By Fr. Victor Feltes
Jesus tells us to remain in his love. He says, “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love…” Jake and Lauren, my impression has been that most of what the preacher preaches at a wedding is quickly forgotten. So today I wish to share with you and all the couples here one important key to remaining in Christ’s love and in your love for one another. That valuable key is… praying together.
We see this in our first reading from the Book of Tobit. On their wedding night, Tobiah and Sarah pray beside their bed for God’s blessings upon their marriage. And “they said together, ‘Amen, Amen.’” There are married couples who have shared a bed for many years who have not shared their personal prayers like this. Perhaps they pray together at Mass and that is good, even essential, for Jesus says, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.” Perhaps they pray together before meals, giving thanks to God and asking his blessing on their food. (Hopefully, they pray at restaurants too, willing to acknowledge Christ before others.) But couples who pray together, praying for each other, sharing the prayer intentions of their heart, are sharing their hearts with each other and the Lord.
We hear St. Paul tell the Corinthians that “love is patient, love is kind.” He reminds them that ‘love is not jealous, not pompous, not rude, not self-seeking, not quick-tempered, nor bitter,’ because the Christians of Corinth, Greece were having trouble living together in love. Jake and Lauren, sharing your intimate prayer requests will help bond you together in love. When times of friction come and it’s harder to like each other, if you pray together you will know that you remain allies who are daily willing each other’s good. As the Book of Ecclesiastes says, “Where one alone may be overcome, two together can resist. A three-ply cord is not easily broken.” And down the road dedicate time to pray daily with your children. Not just here at church or before meals, but at bedtime and other occasions in the day. This will help bond and bless your family for generations. For as the psalmist says today, “The mercy of the Lord is everlasting upon those who [reverently fear him], upon children’s children is his righteousness, for those who keep his covenant.”
Jake and Lauren and all you couples here, for the rest of your lives together: please remember to pray together, so that you may remain together in Christ’s love.
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