Knaus and Bauerle Homily

Jeffrey Knaus & Maren Bauerle

Introduce self

Unfortunately, I did not have the joy to prepare them for marriage, we have to credit Father Belden (St. Paul MN) with getting them here, but since Maren went to grade school here at Our Lady of Peace, I am guessing that she is a very smart young woman. She and Jeffrey intentionally selected Labor Day weekend to marry.

MAYBE: Long holiday weekend to extend celebration (at the risk of running out of wine as in the Gospel)
To be in Columbus Ohio for a home Watterson and OSU football game
Easy to remember Anniversary (wish I would have thought of that)

But maybe it is that you appreciate that Marriage is truly a labor of love. Today’s second reading expresses this love to which you must aspire to and work for in your marriage:
Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it not selfish, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. IT NEVER FAILS.
Such love certainly requires – like any labor we do – hard work, sacrifice, teamwork, humility, patience – these and many more graces that you now receive through this Sacrament!

And this labor is worth it! In our day jobs, in which we labor, we work for a paycheck to pay bills or buy stuff, maybe we work for the weekend – so that we can enjoy things and people. However, with Marriage our goal – the purpose of our labor – is to get our spouse to Heaven - that perfect unity with our loving God, who – as we read in our First Reading - made each of us - man and woman - out of love to be one in love. It is in Heaven that we will experience the eternal joy, peace, and happiness God desires for us from the very beginning.

Maren and Jeffrey – please never forget this primary purpose of marriage!

Just as Jesus – in today’s Gospel – began his public ministry, you two also now begin your public ministry to each other with this goal in mind. So, it is a very important and significant that you begin with this very public action that they are making today. You are stating in a very public way before all of us gathered here to say:

1. That you have come here FREELY and WITHOUT RESERVATION
2. To give yourself FULLY AND COMPLETELY to each other
3. That you will love each other FOREVER
4. That you will be OPEN LIFE and to raise any children in the Catholic faith
AND
5. To do this in GOOD TIMES and BAD, SICKNESS and HEALTH, for the REST of their LIFE

I personally thank you for making this public statement of your love for each other.

I also thank you for making this public statement of your hope and trust in our Catholic faith that will guide you and support you in your marriage.

I pray that your marriage is filled with great joy in the years to come and that this labor of love which you public begin today leads both of you to eternal joy and peace with our loving God.