A covenant of love

I had the privilege tonight to witness the wedding of two wonderful people.  Their journey of faith brought them to our door not long after I myself had arrived in this community.  Today they exchanged their vows of marriage.  For the ease of readership, English-language translations are provided in this printed version; the translations are printed in italics while the words originally spoken during the homily are printed in plain text.

Homily for the wedding of Gerald Houle and Christine Giroux

Cher Gérald, chère Christine.  Nous voici rassemblés avec vous ici ce soir, en ce moment où vous allez échanger vos voeux d’amour, et vos promesses de vivre dorénavant dans le monde, uni par le Sacrement du mariage et le lien de foi qui nous est proposé par le Seigneur lui-même.  C’est lui d’abord qui nous a aimé dès le jour de notre naissance.  C’est lui qui nous a acceuillli dans sa famille dès le jour de notre baptême.  C’est lui qui nous rassemble autour de la table où il nous nourris de son corps et de son sang.  C’est lui qui nous parle à travers les écritures, et nous inspire par ces paroles afin que nous puissions être ses témoins dans le monde.

Dear Gerald, dear Christine.  We are gathered here with you tonight to share this moment when you will exchange your vows of love, and your promises to live from this day onward in the world, united by the Sacrament of Marriage and by the faith which was passed onto us by Jesus himself.  It is he who has loved us from the day of our birth.  He is the one who first welcomed us into his family on the day of our baptism.  He gathers us around this table where he feeds us with his body and his blood.  He speaks with us through the words of the scriptures, inspiring us with these words in order that we might be his witnesses in the world.

The scripture readings chosen for today’s celebration help us to understand the mystery that is unfolding in our midst, a plan of love which God directs, and in which we cooperate.  Sometimes in life, we must stop, pause for a moment or two, simply to gaze with the eye of faith upon the events that are taking place, and try to understand them, not as things of our own doing, but as part of a much larger plan that is being guided by the hand of God.

The prophet Jeremiah speaks of God’s plan to establish a covenant with his people.  Throughout the history of our faith, God has established a number of these covenants, contracts or agreements with us, but much more than just something that we might sign with a pen.  The covenant that God establishes (with Adam, with Abraham, with Noah and with many others) has always been a promise that he will love us and guide us in the ways of love.  In return, all he asks is that we love him and love one another.  In fact, he has written this covenant on our hearts.  Through the Sacrament of Baptism, when he welcomed us into his family, he has written his covenant on our hearts, and we spend the rest of our lives discovering this covenant, coming to understand it and marvelling as we watch it unfold.

Cette promesse d’amour ne ni pas la presence du mal, ou des defis, mais elle donne naissance à la foi,  et grâce à la foi, nous sommes tous les enfants du Seigneur.  Il nous guide, avec l’assistance de nos parents et les personnes qui nous apprennent à nous connaître comme enfant de Dieu.  Il nous console à travers les personnes qui nous accompagne le long de notre chemin.  Il nous comble de joie quand nous trouvons celui ou celle avec le ou laquelle nous devons passer le reste de nos jours: la personne la mieux dotté pour nous aider à aimer le monde.

This promise of love does not negate the presence of evil, nor does it take away challenges, but it is the source of our faith, and thanks to this faith, we are all children of God.  He guides us through life, with the help of our parents and those persons who teach us that we are children of God.  He consoles us through other people who accompany us along the road of life.  He fills us with joy when we find the one with whom we are meant to spend the rest of our lives: the person best suited to teach us how to love others as God has loved us.

Tonight, all of us who are here in this Church join with you in offering a prayer of thanksgiving to God for the gift of faith.  Some of those who have helped us to grow in faith, to become the people we are today, are no longer with us in physical form, but even from heaven, they look upon you with love and joy today.  Give thanks today, and pray for the grace to always believe in the name of Jesus Christ, and to love one another, just as he has loved us and commanded us to love one another.

Strive every day of your lives to humbly accept the gifts entrusted to you by our God.  Humility helps us to understand that even the challenges that come our way are but tests, meant to help us better understand that God is the one in control, and that we are merely on-lookers, participants in the unfolding of a great plan of love.  If you look at life in this way, then you will be able to find the courage and strength to comfort those in our world who have also known the great gift of love, and who mourn its loss; you will be able to greet each day as a gift from God, and meekly offer your talents, not as means for your own advancement in the eyes of others, but rather as gifts to help us walk the road of faith together; you will be able to recognize people’s hunger for acceptance and love, and respond with mercy and a forgiving heart; you will discover the art of peacemaking which is the special gift of those who seek to promote justice in all they do.  The life of a disciple is not an easy one, but all of us who are here today pledge our prayer for you.  Count of my prayers, every morning for both of you, and know that there will always be a place of welcome here for you; there will always be an ear ready to listen here if you should need it; and there will always be a community of disciples here, ready and waiting to celebrate with you the goodness of our God.