, through Christ, our Lord."
"Amen," said Sean and Maeve.
"Maeve, wear this ring as a sign of our faithful love," said Sean as he slid a gold band onto her finger. "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
She took the other ring, and placed it on Sean's finger. "Sean, wear this ring as a sign of our faithful love. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
Facing the Monsignor, they closed their eyes and prayed. "We thank you, Lord, and we praise you for bringing us to this happy day," they spoke. "You have given us to each other. Now, together, we give ourselves to you. We ask you, Lord: make us one in our love; keep us one in your peace. Protect our marriage. Bless our home. Make us gentle. Keep us faithful. And when life is over unite us again where parting is no more in the kingdom of your love. There we will praise you in the happiness and peace of our eternal home. Amen."
After all said the Lord's Prayer, Monsignor Roberts faced Sean and Maeve and began the nuptial blessing.
"We call God our Father. Let each of us now ask him, in silence, to bless these his children as they begin their married life."
There was silence, then the priest went on. "Father, from you every family in heaven and earth takes its name. You made us.
"You made all that exists.
"You made man and woman like yourself in their power to know and love.
"You call them to share life with each other, saying 'It is not good for man to be alone.'
"We call to mind the fruitful companionship of Abraham, our father in faith and his wife Sarah.
"We remember how your guiding hand brought Rebecca and Isaac together, and how through the lives of Jacob and Rachel you prepared the way for the kingdom.
"Father, you take delight in the love of husband and wife, that love which hopes and shares, heals and forgives.
"We ask you to bless Maeve and Sean as they set out on their new life. Fill their hearts with your Holy Spirit, the Spirit of understanding, joy, fortitude and peace.
"Strengthen them to do your will, and in the trials of life to bear the cross with Christ.
"May they praise you during the bright days, and call on you in times of trouble. Let their love be strong as death, a fire that floods cannot drown, a jewel beyond all price.
"May their life together give witness to their faith in Christ.
"May they see long and happy days, and be united forever in the kingdom of your glory.
"We ask this through Christ our Lord.
The congregation answered, "Amen."
"Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your apostles: I leave you peace, my peace I give you. Look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church, and grant us the peace and unity of your kingdom where you live for ever and ever."
"Amen."
"The peace of the Lord be with you always."
"And also with you," said the people.
"Let us offer each other a sign of peace."
It was time for the Passing of the Peace. The guests spent the next couple of minutes shaking hands and saying "Peace be with you" with those near them. Among the children, there was much vigorous hand-shaking one-upmanship and saying "peace!" Maeve had hugs and "Peace" first for her father, then for Sean, then for Tom. Sean and Tom shook hands and said "peace" to each other, and each of them did the same with Dr. Rourke. After they were finished, they all faced front again and said together,
"Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: grant us peace."
"This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world," said the priest. "Happy are those who are called to his supper."
The priest and people said together, "Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed."
After communion, the Monsignor, the wedding party, and the guests prayed silently. When they were finished, the priest spoke again.
"Lord, we who have shared the food of your table pray for our friends Maeve and Sean, whom you have joined together in marriage.
"Keep them close to you always.
"May their love for each other proclaim to all the world their faith in you. We ask this through Christ our Lord."
"Amen," the congregation responded.
"The Lord be with you."
"And also with you."
Monsignor Roberts addressed Sean and Maeve. "The Lord Jesus was present at the wedding in Cana; today may He bless you and your families and friends."
"Amen," said the congregation.
"He loved His Church to the end; may He fill your hearts to overflowing with His love."
"Amen."
"May He give you the grace to bear witness to His resurrection, and look forward to His coming with hope and joy."
"Amen."
"May the peace of Christ ever dwell in your home; may the angels of God protect it, and may the holy family of Nazareth be its model and inspiration."
"Amen."
The priest now spoke to the congregation. "May almighty God bless you: the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit."
"Amen."
"The Mass is ended, go in peace."
"Thanks be to God."
Sean and Maeve turned around and walked, hand in hand, back up the aisle towards the narthex, between two crowds of well-wishers. Dr. Rourke followed just after them, soon joined by Mrs. Rourke. Tom merged with the guests leaving the pews and parted from them in the narthex, where he ducked into a corner to wait for them to get outside. While the guests followed the new couple outside towards the reception, Mrs. Bridges found Tom trying to blend in with the coat rack. She was sobbing openly, as many other people in the church were doing, and when she saw the tears rolling down Tom's face, she threw her arms around him, because she thought he was crying for the same reason.
~finis~
(Feedback is always appreciated.)
