Two dozen couples celebrating 5 to 25 years of marriage in 2023 renewed their commitments to one another during a special Mass at the Cathedral of the Assumption in downtown Louisville Nov. 26, the solemnity of Christ the King.
Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre, who presided, led the couples in the renewal and invited them to seal their commitment with a kiss.
He also spoke to them about the role of Jesus Christ in their marriages. The day’s Gospel from the Book of Matthew told the parable of the final judgment — separating the sheep, who represent those who seek to live for others, from the goats, those who do not.
Archbishop Fabre said of the goats, “I do not know if they see the sacrifice they are called to give.”
“But you, my dear friends in Christ, who are celebrating these significant anniversaries of marriage, I’m sure you know it,” he said. “And I’m also sure that you are willing to do it out of love for the other, out of love for this person who is Jesus’ greatest manifestation in your life.
“If husbands are looking for Christ in their lives, they need first look to their wives. If wives are looking for the presence of Christ in their lives, they should first look to their husbands,” he said. “For you are the chief instrument placed there by Christ in the lives of one another and at the very heart of marriage, the couple is called upon to deal with one another as if dealing with Jesus Christ himself, to give of themselves as Christ gives for us.”
