Greetings in Christ!
We are right in the midst of what I affectionately call “Wedding Season” at Holy Family and St. Mark. This joyous time is when many of our people enter into an eternal covenant together. It’s a good time for us to take a look at our own marriages or our longing to be married and give that to the Lord.
For us Catholics, marriage is not primarily about affection and companionship, we consider those the fruits of marriage. Instead, for us Catholics, marriage is about a man and a woman having their human love infused with divine strength so that they can imitate the love of Christ for His Bride, the Church.
For us then, you need a couple things for marriage to be a sacrament:
First, you need a man and a woman. The man in this image is Christ and the woman is His Bride, the Church.
Christ’s marriage to His Bride creates life, so the man and woman need to be open to life.
Christ’s marriage to His Bride involved sacrifice to help His Bride get to heaven, so the man and woman need to be committed to helping each other get to heaven.
Christ’s marriage to His Bride is a covenant: it is a freely given, permanent and faithful relationship.
If you are married, pray for the grace to endure, to grow and to continue in fidelity.
If you are divorced, pray God heal your wounds and help you know His love and goodness.
If you are longing for marriage, pray that God give you patience and bring you to this covenant.
If your spouse has gone to be with the Lord, pray for the strength to hope and joyfully await a glorious reunion in the Kingdom of Heaven.
In every stage of our life, we pray for the grace to live well wherever we are now and not simply live in waiting for what we hope will be next.
As a faithful celibate, I thank God for all of you who are married, have been married or who are called to marriage: I don’t know how you do it! I am blown away by how many of you live for each other. Every week I look out at you and can’t believe I get to be your priest.
May God bless and sustain us all in whatever life He calls us to and may He grant you and yours a life giving, safe and joyful Labor Day weekend.
fjk