530 married couples, with a combined total of 31850 years of marriage attended a Mass in Thanksgiving for the Sacrament of Marriage in Westminster Cathedral on Saturday 26 May at 3pm. The Mass was be celebrated by the Most Reverend Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster.
By personal invitation, couples celebrating their 10th, 25th, 30th, 40th, 50th or 60th + wedding anniversaries during 2011 gathered at Westminster Cathedral to give thanks, renew their commitment, and pray for their families and all marriages. As part of the Mass, after the homily, the couples stated their intentions to continue to love one another, and were blessed by Archbishop Vincent Nichols.
Photos from the Mass can be seen on by clicking
here.
Homily
During his homily, Archbishop Nichols spoke of commitment in marriage as the quality of God’s own love for every person. Marriage, he said, is a prophetic witness to God’s unfailing love for humanity, with its creative potential and capacity for new life.
Speaking of the “many important truths” that marriage gives voice to, the Archbishop described the bond of love and loyalty that holds a couple together through difficulties.
The love of a married couple is an insight into God’s love. “The true source of your love for each other is the love which comes from God”, the Archbishop told the congregation. He also spoke of the depth of God’s love and loyalty made visible in the gift of His Son, Jesus.
Archbishop Nichols highlighted the vital interconnectedness between marriage and having a family: “The Church’s teaching holds together marriage, sexual relationships and the generation and raising of children. When separated from the bonds of this interconnectedness, these three powerful aspects of human living are driven further apart from each other, with damaging consequences. The teaching of the Church, and of other great religions, is a lasting insight and proclamation of what is best and true about humanity and of what is best for our society,” he said.
The Archbishop then thanked the congregation of married couples for giving voice and witness to that teaching in the faithfulness and joy of their lives.
See below to read the Homily in full.
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