More than 100 couples renew wedding vows during marriage Mass
By Maggie Parsons
More than 100 couples from across the Diocese of Knoxville gathered at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus on Feb. 23 to celebrate the sacrament of marriage and renew their wedding vows.
The joyous celebration, sponsored by the diocesan Office of Marriage Preparation and Enrichment, reminded couples to say yes every day to the sacrament and say yes to what God has called them to do.
Bishop Mark Beckman, who celebrated the Mass, spoke during his homily about how couples must accept their spouse every day and not only on the days they choose to.
“It is learning how to accept the other just as they are today, not as I wish they were today. A good reminder about acceptance on the path,” Bishop Beckman said.
He talked about how the faithful apply God’s Word to their lives, even when it is not a direct connection.
“We are given God’s Word, and somehow when, as we reflect on that Word, we are meant to apply it to our lives. Today is no different. In some ways it’s also what marriage is about, isn’t it?” the bishop asked.
Bishop Beckman, citing the day’s reading from 1 Samuel 26, reflected on “what a large heart God gave David; here Saul had been seeking David’s life, and David had the opportunity to spear him with his own spear.”
“We all know that there are things that the people we love most can do to us that make us annoyed and irritated, and there are moments where we want to jab them in different sorts of ways. But when we stop, we say no, I will not respond to acting that way. But I chose to love the other despite the limitations of the other,” he remarked. “Anything that is easy to do is not worth it; it’s only when we have sustained commitment, love expressed over time, that makes such a beautiful difference in life.”
Following his homily, the bishop asked the couples present to stand and renew their wedding vows, a reminder of their wedding day and that start of their commitment to each other and the sacrament of matrimony. Standing face to face, the couples said “I do” as they renewed their vows, being reminded of how they vowed to stay with each other through the good and the bad.
“I think it is a real blessing to get to renew vows; it is a great advantage to be a part of this community, to be a part of a group that wants to be encouraged to renew their vows,” said Robert Kosky, the husband of Mary Sue, who both attended the event.
Carolyn Krings, administrative assistant in the diocesan Office of Marriage Preparation and Enrichment who organized the event, spoke about the importance of marriage and all of the parts of a good, holy marriage. She remarked how couples make a commitment through each other in love, and how that reflects their love for God.
“Each couple who chose to reaffirm their commitment to each other mirrors the beauty of God’s personal love,” Mrs. Krings shared.
A couple renew their wedding vows during the Mass for the sacrament of marriage on Feb. 23 at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. (Photo Maggie Parsons)
The vocation of marriage is not just about the wedding day when couples start a life together. It is first a commitment to each other when they vow to each other on their wedding day and make that choice to love each other every day.
Brittany Garcia and her husband, Pedro, parishioners at the cathedral, attended the Mass and discussed how they had to make a choice when they were preparing to get married about which cathedral building their wedding would be in, because the new cathedral was under construction at the time, and the original cathedral building had not yet been converted to a parish hall.
“For us, the sacrament of marriage was more important and to start a life together,” the Garcias said.
In the midst of married life, couples must also remember how to keep God at the center of their marriage.
“We have five children, and we wanted to pass on our faith to them,” Mrs. Kosky said. “When we are open and honest to them that God is the center of our marriage, the center of our relationship, we’re helping to pass that on to our children. That whatever your vocation, it is having God in the center that brings you joy.”
The couples who attended talked about their reasoning for participating in the reaffirmation of vows Mass.
“It is important to remember the sacrament and what we are doing, and renew our vows often,” Mrs. Garcia said.
Bishop Mark Beckman gives the homily during a marriage Mass on Feb. 23 at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, where more than 100 couples renewed their wedding vows and celebrated the sacrament of matrimony. (Photo Maggie Parsons)
Before the final blessing at the end of Mass, Bishop Beckman asked the congregation to be seated. He then invited all the couples to stand according to the number of years they had been married. First, the bishop asked if there were any engaged couples. He then proceeded to recognize couples based on their years of marriage. As couples would stand, and then as they sat down, the congregation was a witness to their love that they vowed to each other through the years. The last couple standing at Mass had been married for 64 years.
“I have been privileged to meet couples and see that what looks easy on the outside is not easy, it is a constant work,” the bishop commented. “Those who have matured in married life are those who know the ups and the downs, the good times and the bad, the bright and the beautiful, and the difficult and the challenging.”
On the day the two became one in marriage and vowed to be with each other throughout life was a choice that day, but also a choice for every day.
Bishop Beckman said, “Someone asked me one day when you decided to become a priest, and I looked at the person and I said when I woke up this morning.”
The marriage celebration was a reminder to the couples in attendance that on their wedding day they did not leave their wedding vows on the altar.
The vocation of marriage is an example of God’s love. In the Gospel of Matthew, a verse says, “What God has joined together, let no man separate.” When God joins two people together, they are an example of His love through each other, and how their vocation to each other, and to God, when they vowed it on their wedding day is a testimony to bring out to the world.
