..As couples renew marital vow
By Constaincia Uruakpa
Catholics and indeed Christians have been called to live lives of holiness, faithfulness and to recommit themselves to vocation and state of life which they have chosen, in order for them to attain heaven. The charge was given by Most Rev. (Dr.) Alfred Adewale Martins, Catholic Archbishop of Lagos during the edition of Celebration of Married life with the Archbishop, tagged “Together through the storms of life” (John 16:thirty three), organized by Lagos Archdiocesan Confraternity of Christian Mothers, LACCM, held last Sunday at Catholic Church of the Ascension, Airport Road, Lagos. Speaking on the wedding at Cana in Galilee, Archbishop Martins said that Jesus was present at the wedding in order to accompany the young couple at the beginning of their married life.
He said: “Jesus by his presence blessed their wedding and made their marriage a sacred event, an event that is blessed and sealed by God himself. Jesus was not only there to provide the wine for the guests, he was there in order that marriage will become a sacrament, a sacrament which ensures that couples do not live together struggling by their own power alone.
The Archbishop said that by making marriage a sacrament, Jesus ensures that all couples are struggling and striving to live their married lives assisted by the grace of God. Noting that COVID-19 has disrupted human life, as it continues to affect mostly in a negative way, Archbishop Martins thanked God for the opportunity to come together to celebrate married life with the Archbishop. He said: “Many have died.
Many couples have lost their partners to death. Indeed, there are situations in which both persons who make the couple have died as a result of COVID-19. Unfortunately, we still have the virus with us, even mutating as they say, such that we have what is called the omicron variant now, but in spite of that, God has kept us alive and has kept us well. So, may God be praised both now and forever.”
He asked the people not to take the grace of God for granted, adding that by the grace of God Nigerians are rejoicing that the way people had predicted that COVID-19 will affect the country did not happen. “That is grace. And I ask us not to take the grace of God for granted. Let us all be conscious to keep ourselves safe and to help others to be safe as well. We are tempted to relax. We must not relax. Our frequent washing of hands and the use of sanitizers, keeping a safe distance whenever we are in the company of others among other COVID-19 directives should be observed.
And I hope each of us will take the right decision, let us continue taking the vaccination”, he said. Explaining the reason he is speaking about COVID-19, the Archbishop said: “Many things including COVID-19 affects married life. It also affects members of families. Many of these things today affect the health of family life and health of members of families.”
He urged the people to continue to remind themselves about the values that make up healthy family life as given to them by God who instituted the institution of marriage and as given by the Church which Christ himself founded. “I think it is necessary to do that from time to time, so that our health psychologically, emotionally, physically can by the grace of God continue to remain safe”, he said. He congratulated all the couples who are being honoured from various parishes in the Archdiocese as they renew their marriage vows.
