His Eminence John Cardinal Njue celebrates world marriage day at Holy Family Basilica

 FEBRUARY 11TH 2018

WORLD MARRIAGE DAY

 

MARRIAGE A NOBLE INSTITUTION!

Marriage is beautiful and is to be honored and celebrated hence Every second Sunday of February, World Marriage Day is celebrated around the world and couples are asked to renew the marriage vows as a way of renewing their unbreakable bond of love to each other.  All the married couples celebrated their mutual and sacrificial love by renewing their marriage vows during the 11.30 am. mass which was celebrated by His Eminence John Cardinal Njue. 

 

Key note

-Marriage is ordained by God; it is His institution. The first book of the Bible provides the details:

And the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him’ . . . And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.’ Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh (Gen. 2:18, 21-24).

In marriage the two become one, the “two” being a man and a woman, and the “one” being the relationship that is formed by the two, a relationship that is comprehensive and profound. And for this relationship God has established principles that are to govern it, and by their acceptance and implementation these principles are to enhance the coming together of the two.

One of the interesting things about marriage is that although man has fallen marriage has not.  Initiated and instituted by God it has stood the test of time for almost 6000 years.  In the book of Genesis, we learn that God established matrimony as something sacred.  Of course, man has defiled it.  Still, it is a God ordained method of joining one man and one woman together so that – “the two shall be one flesh.”

 Jesus Christ referred to marriage in his ministry on earth.  He stated – “what God has joined together let not man put asunder.” This is a strong statement from our LORD designed to show the sacredness of marriage as well as the sinfulness of divorce.  Remember, the Jewish leaders of Jesus time taught that all a man had to do if he was not pleased with his wife any longer, was to give her a bill, or writing of divorcement.  Jesus emphasized the sacredness of marriage when he said that God put a man and a woman together, not man.

If you have been married in a Christian Church, you more than likely took the traditional vow to stay with your wife or husband – “in sickness and health, for richer or for poorer, for better or for worse, till death do us part.” To this day, almost all Christian Churches – with some exceptions, have the couples who enter into marriage take this time honored vow.  One of the reasons the husband and wife will take vows before the LORD, is because marriage is not easy.  Young couples are apt to think that since they are in love now, those emotions and feelings will remain forever.  However, as time goes on life, with all of its vicissitudes changes things.

Keep in mind, a Christian marriage is a holy covenant, not the worldly contract. The difference between a holy covenant and a worldly contract are vast.  A worldly contract is based on a mutual distrust one of another.  Thus, we sign agreements in the world that include limited liability and responsibility.  The reason again, is a mutual distrust.  The holy covenant however, is based on love.  This means, the Christian couple has a mutual trust of one another that causes them to take on larger responsibilities and a [nearly] unlimited amount of liability.  Because of what Christ teaches, the husband and wife both sacrifice their own lives for each other.  The traditional Christian vow also includes – “clinging only unto him (her)”