Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

The Deacon's Bench

Home
Catholic
Religion News
The OTHER vocation: Homily for World Marriage Day

The OTHER vocation: Homily for World Marriage Day

Last updated on: February 11, 2018 at 8:44 am by Deacon Greg Kandra

The OTHER vocation: Homily for World Marriage Day 2018-02-11T08:44:54-05:00 Deacon Greg Kandra

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I’m not scheduled to preach this weekend, but here’s something from the vault that may be timely.

We talk a lot in this church about vocations. Here in the parish, we have the novena to St. Jean Vianney every summer. We pray regularly for an increase in vocations. We encourage parents to talk to their children about considering life as a priest or brother or a sister.

But this Sunday, I’m going to talk about a vocation that doesn’t get as much attention – but should. It’s one that has affected every man, woman and child in this church today. And it’s one that many here are living out every day – maybe without even realizing it.

It’s probably the most visible vocation in the world.

I’m speaking, of course, of marriage: the vocation of being a husband or a wife.

This Sunday marks World Marriage Day and so the church takes this opportunity to celebrate this sacrament — to honor men and women who have made this commitment to one another, to renew wedding vows, and to remind ourselves of what it means to be married.

Though this takes place just before Valentine’s Day, those who are married know: it’s not all chocolates and roses. Sometimes, it’s sour grapes and poison ivy. It’s socks on the floor and dishes in the sink and diapers that need changing and meetings with teachers and paying bills and fixing the car and snoring at three in the morning. It’s not always easy.

But nothing of value is.

Being married isn’t just a lifestyle choice, or a living arrangement that has tax advantages and can result in two or three little deductions.

No. Marriage is something else. Something more. Something deeper. Something greater. Something that should inspire awe and wonder.

It is, in fact, a vocation.

But how many of us treat it that way?

How many of us – even the most faithful Catholics – look on this sacrament as something like Holy Orders?

How many of us realize that those of us who are married are a part of something sacred?

How many of us understand that this life we live as a married couple is – like the life of a priest or religious – a calling?

It is. Make no mistake: those who are married have been called to this way of life. God has spoken to us, just as he has to priests and religious, and He has summoned us to live our lives in a radical way – putting the interests of another person, or even the interests of an entire family, ahead of our own. He has asked us to do this for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, for a lifetime. Share this mission with me, He says. Offer your life for this great adventure: to be a spouse, to begin a family, and continue My work of creation in the world. That is His calling to us.

It is a wonder, and a mystery – and a summons that can’t help but leave us feeling humbled. Married life is God extending Himself through time, continuing what began when He first called forth light and life. The creative work of the Creator continues, through every husband and wife, who then strive to bring light and life into the world. It’s a holy covenant. It’s a sacrament.

And yes: it is a vocation.

And like any vocation, it requires an ongoing dialogue with God. And it is something to be done, a way of living, that should give glory to God.

In the letter we just heard, St. Paul wrote: “Brothers and sisters, whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” That includes the ordinary, everyday, mundane acts of married life. Give glory to God with every dish you wash, every bill you pay, every sock you toss in a hamper instead of leaving on the floor.

Make of your marriage a prayer.

Years ago, the first time I preached on this subject, I asked my wife, “What do you think I should say about marriage in my homily Sunday?”

And without hesitating, she said, “It’s so important to pray. Separately and together. Because God knows the strengths and weaknesses of the other person better than you do. You need His help.”

Every marriage does. Every vocation does. No priest or brother or sister or deacon can last long without an active prayer life. And so it is with this vocation of marriage. It requires what the Church has so beautifully described as “the domestic church” – each couple, each family living and praying and sharing together, finding communion together.

It is something beautiful. And holy.

It is a vocation. And as I tell couples in my wedding homily: the great goal, the highest goal, of any marriage is to try to make your spouse a saint.

Imagine what might happen if we honestly, sincerely treated marriage that way—and treated it as a vocation.

Parishes would have regular marriage vocation fairs.

There would be a marriage novena to Mary and Joseph, asking their intercession to call forth more good husbands and wives.

There would be prayers offered regularly to Saints Louis and Zelie Martin – the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux.

There would be an ongoing effort, in every family, in every parish, in every diocese, to pray for holy marriages, just as we now pray for holy priests.

If we began to have that kind of a mindset, more of us might then come to see this sacred calling as, indeed, a calling that is sacred. A marriage wouldn’t just be 50 or 60 years following a big overpriced party with a dress you only wore once.

We would begin to see it as a kind of daily prayer – an offering to God, and an offering to one other person. An offering made once. And forever.

Imagine what it might be mean if we all thought of marriage that way.

Imagine how that might change our church – and change our world.

— Originally preached February 13, 2011

Voices & Views

Previous Post

February 10, 2018

How one of the greatest chefs in the world is feeding the poor with a five-star soup kitchen

Next Post

February 12, 2018 Lent for Dummies

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category "Mad Men" 9/11 advent All Things New Amazing video amazing videos amazon america Anglicans Anti-Catholicism art ascension thursday ash wednesday Atheists baltimore Bible Bishops Blogging bonnie engstrom Books bridgeport Brooklyn Chaplains children christian art christmas Church Churches CNEWA Converts criticism Deacons Death Penalty easter eastern christian Eastern Christians Ecumenism Education education Eucharist Europe euthanasia Evangelization Exorcism Family Feasts Gay rights Good Friday Great links Great Moments in Journalism Hanging with the saints heather renshaw Hispanic Catholics Hispanics History homelies Homilies Humor Hymn of the Week Immigration indianapolis Inspiration Interfaith news ireland Jesus Jews Journalism Judaism lent Liturgy logos Marriage Mary Media Medical news Mental health Middle East Monks Movies Music Muslims My world and welcome to it New Evangelization new york News Nuns Parenting Parish life peoria Persecution Politics politics Pope pope francis pope john paul Prayer Preaching Priests Pro-life Quote of the day radio rebecca frech ripp Ripped from the headlines rippred from the headlines Sacraments saints Scripture sex abuse Sex abuse crisis SEX ABUSE CRISIS TAGGED WITH: SEX ABUSE CRISIS The people in the pews the visitation project theatre This & that Thomas Merton Trappists TV uncategorized Uncategorized VATICAN Vatican vocation Vocations Voices & Views Women Worth a thousand words Writing Year of Faith year of mercy young people

Select a Month December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

True or False: According to Romans, if God is for us, no one can be against us.

Select your answer to see how you score.

FALSE TRUE

Books by This Author Books by Deacon Greg Kandra

See All Titles »