Wedding Homily
The story is told of an elderly couple. They’ve been married 50 years and they’re very much in love. They’re watching television one evening and the husband (we’ll call him Robert) gets up and says “I’m going to have some ice cream. Would you like some?” And his wife (we’ll call her Elizabeth) says, “Why, yes. I’d love some ice cream. Thank you for asking.” Robert says, “You’re welcome.”
Then Elizabeth says, “I’d really like some chocolate sauce.” He says “sure, dear. Ice cream with chocolate sauce.” and she says, “You’d better write it down so you don’t forget.”
And, he says, “Don’t be ridiculous. I can remember. Ice cream with chocolate sauce. I don’t need to write it down.”
“You’d better write it down.”
“I don’t need to write it down. I’ll remember.”
Then she says, “I’d also like some nuts. You’d better write it down or you’ll forget.”
“I won’t forget. Ice cream, chocolate sauce, nuts. No problem. I won’t forget.”
Then Elizabeth says, “You know, I’d really like some whipped topping. Now you’d really write it down or you’ll never remember.”
“Ice cream, chocolate sauce, nuts, whipped topping. I’ve got it. I won’t forget.”
As he heads for the kitchen she mumbles under her breath, “I’ll bet he forgets. He should have written it down.”
He’s gone for quite a while and just when she’s thinking of going to the kitchen to see what’s taking so long, he comes back…..with a plate of bacon and eggs. She gives him the ‘look’. Robert, if you haven’t seen it already, you’ll learn about the ‘look’. It’s something that only a wife can give her husband. She gives him the look and says, “See, I told you you should write it down. I knew you’d mess it up.”
Robert says, “What do you mean I messed it up. I brought you bacon and eggs just like you asked for.” And, she says, “You forgot the toast!”
Elizabeth and Robert, I know everyone here joins me today in the prayer that you’re happily married long enough that you need to write things down when you go to the kitchen.
In our first reading, Tobias and his new bride pray on their wedding night that God will allow them to live together to a happy old age. This has been the prayer of newlyweds across the centuries, and it’s the prayer we offer for you today.
In the second reading St. Paul tells the Corinthians about love. For hundreds of years, writers and poets have tried to improve on Paul’s words but they haven’t been able to.
Love is patient. Love is kind. It is not jealous. It is not pompous. It is not inflated. Love is not rude. It does not seek its own interests. It is not quick tempered. It does not brood over injuries.
It doesn’t rejoice over wrongdoings, but rejoices with the truth.
Love bears all things. It believes all things. It hopes all things. It endures all things. And, believe it or not, with God’s help, the feelings you have for each other today will just grow stronger as the years go by.
I visit patients at xxx Hospital. I wish every young married couple would have the opportunity to meet some of the people I meet. Naturally, a lot of our patients are older people. So often, either the husband or the wife is very sick, and the spouse is at their side, holding their hand, stroking their forehead, or maybe just sitting there. And, that’s real married love. The kind of love that grows through trials and adversities. The kind of love that doesn’t fail when the going gets tough. Love never fails.
Finally, in the Gospel Jesus tells the disciples to love one another as he loves us. “As my Father loves me, so I love you.” Christ wants us to take the love he has for us, a love that mirrors the love the Father has for Him, and He wants us to share it with one another. And isn’t that what marriage is all about?
The Marriage rite has changed over the years. When my wife and I were married thirty five years ago next month, we really had no choices about the actual ceremony. Of course Jan and her mother picked out the dresses and the flowers and the tuxedos and all the other trappings. But the ceremony itself was pretty well set. The readings were standard and were read by the priest.
Today, the bride and groom choose the readings and most of the rest of the ceremony. They made excellent choices, but they had help. The Holy Spirit was with them as they chose the elements of the ceremony, just as He was with them when they chose each other. See, God established the marriage covenant way back in the Garden of Eden. And, for those of us called to married life, there is someone special just for us. Somehow, we seem to manage to find each other.
I heard some interesting numbers just this week. Each person has two parents, four grandparents, eight grandparents, and so on. If you go back just 500 years, 271,000 people had to meet, get married and have at least one child for any one of us to exist today. If just one person out of over a quarter of a million had gotten lost, or missed the bus, or decided to stay in bed just one time, we wouldn’t be here. This marriage has been in the works for a long, long time.
C and S, I haven’t known Elizabeth as long as I’ve known Robert. But, in the time I’ve been working with them on the wedding preparations, I’ve come to appreciate what an outstanding young woman she is. She will make Robert a wonderful wife. You should be very proud.
T and J, I’ve known you and all your kids for a long time. What a neat family you are. You’ve been through some difficult times and faced them with a strong faith in God. Robert is a bright young man with a world of potential. You should be proud, too.
Elizabeth and Robert, I would be lying to you if I said that marriage is easy. It’s not. In fact, I believe it’s impossible without some divine help. God created marriage when he created the first man and woman. Jesus performed his first miracle at the wedding feast in Cana. He spoke of marriage often. You have wonderful role models in your parents. Don’t be afraid to ask them for help when you need it. And, don’t forget to ask God for help, too.
C and S, T and J, be there for your kids. Give them the benefit of your experience. As the old saying goes, you’re not losing a daughter or son, you’re gaining one.
And, for all the married couples here today, in just a moment Elizabeth and Robert will pledge their love for one another. I would invite you to join hands and hearts, and follow along silently, as well. Take advantage to repeat to the person you love that you are even more in love today than you were when you said these, or similar words on your own wedding day.
Today is a great celebration. Two will become one with the blessing of God. I’d like to close with the words from an Irish wedding song.
Then Elizabeth says, “I’d really like some chocolate sauce.” He says “sure, dear. Ice cream with chocolate sauce.” and she says, “You’d better write it down so you don’t forget.”
And, he says, “Don’t be ridiculous. I can remember. Ice cream with chocolate sauce. I don’t need to write it down.”
“You’d better write it down.”
“I don’t need to write it down. I’ll remember.”
Then she says, “I’d also like some nuts. You’d better write it down or you’ll forget.”
“I won’t forget. Ice cream, chocolate sauce, nuts. No problem. I won’t forget.”
Then Elizabeth says, “You know, I’d really like some whipped topping. Now you’d really write it down or you’ll never remember.”
“Ice cream, chocolate sauce, nuts, whipped topping. I’ve got it. I won’t forget.”
As he heads for the kitchen she mumbles under her breath, “I’ll bet he forgets. He should have written it down.”
He’s gone for quite a while and just when she’s thinking of going to the kitchen to see what’s taking so long, he comes back…..with a plate of bacon and eggs. She gives him the ‘look’. Robert, if you haven’t seen it already, you’ll learn about the ‘look’. It’s something that only a wife can give her husband. She gives him the look and says, “See, I told you you should write it down. I knew you’d mess it up.”
Robert says, “What do you mean I messed it up. I brought you bacon and eggs just like you asked for.” And, she says, “You forgot the toast!”
Elizabeth and Robert, I know everyone here joins me today in the prayer that you’re happily married long enough that you need to write things down when you go to the kitchen.
In our first reading, Tobias and his new bride pray on their wedding night that God will allow them to live together to a happy old age. This has been the prayer of newlyweds across the centuries, and it’s the prayer we offer for you today.
In the second reading St. Paul tells the Corinthians about love. For hundreds of years, writers and poets have tried to improve on Paul’s words but they haven’t been able to.
Love is patient. Love is kind. It is not jealous. It is not pompous. It is not inflated. Love is not rude. It does not seek its own interests. It is not quick tempered. It does not brood over injuries.
It doesn’t rejoice over wrongdoings, but rejoices with the truth.
Love bears all things. It believes all things. It hopes all things. It endures all things. And, believe it or not, with God’s help, the feelings you have for each other today will just grow stronger as the years go by.
I visit patients at xxx Hospital. I wish every young married couple would have the opportunity to meet some of the people I meet. Naturally, a lot of our patients are older people. So often, either the husband or the wife is very sick, and the spouse is at their side, holding their hand, stroking their forehead, or maybe just sitting there. And, that’s real married love. The kind of love that grows through trials and adversities. The kind of love that doesn’t fail when the going gets tough. Love never fails.
Finally, in the Gospel Jesus tells the disciples to love one another as he loves us. “As my Father loves me, so I love you.” Christ wants us to take the love he has for us, a love that mirrors the love the Father has for Him, and He wants us to share it with one another. And isn’t that what marriage is all about?
The Marriage rite has changed over the years. When my wife and I were married thirty five years ago next month, we really had no choices about the actual ceremony. Of course Jan and her mother picked out the dresses and the flowers and the tuxedos and all the other trappings. But the ceremony itself was pretty well set. The readings were standard and were read by the priest.
Today, the bride and groom choose the readings and most of the rest of the ceremony. They made excellent choices, but they had help. The Holy Spirit was with them as they chose the elements of the ceremony, just as He was with them when they chose each other. See, God established the marriage covenant way back in the Garden of Eden. And, for those of us called to married life, there is someone special just for us. Somehow, we seem to manage to find each other.
I heard some interesting numbers just this week. Each person has two parents, four grandparents, eight grandparents, and so on. If you go back just 500 years, 271,000 people had to meet, get married and have at least one child for any one of us to exist today. If just one person out of over a quarter of a million had gotten lost, or missed the bus, or decided to stay in bed just one time, we wouldn’t be here. This marriage has been in the works for a long, long time.
C and S, I haven’t known Elizabeth as long as I’ve known Robert. But, in the time I’ve been working with them on the wedding preparations, I’ve come to appreciate what an outstanding young woman she is. She will make Robert a wonderful wife. You should be very proud.
T and J, I’ve known you and all your kids for a long time. What a neat family you are. You’ve been through some difficult times and faced them with a strong faith in God. Robert is a bright young man with a world of potential. You should be proud, too.
Elizabeth and Robert, I would be lying to you if I said that marriage is easy. It’s not. In fact, I believe it’s impossible without some divine help. God created marriage when he created the first man and woman. Jesus performed his first miracle at the wedding feast in Cana. He spoke of marriage often. You have wonderful role models in your parents. Don’t be afraid to ask them for help when you need it. And, don’t forget to ask God for help, too.
C and S, T and J, be there for your kids. Give them the benefit of your experience. As the old saying goes, you’re not losing a daughter or son, you’re gaining one.
And, for all the married couples here today, in just a moment Elizabeth and Robert will pledge their love for one another. I would invite you to join hands and hearts, and follow along silently, as well. Take advantage to repeat to the person you love that you are even more in love today than you were when you said these, or similar words on your own wedding day.
Today is a great celebration. Two will become one with the blessing of God. I’d like to close with the words from an Irish wedding song.
posted by Mike at 12:26 PM
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