READINGS FROM THE BIBLE

CORINTHIANS 13:4-8a

AN ODE TO LOVE

Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude.

Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends.

ECCLESIASTES 4:9-12

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up. Again, if two lie together, they are warm; but how can one be warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him.

GENESIS 2:28-24

The Lord God said: “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a suitable  partner for him.” So the Lord God formed out of the ground various wild animals and various birds of the air, and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them; whatever the man called each of them would be its name. The man gave names to all the cattle, all the birds of the air, and all the wild animals; but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man.

So the Lord God cast a deep sleep on the man, and while he was asleep, he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. The Lord God then built up into a woman the rib that he had taken from the man. When he brought her to the man, the man said:

“This one, at last, is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
This one shall be called ‘woman’,
For out of ‘her man’ this one has been taken.”

That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body.

GENESIS 1:26-31

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every     living creature that moves on the ground.” Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground - everything that has the breath of life in it - I give every green plant for food.” And it was so. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning - the sixth day.

POETRY & PROSE

AMERICAN INDIAN WEDDING BLESSING
Anon

Now you will feel no rain,
for each of you will be shelter to the other.
Now you will feel no cold,
for each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now you will feel no loneliness,
for each of you will be companionship to the other.
Now you are two persons,
but there are three lives before you: his life, her life and your life together.

Go now to your dwelling place,
to enter into the days of your life together.
May beauty surround you both in the journey ahead
and through all the years may happiness be your
companion to the place where the river meets the sun,
And may your days be good and long upon the earth.

Treat yourselves and each other with respect,
And remind yourselves often of what brought you together.
Give the highest priority to the tenderness,
gentleness and kindness that your        connection deserves.
When frustration, difficulty and fear assail your relationship -
as they threaten all relationships at one time or another -
remember to focus on what is right between you, not only
that part which seems wrong.
In this way, you can ride out the storms
when clouds hide the face of the sun in your lives.


APACHE BLESSING
Anon

May the sun bring you new energy by day,
May the moon softly restore you by night,
May the rain wash away your worries
And the breeze blow new strength into your being,
And all of the days of your life may you walk
Gently through the world and know its beauty.

CHINESE LOVE POEM
Anon

I want to be your friend forever and ever
When the hills are all flat
and the rivers run dry
When the trees blossom in winter
and the snow falls in summer,
when heaven and earth mix -
not till then will I part from you.

ESKIMO LOVE SONG
Anon

You are my husband
My feet shall run because of you
My feet dance because of you
My heart shall beat because of you
My eyes see because of you
My mind thinks because of you
And I shall love because of you.


FROM THIS DAY FORWARD
Anon

From this day forward,
You shall not walk alone.
My heart will be your shelter,
And my arms will be your home.

GIVE ME YOUR HEART
Anon

Give me your heart, beloved. Give me your hand, my true friend.
With each passing day I grow more fond;
With each passing day, our small portion of love takes its place in the truth of time.
With the years that we have been given,
Let us grow deeply into life so that we may love all the more.

GUIDE FOR A LOVING HOME
Anon

May we treat one another
with respect, honesty and care.
May we share the little discoveries
and changes each day brings.
May we try always to be sensitive
to one another’s joys, sorrows,
needs and changing moods,
and realise that being
a loving family means
sometime not understanding
everyone all the time
but being there to love
and help them just the same.

HAPPINESS
Anon

Happiness is to be found among life’s common things. It is not great wealth, great learning, great genius or great power; it is not these things that make the possessors happy. It is health, friendship, love at home; it is the voices of children, it is sunshine. It is the blessings that are commonest, not those that are the rarest.

HINDU MARRIAGE POEM
Anon
 
You have become mine forever.
Yes, we have become partners.
I have become yours.
Hereafter, I cannot live without you.
Do not live without me.
Let us share the joys.
We are word and meaning, unite.
You are thought and I am sound.
May the nights be honey-sweet for us.
May the mornings be honey-sweet for us.
May the plants be honey-sweet for us.
May the earth be honey-sweet for us.

I KNEW THAT I HAD BEEN TOUCHED BY LOVE
Anon

I knew that I had been touched by love the first time I saw you,
and I felt your warmth, and I heard your laughter.
I knew that I had been touched by love
when I was hurting from something that happened,
and you came along and made the hurt go away.
I knew that I had been touched by love
when I quit making plans with my friends,
and started dreaming dreams with you.
I knew that I had been touched by love
when suddenly I stopped thinking in terms of “me”,
and started thinking in terms of “we”.
I knew that I had been touched by love
when suddenly I couldn’t make any decisions by myself anymore,
and I had the strong desire to share   everything with you.
I knew that I had been touched by love
the first time we spent alone together,
and I knew I wanted to stay with you forever
because I had never felt this touched by love.

IRISH BLESSING
Anon

May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

May God be with you and bless you;
May you see your children’s children.
May you be poor in misfortune,
Rich in blessings,
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.

May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the warm rays of sun fall upon your home
And may the hand of a friend always be near.

May green be the grass you walk on,
May blue be the skies above you,
May pure be the joys that surround you,
May true be the hearts that love you.

LITANY FOR A WEDDING
Anon

We take delight in our very presence here in soundness of body and mind: for our ability to make decisions and the energy to carry them out.

We remember in this precious moment all those in pain and who suffer strictures in mind or debilitation of limb. For what we have, what we are and what we may become - we are thankful.

We celebrate our common life with friends and family and all the relationships that sustain our humour and support our spirits especially in time of trouble or sadness.

We remember in this timeless moment the lonely and the unloved and those who belong to none, are answerable to none and upon whom none depend. For what we have, what we are and what we may become - we are thankful.

We cherish our work, our responsibilities and the where-with-all that sustains our life-styles: for demands made upon us which bring out the best and opportunities that enliven our imaginations.

We remember in this moment of enchantment the unloved and the purposeless and those whose talents lie undiscovered or remain wasted. For what we have, what we are and what we may become - we are thankful.

We delight on this special day in the security of our families and the protection of reliable affections: in those spaces wherein love and knowledge may mature especially for these two friends -[bride’s name] and [groom’s name].

We remember in this moment those without homes and without hope; those who, despite their efforts, have come by so little and who know anxiety too well. For what we have, what we are and what we may become - we are thankful.

We are privileged to be here in these profound moments beyond ordinary time with these two folk; may their vows rekindle our own and their life together be both a celebration and a yes to all that abides deeply and remains constant: faith, hope and that most robust and forgiving of   affections: love.


LOVE’S HIDDEN TREASURE
Anon

Sooner or later we begin to understand that love is more than verses on valentines, and romance in the movies. We begin to know that love is here and now, real and true, the most important thing in our lives. For love is the creator of our favourite memories and the foundation of our fondest dreams.

Love is a promise that is always kept, a  fortune that can never be spent, a seed that can flourish in even the most unlikely of places. And this radiance that never fades, this mysterious and magical joy, is the greatest treasure of all - one known only by those who love.

LOVE IS GIVING
Anon

Love is giving, not taking,
Mending, not breaking,
Trusting, believing,
Never deceiving,
Patiently bearing
And faithfully sharing
Each joy, every sorrow,
Today and tomorrow.

Love is kind, understanding,
But never demanding.
Love is constant, prevailing,
Its strength never failing.
A promise once spoken
For all time unbroken,
A lifetime together,
Love’s time is for ever.

LOVE IS LIFE’S END
Anon

Love is life’s end (an end, but never ending)
All joys, all sweets, all happiness awarding;
Love is life’s wealth
(ne’er spent, but ever spending),
More rich by giving, taking by discarding;
Love’s life’s reward, rewarded in rewarding;
Then from thy wretched heart
Fond care remove;
Ah, should thou live but once
Love’s sweets to prove.
Thou wilt not love to live unless
Thou live to love.

MARRIAGE IS …
Anon

Marriage is a dynamic process of discovery.
Marriage is a journey, not an arrival.
In marriage, being the right person is as important as finding the right person.
Marriage is starting to love, over and over again.
Marriage is a life’s work.
Marriage is an art...and like any creative process, it requires active thought and effort.
We have to learn how to share on many different levels.
We need to practice talking from the heart, and understanding attitudes as well as words.
Giving generously and receiving graciously are talents that are available to anyone.
But these skills need to be developed, if the marriage picture that we paint is to be anything like the masterpiece intended.

MARRIAGE IS A COMMITMENT
Anon

Marriage is a commitment to take that joy deep, deeper than happiness, deep into the discovery of who you most truly are. It is a commitment to a spiritual journey, to a life of becoming - in which joy can comprehend despair; running through rivers of pain into joy again.

Thus marriage is even deeper than commitment. It is a covenant - a covenant that says: I love you - I trust you - I will be here for you when you are hurting, and when I am hurting I will not leave. It is a covenant intended not to provide a haven from pain or anger or sorrow. Life offers no such haven. Instead, marriage is intended to provide a sanctuary safe enough to risk loving; to risk living and sharing from the centre of oneself.

This is worth everything.

MAY YOUR HOME
Anon

May your home be filled with laughter
and the warm embrace of a summer day.

May you find peacefulness and beauty,
challenge, and satisfaction, humor and insight,
healing and renewal, love and wisdom,
as in a quiet heart.

May you always feel that what you have is enough.

ON YOUR WEDDING DAY
Anon

Today is a day you will always remember
The greatest in anyone’s life
You’ll start off the day just two people in love
And end it as Husband and Wife.
It’s a brand new beginning, the start of a journey
With moments to cherish and treasure
And although there’ll be times when you both disagree
These will surely be outweighed by pleasure.
You’ll have heard many words of advice in the past
When the secrets of marriage were spoken
But you know that the answers lie hidden inside
Where the bond of true love lies unbroken.
So live happy forever as lovers and friends
It’s the dawn of a new life for you
As you stand there together with love in your eyes
From the moment you whisper ‘I do’.
And with luck, all your hopes, and your dreams can be real
May success find its way to your hearts
Tomorrow can bring you the greatest of joys
But today is the day it all starts.

THE KEY TO LOVE
Anon

The key to love is understanding...
The ability to comprehend not only the spoken word,
but those unspoken gestures,
the little things that say so much by themselves.
The key to love is forgiveness...
to accept each others faults and pardon mistakes,
without forgetting, but with remembering
what you learn from them.

The key to love is sharing...
Facing your good fortunes as well as the bad, together;
both conquering problems, forever searching for ways
to intensify your happiness.

The key to love is giving...
without thought of return,
but with the hope of just a simple smile,
and by giving in but never giving up.

The key to love is respect...
realising that you are two separate people, with different ideas; that you don’t belong to each other,
that you belong with each other, and share a mutual bond.

The key to love is inside us all...
It takes time and patience to unlock all the ingredients that will take you to its threshold;
it is the continual learning process that demands a lot of work... but the rewards are more than worth the effort...
and that is the key to love.

THESE I CAN PROMISE
Anon

I cannot promise you a life of sunshine;
I cannot promise riches, wealth, or gold;
I cannot promise you an easy pathway
That leads away from change or growing old.
But I can promise all my heart’s devotion;
A smile to chase away your tears of sorrow;
A love that’s ever true and ever growing;
A hand to hold in yours through each tomorrow.

THIS DAY I MARRIED MY BEST FRIEND
Anon

This day I married my best friend
... the one I laugh with as we share life’s wondrous zest,
as we find new enjoyments and experience all that’s best.
... the one I live for because the world seems brighter
as our happy times are better and our burdens feel much lighter.
... the one I love with every fiber of my soul.
We used to feel vaguely incomplete, now together we are whole.

TRUE LOVE
Anon

True love is a sacred flame
That burns eternally,
And none can dim its special glow
Or change its destiny.
True love speaks in tender tones
And hears with gentle ear,
True love gives with open heart
And true love conquers fear.
True love makes no harsh demands
It neither rules nor binds,
And true love holds with gentle hands
The hearts that it entwines.

UNTITLED
Anon
A portion of your soul has been entwined with mine.
A gentle kind of togetherness, while separate we stand.
As two trees deeply rooted in separate plots of ground,
while their topmost branches come together,
forming a miracle of lace against the heavens.

WHAT IS LOVE?
Anon

Love is not just looking at each other and saying `You’re wonderful’.
There are times when we are anything but wonderful.
Love is looking out in the same direction. It is linking our strength to pull a common load. It is pushing together towards the far horizons, hand in hand.
Love is knowing that when our strength falters, we can borrow the strength of someone who cares. Love is a strange awareness that our sorrows will be shared and made lighter by sharing; that joys will be enriched and multiplied by the joy of another.
Love is knowing someone else cares that we are not alone in life.

WHY MARRIAGE?
Anon

Because to the depths of me, I long to love one person,
With all my heart, my soul, my mind, my body...
Because I need a forever friend to trust with the intimacies of me,
Who won’t hold them against me,
Who loves me when I’m unlikable,
Who sees the small child in me, and
Who looks for the divine potential of me...
Because I need to cuddle in the warmth of the night
With someone who thanks God for me,
With someone I feel blessed to hold...

Because marriage means opportunity
To grow in love in friendship...

Because marriage is a discipline
To be added to a list of achievements...

Because marriages do not fail, people fail
When they enter into marriage
Expecting another to make them whole...

Because, knowing this,
I promise myself to take full responsibility
For my spiritual, mental and physical wholeness
I create me, I take half of the responsibility for my marriage
Together we create our marriage...
Because of this understanding
The possibilities are limitless.

SOMEWHERE
Sir Edwin Arnold

Somewhere there waiteth in this world of ours
for one lone soul, another lonely soul -
Each chasing each through all the weary hours,
And meeting strangely at one sudden goal;
Then blend they - like green leaves with golden flowers,
Into one beautiful and perfect whole -
And life’s long night is ended, and the way
Lies open onward to eternal day.

A MARRIAGE PRAYER
Bud Henry Bowen

As we begin our journey down the road of life together. We don’t know what lies ahead for the road turns and bends. But help us to make the best of whatever comes our way.
Help us to hug each other often … laugh a lot, talk more, and argue less.
Help us to continue to enjoy each other as we did when we first met.
Help us to realise that nothing or no one is perfect and to look for the good in all things and all people including ourselves.
Help us to respect each other’s likes and dislikes, opinions and beliefs, hopes and dreams and fears even though we may not always understand them.
Help us to learn from each other and to help each other to grow mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
Help us to realise that there is design and purpose in our lives as in the world and no matter what happens to us we will hold on to each other and know that things have a way of working out for the good.
Help us to create for our children a   peaceful, stable home of love as a foundation on which they can build their lives.
But most of all, help us to keep lit the torch of love that we now share in our hearts to that by our loving example we may pass on the light of love to our children and to their children and to their children’s children   forever.

BECAUSE SHE WOULD ASK ME WHY I LOVED HER
Christopher Brennan
 
If questioning would make us wise
No eyes would ever gaze in eyes;
If all our tale were told in speech
No mouths would wander each to each.
Were spirits free from mortal mesh
And love not bound in hearts of flesh
No aching breasts would yearn to meet
And find their ecstasy complete.
For who is there that lives and knows
The secret powers by which he grows?
Were knowledge all, what were our need
To thrill and faint and sweetly bleed?
Then seek not, sweet, the “If” and “Why”
I love you now until I die.
For I must love because I live
And life in me is what you give.

SONNET FROM THE PORTUGUESE XLIII
(How do I love thee?)
Elizabeth Barrett Browning

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of every day’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! - and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

SONNET FROM THE PORTUGUESE XIV
Elizabeth Barrett Browning

If thou must love me, let it be for naught
Except for love’s sake only. Do not say,
‘I love her for her smile - her look - her way
Of speaking gently, - for a trick of thought
That falls in well with mine, and certes brought
A sense of pleasant ease on such a day’ -
For these things in themselves, Beloved, may
Be changed, or change for thee - and love, so wrought,
May be unwrought so. Neither love me for
Thine own dear pity’s wiping my cheeks dry:
A creature might forget to weep, who bore
Thy comfort long, and lose thy love thereby!
But love me for love’s sake, that evermore
Thou mayst love on, through love’s eternity.

GROW OLD ALONG WITH ME
Robert Browning

Grow old along with me!
The best is yet to be,
The last of life, for which
the first was made:
Our times are in his hand
Who saith, “A whole I planned,
Youth shows but half; trust God:
see all, nor be afraid!”

COME WALK WITH ME
Judith Calver

Come walk with me, my love,
Along the paths of life.
And keep up by my side, my love,
As we walk the paths of life.

Stop for a while with me, my love,
The path is growing steep.
We’ll sit by the pool of life, my love,
Where the waters are so deep.

We’ll follow the stream of life from whence it flows
And seek its very source.
Follow the stream of life, my love,
We’ll follow the stream of life.

Come climb these rocks with me, my love,
And help me along the way.
And together we’ll reach the top, my love,
We’ll stand at the very top.

Look down on the world with me, my love,
Look down on this world of ours.
We walked through life together, my love,
Together we passed the hours.

And we’ll continue walking onwards
Through life’s more peaceful paths.

THE GIFT OF LOVE  
Judith Calver

Love is perfect tenderness,
A glance, a certain smile.
Love is understanding
And forgiving others too.
Love lies within us all
If we allow it to,
And perfect love encompasses
Each thing that we can do.
Love is simple yet complex;
It’s selfless and extreme.
Yet love is adoration
And can also reign supreme.
Love can be unrequited
And this love causes pain
But when love is returned in full
Our spirits rise again.
The love we share throughout our lives
With someone by our side
Is one of such perfection
It cannot be described.
So when we have this gift of love
Be thankful every day
And always find within your life
A moment to convey
The way you feel about the love
You hold within your heart
For it isn’t there for everyone
But a gift that is set apart.

LOVE’S RECIPE
Judith Calver

Take a pinch of lovers’ dreams
Add a tender smile or two
One spoonful of tenderness
And wishes fond and true
Throw in faithfulness and trust
Simmer a decade or two
Then serve as loving friendship
To last a lifetime through.

I WILL BE HERE
Steven Curtis Chapman
 
If in the morning when you wake,
If the sun does not appear,
I will be here.
If in the dark we lose sight of love,
Hold my hand and have no fear,
I will be here.
I will be here,
When you feel like being quiet,
When you need to speak your mind I will listen.
Through the winning, losing, and trying we’ll be together,
And I will be here.
If in the morning when you wake,
If the future is unclear,
I will be here.
As sure as seasons were made for change,
Our lifetimes were made for years,
I will be here.
I will be here,
And you can cry on my shoulder,
When the mirror tells us we’re older.
I will hold you, to watch you grow in beauty,
And tell you all the things you are to me.
We’ll be together and I will be here.
I will be true to the promises I’ve made,
To you and to the one who gave you to me.
I will be here.

LOVE
Roy Croft

I love you, not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you.
I love you, not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me.
I love you for the part of me that you bring out.

I love you for putting your hand into my heaped-up heart and passing over all the foolish, weak things that you can’t help dimly seeing there.
And for drawing out into the light all the beautiful belongings that no one else had looked quite far enough to find. I love you because you are helping me to make of the lumber of my life not a tavern but a temple; out of the works of my every day not a reproach but a song.

I love you because you have done more than any creed could have done to make me good, and more than any fate to make me happy.

You have done it without a touch, without a word, without a sign.
You have done it by being yourself.

I PROMISE
Dorothy Colgan

I promise to give you the best of myself
and to ask of you no more than you can give.

I promise to respect you as your own    person
and to realise that your interests, desires and needs
are no less important than my own.

I promise to share with you my time and my attention
and to bring joy, strength and imagination to our relationship.

I promise to keep myself open to you,
to let you see through the window of my world into my innermost fears
and feelings, secrets and dreams.

I promise to grow along with you,
to be willing to face changes in order to keep our relationship alive and exciting.

I promise to love you in good times and in bad,
with all I have to give and all I feel inside in the only way I know how.
Completely and forever.

I WANNA BE YOURS
John Cooper Clarke

I wanna be your vacuum cleaner
Breathing in your dust,
I wanna be your Ford Cortina
I will never rust,
If you like your coffee hot
Let me be your coffee pot,
You call the shots,
I wanna be yours.
I wanna be your raincoat
For those frequent rainy days,
I wanna be your dreamboat
When you want to sail away,
Let me be your teddy bear
Take me with you anywhere,
I don’t care,
I wanna be yours.
I wanna be your electric meter
I will not run out,
I wanna be the electric heater
You’ll get cold without,
I wanna be your setting lotion
Hold your hair in deep devotion,
Deep as the deep Atlantic Ocean
That’s how deep is my devotion.

LOVE LIVES
John Clare

Love lives beyond
The tomb, the earth, which fades like dew.
I love the fond,
The faithful, and the true
Love lives in sleep,
The happiness of healthy dreams
Eve’s dews may weep,
But love delightful seems.

‘Tis heard in Spring
When light and sunbeams, warm and kind,
On angels’ wing
Bring love and music to the mind.

And where is voice,
So young, so beautiful and sweet
As nature’s choice,
Where Spring and lovers meet?

Love lives beyond
The tomb, the earth, the flowers, and dew.
I love the fond,
The faithful, young and true.

TODAY I MARRIED MY BEST FRIEND
Rachel Elizabeth Cooper

Today I married my best friend,
Our bond complete, it hath no end,
We share one soul, we share one heart,
A perfect time - a perfect start.
With these rings we share together,
Love so close to last forever,
This special day - two special hearts,
Let nothing keep this love apart.

ON LOVE
Dante from The Divine Comedy

The love of God, unutterable and perfect,
Flowers into a pure soul the way that light
Rushes into a transparent object.
The more love that it finds, the more it gives itself,
So that, as we grow more clear and open,
The more complete the joy of loving is.
And the more souls who resonate together,
The greater the intensity of their love,
For, mirror-like, each soul reflects the others.

FREEDOM WITHIN MARRIAGE
Madeleine L’Engle from The Crosswick Diaries

If we commit ourselves to one person for life this is not, as many people think, a rejection of freedom; rather, it demands the courage to move into all the risks of freedom, and the risk of love which is permanent; into that love which is not possession but participation...
When love is not possession, but participation, then it is part of that co-creation which is our human calling ...
If our love for each other really is participatory, then all other human relationships nourish it; it is inclusive, never exclusive.

A DEDICATION TO MY WIFE
T.S. Eliot

To whom I owe the leaping delight
That quickens my senses in our
wakingtime
And the rhythm that governs the repose of our sleepingtime,
The breathing in unison.

Of lovers whose bodies smell of each other
Who think the same thoughts without need of speech
And babble the same speech without need of meaning.

No peevish winter wind shall chill
No sullen tropic sun shall wither
The roses in the rose-garden which is ours and ours only

But this dedication is for others to read:
These are my private words addressed to you in public.

TO BE ONE WITH EACH OTHER
George Eliot

What greater thing is there for two human souls
than to feel that they are joined together to strengthen
each other in all labour, to minister to each other in all sorrow,
to share with each other in all gladness,
to be one with each other in the
silent unspoken memories?

YOU’RE THE ONE FOR ME
Dallas Fisher
 
You’re the one for me.
Your eyes are like fire on a cold winter’s day
Your soul burns within me
Your touch blossoms my innermost passions
And your voice melts my heart.
You’re the one for me.
You are the key to unlocking
My most sacred fantasies.
You’re the one for me,
The one that wakens me
When I’m at my deepest sleep
With your passionate ways,
The one that rivets me with
Your beautiful, unique face.
You’re the one for me.
You are the one that I want to share
My life, my love with for all eternity.
I will love you always and forever.
You’re the one for me.


MARRIAGE
Mary Weston Fordham

The die is cast, come weal, come woe,
Two lives are joined together,
For better or for worse, the link
Which naught but death can sever.
The die is cast, come grief, come joy
Come richer, or come poorer,
If love but binds the mystic tie,
Blest is the bridal hour.

THE COLOUR OF MY LOVE
David Foster and Arthur Janov

I’ll paint a sun to warm your heart
Knowing that we’ll never part.
I’ll draw the years all passing by
So much to learn, so much to try.
I’ll paint my mood in a shadow blue,
Paint my soul to be with you.
I’ll sketch your lips in shaded tones,
Draw your mouth to my own.
I’ll trace a hand to wipe your tears
And trace a look to calm your fears.
A silhouette of dark and light
To hold each other oh so tight.
I’ll paint the stars in the evening sky,
Draw the light into your eyes,
A touch of love, a touch of grace,
To softly fall on your moonlit face.
And with this ring our lives will start,
Let nothing keep our love apart.
I’ll take your hand to hold in mine,
And be together through all time.

LOVE
Reddy Fox
 
Love cannot be defined in one single term,
It cannot be taught and cannot be measured.
It should always be handled carefully,
An eternal and precious gift to always be
Treasured.
Love is fickle, love is kind,
It can only be bought by the heart.
Love sometimes makes you suffer,
It makes you cry when you are apart.
You cannot help who you love,
Nor can you make one love another.
Love is gentle and caring,
As is the love of a loving brother.
It cannot be taken lightly,
Those who pretend have much to learn.
Pompous airs accomplish nothing,
In the long run there’s nothing in return.
One may die or one may leave,
Leaving others in despair.
But true love will never end, As long as both continue to care.
So you get a taste of love, It’s gentle, kind and fair.
It’s eternally remembered...
Lifting spirits when in despair.

THE PRAYER
St. Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.