A
GENERIC CEREMONY
Celebrating
the Love of
Heather LeAnn Kennedy
and Timothy
Wayne Rantz
June 21, 2002
Sand Harbor, Lake Tahoe NV
Prelude Music
Processional
Welcome, Opening Address and Prayer
A Reading from The Prophet, On Marriage
Rite of Marriage: Vows, I do’s, Rings
The Apache Blessing
Declaration and Introduction
Recessional
USHERS: George Busteed and Alex Marrone + SOUND
TECHNICIAN: Nicholas Marrone
THE CEREMONY
1) Prelude Music:
+ Bob Marley, Satisfy My Soul #12 + Indigo Girls,
Get Out The Map #2 + James Taylor, How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You #9 +
Shania Twain, You’ve Got A Way #16 + Alison Krauss, Now That I’ve Found
You
INITIAL RITES
2) Processional: Kanon in D, Johann Pachebel
3) Welcome, Opening Address and Prayer: Fr. Ariosto
READINGS OR LITURGY OF THE WORD
4) A Reading from The Prophet, On Marriage: Rich
Rantz
"You were born together, and together you shall be
forevermore.
You shall be together when the white wings of death
scatter your days.
Aye, you shall be together even in the silent memory
of God.
But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.
Love one another but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of
your souls.
Fill each other’s cup but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the
same loaf.
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each
one of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone
though thy quiver with the same music.
Give your hearts, but not into each other’s keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together, yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each
other’s shadow."
5) Fr. Ariosto - HOMILY [please see below]
THE RITE OF MARRIAGE
6) Vows:
Tim/Heather, "you are my best friend and the one I
want to share my life with.
I will love you forever, and under all
circumstances.
I will be here to listen to you, laugh with you, and
to hold you.
I promise to be your friend, your love, and your
partner forever."
7) I do’s:
Fr. Ariosto - Will you, Tim, have Heather to be your
wife, to love, honor, and cherish her so long as you both shall live?
Tim - I DO!
Fr. Ariosto - Will you, Heather, have Tim to be your
husband, to love, honor, and cherish him so long as you both shall live?
Heather - I DO!
8) Rings:
Fr. Ariosto - Please place the ring on the finger
and repeat these words after me:
Tim - With this ring, as a token of my faith and
symbol of my love, I take you as my wife.
Heather - With this ring, as a token of my faith and
symbol of my love, I take you as my husband.
Fr. Ariosto - The ring is just a symbol of your
marriage, symbolic of the fact that you have this day pledged yourselves
in marriage, and as the ring is a perfect circle without end, it is the
wish and hope of all that your marriage will be perfect and will be
without end.
prayers and blessings
9) The Apache Prayer:
Fr. Ariosto - "Now you will feel no rain, for each
of you will be the shelter to the other. Now you will feel no cold, for
each of you will be a companion to the other.
Now you will feel no loneliness, for each of you
will be a companion to the other.
Now you are two bodies, but there is only one life
before you.
Go now to your dwelling place, to enter the days of
your life together.
And may your days be good, and long upon the earth."
CONCLUDING RITES
10) Declaration and Introduction:
Fr. Ariosto - For as much as Heather and Tim have
consented together in wedlock and have witnessed the same before these
witnesses and thereto have pledged their truth, each to the other, and
have declared the same by joining hands and by the authority vested in me,
I now pronounce you husband and wife.
You may now kiss the bride.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Heather and Tim Rantz!
11) Recessional: Shania Twain, You’re Still The One
#10
12) The Bride and Groom walk out and walk back for
pictures.
Tim’s family photos first, the Heather’s family,
then Heather and Tim.
A WEDDING HOMILY
TO Celebrate
THE Love
OF
KAREN COELHO
AND ALAN VIEGAS
December
4, 1993
St. Michael's RC Church
Taleigao, Goa INDIA
My Beloved is Mine
MY DEAR DELIGHTFUL PEOPLE:
Alan and Karen, Your Dear Families, Friends and Well
Wishers Assembled in this Sacred Church of St. Michael at Taleiganv on
this Fourth Day of December (1993) When Heaven and Earth Witness the
Harmonious Blending of Your Dreams for Each Other Through this Supreme
Sacrament of Love: Matrimony!
As I stand in front of you and look into the blank
mirror of oblivion the following episode flashes on the screen of my
consciousness. It is about a man who was forced to deplane while in mid-air.
His parachute landed him on the branches of a huge tree. As he lay perched on
its leafy branches he saw a ghostly figure dressed in white approaching him on
a bicycle. Holding on to dear life he mastered enough strength and said
"Excuse me Sir, can you tell me where am I?" The mysterious person quickly
responded: "Certainly! Thanks be to God. You are stuck on the branches of a
mango tree, about ten feet from the ground". The helpless prisoner of the tree
angrily retorted: "You must be a clergyman, because what you say is absolutely
true but altogether useless, irrelevant and impractical!"
As a member of the Roman Catholic Clergy today, I am
aware of my inadequacy in matters related to matrimony. Unlike the clergyman
in the story, I hope my statements during this six-minute-homily are not only
true and thought provoking but also useful, relevant and practical.
MY DEAR KAREN,
As I look into your face and travel beyond the veneer of
superficiality piercing that unprecedented radiance, which emanates from your
heart and glows through your eyes right now, I can hear your question: "Ti
Ariosto, can you tell me where I am?" Certainly, KAREN! You are lost in the
WONDER OF LOVE, and the name of this "wonder of love" is ALAN, a name that
spells HAPPINESS !
Your penchant for literature, I am confident, will
awaken the poet in you to discover the beauty of life beyond those limitations
and adversities which are unavoidable along the path to enlightened happiness.
Permit me to share with you a vignette from Fr. Anthony de Mello’s last book
of insights and story meditations entitled, One Minute Nonsense (1992).
"If you search for God you search for ideas- and miss
the reality," said the (Spiritual) Master. He then told of the monk who
complained about the cell he had been given. "I want the cell from where I
could contemplate the stars. In the one I have a stupid tree blocks out the
view." Now it was while grazing at that particular tree that enlightenment had
come to the previous occupant of the cell." - You may verify with your MOTHER
about the veracity of this truth.
MY DEAR ALAN,
As I look deep into the intimacy of that cell, which is
your heart, and attune myself to those vibrations, which emerge on the surface
of your body and of other bodies at the periphery of your life, I can sense
the question: "Father, can you tell me where I am? ALAN, I am at a loss! for
the name of the game is SURRENDER, "for in losing" says Christ "you find"
that which you seek, KAREN!
Your professional career, I realize, requires that you
travel. You travel not only to organizations where your managerial skills and
talents are profitably utilized, but also into conflicting situations where
you are called to face new challenges. The path to enlightened happiness is
the Supreme Challenge and to date there is no single organizational theory
which has the monopoly over this adventure called MARRIED LIFE!
Permit me to conclude this musing with yet another
Minute Of Nonsense. "Why do you travel so little?" a reporter asked (The
Spiritual Master). "To look into the face of just one person or thing every
day of the year and never fail to find something new in it – that is a greater
adventure by far than any that travel can offer," said the (Prophetic-Mystic
in the) Master. May the prophet and mystic in you always find your greatest
adventure reflected in the radiant face of your beloved bride and wife KAREN.
MY DEAR ALAN AND KAREN,
As you embark on THE ADVENTURE OF MARRIED LIFE today,
may the WORD OF GOD be a lamp on YOUR PATH TO LOVE AND HAPPINESS. May the
prophetic and mystical radiance of God shine on your faces, on the faces of
your children and of all those near and dear to you. May you discover and live
the most appropriate messages in the readings which you chose for the
Eucharistic Liturgy of this your Nuptial Celebration.
May you realize the ongoing integration of the blending
of polarities, your male and female dimensions, for "the Creator from the
beginning made them male and female;" (Gospel Reading, Mt. 19:3-6)
May the everlasting aspect of love, which "is always
patient and kind," delight you "in the Truth;" (Second Reading,
1Cor,12:31-13:8a) and
May you experience the beauty and sweetness of "a seal
on your heart, like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as Death" (First
Reading, Song of Songs 2:8-10, 14, 16a; 8:6-7a)
"MY BELOVED IS MINE AND I AM HIS."
|
CREATIVE EXPRESSIONS
IN
harmony
with
The Rhythm of the Breath |
|
A
CATHOLIC CEREMONY
THE
EUCHARIST
AND NUPTIAL RITES CELEBRATING LOVE
MAIDA RUAZA AND
BRIAN EDWARD MALBY
August 21, 2005
Lion’s Gate Chapel - McClellan CA
PROCESSIONAL
INTRODUCTORY RITE
Lita: Let us all rejoice today with BRIAN and MAIDA. In this celebration of love
we are about to share, let us pray that they may start their new journey
together with the blessings of God.
All please stand to begin the celebration.
Fr. Coelho: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen
Fr. Coelho: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
All: And also with you.
Fr. Coelho: My dear parents, family and friends, we are gathered here today to
witness the beginning of a new life of togetherness for BRIAN and MAIDA. Let us
unite our hearts and minds with them as we pray that joy and peace be theirs and
remain with them all the days of their lives. Let us thank God for bringing them
together and let us pray that He will bless and consecrate their life together
in marriage.
PENITENTIAL RITE
GLORIA
OPENING PRAYER
Fr. Coelho: Let us pray.
Father, thank you for the gift of love that exists between BRIAN and MAIDA. Hear
our prayers for them. With faith in You and in each other, they pledge their
love today. May their lives always bear witness to the reality of that love. We
ask You this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with
you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
All: Amen.
Lita: Please be seated as we listen to the Word of God.
LITURGY OF THE WORD
First Reading
Grace: A reading from the Book of Ruth
Responsorial Psalm
Second Reading
Gospel Acclamation
HOMILY
RITE OF MARRIAGE
Lighting of the Candles
Lita: Please remain seated. May we ask BRIAN C. and MICHELLE to light the
candles. These burning candles symbolize the life that BRIAN and MAIDA will live
together. Father, you are the light of the world. Bless them, so that they may
be light to each other, and together, light to their children and friends.
Fr. Coelho: My dear BRIAN and MAIDA, you are here today to seal your love with
an eternal bond before the Church. I assure you of the prayers of our community
that God may pour His abundant blessings on your love and help you carry out
duties of the marital state. And you, dear brothers and sisters, may I ask you
now to help them in your prayers and accept them as a new couple in our
Christian community. And now, be reminded that it is not Fr. Coelho that will
solemnize this marriage but you, BRIAN and MAIDA, for you will be the ones to
express this love in the Sacrament.
Exchange of Consent
Fr. Coelho: BRIAN and MAIDA, since you wish to contract Holy Matrimony, Please
join your right hands and express your intentions before God and His Church.
Fr. Coelho: MAIDA, do you take BRIAN to be your lawful husband according to the
rites of our Holy Mother the Church?
MAIDA: Yes, Father.
Fr. Coelho: Do you give yourself to him as his wife?
MAIDA: Yes, Father.
Fr. Coelho: BRIAN, do you take MAIDA to be your lawful wife according to the
rites of our Holy Mother the Church?
BRIAN: Yes, Father.
Fr. Coelho: Do you give yourself to her as her husband?
BRIAN: Yes, Father.
Vows
BRIAN: MAIDA, today, I offer myself to you as your husband. Allow me to stay
with you for the rest of my years. As your best friend, your confidant, as your
lifelong companion. I will celebrate the wonders of life with you, laughing and
loving, and will remain by your side, holding your hand whenever the days seem
dark and bleak. I will honor you as my partner and equal in all things and help
you our future children in an atmosphere surrounded by love and respect. I love
you. I always have and I always will. I'm looking forward to a life with you,
filled with joy and laughter and the occasional tear. I'm ready to love you all
the days of my life. Now and forever, I promise to love you to the best of my
abilities, to my dying day. Accept me as your husband and partner for life.
MAIDA: BRIAN, today I offer myself to you as your wife. Accept me as your best
friend and partner for all the remaining days of my life. I will rejoice with
you in the face of life's glorious blessings and support you in the face of its
greatest challenges. I will honor you as the head of our family and help you
raise our future children in an environment of love and respect. Together, we
will laugh and cry, listen and learn, give and forgive, live and prosper as two
hearts and souls united in love. Accept me as your wife and partner for life.
BRIAN and MAIDA: Grant us Father your guidance and strength to be one from this
day forward. Knowing that we live in Your love, we will face the challenges and
triumphs that lie ahead. We place ourselves and our lives in Your loving hands.
Fr. Coelho: And I, by the authority of the Church, calling on all those present
here as witnesses, confirm and bless the bond of marriage which you have
contracted. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen.
Lighting of the Nuptial Candle
Lita: BRIAN and MAIDA will now light the nuptial candle.
(BRIAN and MAIDA separately light their respective candles, then extinguish the
light of the wedding candles. Together, they light the unity candle). The
lighting of just one candle took place before all of us. BRIAN and MAIDA entered
the Church as two separate individuals. In the Holy Sacrament of Matrimony, they
have now been joined by God and have become one flesh, one individual as it
were. The flame is a symbol of God’s presence. From Him alone can be obtained
abiding light and warmth, wisdom and love, hope and life, now and forever.
Blessing of the Rings and Arrhae
Lita: May we now ask SEAN and CHIQUI, ZACH and ZEFF to please come forward.
Fr. Coelho: Bless O Lord these rings so that your children, BRIAN and MAIDA who
wear them, may remain faithful and loyal to each other, abide in your peace and
favor, and live together until their lives end. Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.
Fr. Coelho: Now give these rings to each other.
BRIAN: MAIDA, wear this ring as a sign of my lifelong love and fidelity to you.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
MAIDA: BRIAN, wear this ring as a sign of my lifelong love and fidelity to you.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Fr. Coelho: We shall now bless your arrhae, which symbolizes the
responsibilities of married life. We pray that you will live up to them, in
God's will, throughout your journey together.
Bless O Lord your children, BRIAN and MAIDA, with sufficiency of material
possession which they may use to attain eternal life, through Christ our Lord.
BRIAN: MAIDA, I give you this arrhae as a pledge of my total dedication to you
and constant concern for your welfare, and those of our future children. In the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
MAIDA: BRIAN, I accept your pledge. Likewise, I pledge my dedication to you and
constant concern for you and for our future children. In the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Fr. Coelho: Brothers and sisters in Christ, we have just witnessed the solemn
union of BRIAN and MAIDA. Let us now welcome them into their new life as husband
and wife.
PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL
OFFERTORY PROCESSION
PRAYER OVER THE OFFERING
PREFACE
EUCHARISTIC PRAYER 2
Lita: Please stand.
COMMUNION RITE
Fr. Coelho: Let us pray with confidence to the Father in the words our Savior
gave us.
All: (The Lord's Prayer)
NUPTIAL BLESSING
Fr. Coelho: My dear friends, let us turn to the Lord and pray that He will
bless with His grace, BRIAN and MAIDA, who have come to His altar at the
beginning of their married life. May they always be united in love for each
other as they share in the Body and Blood of Christ.
Father, give your blessings to MAIDA, your daughter. Give her the grace of love
and peace. May she be a good wife and mother, faithful in love, generous and
kind. May her husband put his trust in her and recognize that she is his equal,
an heir with him to the life of grace.
Father, give your blessings to BRIAN, your son. Give him the gift of love and
peace. May he be a good husband and father, faithful in love, generous and kind.
May he always honor and love his wife, as Christ loves His bride, the Church.
Father, keep BRIAN and MAIDA always true to your commandments. May they praise
you in their happiness and turn to you in their trials. May they be welcome at
Your joyful feast in heaven.
All these we ask, through Your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ.
All: Amen.
The Gift Of Peace
Fr. Coelho: Lord Jesus Christ, You said to Your apostles, "I leave you peace. My
peace I give you." May we, who break bread together in this joyous occasion,
grow in Your peace and love. As you commanded, may we live together in the peace
and unity of Your Kingdom, where You live forever and ever.
All: Amen.
Fr. Coelho: The peace of the Lord be with you always.
....
Invitation to Communion
Lita: Please kneel.
Fr. Coelho: This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Happy
are those who are called to His supper.
All: Lord, I am not worthy to receive You, but only say the word and I shall be
healed.
Fr. Coelho: May the Body and Blood of Christ bring us to everlasting life.
Removal of the Cord and Veil
Lita: May we now ask HYON and LISA to remove the cord.
May we now ask BRIAN S and TIARA to remove the veil.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Fr. Coelho: Let us pray.
Lita: Please rise.
Fr. Coelho: Lord, in Your love you have given us this Eucharist to unite us with
one another and with you. As you have made BRIAN and MAIDA one in this Sacrament
of Marriage, so now we make them one in We ask this through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.
FINAL BLESSINGS
Fr. Coelho: BRIAN and MAIDA, now that you have received the Holy Sacrament of
Matrimony, we pray that you remain loving and faithful to each other. MAIDA,
love your husband and be a good wife. Persevere in faith, love and holiness.
BRIAN, love your wife as Christ loves His Church and live with her in union with
the Lord.
...
Fr. Coelho: And may Almighty God bless you all, the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Spirit.
All: Amen.
Fr. Coelho: Let us go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
Fr. Coelho: BRIAN and MAIDA, you have pledged love, fidelity and welfare to each
other and offered yourselves together in marriage to God. So before God and His
community, I pronounce you are now husband and wife.
All: Thanks be to God.
Lita: May we request everyone to be seated until called for the wedding photos
with the bride and groom.
RECESSIONAL
 |
AN INTERFAITH CEREMONY
Celebrating
the Love
of
Zahie
El Kouri
and John Greenman
June 4, 2006
The Ventana Inn, Big Sur CA
INITIAL RITES
Procession
Rabbi Heyman: Welcome and Opening Blessings
Welcome family and friends….We are gathered here
today to celebrate the marriage of John Greenman and Zahie El Kouri.
John and Zahie, you have come to this ceremony to ask God’s blessing
upon your marriage. Therefore, I welcome you with these ancient words:
Barukh Ha-ba Beshem Adonai: Blessed be
you who have come here in dedication to all that is loving, good, and
sacred.
Bairakhukhem Mi-bet Adonai: I bless you
and welcome you in joy.
Adonai Yevarekh et He-hattan v’Kallah:
May the Source of all life sustain you….
Fr. Coelho : Opening Prayer & Acknowledgement
of Differences
Rabbi Heyman : Remembering those who are not
present
We take this moment to recognize the joy of
John's grandmother, Edna Flaxman, who could not travel to be here
today. While we are here to celebrate this joyous moment… the
celebration is not complete without…. In our thoughts are those who
cannot be here….departed family members who are very much in our
hearts…. John & Zahie would like to take a moment to honor and
remember each of them.
Fr. Coelho : An exchange of the sign of peace
READINGS OR LITURGY OF THE WORD
Reading 1 :
"I do not love you as if, ..." Pablo
Neruda
Reading 2 : "The Mad Scene"
Reading 3: "Song of Songs" 2:13-14,16
Reading 4: "Letter to the Corinthians"
Rabbi Heyman : Remarks
Fr. Coelho : Homily
the Rite of
Marriage
Fr. Coelho : The Lord's Prayer
[Pater Noster sung in Latin]
Rabbi Heyman : Birkat Erusin
The First Cup of Wine
Two cups are before you. Only one is reserved
for the two of you alone. You will share the first cup with those who
have been partners in your lives thus far, the ones who have helped…..
We are grateful to you, Source of All, for the loving care and
teaching of parents, the ties of heart and mind and memory that link
brothers and sisters….
Baruch Ata Adonai Elohenu Melech HaOlam Borei
P’pree Hagafen. Blessed be the Eternal One, Our God, who creates
the fruit of the vine.
Fr. Coelho : Consent, Vows and Blessing with
Holy Water
I, John, choose you, Zahie, as my wife. I pledge
to share my life openly with you, to speak the truth to you in love; I
promise to honor and tenderly care for you in sickness and in health,
in joy and in sorrow. I pledge to you my respect and love.
I, Zahie, choose you, John, as my husband. I
pledge to share my life openly with you, to speak the truth to you in
love; I promise to honor and tenderly care for you in sickness and in
health, in joy and in sorrow. I pledge to you my respect and love.
Rabbi Heyman : Exchange of Rings
Fashioned without beginning or end, these rings
represent the enduring love you have pledged one another. They are
symbols of the continuity of your love. In keeping with the
declaration….
As you, John, place this ring upon the finger of
your bride, speak to her these words:
With this ring, I join my life with yours. I
offer it as a symbol of my everlasting love.
You are my beloved and you are my friend.
And you, Zahie, place this ring upon the finger
of your groom and speak to him these words:
With this ring, I join my life with your. I
offer it as a symbol of my everlasting love. You are my beloved and
you are my friend.
Rabbi Heyman : The Second Cup of Wine
This cup of wine is symbolic of the cup of
life.
As you share this cup of wine, so you undertake
to share all that the future….
Baruch Atah Adonai Elohenu Melech ha-olam
Boray p’ree ha-gafen. Blessed be the Eternal One, Our God, who
creates the fruit of the vine.
As together you have partaken from this cup of
wine, so may you in perfect union ….
PRAYERS AND BLESSINGS
Rabbi Heyman : The Seven Blessings
In the Jewish tradition, brides and grooms are
blessed with seven wedding blessings.
May you be generous and giving with each other
May your sense of humor and playful spirit
always continue to enliven your relationship
May you always respect the diversity of
humankind
May you at with compassion to those less
fortunate and with responsibility to the communities of which you are
a part
May you appreciate and complement each other’s
differences
May you always share yourselves openly with your
friends and family
May your home be a haven of blessing and peace
Rabbi Heyman : Silent Meditation
And now I ask you and all your dear ones to bow
your heads in reverence. Silently let us pray that….
concluding RITES
Fr. Coelho : Pronouncement & Closing Prayer
Rabbi Heyman & Fr. Coelho: Final Benedictions
[alternating in Hebrew and English]
Y’va-reche-cha Adonai v’yish-me-recha:
May the blessings of God rest upon you.
Yah-err Adonai panav ay-lecha vee-chu-necha:
May God’s peace abide with you.
Yisa Adnai Panav Eylecha v’yah-sem lecha
shalom: May God’s presence illuminate your hearts, now and forever
more.
Rabbi Heyman : Breaking of the Glass
When you break this glass….We recognize the end
of your previous lives and the start …. opening yourselves to the
blessings of the future …..
Once the glass is broken, I invite everyone to
shout words of congratulations In the language of your choice. "Mazal
tov!" which means "Good Luck" and "Much happiness." In Italian, this
is Auguri. In Arabic, Mabrook.
The glass is broken.
Fr. Coelho : You may Kiss.
Recession
|
A WEDDING HOMILY
TO Celebrate
THE Love
OF
IDA CAMBESI AND
GEORGE DOWLING
February 16, 2003
St. John's Parish Church
Hayward, CA
Marriage of the Elderly
Dear Parishioners of St. John’s,
Members and Friends of the Dowling and Cambesi Families,
During this homily I’d like to dwell on this sentence
from the Gospel of the day which reads, "AND THOU HAST MADE THEM EQUAL UNTO
US".
Three years ago a bi-racial and ecumenical couple, that
met in cyberspace, walked into my office wanting to get married. The only
question I asked them was, if Jesus were here today, would He bless your
marriage? The bride-to-be paused, then very slowly responded, "He would give
me a long sermon, and, then, bless our marriage." I quickly responded, "If
Jesus would bless your marriage, then, who am I to withhold a blessing? Go
home, listen to the sermon and put your house in order." Dear Friends, let us
realize that it is Christ who hast made them equal unto us.
My dear sisters and brothers assembled in this holy
edifice to celebrate the Sacramental Union of Ida and George, I do not want to
give you a long sermon, but I want us to ponder on the following question, "If
Jesus were here today, what would He tells us?" This is how I would re-phrase
my question, How hast He made them equal unto us.
I have been privileged to officiate at hundreds of
wedding ceremonies in ancient shrines, beautiful churches, awesome gardens,
remote forests and serene beaches. I have prepared bi-racial and interfaith
couples, young and old couples, but to this day I have not married a couple
whose combined age is over 170, and I ask myself "Why did Jesus choose me for
this privileged event?" How hast He made me equal unto them?
An estimated sixty billion people have preceded us in
the journey through human life. It has been reported that on October 12, 1999,
the six billionth child was born on our planet. Statistics reveal that there
are more women than men. Hence, today there are over three billion women and
about three billion men. I wonder how of all these billions of partners to
choose from Ida and George have chosen each other? Have you ever wondered
about the magic that brings two people together to share life and intimacy?
Demographics reveal that the elderly population over 80 is on the increase.
Have you considered that the elderly, too, have that magic ability to share
life and intimacy? How hast He made us equal unto Ida and George?
Ida and George, let me conclude this homily with a
message that I share with all couples in love. May your silence be
comfortable. May you experience the height of intimacy in that silence. May
you experience the depth of communication in that silence. May you experience
God’s Holy Spirit of Love in that silence. If you do this your marriage will
indeed be a happy one. And you’ll feel Nearer to God -incidentally, that’s the
Communion Hymn the Bride chose for today. I wish you a VERY HAPPY MARRIAGE.
May your silence be comfortable because He hast made you equal and you’ve been
chosen to receive the prize: LOVE without end.
FR. COELHO'S
BLESSING
2009
"May
Your silence be comfortable.
In that silence, may you experience
the height of intimacy,
the depth of communication
and the powerful presence
of God’s Spirit of Love
that gives and forgives.
If you do this, your marriage will,
indeed, be a lasting one
and your children will be happy.
I
wish you HAPPINESS
AS A MARRIED COUPLE!"
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CREATIVE IMPRESSIONS
with
Impermanence
:
The Rhythm of the Universe
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