Marriage and Community

      Spring brings images of weddings. The Sacrament of Holy Matrimony is a celebration we will have many times in our parish primarily between April and October. The first wedding of 2017 already happened in January! It was a beautiful, cold and snow-covered day. Nonetheless, weddings in the spring, summer and fall are the most common.

      The Catholic tradition of celebrating the marriage in one’s parish is a beautiful one. The couple stands in a familiar location before family, friends, and faithful members of the parish community and makes their promises of love forever. In the Catholic rite of marriage there is good reason to emphasize the role of the faith community in the marriage. This is why Catholic marriages occur most often in churches. It is in the church building where the Eucharist and other Sacraments are celebrated and where the community is united and prays for each other’s good.

       A marriage is not just something that the spouses do with each other, but rather it is the solemnization of that to which the whole community is making a commitment. Ideally, in marriage the couple promises to love each other and share that love with the community. Their children will be one way to show that love, but they will also express love by their service and generosity to others. Additionally, the community of believers, as they listen to the sharing of vows between the man and the woman, are making a commitment to support the couple. Each “amen” is a commitment. When the priest says, “what God has joined together, let no one divide,” we all say “Amen!” We all are saying that we will support them!

      Some couples celebrate “destination” weddings. No doubt, there are beautiful settings in nature throughout the world. Some places try to sell their location for wedding celebrations. But, the Catholic Church tries to avoid overly romantic dynamics around weddings. She stands firm on the tradition that the sacred and serious vocation of marriage is best celebrated in a church where the faith community worships and prays. No doubt, God is present in all persons where ever we may be; nonetheless, there ought to be no question and no distraction from the purpose of the Sacrament of Marriage celebrated in a church. The commitment and support of the couple AND the community are acts of faith. In a church wedding we hope to express that purpose clearly. The parish and diocesan preparation programs emphasize these priorities as well.

Peace Fr. Andy