Weddings

My colleague got married last weekend. It was the most beautiful and special wedding. The church itself already defined the occasion as special. It was no ordinary catholic church. No, it was a three-sided arrangement and not your two-sides-of-the-congregation-with-aisle-in-the-middle sort of seating arrangement. The floor was graduated, which means that people behind could still see what was going on at the altar.

From the outside, it looked like a theatrette or the old Singapore Conference Hall (or any conference hall for that matter). Once one walked inside, one just cannot help but feel that one is in a very avante garde sort of place. As my friend's boyfriend put it, "It looks like a museum".

Jesus was not nailed to a crucifix. He was suspended in mid-air. The crucifix, you can only see when you completely lift your head up towards the ceiling, which to me symbolises the sky. One friend commented that the pool of water right in the middle of the church was purposefully positioned in such a way that it reflects upon the ceiling, symbolising living water, living God. Nice.

Everything was right about the wedding. The readings, hymns, etc were well-chosen. There were a few occasions where I had to stop my tears from falling, out of sheer happiness and joy for the couple. Beautiful mass that was beautifully celebrated. The priest was able to connect with the couple on a personal level, and also with the congregation. The couple had obviously planned everything with God in their minds and in their hearts. God was walking by their sides, holding them gently but surely, as they enter the sacrament of holy matrimony.

As I took the train back home, the hymn "We remember" stuck firmly to my head and I was humming it softly to myself. What a great hymn, for we not only remember God (as in the words of the hymn) but we remember the occasion as well.