Together for Life

by Joseph M. Champlin

Designed to help couples plan their ceremony, it contains the complete marriage rite with all variant prayers, blessings, and scripture texts. Full-page commentaries by Father Champlin on each of the 28 readings make Together For Life ideal for pastors to distribute to couples taking marriage instruction, for pre-Cana, college and high school marriage classes, and newlyweds. Both editions include a 4-page selection sheet for choosing readings, prayers and blessings to be used in the ceremony.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Catholic, Marriage

96 pages, Paperback

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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