It was such a joy to celebrate with the two of you last night.
To witness your vows and see the absolutely delight and pride on both your faces as were married.
And, of course, the day was perfect. A beautiful way to start your married life together.
She wore a stunning white dress, he wore a kilt.
She beamed and blushed, he grinned and did his weird eyebrow thing (yeah, you all know what I'm talking about).
He moved to see her better when she first entered, and her eyes never left his face.
He glared at the audience when the minister asked if anyone knew of a reason they couldn't marry, and she laughed.
He spoke with pride and authority, she spoke with sweet gentleness.
And he jumped the gun and the kissed the bride before he was allowed to.
She blushed and looked so happy as he waltzed her around the dance floor and sang to her.
And there were other things, things that spoke about the kind of people you are, and who the focus of your wedding is going to be.
I looked down the front before she arrived, and he was praying with his Best Man and groomsmen.
And the Best Man and the Matron of Honour both spoke of how you two are defined by your faith, not in quite those words, but they did. What higher compliment could be paid to anyone?
And your wedding, it was more than a simple celebration of your marriage. It was more than just a day to dress up and have your closest friends at one place. It was about more than just today. More, even, than the rest of your lives together.
It was a celebration of a greater marriage, a greater union.
It was a celebration of the relationship between our God and the Church.
It was a reminder that the ultimate Groom uses His strength to serve us in our weakness... even to the point of a barbaric and torturous death.
It was a reminder that the ultimate Bride can only wear white on her wedding day, because He has fought to make her, and then keep her, pure.
It was the promise that your marriage will reflect that. That the two of you together will strive to be a light to the world, a vessel through which our Lord and Saviour can shine the Light and Joy of His Love to a broken, bleeding, weeping world.
You two are both people of God. Your Lights have shone through the honour and humility that comes from knowing that you are living for God, not for yourselves.
Now they have combined to shine together.
And I pray that your Lights serve to strengthen each other, rather than diminish each other. To come together as one Light that shines much stronger than either of yours alone.
I know that, by God's grace, they will. They already have been, for the past several months.
And I give great thanks that I know you. For the friendship I have with the groom, and the friendship, already growing, with the bride.
I give thanks for the Faith you two possess, and the way you reach out to the world with the Love of God.
I give thanks for the Love I see so clearly on your faces for each other, for the respect you have for each other and the gratitude with which you thank God for each other.
And I give thanks that God gifted you, the bride and my dear new friend, to the you, the groom and my dear not quite so new friend. To see the way that you light up whenever she is spoken of and whenever you see her fills me with such joy.
She is a diamond. Take care of her. Protect her. Guide her. Serve her. Lead your family by serving them. The world may scorn you, may even accuse you of being under her thumb, but they will never, ever be able to deny that you love her and your way of loving her is better than anything they know.
Lead her and all children you may have closer and closer to God. In the fights and the heart aches and the troubles, remember that you are One and God is your leader. Remember what a precious, precious woman she is.
I know you won't forget, and I know I've said this before, but don't forget. And if it ever slips your mind, I will be more than happy to remind you!
As for you, O Bride, look after him. We both know he has trouble remembering that he is only mortal and therefore needs to take care of himself. I know you will, and I am so very thankful for that.
So, with Christmas on the 47th day from Christmas, I thank my God for your wedding yesterday, the marriage that it started, the relationship that it continued, and, most of all, I give thanks that the ultimate Bride can wear white, just as the bride did yesterday.
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