The Wedding Day

The doors were pulled open. The blinding white midday sun poured in. Bart stood in the doorway. Millhouse stood beside him. Seamus, standing in the back with a broom, looked up to Mr. Largo in choir loft, and nodded. The conductor acknowledged, and the orchestra began to play 'The Throne Room' from Star Wars. Bart walked down the aisle, followed by Millhouse, and then Brian, Mac, Michael, Steve, and Nelson. All but Bart and Millhouse took their seats in the front row. Bart was visibly nervous. The armpits of his Armani jacket were stained with sweat, and he was fidgeting. He looked over his shoulder at his family. Marge was trying not to cry. Homer gave him the thumbs-up. Bart took a deep breath and swallowed the lump in his throat. He noticed the photographer, Nikki Edwards, and her assistant circling about, getting pictures of him, Millhouse, him and Millhouse, the family, the stained glass windows, and the altar and tabernacle. Nikki's assistant was busy taking several close-ups of Homer, which was annoying him greatly, when Nikki saw someone standing in the doorway. She whispered to him, and he began to rush around the front of the pews, but was stopped when she grabbed his sleeve. She pointed up to the tabernacle, and he rolled his eyes then made a vague bow/curtsey, then raced around the pews, down the side of the church, and took his position at the door. Nikki placed a fresh roll of film in her camera.

Felicia DeGeorge and Stephanie and Giselle Del Real (Gorge Del Real, a.k.a. Bumblebee Guy's daughter) entered, in frilly white gowns. They walked down the aisle, strewing the floor with white rose petals. Everyone watched little Giselle, who was barely a year old, and scarcely managed the walk down the aisle.

"Awww…isn't that precious!" Selma rasped.

"Get ready, her she comes!" Seamus called up to Mr. Largo. He nodded, and tapped his baton on the podium. The horns blared an opening, and then the strings began playing the Loghenrin.

Jessica walked down the aisle. She wore a beautiful jade dress, simple and elegant. Her face was covered with a green veil supported by a light platinum frame. Behind her was Lisa, who she chose as her maid of honour. Lisa wore a similar dress, only purple, and she wore no veil. She held a bouquet of violet roses. With her were Maggie, Sherri, Terri, and Christine Boyich (the drummer Michael Burke's girlfriend), in pastel pink dresses. Lisa could feel her stomach churning. She smiled in a silent laugh. She wiped a tear from her face with her silk-gloved hand. She was crying, at a wedding! She looked at Jessica. She was anxious, and yet almost serene.

Jessica walked forward, keeping the slow, rhythmic pace she had practiced at the rehearsal. She looked at the people in the crowd. Some were whispering, a few crying, and many were watching her in awed silence. Nearly all were smiling. This was her day.

She kept her bare hands in front of her, left hand over right. Her engagement ring, a gold, platinum mix with an enormous three-carat diamond set off frantic whispering.

"Oh, that's no the first one. The first one was just a one-carat. After their first album sold two million, Bart went out and bought it for her!" someone hissed to a friend.

They came to the front pews. The girls went to their respective seats. Lisa set her hand on the front, and half genuflected while attempting the Sign of the Cross. She could go all the way onto on knee, as she was in a dress. She stood and moved in, sitting between Brian and Artie.

"Lisa, doll, you look marvellous!" he said to her.

"Thanks Uncle Artie."

Bart and Lisa knelt on the two kneelers at the front of the altar.

Father O'Flaherty and Father Sean came out from the alcove.

"In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost."

"Amen," many answered. For many of the family's friends, this was their first time in a Catholic church, besides their first time at a Mass.

"May the Peace of Lord Jesus Christ, the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you."

"Et cum tu spiritu," Lisa heard Brian say. She smiled. "And also with you."

"My brothers and sisters in Christ, friends and family, we are gathered together this day to witness the union of our son, Bartholomew Jay Simpson, and our daughter Jessica Lovejoy, in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony. Let us now stand, an implore the forgiveness of Our Infinitely Merciful Father."

Brian stood first, then Homer, Marge, Eric, Lisa, and Maggie. Selma looked around and stood, and Selma followed. Artie remained sitting until Selma pulled him up by the ear.

"I confess to Almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned Through my own fault,

In what I have done,

And in what I have failed to do,

And I ask Blessed Mary Ever Virgin,

All the Angels and Saints,

And you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me, to the Lord, Our God."

The prayer was not said by all present. Many tried, mumbling the words after the priest said them. Artie did not even try. Lisa had watched Brian as he prayed. He seemed so desperate in his prayer. It was as though God were truly standing before him, and all he could do was throw himself before Him and plead for his soul. It saddened her, the desperation and sadness in his spirituality. But it was part of why she loved him, as well.

The first reading was done by Father Sean, who read the passage from Genesis of how God created man and woman. Marge recalled how that same passage was read at the one Catholic wedding she had gone to before. Hrmmm…I hope there isn't any incense this time. I really like this dress.

Father Sean read the next passage as well, from the writings of St. Paul, urging husbands and wives to love and be faithful to one another. Lisa recalled that she had liked that passage when she was little. There is a genuine appeal to this Faith.

The organ began to play.

"Ha-llelu-iah! Ha-llelu-iah! Ha-a-llelu-iah!" a voice sang.

All the Catholics in the church rose. The others followed.

"Ha-llelu-iah! Ha-llelu-iah! Ha-a-llelu-iah!"

The caller chanted something in Latin. The inflections were unusual, and Lisa couldn't understand all the words. God…spirit…love…holy…

"Ha-llelu-iah! Ha-llelu-iah! Ha-a-llelu-iah!"

Fr. O'Flaherty crossed the altar, genuflecting and crossing himself as he passed before the golden tabernacle, and went over to the podium. He read from the Gospel. It was the passage about the wedding feast at Canaan. There, though He claimed it was not yet his time, Jesus performed His first miracle, at His Blessed Mother's request. He performed His first miracle at a wedding.

"Please be seated," said O'Flaherty.

The guests sat, while Jessica and Bart knelt.

Father O'Flaherty gave a sermon in his usual style, short and simple. He spoke of how Christ's choice to perform His first miracle, though it was not part of His plan, at a wedding, and how this showed his support of marriage as the ideal. He also quoted the Gospel passage in which Christ spoke out against divorce, in which Jesus said 'What God has joined together, let no man separate'. He spoke of how love is unifying, and how love produces new life.

The marriage rites followed. Eric was the ring bearer.

"Do you, Jessica Lovejoy, take this man, Bartholomew Jay Simpson, to love, honour, and cherish, in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer, for better of for worse, for the rest of your natural life?"

She took a deep breath. She smiled, a single tear slid down her face.

"I do."

"And do you, Bartholomew Jay Simpson, take this woman, Jessica Lovejoy, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love, honour, and cherish, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for better or for worse, as long as you both should live?"

He looked wide-eyed at Jessica. He was hyperventilating. He gulped. He smiled. He took her hand.

"I do."

"Then by the power invested in me, through the ministry of the Roman Catholic Church, I pronounce you both man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Jessica threw her arms around Bart's shoulders. They kissed like they never kissed before. Everyone whooped and hollered.

"Yeah!" Homer yelled.

"Shh!" Fr. Sean hissed. "The Mass isn't over yet!"

"Hmm…sorta' anticlimactic, don't you think?" Artie whispered.

The liturgy of the Eucharist followed. Bart and Jessica were the first to receive, for the first time together as husband and wife.

"Brothers and sisters, if you are not Catholic you may come to the front of the altar, but you will not be able to receive the Eucharist but you will receive a blessing, so if you wish to come up, please cross your arms across your chest so we'll know."

Lisa watched as Brian walked up to the altar. Bart looked at him over his shoulder. Brian smiled, and Bart nodded and raised a victorious fist. Brian knelt at the altar railing. Lisa knelt next to him, arms across her breast.

"The Body of Christ."

"Amen."

Lisa saw how he barely was able to say 'Amen', so bad was his trembling. He crossed himself and stood.

Father Sean came to her. He hesitated, nearly taking out another consecrated Host, then traced the Sign of the Cross on Lisa's forehead.

"God bless you, Lisa."

She smiled, then rose and returned to her seat. She looked at Brian, who was kneeling. His eyes were tightly shut. The faint trembling of his lips showed that he was praying fiercely. Lisa placed her hand on his shoulder. She felt the calm that was welling up within him wash into her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

She saw Marge, Homer, Maggie, and Eric kneeling as well. The only ones not kneeling were her Grandfather, Grandma Bouvier, her two aunts, and Artie, who was Jewish. Artie sat, legs crossed, hands his knees, looking as though he were somewhere between annoyance and amusement.

Everyone rose. Fr. O'Flaherty led the closing. He then congratulated Bart and Jessica on their wedding, and told everyone that the reception was at the Irish Legion Hall right across the street.

"Our Mass has ended, let us now go in peace to serve the Lord Our God and one another."

"Thanks be to God."

"Thanks be to God for you," Bart said to Jessica.

The bells began to clang. Everybody cheered.