Sermon Cloud

This year, it seems that most of the couples who are getting married here at Christ the King have chosen Fall dates for their nuptials.  In fact, throughout the period from May to early August, we celebrated only three weddings, but in contrast, we have weddings booked every weekend from August 25th to October 6 inclusive.

At first, I thought this was a unique situation, but I've spoken with other priests from various parts of Canada and for the most part, they say that they're experiencing the same trend.

Weddings are occasions of great celebration, for they represent the joining of two people's lives.  Our modern-day society makes much of the planning for weddings, and indeed it can be big business for some, but under all the glitz and glamour, the essential part of a wedding is the public exchange of vows between two persons who love one another.

In the context of faith, weddings are celebrated as sacraments - moments of grace for the couple involved, and for their families and friends.  A couple who celebrates a sacramental marriage receives a gift from God and may very well spend the rest of their lives deepening their understanding and appreciation for God's gift.

Every newly wed couple makes a new start in life.  By the time their wedding day arrives, they have often taken months and even years to get to know each other (see Luke 14:28-33) .  On occasion, they have even explored questions of faith together and truly realize that although visibly and tangibly, two lives become one, there is actually also a third life - that of Jesus himself - which is shared between them.

In fact, all sacraments are moments of grace.  On the day of our baptism, we are called to live as disciples of Christ, and each time we celebrate another of the sacraments, God gives another gift - forgiveness to cleanse us, food to sustain us, love to be celebrated and marveled at, healing to bring us back to wholeness.  All these gifts are meant to help us grow in our faith and to respond to God's invitation to follow him.  Whether we accept them and use them wisely is entirely up to us.

Sacramental moments are not guarantees that all things will go well forever.  To think so would be naive on our part, but when doubts arise and trials must be endured, let us find hope in the words of Saint Paul which we heard in the second reading today.   

Writing from his jail cell (Philemon 9-10, 12-17), he speaks of his follower Onesimus who has recognized his errors and entrusts him to Philemon so that the life of faith can be deepened even further.  We too face trials and struggles in life.  Even at times when we are most in doubt about our faith, we can always rely on God's gifts of grace to pick us up when we are down, and to guide us back to him (Wis 9:13).

Let us therefore celebrate with couples who begin their married lives together.  It is right that we should rejoice with couples who bring their children to be baptized or to receive the Eucharist or God's gift of forgiveness.  We also give thanks for the gift of men and women who serve as priests and religious, and we gather in faith with those who return to the Father's house.  All moments of grace are meant to be food for the heart, and all gifts of God are meant to be cherished.