Here's the text of the homily prepared for the wedding we celebrated earlier today.
We have all come to this church today to witness a very special moment in the lives of two young people. I should begin my reflection with a word of thanks. Thank you, Lucas and Samantha for inviting us to be present today. Thank you for saying yes. Thank you for sharing your yes with each other, and for sharing it with all of us, and thank you most of all for saying yes to God`s invitation. You may or may not have realized it, but God has been close to you, a part of your lives ever since the day you were baptized. In both of your cases, your parents and other people who love you were present on that day when you began your journey of faith. That journey has brought you to today, and once again there are people gathered here to celebrate with you: people who love you.
The Church teaches that we become part of God`s family on the day of our baptism, and from that day onward, we are always and forever sons and daughters of God. Jesus is our beloved brother, the one who helps us to discover God`s love, the one who helps us to celebrate this love, the one who shows us the joy of being part of his family. This is the joy we celebrate today. God has called you, Lucas, and you, Samantha. He has brought you together, and today he joins you together in a bond that will unite you for the rest of your lives. The book of Genesis tells us that when Adam finally met his life partner, he was filled with great joy. May you always know this joy, and discover it every day on the journey that lies ahead.
Joy is a funny thing. It`s much deeper than laughter. True joy, true happiness is a gift from God. When we are truly happy, all things are right with the world, but we all know that life is filled not only with happiness, but with trial. There will be days in your married life when you will not even want to look at each other; have you had one or two of those days already? There will be days when you will wonder if the person standing beside you is really the person you married. That`s what happens when two human beings share a common path. There`s always a part of us that lets our own ego get in the way, and when that happens, trouble starts to brew, but luckily, if we think of the bumps in the road not so much as problems but as opportunities, then there is always hope. Saint Paul reminds us today that we must always strive to speak, to act, to live in love. Otherwise, we are nothing but noisy interruptions in the beautiful symphony that is being played out in our presence.
Start each day with a promise that you make to one another: a promise that you will do everything you can to be patient with yourself and with others; to be kind to yourself and to others; to put aside the temptation that might arise to be envious of others’ successes, or to boast about your own achievements. Celebrate your achievements with deep gratitude, be quick to give compliments when they are merited and never forget that it is God who is the author of all things, so pray always for a spirit of gratitude in your hearts.
If you do these little things, other people will look to you. Others will admire what they see in you. Others will recognize the simple acts of love that you share. One day at a time, you will be salt for the earth and light for the world. These images may sound strange. They were just as strange to the disciples who first heard Jesus use them to describe who they were, but there is a deep truth to what Jesus says.
One of the most valuable properties of salt is that it preserves food. It also flavors food; without salt, food is bland. You have come to celebrate your wedding in this faith community, and therefore we are counting on you to preserve the faith that has been shared with you. Pray every day for the grace to discover the quiet whisper of Jesus’ voice. It is a voice that will speak in your heart. It will teach you kindness, compassion and love for each other and for all peoples. The world so badly needs the light of your faith so that instead of being swallowed up by the struggles that seem to surround us, we can be refreshed by the example of people like you who willingly reach out to others, sharing your joy with us. Your joy can be contagious if you allow others to see it and to celebrate it; let your children see this joy in you and they too will want to imitate it and to share it with others.
From the day of your baptism, the community of faith has been praying for you. We will always pray for you, asking God to grant you many happy years together … and we will always love you, just as God will always love you, no matter where life may lead you.
Wedding homily for Lucas Major and Samantha Vossen
We have all come to this church today to witness a very special moment in the lives of two young people. I should begin my reflection with a word of thanks. Thank you, Lucas and Samantha for inviting us to be present today. Thank you for saying yes. Thank you for sharing your yes with each other, and for sharing it with all of us, and thank you most of all for saying yes to God`s invitation. You may or may not have realized it, but God has been close to you, a part of your lives ever since the day you were baptized. In both of your cases, your parents and other people who love you were present on that day when you began your journey of faith. That journey has brought you to today, and once again there are people gathered here to celebrate with you: people who love you.
The Church teaches that we become part of God`s family on the day of our baptism, and from that day onward, we are always and forever sons and daughters of God. Jesus is our beloved brother, the one who helps us to discover God`s love, the one who helps us to celebrate this love, the one who shows us the joy of being part of his family. This is the joy we celebrate today. God has called you, Lucas, and you, Samantha. He has brought you together, and today he joins you together in a bond that will unite you for the rest of your lives. The book of Genesis tells us that when Adam finally met his life partner, he was filled with great joy. May you always know this joy, and discover it every day on the journey that lies ahead.
Joy is a funny thing. It`s much deeper than laughter. True joy, true happiness is a gift from God. When we are truly happy, all things are right with the world, but we all know that life is filled not only with happiness, but with trial. There will be days in your married life when you will not even want to look at each other; have you had one or two of those days already? There will be days when you will wonder if the person standing beside you is really the person you married. That`s what happens when two human beings share a common path. There`s always a part of us that lets our own ego get in the way, and when that happens, trouble starts to brew, but luckily, if we think of the bumps in the road not so much as problems but as opportunities, then there is always hope. Saint Paul reminds us today that we must always strive to speak, to act, to live in love. Otherwise, we are nothing but noisy interruptions in the beautiful symphony that is being played out in our presence.
Start each day with a promise that you make to one another: a promise that you will do everything you can to be patient with yourself and with others; to be kind to yourself and to others; to put aside the temptation that might arise to be envious of others’ successes, or to boast about your own achievements. Celebrate your achievements with deep gratitude, be quick to give compliments when they are merited and never forget that it is God who is the author of all things, so pray always for a spirit of gratitude in your hearts.
If you do these little things, other people will look to you. Others will admire what they see in you. Others will recognize the simple acts of love that you share. One day at a time, you will be salt for the earth and light for the world. These images may sound strange. They were just as strange to the disciples who first heard Jesus use them to describe who they were, but there is a deep truth to what Jesus says.
One of the most valuable properties of salt is that it preserves food. It also flavors food; without salt, food is bland. You have come to celebrate your wedding in this faith community, and therefore we are counting on you to preserve the faith that has been shared with you. Pray every day for the grace to discover the quiet whisper of Jesus’ voice. It is a voice that will speak in your heart. It will teach you kindness, compassion and love for each other and for all peoples. The world so badly needs the light of your faith so that instead of being swallowed up by the struggles that seem to surround us, we can be refreshed by the example of people like you who willingly reach out to others, sharing your joy with us. Your joy can be contagious if you allow others to see it and to celebrate it; let your children see this joy in you and they too will want to imitate it and to share it with others.
From the day of your baptism, the community of faith has been praying for you. We will always pray for you, asking God to grant you many happy years together … and we will always love you, just as God will always love you, no matter where life may lead you.
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