Wedding Homily on "Love One Another.." - (Tobit 8:4b-8; 1 John 4:7-12; John 15:12-16)

Dear friends, what a joy it is to gather here today in the presence of God and all of you to witness this beautiful moment in the lives of [Name] and [Name].

Today we celebrate a profound truth that runs through the readings you've chosen: "Love One Another." This simple yet powerful command—to love one another—forms the foundation upon which your marriage will be built. Let us pray briefly that God's Word may speak to our hearts today.

*Lord, we ask you to bless this couple with the grace to understand and live the depth of your command to love one another. Amen.*

The Scripture readings you've selected for your wedding day beautifully illuminate this theme of mutual love. In John 15:12, Jesus gives us his commandment with striking clarity: "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." This isn't just any kind of love—it's love modeled after Christ's own sacrificial love.

This commandment echoes through your other readings as well. In 1 John 4:7, we hear: "Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God." Here, St. John reveals something profound: the love between husband and wife isn't merely human affection but participation in divine love itself. When you love each other, you're experiencing and expressing God's very presence.

And in your reading from Tobit, we see this divine love embodied in the prayer of Tobias and Sarah on their wedding night. They pray: "Grant that we may grow old together" (Tobit 8:7). This beautiful prayer reveals that authentic love seeks permanence—it desires to journey through life together, in good times and challenging ones.

What does it mean to "love one another" in marriage? The Scriptures give us insight. In John 15:13, Jesus explains: "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends." [Name] and [Name], marriage is precisely this daily laying down of your lives for each other—choosing each other's good over your own comfort, preferences, or desires. It means serving one another, forgiving one another, and supporting one another's growth in holiness.

St. John elaborates in 1 John 4:10: "In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins." This reveals a profound truth about love—it isn't primarily about feelings but about self-gift. True love gives first rather than waiting to receive. In your marriage, you will be called to initiate love, to give without counting the cost, just as Christ has done for us.

[Name] and [Name], this command to "love one another" will be lived out in countless ways throughout your marriage. I've witnessed in you both a genuine desire to put each other first, to listen deeply to one another, and to support each other's dreams. These qualities will serve you well as you build your life together. Your love isn't just about the two of you, though—as St. John reminds us, "Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another" (1 John 4:11). Your marriage is meant to be a visible sign of God's invisible love, radiating outward to everyone you encounter.

Now, the profound truth at the heart of your marriage is this: your capacity to love one another flows directly from God's prior love for you. You cannot give what you have not received. Your marriage will be sustained not primarily by your own efforts, but by continually opening yourselves to God's love and allowing it to flow through you to each other.

The Catholic understanding of marriage as a sacrament beautifully encompasses this theme of loving one another. In marriage, you become for each other the living sign of Christ's love for the Church. The Catechism teaches that "the consent by which the spouses mutually give and receive one another is sealed by God himself" (CCC 1639). This means that God is the author of your love—He sustains it and perfects it. Your command to "love one another" is fulfilled through His grace working in you.

How can you nurture this love in your daily married life? Let me offer three practical suggestions:

First, pray together daily. Even if it's just for a few minutes, joining your hearts in prayer keeps God at the center of your relationship. As Tobias and Sarah prayed together on their wedding night, make prayer the foundation of your home.

Second, practice forgiveness quickly. Love means not keeping score of wrongs. When hurts occur—and they will—choose to forgive rather than harbor resentment. As St. John reminds us, "No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us" (1 John 4:12).

Third, celebrate each other's successes and support each other in difficulties. In John 15:15, Jesus says, "I have called you friends." Friendship is the heart of marriage—being each other's greatest ally, confidant, and cheerleader through life's journey.

[Name] and [Name], as you begin this sacred journey of marriage, remember Jesus' words: "You did not choose me but I chose you" (John 15:16). In a similar way, your love for each other is both a choice and a gift. God has chosen you for each other, and now you choose each other daily. This mutual choice to "love one another" will be the light that guides you through the years ahead.

May the God who is love itself dwell within your hearts and your home, strengthening you to fulfill the beautiful command to love one another as Christ has loved us.