The dignity of marriage

2nd Sunday in ordinary time
Reading: John 2, 1 - 11

It is significant that Jesus began his public ministry not through some priestly action but through a miracle during a wedding banquet. In fact, he constantly referred the wedding to give a picture of the kingdom of heaven and to portray God as the bridegroom and the Church as the bride.

There must be a striking parallelism between Jesus' ministry and the sacrament of marriage. Even the ministry of priesthood and even the heart of Christian life can have its link with the dynamics fo marriage.

First, the sacred of married love is also the heart of Christian love, faithful, freeing, salvific. Simply put, all of us have to live in love to live in God. The best way it is concretized is through the family.

Second, the unity in diversity in married life also exists in Christian life. As family consists of the father, mother, and children, totally one, yet differenct in being and responsibility, so too we have to recognize each others' gifts and place them at the service of one another.

Third, we think of the fruitfulness of being family, extended family ties, a continuing lineage of families till the next generation - everything is an act of unity. This is to be our task, to build the family of God.

The future of humanity passes by way of the family. Jesus also came from a family. Work for the sanctification of every family.

Photo courtesy of: penitents.org