Better together than alone [Book of Ecclesiastes 4:7-11]

Again, I saw vanity under the sun, in the case of solitary individuals. Although they are without children or kindred, there is no end to all their toil, and they are never satisfied with riches. “For whom am I toiling," they ask, “and depriving myself of pleasure?"...

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help.

Again, if two shall sleep together, they keep each other warm; but how can one keep warm alone? And though one might prevail against another, two will prevail against one.

A woman who is to be praised [Book of Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31]

A capable wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.  The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.  She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.  She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands.  She is like the ships of the merchant, she brings her food from far away.  She rises while it is still night and provides food for her household and tasks for her servant girls.  She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.  She girds herself with strength, and makes her arms strong.  She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night.  She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.  She opens her hand to the poor, and reaches out her hands to the needy. 

She is not afraid for her household when it snows, for all her household are clothed in crimson.  She makes herself coverings; her clothing is fine linen and purple.  Her husband is known in the city gates, taking his seat among the elders of the land.  She makes linen garments and sells them; she supplies the merchant with sashes.  Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs a the time to come.  She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.  She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. 

Her children rise up and call her happy; her husband too, and he praises her:  "Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.”  Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.  Give her a share in the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the city gates.

Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away [Song of Songs 2:6-14]

"O that his left hand were under my head, and that his right hand embraced me!  I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the wild does: do not stir up or awaken love until it is ready!  The voice of my beloved! Look, he comes, leaping upon the mountains, bounding over the hills.  My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look, there he stands behind our wall, gazing in at the windows, looking through the lattice." 

My beloved speaks and says to me: "Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away;  for now the winter is past, the rain is over an gone.  The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.  The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away." 
He says: "O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the covert of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely."

Grant them mercy and protection [Tobit 8:13-21]

In the morning the maid opened the door and went in. She found the two fast asleep together;  and she came out again and whispered, “all is well.”  Then Raguel blessed the God of heaven with these words: You are blessed, my God, with every blessing that is pure; may you be blessed for evermore! You are blessed for having made me glad. What I feared has not happened, instead you have shown us your boundless mercy. You are blessed for taking pity on this only son, this only daughter.

Grant them, Master, your mercy and your protection; let them live out their lives in happiness and in mercy. He called Tobias and said, “I will not hear of your leaving here for a fortnight. You are to stay where you are, eating and drinking, with me. You will make my daughter happy again after all her troubles.  After that, take away a half of all I have, and take her safe and sound back to your father. When my wife and I are dead you shall have the other half.

 

Together they said, “Amen, Amen,” and lay down for the night [Tobit 8:4-8]

The parents meanwhile had gone out and shut the door behind them.  Tobias rose from the bed, and said to Sarah, “Get up, my sister!  You and I must pray and petition our Lord to win his grace and his protection.”  She stood up, and they began praying for protection, and this was how he began:

You are blessed, O God of our fathers; blessed too is your name for ever and ever.
Let the heavens bless you and all things you have made for evermore.
You it was who created Adam, you who created Eve his wife to be his help and support;
and from these two the human race was born.
You it was who said, ‘It is not right that the man should be alone; let us make him a helper like him.”
And so I take my sister not for any lustful motive, but I do it in singleness of heart.
Be kind enough to have pity on her and on me and bring us to old age together.
And together they said, “Amen, Amen,”  and lay down for the night.

I will make a new covenant with the House of Israel and Judah [Jeremiah 31:31-32, 33-34]

A reading from the book of the prophet Jeremiah

The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers the day I took them by the hand to lead them forth from the land of Egypt. But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD. I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer will they have need to teach their friends and kinsmen how to know the LORD. All, from least to greatest, shall know me, says the LORD.

The word of the LORD.

Husband of a good wife [Sirach 26:1-4, 13-16]

A reading from the book of Sirach

Happy the husband of a good wife, twice-lengthened are his days; a worthy wife brings joy to her husband, peaceful and full is his life. A good wife is a generous gift bestowed upon him who fears the LORD; be he rich or poor, his heart is content, and a smile is ever on his face. A gracious wife delights her husband, her thoughtfulness puts flesh on his bones; a gift from the LORD is her governed speech, and her firm virtue is of surpassing worth. Choicest of blessings is a modest wife, priceless her chaste person. Like the sun rising in the LORD’S heaven, the beauty of a virtuous wife is the radiance of her home.

The word of the Lord.

For love is as strong as death [Song of Songs 2:8-10, 14, 16; 8:6-7]

A reading from the Song of Songs

Hark! My lover-here he comes springing across the mountains, leaping across the hills. My lover is like a gazelle or a young stag. Here he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattices. My lover speaks; he says to me, “Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one, and come! “For see, the winter is past, the rains are over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of pruning the vines has come, and the song of the dove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines, in bloom, give forth fragrance. Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one, and come! “O my dove in the clefts of the rock, in the secret recesses of the cliff, let me see you, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and you are lovely.” My lover belongs to me and I to him. He said to me: Set me as a seal on your heart, as a seal on your arm; for stern as death is love, relentless as the nether world is devotion; its flames are a blazing fire. Deep waters cannot quench love, nor floods sweep it away.

The word of the Lord.

May God bring us to old age together [Tobit 8:5-7]

A reading from the book of Tobit

On their wedding night Sarah got up, and she and Tobiah started to pray and beg that deliverance might be theirs. He began to use these words: “Blessed are you, O God of our fathers; praised be your name forever and ever. Let the heavens and all your creation praise you forever. You made Adam and you gave him his wife Eve to be his help and support; and from these two the human race descended. You said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone; let us make him a partner like himself.’ Now, Lord, you know that I take this wife of mine not because of lust, but for a noble purpose. Call down your mercy on me and on her, and allow us to live together to a happy old age.”

The word of the Lord.

May God join you together and fill you with his blessings [Tobit 7:9-10, 11-15]

A reading from the book of Tobit

Afterward, Raguel slaughtered a ram from the flock and gave them a cordial reception. When they had bathed and reclined to eat, Tobiah said to Raphael, “Brother Azariah, ask Raguel to let me marry my kinswoman Sarah.” Raquel overheard the words, so he said to the boy: “Eat and drink and be merry tonight, for no man is more entitled to marry my daughter Sarah than you, brother. Besides, not even I have the right to give her to anyone but you, because you are my closest relative. But I will explain the situation to you very frankly. She is yours according to the decree of the Book of Moses. Your marriage to her has been decided in heaven! Take your kinswoman; from now on you are her love, and she is your beloved. She is yours today and ever after. And tonight, son, may the Lord of heaven prosper you both. May he grant you mercy and peace.” Then Raguel called his daughter Sarah, and she came to him. He took her by the hand and gave her to Tobiah with the words: “Take her according to the law. According to the decree written in the Book of Moses she is your wife. Take her and bring her back safely to your father. And may the God of heaven grant both of you peace and prosperity.” He then called her mother and told her to bring a scroll, so that he might draw up a marriage contract stating that he gave Sarah to Tobiah as his wife according to the decree of the Mosaic law. Her mother brought the scroll, and he drew up the contract, to which they affixed their seals. Afterward they began to eat and drink.

The word of the lord.

Isaac loved Rebekah, and so he was consoled for the loss of his mother [Genesis 24:48-51, 58-67]

A reading from the book of Genesis

Abraham's servant said to Laban, 'I blessed the Lord, God of my master Abraham, who had so graciously led me to choose the daughter of my master's brother for his son. Now tell me whether you are prepared to show kindness and goodness to my master; if not, say so, and I shall know what to do.' Laban and Bethuel replied, 'This is from the Lord; it is not in our power to say yes or no to you. Rebekah is there before you. Take her and go; and let her become the wife of your master's son, as the Lord has decreed.' They called Rebekah and asked her, 'Do you want to leave with this man?' 'I do,' she replied. Accordingly they let their sister Rebekah go, with her nurse, and Abraham's servant and his men. They blessed Rebekah in these words: 'Sister of ours, increase to thousands and tens of thousands! May your descendants gain possession of the gates of their enemies!' Rebekah and her servants stood up, mounted the camels, and followed the man. The servant took Rebekah and departed. Isaac, who lived in the Negeb, had meanwhile come into the wilderness of the well of Lahai Roi. Now Isaac went walking in the fields as evening fell, and looking up saw camels approaching. And Rebecca looked up and saw Isaac. She jumped down from her camel, and asked the servant 'Who is that man walking through the fields to meet us? The servant replied, 'That is my master'; then she took her veil and hid her face. The servant told Isaac the whole story, and Isaac led Rebecca to his tent and made her his wife; and he loved her. And so Isaac was consoled for the loss of his mother.

The word of the Lord.

And they will be two in one flesh [Genesis 2:18-24]

A reading from the book of Genesis

The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man." For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

The word of the Lord.

Male and female he created them [Genesis 1:26-28, 31]

A reading from the book of Genesis

Then God said: “Let us make man in our own image, in the likeness of ourselves, and let them be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven, the cattle, all the wild beasts and all the reptiles that crawl upon the earth.” God created man in the image of himself, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them. God blessed them, saying to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and conquer it. Be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven and all living animals on the earth.” God saw all he had made, and indeed it was very good.

The word of the Lord.