First Reading (Old Testament)

Genesis 24:48-51, 58-67

"Isaac loved Rebekah"

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Scripture text (World English Bible)

I bowed my head, and worshiped Yahweh, and blessed Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter for his son. Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. If not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left.” Then Laban and Bethuel answered, “The thing proceeds from Yahweh. We can’t speak to you bad or good. Behold, Rebekah is before you. Take her, and go, and let her be your master’s son’s wife, as Yahweh has spoken.” They called Rebekah, and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will go.” They sent away Rebekah, their sister, with her nurse, Abraham’s servant, and his men. They blessed Rebekah, and said to her, “Our sister, may you be the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let your offspring possess the gate of those who hate them.” Rebekah arose with her ladies. They rode on the camels, and followed the man. The servant took Rebekah, and went his way. Isaac came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he lived in the land of the South. Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the evening. He lifted up his eyes and looked. Behold, there were camels coming. Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she got off the camel. She said to the servant, “Who is the man who is walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” She took her veil, and covered herself. The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife. He loved her. Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

Themes

  • providence
  • consent
  • family blessing
  • comfort after loss
  • arranged meeting

Reflection

This long, narrative reading from Genesis 24 is less commonly chosen than the passages from Genesis 1 or 2, but it offers something the others do not: a story. Abraham's servant has been sent to find a wife for Isaac, and the whole drama of providence (God quietly arranging a meeting, a family freely consenting, a young woman saying her own "I will go") unfolds in real time.

The Catholic tradition has long treasured this passage for two reasons. First, Rebekah is asked: "Will you go with this man?" and she answers in her own voice. Long before the Church formalized marital consent, Scripture itself shows that marriage is built on the free "yes" of both spouses. Your wedding vows are the direct descendants of Rebekah's answer.

Second, the story ends with one of the most tender lines in the Old Testament: "Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife. He loved her. Isaac was comforted after his mother's death." Marriage here is not only joy; it is also consolation: God's way of bringing healing through the love of another person. Couples who have lost a parent, or who come to marriage carrying grief, often find this line speaks directly to them.

The narrative form gives the homilist room to draw out the threads of providence and consent. If your celebrant is a strong storyteller, this reading lets the homily breathe. It rewards being read slowly, with the lector taking time over the dialogue.

Best for

  • ·Couples who feel their relationship was guided by providence: friends-of-friends, unexpected meetings, prayers answered
  • ·Weddings where one spouse has lost a parent and finds marriage to be a source of consolation
  • ·Couples whose families played a meaningful role in bringing them together
  • ·Liturgies where a strong lector can carry a longer narrative reading
  • ·Couples who want a less commonly chosen reading and a story-driven homily

In the liturgy

The longest of the Old Testament options for the first reading and the only one in pure narrative form. Allow extra time in the liturgy and choose a confident lector. May be shortened in pastoral settings if needed; consult your celebrant about which verses to keep.

Pairs well with

Frequently asked questions

Is this reading too long for a typical Nuptial Mass?
It is on the longer end, but proclaimed well it takes only about two minutes. If your wedding is already lengthy (full Mass plus extended music), you may prefer one of the shorter Genesis options.
The passage shows an "arranged" meeting. Does that resonate with modern couples?
Many couples find that the providence theme, God working through unlikely circumstances to bring two people together, resonates more than the cultural specifics. The point is not the cultural form but the divine fingerprint on a meeting that proved to be a vocation.
My fiancé and I have lost a parent. Is this reading too sad for a wedding?
On the contrary, many bereaved couples find this passage uniquely consoling. The line about Isaac being comforted after his mother's death honors grief without dwelling on it. Speak with your celebrant if you want him to acknowledge it briefly in the homily.

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Other approved first reading (old testament) options

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