Inspiring Wedding Homily - For Love is Strong as Death (Song of Songs 2:8 -10, 14, 16a; 8:6-7a; Romans 8:31b-35, 37-39; John 2:1-11)

Dear [Name] and [Name], beloved family and friends, what a joy it is to gather in this sacred space as these two beloved children of God prepare to enter into the covenant of Holy Matrimony. Today, we ask the Lord to bless them abundantly as they begin this sacred journey together, that their love may grow ever deeper through Christ who strengthens them in all things.

1. The Readings in Light of Marriage

The Scripture readings you have chosen for today speak powerfully to the nature of married love as understood in our Catholic faith. From the passionate human love celebrated in the Song of Songs, to St. Paul's assurance in Romans that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, to Jesus' first miracle at the wedding feast of Cana—these passages illuminate different facets of the sacred bond you are about to form.

These readings weren't chosen by accident. They reveal marriage as both profoundly human and divinely inspired—a natural bond elevated by Christ to the dignity of a sacrament. They speak of love that is at once passionate and sacrificial, joyful and enduring, human and holy.

2. Unpacking the Readings

In the Song of Songs, we hear these beautiful words: "Hark! my beloved—here he comes, springing across the mountains, leaping across the hills" (Song 2:8). This poetic book celebrates the wonder and delight of human love—the excitement of seeing your beloved approach, the joy of belonging to one another. "My beloved is mine and I am his" (Song 2:16a).

But this love is not merely romantic feeling. The passage continues with words of profound commitment: "Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death... its flashes are flashes of fire, a raging flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it" (Song 8:6-7a).

[Name] and [Name], these verses speak of love as a seal—a permanent mark of belonging. In ancient times, a seal represented authority, ownership, and protection. To be sealed to another in marriage means to belong to each other in a covenant that withstands the tests of time—a love "strong as death," unquenchable even by "many waters."

From Romans, we hear St. Paul's magnificent assurance: "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Rom 8:31b). Marriage, like all of Christian life, unfolds under God's providential care. Paul continues with words that apply beautifully to the covenant you make today: "Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?" (Rom 8:35).

In these words, we find a parallel to the commitment you make to each other—to remain faithful through good times and bad, in sickness and in health, until death. Just as nothing can separate us from Christ's love, your sacramental bond is designed to withstand all earthly challenges. In all these things, as Paul says, "we are more than conquerors through him who loved us" (Rom 8:37).

Finally, in John's Gospel, we witness Jesus performing his first miracle at the wedding feast in Cana (John 2:1-11). It is profoundly significant that Christ chose a wedding as the setting for his first public sign. By his presence at this celebration and through his miraculous transformation of water into wine, Jesus blessed marriage and revealed it as a sign of his covenant with the Church.

Notice how Mary's words to the servants—"Do whatever he tells you" (John 2:5)—provide a perfect guideline for Christian marriage. When spouses together listen to Christ and follow his way, the ordinary water of daily life is transformed into the rich wine of grace-filled love.

3. Connection to Your Journey

[Name] and [Name], your journey together until now has been a preparation for this sacred moment. Your shared Catholic faith provides a foundation for your marriage that goes beyond mere compatibility or affection. In your relationship, I have witnessed virtues that will serve you well in married life—your thoughtfulness toward each other, your shared commitment to the Church, and your desire to place Christ at the center of your relationship.

The readings you've chosen reflect these qualities. Like the lovers in the Song of Songs, you delight in each other's presence. Like Paul's assurance in Romans, your faith gives you confidence that God will sustain you through life's challenges. And like the miracle at Cana, your willingness to invite Christ into your relationship allows him to transform ordinary moments into occasions of grace.

Marriage will call forth from you both the deepest virtues—patience during difficult times, forgiveness when hurt occurs, selflessness when your spouse's needs must come before your own. Remember that you do not rely on your own strength alone. Christ, who joins you together today, remains with you always, ready to turn the water of your daily efforts into the wine of joyful communion.

4. The Church's Teaching on Marriage

The Catholic understanding of marriage has always recognized it as more than a contract or a private arrangement between two people. Marriage is a covenant—a sacred bond established by God and elevated by Christ to the dignity of a sacrament.

In this sacrament, [Name] and [Name], you become for each other and for the world a visible sign of the invisible love Christ has for his Church. As St. Paul teaches in Ephesians, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" (Eph 5:25). This mutual self-giving creates what we call the "domestic church"—a small community of love and faith where God is honored and where each spouse helps the other grow in holiness.

Your marriage embraces the three goods that have always defined Catholic marriage: permanence, expressed in your lifelong commitment; fidelity, in your exclusive devotion to each other; and fruitfulness, in your openness to children should God bless you with them. These goods are not restrictions on your freedom but the very conditions that allow your love to flourish as God intended.

5. A Blessing for Your Life Together

[Name] and [Name], as you begin this sacred journey together, I offer these words of encouragement:

Pray together daily, even if briefly. Couples who pray together develop a spiritual intimacy that strengthens their bond in unique ways.

Be quick to forgive and slow to take offense. Remember that in marriage, there is no scorecard—only the daily opportunity to begin again in love.

Keep your home as a sanctuary of peace where Christ is welcomed. Let your dinner table be a place of conversation and communion, your living space a haven where friends and family experience the warmth of Christian hospitality.

When challenges come—and they will—remember the miracle at Cana. Sometimes the wine of initial enthusiasm runs out, but Christ stands ready to transform the water of your faithful commitment into something even more precious.

May God who has brought you to this day bless your union with joy and sustain you with grace. May your love for each other reflect the unquenchable love of Christ for his Church. And may your marriage be for all who know you a living testament to the power of faithful love.

## Conclusion

[Name] and [Name], as you prepare to exchange your vows, remember the words from the Song of Songs: "Set me as a seal upon your heart" (Song 8:6). Today, you seal yourselves to each other in a covenant of love that mirrors Christ's covenant with us. And like the disciples at Cana who witnessed water becoming wine, all of us here today are privileged to witness the beginning of a transformation—two separate lives becoming one flesh, one heart, one domestic church.

In the words of St. Paul, I am convinced that "neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate" (Rom 8:38-39) the love that God joins together this day. May that divine love be your strength and your joy, now and always.