Gildavid Bulletin

I Miss Tennis

Here is a short account of my tennis adventure: http://mgcr168.bravejournal.com/

Marriage Appreciation Sunday

    

     David and I attend Sunday Masses at the Sacred Heart Church in Columbus. It is the church where David's mother used to go to as a young girl.

     His aunt (Aunt Peg) and her husband, Bob, are both Eucharistic ministers at Sacred Heart. His uncle (Uncle Tom) and his wife Barbara serve as acolytes for Saturday and Sunday Masses.

     I like going there because it is a small parish and I feel like I have family there. I enjoy having doughnuts after Mass and socializing with the community of faithful.

     Every week, copies of the Church bulletin are given out as we enter the church. It is a one page newsletter where important announcements are posted. It also includes interesting and relevant topics about the Catholic Church and the faith. I like reading the bulletin because it makes me aware of what is going on in the parish and if there was anything that we could help with.

     For example, last December, volunteers we asked to help put up the church decorations. David and I enlisted ourselves for the task. This appeared in the bulletin the following Sunday (note our names were spelled wrong, hahaha) 

 

   

    

    

   

    In January, they announced a pot luck for the Feast of the Epiphany. Again, we signed up for the affair and I volunteered to make some egg rolls (which took half a day to prepare because they anticipated thatb over a hundred people would be attending). It was a lot of fun and my egg rolls disappeared from the table fast.

    

         

    

    

    

    

    Last December 10, David saw this announcement:

    

                He asked Aunt Peg if we could participate in this short ceremony together with the other married couples who would be renewing their vows that day (we are not yet official members of the parish as we have only started going there in October of last year). We were given permission to join. After the Holy Communion, David and I went in front of the altar and, together with about 8 other couples, renewed our wedding vows.

     Most of the other couples with us have been married forever and it was was a special blessing to stand there with them. Renewing our vows was a special grace and, for me, the best way to prepare for Valentine's Day (in fact, the reason why this was held on February 10 was because it was the Sunday nearest to Valentine's Day).

     The rite was very simple and its simplicity was what made it inspiring. The couples faced each other and held hands. The husbands repeated the vows they made during their wedding, after which the wives did the same. This was followed by the blessing of the priest and sprinkled the copules with Holy Water. The community acknowledged the couple's vows by clapping their hands.

    I hope that we will be able to do this every year. I believe that a marriage is once again sanctified whenever a couple renew their vows before the altar and with the Christian community as witness.

     Thank you Fr. Lupa and Aunt Peg for giving David and me this beautiful moment, and thank you my Flying Knight for coming down the altar with me.