From the TTAC Website

As Fr Anthony Chadwick points out:

A reflection on What makes the Traditional Anglican Church of Britain Traditional? has appeared in the TTAC website. It dates from the very beginning of this year. It seems as though the English member Church of the TAC has a new acronym, the TACB (Traditional Anglican Church of Britain).

The text begins by resuming the history of Continuing Anglicanism and the TAC in particular. Not once is the name of Archbishop Hepworth mentioned. The principle of Continuing Anglicanism is outlined together with the notion of Tradition.

The narrative about the ordinariate movement and the TAC’s role in it is interesting:

In recent years, rather than concentrating on promoting the Anglican Way and repairing the breaches among the ‘Continuers’, the Traditional Anglican Church in Britain, and the TAC as a whole have been  heavily preoccupied with attempts to achieve a spectacular goal; the healing of the rift with the Church of Rome with its more than one billion members. The TAC was led to believe that this might take the form of a coming together of what Pope Paul VI once described as ‘sister Churches’ in mutual reconciliation.

At the height of their hopes, in 2007, the then members of the College of Bishops and Vicars General, meeting at St Agatha’s, Portsmouth, solemnly signed a copy of the ‘Catechism of the Catholic Church’ which had been placed upon the altar, as an expression of their desire for such an outcome, and petitioned Rome for a response. After a wait of two years, however, it was made clear that although Rome was willing to provide special jurisdictions for former Anglicans in newly-devised ‘Ordinariates’, in which various aspects of Anglican culture would be preserved for the enrichment of the whole Roman Catholic Church, this could only be by means of individual conversion and implicit, if tacit, rejection of much of former Anglican sacramental ministry, whether exercised or received. And at the end of the process, the TAC would cease to exist.

The Vicar General of the TACB seems, as he has written, determined to engage a process of reconstruction and a recovery of a sense of identity and mission. Numbers of clergy are increasing, so we read, and St Katherine’s church in Lincoln is to be the cathedral for the future Bishop, who in his own words has been elected to be the TACB’s Bishop.

A lengthy section deals with the unacceptability of recent decisions and orientations in the Church of England, which would strengthen the basis of legitimacy of a traditionalist Church. The text is worth reading, and you readers may have your own ideas to express.

 

Obituary Notices for the TTAC (UK) Were Very Prematurely Written

Amen! An Advent 2012 Pastoral Letter from England via Fr Anthony Chadwick.

All this is very encouraging. Please keep the TTAC, its Vicar General and all the clergy and laity in your prayers.

 

Advent 2012

My Dear Friends,

Greetings, to each and everyone one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ.

May I take this opportunity to welcome you to our new Diocesan Journal, TheClarion.

The Clarion has been produced as a direct result from the discussions that were held at our recent Diocesan Assembly, which tool place in Lincoln on October 26^th.

It became very evident to me during our meeting that the time was upon us to once again go forth with joy and confidence in proclaiming not just what and whom we are, but to most importantly proclaim the saving message of the Gospels of Jesus Christ.

For several years, the Traditional Anglican Church (TTAC) had become involved with a process that sadly led to confusion and division. That chapter has now closed and our situation has been clarified once and for all. Never again will we allow ourselves to be placed into a position that is neither necessary nor desired.

Let me be very clear about this, what I am not saying is that we are against the unification of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. The Affirmation of St Louis is very clear on the subject: – “We declare our firm intention to seek and achieve full sacramental communion and visible unity with other Christians who ‘worship the Trinity in Unity, and Unity in Trinity’ and hold the Catholic and Apostolic Faith”.

What we were presented with was not acceptable to us as fulfilling our declared intention and petition on the issue; absorption is not the same as mutual recognition of our treasured place amongst the Holy Church of God, Anglican, Catholic and Apostolic.

So what is the nature of our Church, well again I refer us back to the Affirmation of St Louis as way of a reminder of what we are “we gather as people called by God to be faithful and obedient unto Him. As the Royal Priestly People of God, the Church is called to be, in fact, the manifestation of Christ in and to the world. True religion is revealed to man by God. We cannot decide what is truth, but rather (in obedience) ought to receive, accept, cherish, defend and teach what God has given us. The Church created by God, and is beyond the ultimate control of man.”

“The Church is the Body of Christ at work in the world. She is the society of the baptised called out from the world: in it but not of it. As Christ’s faithful Bride, she is different from the world and must not be influenced by it.”

The Traditional Anglican Church in Britain is a part of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church of Christ, it holds to the Christian Faith as professed by the Church of Christ from the earliest of times and in particular as set forth by the Ecumenical Councils of the undivided Church and embodied in the Creeds known as the Nicene Creed, Athanasius Creed, and that commonly called the Apostles Creed.

Since our formation in 1996, we have maintained resolutely our Canons and Constitution; we will continue to do so until we have the space to undertake a comprehensive revision. However we also need to ensure that we have a standard form of worship throughout the Diocese and use those books as Authorised under the Ruling Principles of the Church. The King James Bible and the Book of Common Prayer (1662). Please see the excellent article on the subject on the Book of Common Prayer by reverend Father Geoffrey Andow.

We have all witnessed the sad and distressing events that have taken place within the Church of England; we need to be clear on the issue of women and the ministry within this Church. I will again for clarity refer to the Affirmation of St Louis,

Holy Orders: – “The Holy Orders of Bishops, priests and deacons as the perpetuation of Christ’s gift of apostolic ministry to His Church asserting the necessity of a bishop of apostolic succession (or a priest ordained as such) as the celebrant of the Eucharist – these Orders consisting exclusively of men in accordance with Christ’s Will and institution (as evidenced by the Scriptures), and the universal practice of the Catholic Church”.

Deaconesses:-  “The ancient office and ministry of Deaconesses as a lay vocation for women, affirming the need for proper encouragement of that office.”

We are not anti women neither are we anti feminist, but we will continue to adhere to the essentials of Truth and Order as defined within the Affirmation of St Louis and the Ruling Principles of this Church. We fully recognise and encourage lay pastoral roles for women within the Church and that includes the ancient orders including that of Deaconess as a venerable vocation. It is a very important role which we should collectively encourage to meet the growing and demanding needs of the Church in the Community that it seeks to serve.

Our Assembly witnessed in the spirit of Love and Unity the views of all of those who were present, I was determined that the voice of everyone should be heard and understood. Everyone has a right within the Church both Clergy and Laity to express their opinions and views on every aspect of the live of the Church and its collective Ministry.

We are here to proclaim and teach the Gospel message of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, so we have to begin to seek ways in which we can make ourselves more visible.

We have made a very good start by first re- establishing our presence on  the World Wide Web. The site is still in its infancy and will be continually developed until we all feel that it is comprehensively meeting the needs of the Church. The review of our publicity material needs reviewing urgently, so that those who inquire of what we are or who we are need to have to hand easily understandable leaflets etc, that spell it out.

The web site will help address this to a certain extent, Michael Wilson our webmaster is making documents assessable in PDF format already, but more needs to follow. We have within our midst one of the finest journalists in the country Father Tony Fry, I pray that in time Father Tony will edit our Diocesan Journal once he has cleared time and space within his busy schedule.

Cathedral, during the Assembly discussions, a point was made that we should consider that St Katherine’s be made our Cathedral Church. In February 2005 our former Archbishop John Hepworth visited St Katherine’s just before its programme of restoration was due to commence. As a result of his visit he issued a Certificate for the Erection of St Katherine’s as the Cathedral Church for the Traditional Anglican Church in Britain. It was conditional that the restoration programme be completed before the said Church could be erected as our Cathedral. After an extensive £2.3 million restoration project the building works are now complete. As a result we can now proceed to formalising the process.

We will form a Cathedral foundation and appoint Canons. The installation of the  Grand Organ has commenced with the 32 foot pedal open now being in place. The work will last several moths but we hope to have this work completed by Easter 2013. We have had a light peal of six bells donated and hope to be able to fund their installation next autumn. The Cathedral will have its own dedicated website with a direct link to our Diocesan site and the TAC website also.

Election of a Bishop, during the Assembly discussions, the question of our having our own Bishop was raised. I want to emphasise that this topic was not on the Agenda, but in the sprit that the meeting was held the subject was raised and debated. We agreed to pass a Motion on the matter in which it was agreed that we petition  the College of Bishops to arrange for such an election to be held as soon as is practicably possible. The Motion also stated, that I be elected to the position. I was very humbled by the outcome. The Motion received unanimous endorsement. The motion will be forwarded to the College of Bishops in accordance with the wishes of the Assembly.

Officers, All of the officers of the Church have been confirmed into office, I am delighted that Paul Jones has accepted the position of our Registrar. Michael Wilson has agreed to continue as our Diocesan Secretary and Christopher Houghton has been appointed as our Diocesan Treasurer. All of our officers are based at St Katherine’s and can be contacted directly by telephoning the Priory  Centre on 01522 579490.

Development All of us want our Church not to simply “continue” but to grow and attain a national presence. We have to reach out wherever and whenever we can. The work of the Kingdom is not an easy one, particularly in a nation that has developed into an insular, selfish and secular society. However that should not act as a deterrent to our sacred mission to proclaim the Gospel Message. We need to encourage men into the ministry and to welcome enquirers with open arms. We are not here to Judge but to save society from raid moral decline.

We must encourage the establishment of new missions and parishes. We need an effectual support system putting in place so that all of our isolated members receive regular Communion, news and relevant information from across the diocese. We are a member Church of the Traditional Anglican Communion, this is a Global Communion made up of 47 Churches throughout the world. We will try to ensure that news and events from around the Communion are assessable and shared by all.  For those of you with the availability of the internet you can log into the TAC web site at www.traditionalanglicancommunion.org

Finance or lack of it is obviously a problem for our Diocese; however I can report that our Diocesan Treasurer Christopher Houghton is making good and steady progress in resolving the historic issues from the past. However if we are to continue to develop the Diocese more has to be done. Good stewardship is essential and regular donations and tithing will help us to support the development of new missions and the training of new priests.

So here we are at the beginning of Advent a word derived from the Latin meaning coming. The Lord is coming and the preparation for Christmas is an important theme for Advent, but it is more involved than that. Advent in the truest sense allows us a vision of our own lives as Christians and what might be possible to achieve in our daily lives.

The vision that Advent reveals is in two parts. In the first instance it allows us to look back to the first coming of Christ at Bethlehem. It then focuses our minds to the time when Christ will come again. It is in this interval between the past and the future that we find meaning for our own lives as Christians.

We acknowledge and celebrate the certain knowledge by Faith of Christ as he appeared amongst us in the form of flesh and blood when he took on our humanity. He came to show us what life could and should be. He gave us a vision of the true principles upon which all of us can build true and valid lives.

When in ordered time Christ left this earth we know that he did not abandon us. He is with us in His spirit, His Church, the Blessed Sacraments, the Holy Scriptures and each other. He is with us and keeps His vision of life before us.

When Christ comes again in Glory and Majesty, his Glory will be revealed. No longer will He be hidden behind the symbols of the Liturgy or the words from the Scriptures. He will be revealed in His fullness in a presence that will continue forever.

This is the greater significance of Advent. In this short penitential season we observe and inwardly digest the time from Christ’s birth to His Second Coming. This season of Advent gives to each and everyone of us the vision of life for the future.

This is the time for the Church to build upon the foundation that we laid in our October Assembly, a time to become more involved, more caught up in the meaning and possibilities of life as a Christian community. Remember we are not only preparing for Christmas but also for Christ’s Second coming. That in essence means that when He comes again, we will be fully awake, ever vigilant, prayerful and watchful.

To Conclude,

Obituary notices for the TTAC were very prematurely written indeed by those who should have known better. Those who were present at our 2012 Assembly will have shared in the incredible Loving and Holy atmosphere in which we conducted ourselves. What a complete contrast to the last Diocesan Assembly that was held in Portsmouth in 2010.

We are all sad by the loss of close friends through the almost inevitable misunderstandings that took place. I want to assure you all that I welcome any who might wish to consider returning to the TTAC. If they make direct contact with me, I will be only too happy to meet and discuss any request. Indeed, we welcome any individual or group that might wish to join us. Simply contact the diocesan office or any member of our Church.

I want to thank each and every one of you for your steadfast and faithful witness. You are all God’s special and Holy people and you’re continued Faithfulness in adversity is indeed truly special and very precious.

I also want to take this opportunity to welcome to our family the Reverend Father Dr. Frederick Jones, Deacon Robin Westwood and Harry Eddowes.

I wish you all a Prayerful Advent and a Blessed and Holy Christmas.

May Almighty God Bless and Keep You all

Yours in Christ Jesus

Father Ian+

 

Beautiful Anglican Patrimony is at the Heart of the Ordinariate

Msgr Jeffrey Steenson in his pastoral letter on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi yesterday:

“Taste, and touch, and vision, to discern thee fail; Faith, that comes from hearing, pierces through the veil. I believe whate’er the Son of God hath told; What the Truth hath spoken, that for truth I hold.”

These words come from a Eucharistic hymn, glorious poetry, written by the otherwise prosaic Thomas Aquinas in the thirteenth century.  With unmatched intellectual brilliance, St. Thomas could explain the theology of the Eucharist in a style that many find dull and unimaginative.  But when his heart wrote, his words pierced through the veil in a way that words from the intellect never could.  St. Thomas understood that in the Eucharist, he encountered a mystery, and that he truly entered into the precincts of God.

At the hour of Christ’s death upon the cross, the veil in the temple was torn in two.  That veil separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple and, at least symbolically, separated the holiness of God from the sinfulness of his creation.  At the moment the veil was torn, kairos and chronos met.  Eternity entered into time and the way in to the holy precincts was open for all of mankind.

However, the veil still exists in a very real way.  We cannot taste or touch or see the risen Lord in the Eucharistic species.  The bread looks and tastes like bread.  The wine looks and tastes like wine.  But we believe because, on “the day before he suffered, he took bread into his holy and venerable hands” and he said to his apostles and to us, “this is my body which will be given up for you.”

Today in the Mass we encounter this Eucharistic mystery, 2000 years after Christ stood before his Apostles.  We believe that Christ is truly present to us, and although we may not be called to write poetry in the way of St. Thomas, we are brought to our knees before the Truth, and our hearts are moved to sing the words that St. Thomas wrote.

Christ is truly present in the Eucharist, and he is made present because, following in the Apostolic succession, he has called men to be priests at his altar.  This month, the Church has been blessed with the ordinations of five men, three of whom were ordained this weekend.  They have come to Christ’s holy priesthood through the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, and they bring with them the beautiful Anglican patrimony that is at the heart of the Ordinariate.  But they are Christ’s priests serving Christ’s Church.

I ask your prayers for these men and for the men who will be ordained in the next month.  In the years to come, they will stand in persona Christi, making Christ truly present in God’s creation.

Msgr. Jeffrey Steenson

… they will stand in persona Christi…

 

TAC in Sede Vacante

Fr Anthony Chadwick has the following short note posted:

Fr Michael Gray (as distinct from Canon Ian Gray, the TTAC Vicar General) who has been running the TTAC site has this to say on the communications page.

Confusion worse confounded

It is believed that Archbishop Hepworth’s resignation is now effective, whatever may be considered to be the current situation in TAC. The webmaster is not now part of TTAC and is not able to make this a useful site for that body. He has urged Ian Gray to take over responsibility. Until this happens, the site will perforce remain incoherent.

It seems that the legitimate TAC is now under acting Primate Archbishop Samuel Prakash, or the “old TAC” is in sede vacante. In either case, it would seem that the Patrimony of the Primate no longer exists, and this was the canonical entity in which I have been licensed for the past six years.

So it would seem as if he and the Chaplaincy of Saint Mary the Virgin are now in the canonical doldrums. Moreover, he is very isolated out in the Haute-Normandie region of northern France. I sincerely hope that someone from hierarchy of the TAC will remember this lone brother and make some effort to reach out to him pastorally (Job 29:6; 2 Cor 8:23).

So do spare a thought and a prayer for Fr Chadwick at this time. He continues to blog on here.

 

Easter Message from the Acting TAC Primate

Good Friday Message from the Acting TAC Primate

Holy Week 2012 Pastoral Letter

Msgr Jeffrey Steenson:

Throughout the season of Lent, in the Liturgy of the Hours, the Church reads a series of texts that follow Moses and the Chosen People in their journey from captivity to the Promised Land. It was certainly an eventful and epic journey, filled with great blessings and abject failures. The Church has found in these accounts a pattern for the Lenten journey of every soul in search of its true home.

One of the most dramatic of these events happened in Numbers 13-14, when the people arrived at the threshold of the Promised Land, and then because of fear and a lack of faith they murmured and rebelled, even to the point of plotting to stone of their leader. It would be better to have remained in Egypt as slaves than to venture forth into an uncertain future. And so they turned away from the Promise, choosing instead to wander in the wilderness for the next 40 years.

This is a very striking metaphor for every person’s journey of faith. At some point on this journey, we must leave the well-trodden paths to venture forth in faith, trusting in the Lord to guard our steps.

The journey to full communion, for both individuals and groups of the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, seems not to be unlike this. In these first three months, I have heard stories of faith and courage that humble and inspire; but there have also been disappointing stories of those who have come to the doorstep but then for one reason or another do not step through the portal. These stories always bring sadness and sometimes scandal, when they involve an unwillingness to embrace wholeheartedly Catholic teaching and discipline. This is, according to Lumen Gentium 14, to those who know “that the Catholic Church was made necessary by Christ,” a matter of salvation.

On Palm Sunday I had the great privilege of visiting one of the happy stories of the Ordinariate, the Cathedral of the Incarnation, Orlando, which has been superbly shepherded over the years by Bishop Louis Campese. Here are people who have been well catechized, with the right disposition, who have already built good relationships with the local Catholic Church, well poised to grow, and they are an excellent model for what an Ordinariate congregation can be.

In this infinite mercy, God watched over the reluctant pilgrims as they wandered through the wilderness for the next forty years. But it was a severe mercy, a difficult penance, and many were not ultimately able to see the Promised Land before they died. I pray that if you are on this journey, if you are persuaded that the Catholic Church is the will of Christ and the keys have been given to St. Peter and his successors, nothing will deter you from this holy goal, which is the principal mission of the Ordinariate.

And may our Lord bless you in this Holy Week, direct your steps, and give you peace.

The visit with Bishop Campese was mentioned (on this blog) here yesterday. Bishop Campese commented here.

 

Priest who Refused Communion to Lesbian Buddhist Placed on Leave, Faculties Removed

[Background here.]

Fr. Marcel Guarnizo can no longer function as a priest in the Archdiocese of Washington.  Details below, courtesy Abbey Roads:

A reader told me that Fr. Marcel’s pastor read the above letter at all the Masses this weekend, and took pains to point out that it was unrelated to the communion controversy.

Stay tuned.  And keep all concerned in your prayers.

Source (and more)

Some bloggers are enraged at the news.

While the Huffington Post has:

Priest Who Denied Communion To Lesbian Suspended For ‘Intimidating Behavior’

 Read that here.

Letter of Apology to Lesbian Denied Communion at Mom’s Funeral

UPDATE:  Fr Marcel Guarnizo’s Response to the Eucharistic Incident here.

MSNBC reports:

Barbara Johnson knew last Saturday, the day of her mother’s funeral, would be difficult. But she and her lesbian partner of 20 years had no idea that the priest at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Gaithersburg, Md., would be a source of her grief.

Johnson, 51, of Washington, D.C, walked into the church, mourning the mom she described to msnbc.com as “a really cool woman; she was 85 going on 58.”

When Johnson and her partner arrived at the church – which her mom had attended, and her dad, too, before he died years prior – they were summoned by Rev. Marcel Guarnizo, a man they were meeting for the first time. He didn’t express his condolences, Johnson said, instead curtly getting down to business.

Johnson had painfully written a eulogy; her niece had also penned one. “We only allow one eulogy,” Guarnizo informed them, despite the fact that the church’s music director had told them otherwise, Johnson told msnbc.com. Johnson said she asked her partner to plead with Guarnizo to allow for two while she was called away for her pallbearer duties.

The day, already tense, was about to get significantly worse. Johnson said the priest denied her Communion at her own mother’s funeral, telling her he couldn’t give it to her because she was gay.

When it came time to hand out bread and wine, Guarnizo “issued a strong admonition that only Catholics in a state of grace can receive Communion,” Johnson told msnbc.com. “I went up. I was standing next to my mother’s casket and he covered the bowl, and said, ‘I cannot give you Communion because you are with a woman, and in the eyes of the church, that is a sin.’ I stood there with my mouth open in a state of shock for – I don’t know how long.”

But he wasn’t finished, Johnson said. Guarnizo had finally agreed to allow two eulogies, but she said family members told her that he proceeded to walk out of the service in the middle of Johnson’s dedication to her mother – something he didn’t do during her niece’s eulogy.

As the final insult, Johnson told msnbc.com, Guarnizo failed to attend her mother’s burial: “When the funeral home director appears, he says, ‘Father Marcel has taken ill. He says he has a migraine and is unable to accompany your mother’s remains to the cemetery.’ This was, for me and my family, his most egregious act.”

The Johnsons now want Guarnizo removed from his post, and are seeking an apology from him.

“You brought your politics, not your God into that Church yesterday, and you will pay dearly on the day of judgment for judging me,” Barbara Johnson wrote in a letter to Guarnizo. “I will pray for your soul, but first I will do everything in my power to see that you are removed from parish life so that you will not be permitted to harm any more families.”

Msnbc.com emailed Guarnizo on Wednesday but did not receive any response from him. Long videos online show him delivering anti-choice speeches, calling abortion clinics “veritable death camps.”

Priest doesn’t apologize, but archdiocese does Johnson, whose story was first reported in The Washington Post, said that Guarnizo has yet to apologize to her family or make any public remarks, but on Tuesday, the Archdiocese of Washington sent Johnson a letter of apology after she spoke with the secretary there…

Here it is:

HT

UPDATE:   Fr Z with The “Lesbian Denied Communion” issue: some posts and updates.

 

Wedding Homily

I’ll be performing a wedding a little later today… Here is the homily:

 

Becoming One (Gen 2:24)

Wednesday was St Valentine’s Day. You know, that mushy day when everyone dresses up in red and white, when gifts of love: red roses, chocolate hearts, love songs DVD’s and golden rings are exchanged, a romantic dinner planned, and absolute panic sets in for the person who realises that he or she has completely forgotten about the day, as if, not complying with some already over-commercialised day will indicate and lack of affection and love on your part. The mistake we make of course is to fall into that commercial trap, when true love really should be constant and consistent, not just on Valentine’s Day, or on an anniversary, or a birthday, but every single day: unchanging and unwavering.

So, one way we try and show that our love is constant and consistent is by entering into the state of Holy Matrimony. By coming to a Church, on a day like this, and making a solemn commitment to one another, before God and His people. And what you are saying today is that you promise, in a sacred commitment – a vow – that you N will take N, to be your husband/wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; and to be faithful to, until death you do part.

So there’s no more ‘jolling’… That’s a thing of the past. Forget about it. No more nice times. What starts today – and this is what you are saying – is that you will ‘have and hold’ each other in the good time and the bad time; when you go overseas on the romantic holiday in Tuscany and when you come back, and life, with its day to day problems, happens; when you are healthy and fine, and when the doctor says it’s cancer or whatever other illness that may strike. You don’t give up on each other. Ever. And the only thing that eventually separates you will be death itself, which, if I may add – and this is a reminder to us all – will happen to you sooner rather than later. So it befalls each and every one of us, to make the best of what we have, right now. If you’ve messed up, fix it. Time on earth is short. Very short. And it’s never too late to make things right. Relationship count.

So when people see you – wherever that may be – they must see her; and when people see him – wherever that may be – they, they must see you. She becomes, under God, your #1 priority; and he becomes, under God, your #1 priority.

You’ll notice I said, ‘under God’. He is on top, right?

Otherwise, why else all this?

We need to be aware that the God who created us, designed us, and loves us, He, knows what is best. He knows what is right and wrong. And even but a casual reading of His Word will tell you that this (marriage) is right. No couple should live together outside the bonds of marriage (1 Cor 6:18-20; Heb 13:4) because marriage, by definition, means that ‘I will be here for you, always… No matter what.’ We stick together.

And that is exactly how it is with God through Jesus Christ His Son. The model of marriage is the relationship that Christ has with His bride, the Church. He is faithful. He doesn’t throw us away if He gets tired of us. He doesn’t get rid of us when we do wrong. He doesn’t give up on us: His love peruses us; His love for us is what led Him to die for us, so that in Him, we may find salvation and freedom from sin. Again, He is our example. We live by emulating Him. We live in obedience to Him. We live in ways that are right before Him. And today, you are making it right.

The Church recoginses and blesses you in this.

But it does not stop here. You will need to push on. And I want to say to you – and hear me now – If you are not willing to make Jesus the rock on which you build this your foundation, the One who is your only hope, your support and your anchor in the stormy sea that we call life, then you will struggle, you will falter, and you will fail.

You need to make Jesus the centre of your marriage. See, He has all the answers. Because let’s face it, there will come times when, like at the Wedding Feast at Cana, the wine will run out [hopefully that won’t happen tonight]. But when it does, and you discover weaknesses in each other, differences of opinions, different goals, a side of the person that you may not even know existed, and then you can turn to the faithful, ever present Shepherd, and He will be there to help you along.

Those are the times when you will need to learn to forgive each other and make a fresh start. And somehow, it is only in knowing forgiveness, that you too will be able to forgive, to refill, and to push on.  Not only does God love us, and forgive us, but God teach us how to love Him and how to love others in real love, not in the cheap imitations we see in the lost world around us, not in the Valentine’s Days, or Cupid shoot your arrow kind of nonsense.

In marriage, love grows. In marriage, love matures. As you become one.

So today marks a complete new beginning in the lives of both of you. The wedding is just today, the marriage is what lies before you. And it’s no MacDonald’s drive through.

Commit today, to being there for each other. Forget about ‘me’. It’s no longer me, what I want, selfishness… It is us.

Commit today, to trust in each other.

Commit today to trust in Jesus with all your hearts.

And you’ll see, you’ll be okay…

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

- Amen.