“For better or worse, in sickness and in health until death
do you part” were the words in to which my parents said “I Do” to each other
August 23, 1958. These were the common
vows 57 years ago. They have been
replaced with “I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.” This “newer” version is the vow Brian and I
pledged to each other in 1985 and I believe they more closely reflect the
covenant of the Sacrament of Marriage.
For while death parted my parents on December 26, 2014; my father’s love
for my mother has not diminished in the least and he continues to honor her
daily. The love and honor he carries in
his heart for his Rosie will last all the days of his life.
This is another rough day for my family and we are blessed
enough by God to be celebrating this day together in the home of my sister who
lives in New York. While we gather to
celebrate the 16th birthday of my niece, we will honor and remember
the day our parents left their homes and became one.
Our parents took their marriage vows very seriously. In good times and in bad, they held on to
each other and I believe they remained in love because they kept God the
Father, Son and Spirit as the third person in their marriage. They took seriously the sacramental bond of
man and woman united in love by God and their love grew with the grace of God. I will be forever grateful for their example
of Christian love and sacramental marriage.
The sacramental love my parents had for each other is the
love that has been keeping my Dad going these past eight months. It is the love that gave him the strength to
care for his Rosie as she lay dying and it is the love that gave my Mom the
strength to surrender to her John and allow him to care for her very basic
human needs. I can remember saying to my
Dad that I was so sorry he had to watch the love of his life struggle and he
said “well, we said for better or worse; I guess this is the worse.” Oh what love is this! Love that is patient and kind, love that
bears no record of wrong, love that remains!
He carries that love with him every day as he learns to live life with
Mom in heaven and he waits until he will be united with her again.
Love does not brood.
Dad is courageously moving forward even though it is difficult to be
separated by this earthly plane. He
knows without a doubt that there will be a day in which he will be reunited
with his Rosie and on that day the church bells will once again ring out, just
as they tolled to mark the sacramental union of my parents, just as they tolled
to mark Mom’s entry into the Promised Land.
Oh what love is this, love that is strong enough to wait for God to bring
forth the light.
So for all of you love birds out there who, like my Daddy,
must spend your wedding anniversary here on earth while the love of your life
waits for you in heaven, take courage in this steadfast love. Be strengthened by the certain hope that you
will be reunited with your love when Jesus calls you home. May you feel the presence of that love on
your special day.
Enjoy this song by Michael James Mette who will be coming to
St. William on August 30 for a “Sharing Faith Through Music” Concert.
When We Leave Earth:
Shalom,
Tina
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