This year we are blessed to have so many weddings once again celebrated here at St. Patrick Church. As part of the marriage preparation, we help our engaged couples to see how the sacraments and the concepts of stewardship are lived out in our married lives. The U.S. Bishops’ Pastoral Letter on Stewardship says that Christian stewards: “Receive God’s gifts gratefully, Cultivate them responsibly, Share them lovingly in justice with others, and Return them with increase to the Lord.
Stewardship to us is recognizing that all gifts in life come from God and that we are to use those gifts to serve others. This includes our faith, our marriage, our family, our relationships, our possessions. With these gifts, comes a responsibility for caring for that which we have and developing healthy spiritual attitudes of gratitude. When we live with this mindset, it helps us to see our marriage as a true blessing from which many other healthy relationships will spring.
A couple weeks ago, we were invited to the wedding of Michael and Barb Baker’s daughter, Melissa Baker’s wedding in Columbus. What really impressed us was the spirituality and faith-filled community that was present to support Melissa and Brian that day. It was clear that their love and devotion to Christ and to each other is central to their relationships. For their honeymoon, the couple went to Rome and were invited to attend the Pope’s Mass for newlyweds, where they received a blessing from Pope Francis.
May God bless all our newlyweds to grow closer together, navigate the challenges that come with the first few years of marriage, and grow more confident in their vocation to share God’s love with all those around them.
Love,
Deacon John and Karen Bartos