MIDDLETOWN – If anyone is wondering if many people are still able to enjoy life in wedded bliss, they should have been at St. Joseph’s church Nov. 3.
Eighty seven couples joined Bishop Malooly for the annual Mass celebrating wedding anniversaries among so many people in the diocese.
The combined years of marriage for those present greatly exceeded multiple centuries. Gathered in one place, a span over hundreds and hundreds of years of love can be seen. They celebrated years of marriage from as few as five years to as great as 76. They credited God and their spouse for so many blessings.
“I have been able to make my marriage last because you just have to give in a little bit sometimes,” said Louis Twardowski.
Louis and his wife, Victoria, have been coming back every year for the past 25 years to celebrate this annual mass. They have been married for 76 years, making them the longest married couple at the wedding anniversary Mass. They were married in 1943 on Thanksgiving Day.
Colleen Lindsey, director of the diocesan Office for Religious Education, says “This anniversary Mass is a good reminder of the sacrament,” and helps couples “remember receiving the sacrament of matrimony and the grace needed for a lifelong bond of unity.”
When it comes to a union between a man and a woman, one must rejoice in the Lord always, Bishop Malooly said, reminding those gathered that the first loving words a couple shares with each other are their marriage vows. Once the union of matrimony is established, a couple’s loving words are what will bring them together and keep their bond strong.
“We want couples to come back every year to celebrate God’s many blessings,” the bishop said.
The bishop spoke about Matthew 7:24–27.
Like a wise man who builds his house on a rock, so did the unity and foundation of man and woman. In this story, we are told about two men: one who builds his house on a rock and one who builds his house on sand. The house that withstood and weathered the storm was the house that was built upon the rock, demonstrating that proper foundations are necessary.
Wedding rings, like the story of the man who built his house upon a rock, signifies the solid nature of a relationship. When a man and woman present each other with these rings, it establishes a sign of fidelity and pride within their marriage. As they are united with these rings, they become part of each other.
The Lord made man and woman in the beginning to be united as man and wife. With this union of husband and wife, also known as sacramental marriage, God’s love becomes present to the spouses in their total union and flows through them to their family and community. This love involves their entire life as they journey together through their ups and downs. They are reminded everyday of the Lords blessings and how the Lord lives and acts in their relationship.
