Together for Life: Revised with The Order of Celebrating Matrimony

by Joseph M. Champlin, Peter A. Jarret C.S.C.

Together for Life has been the most trusted source for wedding planning in the Catholic Church for more than forty-five years. This new edition of Together for Life contains the new texts of the most recent translation of The Order of Celebrating Matrimony. It includes all the tools engaged couples use when meeting with a priest, deacon, or lay parish minister to plan their weddings and prepare for living the sacrament of Marriage.

Written by Msgr. Joseph Champlin (1930-2008) and first published in 1970, more than ten-million copies of Together for Life have been sold. The previous edition was updated in 2011 with the help of Rev. Peter A. Jarret, C.S.C., to include the revised liturgical texts of the third edition of the Roman Missal. The 2016 edition contains all the necessary texts from The Order of Celebrating Matrimony.

Each reading choice is accompanied by a reflection written by lay married theologians or pastoral leaders who are committed to the sacramental life of the Church. Contributors include Ann M. Garrido, Msgr. Michael Heintz, Diana Macalintal, H. Richard McCord, Geoffrey D. Miller, Tim Muldoon, Julie Hanlon Rubio, and Deacon William F. Urbine.

Together for Life includes all of the information, prayers, blessings, and readings needed to plan a wedding that will be held within Mass, without Mass, or between a Catholic and a catechumen or non-Christian. FAQs address questions couples may have about traditions such as readings, music, witnesses, and unusual circumstances.

Together for Life

Approved texts for The Order of Celebrating Matrimony and prayers from the& Roman Missal“The Word Brought Home,” scripture commentaries by Catholic leadersCatechetical commentary by Rev. Peter Jarret, C.S.C., to help couples deepen their understanding of the Church's liturgyHints for incorporating ethnic and cultural devotions and practices into a Catholic weddingSample intercessionsHow-to guides to help parish ministersFAQ section about the celebration of Catholic weddingsThe material in Together for Life is supported by TogetherforLifeOnline.com. The site includes an online selection form, Catholic wedding planning resources, and articles providing enrichment to both married and engaged couples.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Catholic, Marriage

200 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 28, 1970

About the author

Rev. Msgr. Joseph M. Champlin

Reviews

[Sydney · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Your life together means that you are no longer alone."

We technically started this book back in the fall of 2022 when we first got engaged and started meeting with our priest for marriage prep. I didn't get my own copy until we attended a Pre-Cana retreat at a nearby parish. I love being Catholic and I'm very excited to have my wedding ceremony be a full Mass, but will admit that some things in this book are stricter than I would like, and a few things I've had to compromise on for my ceremony have been disappointing. All in all, however, finishing this and picking our readings for the Mass has been rewarding. T-minus 104 days!

[Kimberly W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chose all the readings that spoke to me 👰🏼

[Laurel B · Rating 3 out of 5]

My fiance and I read through this book to help us plan our wedding ceremony. We are having a full Catholic Mass. The book was laid out really nicely and easy to get through. The provided commentary for the readings was very helpful for us to choose.
I feel much more comfortable with our reading choices and the layout of the Mass than I did prior to reading this book.

[Sarah Fritz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great help for plan a wedding within the Roman Catholic Church. It is a very informative and detailed outline offering many options on how to plan and customize the wedding ceremony. This book makesme even more excited to celebrate my wedding this October!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great tool to help plan a wedding in the Catholic Church.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't find this book especially well laid out. It took me several times of reading through sections to figure out. There are between 3 and 10 choices for each prayer and reading, and many of the choices, particularly for the responsorial psalm and the New Testament reading, that do not specifically reference marriage at all. Only one responsorial psalm refers to a blessed man having a wife "like a fruitful vine in the heart of your house; your children like shoots of the olive around your table" (p. 39 from Psalm 128). So the one choice contains an instance of the casual objectification of women from the Old Testament.

[EJ Daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an essential guide for anyone interested in planning a wedding in the Roman Catholic Church. It clearly and concisely lays out all the forms of the Mass and provides an extensive list of suggestions for reading, with superficial but nevertheless helpful commentary. Its greatest appeal, however, is the fact that this book is very widely utilized and so will serve as a good starting point for speaking with one's priest, organist, soloist, and the hosting church.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very useful and well-edited.

[Katie R.]

Exciting!

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eh I say this counts

[Bradleya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Together for Life was an enriching read to help me prepare for our wedding and marriage in communion with the Catholic Church. This work laid out the parts of the Catholic marriage rite with options and explanations for readings, prayers, rituals, and more. I believe it deepened my understanding of God’s holy and beautiful plan for marriage and salvation. I recommend Together for Life for those preparing for marriage in the Catholic Church and anyone in order to learn more about Holy Matrimony.

[Jonathan]

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