WEDDING HOMILY - 1

Wedding of Paula Dominique Waike and Warren Melvyn Brown

The miracle at Cana. That’s what we call it. But that’s not what John the Evangelist calls it. He prefers to call it a “sign”. A sign is what you see and hear and touch, but it’s only a sign because it points to a deeper reality. When the bride and bridegroom kiss each other, it’s a sign, the sign of the deeper and irrevocable commitment of the heart and mind. When Jesus changed the water into wine at the marriage feast, it was a sign through which he was telling us that the Messianic era was inaugurated, the Kingdom of God had arrived, that God was taking over his creation, that the relationship between him and his people was definitely on the mend, and that from then on salvation was a standing offer. That was the underlying meaning of the “sign”. When all is said and done, salvation is nothing but the right relationship of man to God. And a relationship is meaningless unless there is love in it – abundant, overflowing love like the wine at Cana. And it is perfectly appropriate that the dear Lord should have expressed this relationship at a marriage feast.  Permanent, undying relationship is what marriage is all about. Salvation – relationship – marriage. They seem to fit together. Yes, very much so.

Our heavenly Father, through the prophets and through Jesus, made use of the symbol of marriage to convey the truth of his intimacy with us. He couldn’t have used a better symbol. Even the glory of heaven is described as the marriage feast of the Lamb. The Lamb is the Bridegroom, and all humanity is the bride. Even at a religious profession, the one who pronounces the vow of chastity, does so in terms of her espousal to Jesus. Marriage symbol again. So, in conveying the secret of his love for us, our God would not have made use of the symbol of marriage did he not have a high regard for the value, the depth, and the beauty of marriage.

So, on behalf of all of us happily gathered here this evening, I want to tell you, dear Paula and Warren, that your marriage is something human, indeed, but something more deeply divine; that your love is romantic but truly redeeming, that our Lord Jesus depends upon every loving word and gesture of yours in order to express his own love for his Church and the world. And we assure you that just as Jesus strengthened Peter and the apostles for their life’s mission, so his indefectible will never fail you.

May your love and concern for each other be like Jesus’ and Mary’s to whom we entrust both of you in faith.