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appendix d: festin des noces In Potier’s collection of religious writings in the Wendat language, there is a passage entitled Festin des Noces, or Wedding Ceremony (Potier 1920, 570–71). It is an important passage in relating what I would call the Jesuits’ soft-sell approach to this sacrament. It begins with a reference to the seven sacraments. Then we have the following: I am about to tell a story about marriage, as it is told in the holy writing. They are inviting Jesus to their marriage. Jesus and Marie together, parent and child, they invited them. It is like Jesus commences to be present at their ceremony. He thought, “It would be valuable, getting married.” He thought also, “It would be valuable to humans when they marry.” Would it be unimportant, then, that it is valuable, that which is called being married ? As he himself made a matter, he who is great in voice, that they would marry, it would be a sacred marriage, he made that when they get married they pray. They made mistakes in great matters, those who do not keep the matters of he who is great in voice. Others going about destroying what Jesus, he is great in voice, made. Having compassion, he made a matter for us, Jesus. He thought, “I will pray for them. It is good that I will make for them that which will make them do good, that they will go to marry.” One thing he thought: It will strengthen marriage. They will no longer divorce, when I pray for them. They will become one in their bodies when they take each other. They are of one mind, also, they will become two together. They two will love each other, they two are together in that they will help each other with such an instrument. Would it be unimportant that those who make mistakes would not help each other, and not love each other, those who are spouses? Would they not have made mistakes, those who would commit adultery? They corrupt marriage, those who marry, commit adultery, and divorce. They break in many places, marriage, that which he who is great in voice made. They are again separated, from he who is great in voice, also when they divorce, those who are spouses. It has no power, when they are married, when they 271 272 appendice s pray, wishing, “She should divorce me, she who is my spouse. It is not possible . You two are separated, you and he who is great in voice, when you wish, “I would be separated (again) my spouse and I.” Give thanks, you who are married, by praying. He who is great in voice did good for you. Do good, then, take care of sacred marriage, that which Jesus who is great in voice made, since he wished, “They should do good, those who would go to marry. It is true that they will profit from it, that matter which I made for them.” It is one thing that he wished, he who is great in voice, as he made marriage , “It would cure them in vain, they would make marriage, peacefully place. Do not have sex with others.” Do not make mistakes in sex. This one that he wished for, he who is great in voice, “When they go to marry,” he wished, thought, “A human would be born. It is true that they will teach each other, those who will give birth. It is true that they will take care of each other, those who would do good.” ...

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