For the celebration of marriage
“So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Matthew 19:6
Marriage is a covenant of the whole life, sealed before God; for the baptised it is a sacrament.
St Paul compares the love of husband and wife to the love of Christ for his Church: faithful, self-giving, to the cross.
“What God has joined together, let no one separate.” Unity, fidelity, openness to life.
At Cana the wine ran out. In every marriage it sometimes does. Keep Jesus and Mary at the table.
Dear bride and bridegroom, dear families, today two lives become one. Jesus said: “They are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” What happens at this altar is not only a promise between you; it is God himself joining you.
Marriage is a covenant, not a contract. A contract says, “I will give as long as you give.” A covenant says, “I give myself, whatever comes.” St Paul tells husbands and wives to love as Christ loved the Church. And how did Christ love? To the cross.
At Cana the wine ran out in the middle of the wedding. In every marriage, at some time, the wine runs out: patience, money, health, feelings. Do what Mary said: “Do whatever he tells you.” Keep Jesus in your home. Pray together every day. Forgive before you sleep. Come together to the Holy Mass / Holy Qurbana.
Dear families, support this new home with your prayers and your respect, not with interference. And may God, who began this good work in you today, bring it to completion. Amen.
Jesus began His signs at a wedding (John 2:1–11). He cares about married life.
Every marriage has days when joy runs short.
Mary's advice is the secret of a good marriage (John 2:5).
Love purified by Christ grows better with time.
Dear N. and N., the Gospel of Cana tells us that the first sign Jesus worked was at a wedding (John 2:1–11). He could have chosen a temple or a palace. He chose a village celebration. It tells us something: Jesus loves marriage, and He wants to be present in yours.
At Cana the wine ran out. It was an embarrassment for the young couple. Every marriage, sooner or later, has a day when the wine runs out: when feelings are tired, when money is short, when illness or children or in-laws bring tension. Do not be surprised when that day comes. It does not mean your marriage has failed. It means it is time to call Jesus.
Notice who noticed the problem first: Mary. She went to her Son and then said to the servants: do whatever He tells you (John 2:5). This is the best advice anyone can give you today. When you do not know what to do, ask Jesus, and do what He tells you in the Gospel and in the teaching of His Church. Pray the Rosary together; let Mary notice your needs before you do.
Jesus told the servants to fill the jars with water, ordinary water, up to the brim. Then it became wine. Your marriage is made of ordinary water: cooking, working, cleaning, patience, apologies. Fill those jars to the brim with love, and Christ will change them into wine.
The steward said: you have kept the good wine until now (John 2:10). That is God's promise for a Christian marriage. The best is not the wedding day; the best is later, when love has been tested and purified. Dear N. and N., may your best wine be served in your old age, and may everyone who visits your home taste the joy of Cana.
Marriage is written in creation itself (Genesis 1:27–28; CCC 1603).
Christ made marriage between the baptised a sign of His love for the Church (Ephesians 5:25–32; CCC 1601, 1617).
A valid, consummated sacramental marriage cannot be dissolved by any human power (Mark 10:9; CCC 1640, 1644).
Marriage is ordered to the good of the spouses and to children (CCC 1652–1654).
Dear N. and N., dear families and friends, today we celebrate a sacrament. It is good to recall what the Church believes about it, because a wedding is more than a beautiful ceremony.
Marriage was not invented by any culture or law. It was written by God into creation: male and female He created them, blessed them and told them to be fruitful (Genesis 1:27–28). The Catechism says that God Himself is the author of marriage (CCC 1603). Jesus pointed back to that beginning: the two become one flesh, and what God has joined together, no one must separate (Mark 10:6–9).
Christ raised marriage between baptised persons to the dignity of a sacrament (CCC 1601). St Paul says that the love of husband and wife is a sign of the love between Christ and His Church (Ephesians 5:25–32). That means your love is meant to show the world how Christ loves: faithfully, totally, to the point of sacrifice. In the Latin tradition the spouses themselves are the ministers who confer the sacrament on each other by their consent; in the Eastern Churches the priest's blessing belongs to the very form of the sacrament. In every rite, Christ binds you together.
The Church teaches that a valid, consummated sacramental marriage is one and indissoluble (CCC 1640, 1644). This is not a burden laid on you; it is a protection. Love that keeps an exit door open is always afraid. Love that is for ever can rest.
Finally, marriage is ordered both to your good and to the gift of children (CCC 1652). Be open to the children God gives you and raise them in the faith. Pray together, forgive quickly, come to the Holy Mass / Holy Qurbana and to confession, and remember that the grace of this sacrament stays with you every day. The God who joins you today will give you the strength to remain one.
Lord God, you have joined these two in holy marriage. Make their love faithful and fruitful, keep Jesus and Mary in their home, and when the wine runs short, fill their jars again. Amen.