In the depths of our hearts, we all want to be seen and known, to love and be loved. Marriage is a radiant gift from God that fulfills this profound desire. While not everyone is called to marriage, this Vocation is an integral and meaningful way for us to fulfill the deepest longing of our hearts. That is why we celebrate World Marriage Day today.
As humans, we use rituals to express meaning that mere words cannot adequately capture. We hold baby showers and graduations, funerals, and burials, to mark time and rites of passage. Likewise, the exchange of vows and rings at a wedding expresses a deep commitment and lifelong promise. Through them, couples profess, “I freely give my whole self to you, without holding anything back. I promise to be faithful. And I receive all of you, flaws and all.” It’s romantic. It’s authentic. It’s an adventure that will certainly come with challenges but provides to spouses the intimate security that flows from lifelong trust and commitment.
In God’s amazing design of marriage, He has also taken into account our health and well-being. Married people of every background are happier, healthier, and more fulfilled than their unmarried counterparts, and their children tend to do better socially, emotionally, and academically than the kids of unmarried parents. Marriage is truly good for spouses, families, and society as a whole!
Make no mistake, marriage can be daunting at times. It can be challenging to find a suitable life partner. Relational, economic, and cultural pressures affect single and married people, and many of us carry wounds from broken relationships, divorce, or traumatic experiences. But when a marriage is able to stand the test of time, it is beautiful, transformative, and ultimately helps us to become the best version of ourselves. This is why we call it a Vocation—it is a high calling and a path of holiness that makes us more fully human.
Jesus chose to begin his public ministry while celebrating the marriage of his friends at the Wedding Feast at Cana. This was no accident. Jesus wanted to show us how important the Vocation of marriage between a man and a woman is to God. May Almighty God continue to invite people to the Sacrament of Marriage so that they may radiate the love of God to a world that stands in great need of such witness.
God Bless,
