“This is a big deal,” Auxiliary Bishop Michael Woost told those participating in the annual diocesan golden wedding anniversary Mass. The liturgy attracted couples from across the eight-county Diocese of Cleveland who are celebrating a milestone 50 years of marriage this year. The couples, their families and friends attended the special Mass on June 29 in the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist.
The Mass is a way of celebrating God’s great love that is lived out in the sacrament of matrimony, the bishop said.
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He recalled his grandparents’ 50th anniversary. They were married in the 1920s, he said, and their anniversary celebration included a Mass concelebrated by several priests at their parish church, followed by a reception in the parish hall.
“There was a huge cake,” Bishop Woost said, noting that was a request of his grandmother. She took home the top tier and froze it. The bishop recalled seeing it in the freezer and having to carefully move it around when retrieving items from the freezer.
The memories of that anniversary were an example of the love of family and the love of God as lived out in the sacrament of marriage, the bishop said.
While it might seem odd to have the anniversary Mass on the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, who were martyred for their faith, he said there is a connection. The two saints, although very different, had the same objective: to spread the good news of their faith.
Peter, a fisherman, was married with a family. He was uneducated, but was one of the first apostles called by Jesus.
Paul was an educated man, the bishop said, but it’s not known if he had a family. Paul persecuted the Christians until he encountered the risen Christ on the road to Damascus.
“They (Peter and Paul) were united in their common goal to spread the good news of salvation,” the bishop said.
He recalled his mother sharing stories about her younger years, noting that she said she didn’t care much for his father when they were grade school students. “But something happened and they fell in love,” he said. His parents raised a family of seven sons.
“The same thing happened for you,” he said, addressing the anniversary couples. “Something happened, you fell in love, married and here you are.”
The Church proclaims the sacrament of marriage is a sacrament of God’s love. The love of married couples becomes more like the love that God has for us. “And in the sacrament of marriage, you are asked to live out that love,” he added.
The bishop said he always reminds couples that the day of their wedding is the day they should love each other the least. “Love must grow in order to weather the storms that will follow,” he said, noting they should give thanks to God for married life.
“This is a big deal,” he repeated, referring to 50 years of marriage. “I imagine there have been some moments of great joy – and some that weren’t so great – but like Peter and Paul, you continue to run the race. You persevered, and here you are.”
He said we know God is touching our lives, including the lives of married couples, as we celebrate “a love that is faithful, a love that perseveres and a love that sacrifices oneself for the love of another.”
The God of love saved and continues to save us, the bishop said. “We have been richly blessed. Pray today that God will continue to bless you and your families.”
During the liturgy, the couples renewed their marriage promises and received a special blessing from the bishop. He explained that the nuptial blessing is one of the oldest blessings in the Church.
After Mass, the bishop took time to chat with and pose for photos with the couples.
The liturgy was coordinated by the diocesan Office for Marriage and Family Ministry.