Homily for the Wedding of Emily Beal and Matt Sass, October 5 6, 2013.
Readings: Tb 8:4b-8; Ps 103: 1-2, 8 and 13, 17-18a; Rm 12:1-2, 9-18; Mk 10:6-9
Have you thought about your future? Have you thought about what your life will be like in 10 years, 30 years, or 50 years? Have you thought about your eternal life?
When we think about our future, it is often a good idea to reflect on our past. As I read the readings for today, and reflected on your lives, I noticed there are similarities between your lives, and those of Tobiah and Sara from the first reading.
In the first reading from Tobit, Tobiah and Sara are praying together at the beginning of their lives together, somewhat like we are doing right now. But as we examine more of Tobiah’s and Sarah’s life before they were married, we see even more similarities.
Tobiah was sent by his father in search of a treasure. Going with Tobiah was a new companion he had just met. But what Tobiah didn’t know was this companion was actually an angel sent by God. As Tobiah and his companion journed, the angel convicinced Tobhiah to slightly alter his journey, and to go Sarah’s home.
Matt, this is similar to your life, you journeyd across the state in search of the treasure of eduction. And while you were on this journey, you worked part time a various jobs. At one point, your job was eliminated due to budget cuts, so you slightly altered your journey and went to work at Walmart.
For Sarah, who was a beautiful woman, she was experience a confusing time in her life. After being married seven times, with each of those marriages ending when her new spouse, died the evening of their wedding, she probably felt like everything was turned upside down. And then, unexpectedly, Tobiah walked into her life.
Emily, is some aspects, your life mirrors that of Sarah’s life. You are a beautiful woman. While you haven’t, as far as I know, been married seven times like Sarah, you were in a long term relationship which ended. Like Sarah, it was a confusing time in your life, you felt like your world have been turned upside down. I know you don’t see a wedding as a reason for a party, but you also didn’t neceissarily see marriage as a life long commitment. And like Sarah had Tobhia suddenly appear in her life, you had Matt suddently appear in your life when he started to work at Walmart.
And based on our experiences over the past several days, there is another similarity between your lives and that of Tobiah’s and Sarah’s, it will be remembered and talked about for many years.
Very soon after meeting and your first date on October 5, 2011, both of you knew you had found the one God had always planned for you to meet. By meeting each other, it changed your lives. You both view of the Sacrament of Matramony differently. You saw yourselves as getting married, two becoming one, giving each other completely to the other, providing for each other financially, emotionally, spiritually, raising a family together, getting gray hair and growing old together.
In a few minutes, you will be asked a few questions before assuming the duties of marriage. While taking care of each other and any children you have is a large part of those duties, you also have another duty as a married couple. You are accepting the duty to show each other, your family and friends, and everyone you met, how much God loves each of us. You might be thinking, they didn’t mentioned that in marriage prep classes. How can we, Matt & Emily, show people how much God loves them?
The simply answer to that questions is, it is almost, if not, an impossible duty for the two of you to do.
If I gave each of you a strand of rope and asked you to braid it into a larger rope, you might try twisting it, but it would easily come undone. You might try tying repeated knots but that would be too restrictive and isn’t a braided rope. But if I gave you a third strand of rope, you could easily braid a larger rope. This rope would be better, it keeps the strands of rope together, supporting each other, it doesn’t restrict each strand, it makes the rope stronger.
In the gospel reading we hear Jesus say, in the beginning, God created them male and female. There is more to marriage then just two people. God made them. God is a part of marriage. Including God in your marriage is like adding the third strand of rope when trying to braid a larger rope. Having God in your marriage makes it better, it keeps you together, it doesn’t restrict you, it makes your marriage stronger. It will keep you humble, compassionate, loving and sincere. As Paul says in the second reading, it will help you to “not conform to this age”, but prepare you for eternal life.
By keeping God in your marriage and in your life, by allowing God to nurture and grow your love while raising kids in ten years, helping them mature and start loving families of their own in thirty years, by being more in love with each other in fifty years, still holding hands and sneaking kisses when you think no one is watching, you will accomplish all of your duties of marriage, including giving others a glimpse of how much God loves each of us. And in return, God will reward you with not only your eternal love for each other, but also God’s unending love for you.
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