Day 221: The Celebration of Marriage (1618-1624)

• It’s Day 221!!

• VIRGINITY FOR THE SAKE OF THE KINGDOM 

• It might seem strange to talk about this when we are talking about Holy Matrimony

• But it isn’t strange at all

• Some people will say that Catholics who are celibate for the sake of the Kingdom

• Isn’t that prohibited by the New Testament?

• Doesn’t it say, “The Days will come when people will prohibit marriage, and that’s what you are doing right now.”

• NO!

• THAT IS NOT THE CASE!!

• Virginity for the sake of the Kingdom is not Catholics saying that marriage is bad so I’m not going to do it

• That was warned against in the New Testament

• Marriage is a great good so I am going to give up this great good for the sake of an even greater good, the Kingdom of Heaven

• It’s not giving up a bad thing for a good thing because marriage is not bad

• MARRIAGE IS A GREAT GOOD!!

• THE CELEBRATION OF MARRIAGE

• Let’s pray!!

Prayer by Fr. Mike: “Father in Heaven, O God, you are so good. You are so good that you give us these gifts, and we do not do anything to deserve them. You give us life, and we did nothing to deserve it. You give us love, and we did nothing to deserve it. You call us to be love in this world, to give love to the people around us, to be like you. And we do not even realize so often the great gifts that you continue to pour out on us. So Lord, please open our eyes so we can see your gifts. Open our hearts that we can be grateful for your gifts. The gift of life. The gift of the heart that is in our chest, the breath that is in our lungs. The ability to know who you are and to know that you have not forgotten us. And then even in our weakness and our woundedness, you have not abandoned us. Lord, help us to love well. Help us to be like you. And I make this prayer in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen”

• So there we have it!!

• From the very beginning, Jesus has said that there are those who give up marriage for the sake of the Kingdom

• This does not diminish the good of marriage

• Marriage is such a great good that I am giving up this great good for the Kingdom

• If I were to diminish marriage, I would also diminish virginity

• If I diminish virginity, I also diminish marriage

• St. John Chrysostom says in Paragraph 1620, “Whoever denigrates marriage also diminishes the glory of virginity. Whoever praises it makes virginity more admirable and resplendent. What appears good only in comparison with evil would not be truly good. The most excellent good is something even better than what is admitted to be good.”

• SO GOOD!!

• There are people who are consecrated virgins for the sake of the Kingdom

• We need their witness, especially in a world where there is so much hedonism

• The world asks us how can we possibly be happy if we aren’t having sex?

• In response, we have these brothers and sisters, monks and nuns, and priests who are consecrated in the world

• All these people have given up marriage for the sake of the Kingdom

• They are living witnesses that you can have joy even without a sexual relationship

• You can have joy and freedom in giving yourself in love and in service and in prayer with the Lord

• SO GOOD!!

• Just look at the joy of those people who are living their celibacy in consecrated life well

• Those who live their marriage well give witness to the goodness of marriage

• Those who don’t live their marriage well don’t give witness to the goodness of marriage

• Same thing when it comes to celibacy and consecrated virginity for the sake of the Kingdom

• Those who are living it well give witness

• Those who don’t live it well are not good examples

• THE CELEBRATION OF MARRIAGE

• What is it?

• It usually takes place during Holy Mass

• Why?

• BECAUSE THE EUCHARIST IS THE SOURCE AND THE SUMMIT OF ALL CHRISTIAN LIFE!!

• It is most fitting that when there is marriage between two Catholics, it is going to be in the context of the Mass

• THIS IS SO SO IMPORTANT!!

• Paragraph 1622 says, “‘Inasmuch as it is a sacramental action of sanctification, the liturgical celebration of marriage…must be, per se, valid, worthy, and fruitful.’”

• VALID means both members of the couple are free to marry

• There are no impediments to marriage

• For example, if one or both of the couple had been married before without a declaration of nullity, they would not be free to marry 

• That would be an impediment

• If there is not FULL FREEDOM then that is an impediment to marry

• If there is not the intention for faithfulness

• If there is not the intention of giving oneself totally to the other

• These are both impediments

• If someone did not have the intention or even openness to new life, that is an impediment

• If the couple was not able to consummate the marriage in the sexual embrace, that is not a valid marriage

• Paragraph 1623 says, “According to the Latin tradition, the spouses as minister’s of Christ’s grace mutually confer upon each other the sacrament of Matrimony by expressing their consent before the Church.”

• Fr. Mike has never married anyone

• Because the proper ministers of the Sacrament of Matrimony are the BRIDE AND GROOM

• The groom gives the Sacrament of Matrimony to his bride

• The bride gives the Sacrament of Matrimony to her groom 

• SO COOL!!

• The priest is there AS A WITNESS

• Paragraph 1623 continues, “In the traditions of the Eastern Churches, the priests (bishops or presbyters) are witnesses to the mutual consent given by the spouses, but for the validity of the sacrament their blessing is also necessary.”

• There are many aspects of the liturgy 

• There are some really beautiful prayers

• Paragraph 1624 says, “The various liturgies abound in prayers of blessing and epiclesis asking God’s grace and blessing on the new couple, especially the bride. In the epiclesis of this sacrament the spouses receive the Holy Spirit as the communion of love of Christ and the Church.”

• This is called the NUPTIAL BLESSING

• It happens right after the OUR FATHER and before the sign of peace

• The congregation remains standing as the bride and groom kneel

• The priest extends his hands and says the prayer of blessing 

• There are three different options to choose from

• The prayer praises God and asks God to bless the couple 

• Then the priest turns to the bride and says, “And God I ask for your special blessing upon this woman, that she may be like those women whose praises are sung throughout the Scriptures. May her husband entrust his heart to her, consider her his equal, and realize that she is the joint heir with him into the life of grace.”

• AMAZING!!

• BEAUTIFUL!!

• Once a couple is married, everything they do they do as a married person

• TWO BECOME ONE!!

• Right after the exchange of rings, it goes into the prayers of the faithful 

• Fr. Mike invites couples to have an instrumental song and the couple goes to kneel before the Tabernacle or side chapel or bring flowers to the Statue of Mary etc.

• They take this moment to take a breath and pray

• It’s an incredible sign that the first thing that these couples will do after their wedding as a married couple is PRAY

• THAT IS SO POWERFUL!!

• It’s such a powerful witness because everything the couple will do from now on will be as embodying the sacrament

• Paragraph 1624 continues, “The Holy Spirit is the seal of their covenant, the ever-available source of their love and the strength to renew their fidelity.”

• Everything a husband does will be as a husband

• Everything the wife does will be as a wife

• Marriage is a living, walking, breathing, choosing, loving sacrament

• THAT IS SO INCREDIBLE!!

• Fr. Mike is a big fan of marriage

• Fr. Mike is praying FOR YOU!!

• Please pray for Fr. Mike and for each other!!

• I cannot WAIT to see you tomorrow!!