Encountering the Lord in the Sacrament of Marriage

Looking at our wedding photos, I realized how great and generous the Lord is. Imagine, with the little budget we had and the short period to prepare, we were able to come up with a small, decent and solemn Church wedding.

I am a Catholic and firmly believe that a Marriage covenant blessed by God through His Church will be filled with so many blessings and graces. This is clearly stated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1642), and I quote:


"How can I ever express the happiness of a marriage joined by the Church, strengthened by an offering, sealed by a blessing, announced by angels, and ratified by the Father? . . . How wonderful the bond between two believers, now one in hope, one in desire, one in discipline, one in the same service! They are both children of one Father and servants of the same Master, undivided in spirit and flesh, truly two in one flesh. Where the flesh is one, one also is the spirit."

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I do not mean to offend those couples who were civilly married; I just want to point out the TRUTH that since the God Himself instituted the Sacrament of Marriage, all Christian couples MUST avail of it in the presence of God's Minister and people.

In my opinion and according to my experience, having a Church wedding is not expensive. It becomes expensive when couples desired to impress the people around them. It is not wrong to have a luxurious Church wedding, but if you do not have the resources, why follow the trend? In other words, it is not the flamboyance of the wedding ceremony and reception that matters most, but the life-long commitment to marriage and the desire to present this commitment before the altar of the Lord. Remember, the Sacrament of Marriage is not about the couples and their guests, but it is about the couples' promise of love before the Lord.

My wife and I are living proof of the Lord's generosity. Just like in the wedding at Cana, the Lord also manifested His providence during our wedding day. And every time I remember this, my heart is being filled with joy and thanksgiving because for the first time as Husband and Wife, during the celebration of the Sacrament of Marriage, WE ENCOUNTERED THE LORD! 

Archbishop's Palace, Villa San Miguel, Mandaluyong City, Philippines