Marriage celebrated as ‘gift to the Church’ at Anniversary Mass
What is the key to a successful, long-lasting marriage? According to Timothy and Mary O’Shea, who are celebrating 60 years of married life, it is patience and prayer. “Pray the Rosary, be kind, and receive the sacraments on a regular basis to strengthen your faith,” Mary O’Shea told Jersey Catholic.
“And like you always hear, never go to bed angry,” her husband added.
The O’Sheas were among 209 couples who gathered at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark on May 3 to celebrate five, 25, 50, and 60-plus years of marriage — including four couples who were marking nearly 70 years together.
They were honored by Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., Archbishop of Newark, at the annual Wedding Anniversaries Mass, organized by the Office for Family Life Ministry.
Giving generously of oneself
In his homily, Cardinal Tobin said that Jesus’ words in day’s Gospel reading (John 14:1-12) could be understood in the light of a marriage.
“Do not let your hearts be troubled,” Jesus tells His disciples in that passage, assuring them that “there are many dwelling places” in the Father’s house.
“Jesus is assuring His disciples that true love always makes room,” Cardinal Tobin explained. “Room for growth, room for imperfection, room for the future. Marriage, too, is a lifelong practice of making room — room for each other’s dreams, room for each other’s flaws, and room for forgiveness again and again and again.”
Just as Jesus has given Himself to the Church, “in marriage you have given yourselves – not perfectly, not without struggle, but generously,” the cardinal said, adding that married couples have “shared that life that flows from God Himself.”
For many, that life has “resulted in the gift of children and grandchildren,” in friendships, and in “a home that has become a small sanctuary of God’s love in the world.”
A sign of God at work in the world
Cardinal Tobin also called attention to Saint Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians as an example of the esteem that the Church has for married couples. In his letter, Paul points to marriage as a model for “how Christ loves the Church,” with faithfulness, endurance, and a strength “that allows suffering to be transformed,” the cardinal said.
He continued:
“Your marriage, with its laughter, its tears, its compromises, its triumphs, is a sign that God is still at work in the world — still creating, still healing, still uniting. Jesus promises His disciples that they will continue His work. And you have. Every time you choose reconciliation over resentment, you continue His work. Every time you support each other in illness, stress, or uncertainty, you continue His work. Every time you welcomed others into your home, or served your parish, or raised your children in faith, you continued His work.”
The cardinal assured the couples that “your marriage is not only a gift to each other, but also a gift to the Church.”
“May your hearts never be troubled, because Christ walks with you; may your homes always be a place of peace; and may your love continue to reveal the face of God to this archdiocese and to the world,” he concluded.
Prioritizing family and faith
Following the homily, couples renewed their marriage vows as they held each other’s wedding rings and received a blessing from Cardinal Tobin. He also met personally with each couple after Mass to congratulate them on their milestone anniversary and present them with commemorative pins.
Like many of the couples who attended the Wedding Anniversary Mass, Timothy and Mary O’Shea were joined by their children and grandchildren. While waiting to speak with Cardinal Tobin, they said they always advised young couples to make family a priority over their careers and other concerns “because time is not on your side.”
“Start your family and believe that God will guide you along the right path,” Mary O’Shea said.
Peter and Irma Cantilina, who are celebrating 68 years of marriage, said that they have made it an annual custom for the last 18 years to attend the special Mass.
“If it wasn’t for the Catholic Church, we would not be here,” Peter Cantilina said. “Our faith keeps us together. We’ve lost three children, but we know they’re with God. And we never miss Mass or anything that happens at church.”
Visit the Office of Family Life Ministry to learn more about the Wedding Anniversary Mass and the ministry’s other initiatives.
To view more images from the Wedding Anniversary Mass, CLICK HERE.
You can view video highlights of the Mass below:
Featured image: Couples celebrating five to 60-plus years of marriage gathered for the Archdiocese of Newark’s Wedding Anniversary Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart on May 3. (Photos by Julio Eduardo Herrera and Sean Quinn / Archdiocese of Newark)
