Readings · Ceremony
1 Corinthians 13:4–8a
Charity suffereth long, and is kind;
charity envieth not;
charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
doth not behave itself unseemly,
seeketh not her own,
is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
beareth all things, believeth all things,
hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Charity never faileth.
Where it fits in the ceremony
Scripture readings usually come early in the ceremony, after the officiant’s opening words and before the vows. Churches differ on translation, and a Catholic wedding Mass draws its readings from an approved list, so check with your officiant before you print this one in the program.
Pair it with
Two readings that balance this one, one sacred and one secular:
- A Marriage Prayer and Blessing (Book of Common Prayer) — A prayer for faithful love and the service’s closing blessing, from the 1662 Prayer Book.
- 1 John 4:7–12 — “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God.”