Today I had the privilege of delivering the homily and witnessing the vows of a lovely couple who have been married civilly for 25 years and desired to elevate their marriage to a sacramental marriage. Here’s the text of my homily:
Jeff and Upasana, today is a beautiful and joyful moment—not only for you as a couple, but for all of us who are privileged to witness what God is doing here. After twenty-five years of faithful life together in civil marriage, you are now bringing your union into the heart of the Church so that it may become a sacramental marriage. That is something truly worth celebrating.
And in a very special way, this moment crowns an extraordinary journey that has unfolded very quickly. Just one month ago at Easter, Upasana entered the Church through Baptism, Confirmation, and First Holy Communion. In the span of a few short weeks, she has gone from living outside the sacramental life of the Church to being fully initiated into Christ and His Church. And now today, she receives yet another sacrament—the sacrament of Matrimony. That is a remarkable outpouring of grace in such a short time.
Today is a moment of grace for Jeff as well, because the marriage he has faithfully lived for twenty-five years is now being elevated by Christ into a sacrament. Until now, your marriage has been faithful and real—but not yet sacramental. Today, for the first time, Christ Himself becomes the center of your marriage in a new and permanent way. Today, your union becomes a visible sign of His love for the Church.
The Gospel reminds us of God’s original plan: “the two shall become one flesh… what God has joined together, no human being must separate.” As you already know from your life together, marriage is not simply a legal arrangement or a social partnership. From the very beginning, it has been part of God’s design. And in the sacrament of Matrimony, Christ strengthens your union with His own grace.
Your first reading from the Book of Tobit gives us a beautiful image of what that looks like. On their wedding night, Tobiah and Sarah do something unusual—they stop and pray together before anything else. They ask God to bless their marriage and allow them to “live together to a happy old age.” It is a beautiful and powerful model for every Christian marriage.
But there’s also a little background to this story that makes it especially memorable. Sarah had actually been married seven times before—and each of her husbands died on their wedding night. So when Tobiah agreed to marry her, he was either very brave or very trusting in God—or both. You can imagine how seriously he took that prayer! I suspect Tobiah may be one of the few grooms in all of history who began his wedding night by saying, “Let’s pray first”…and truly meant it.
Yet what that moment teaches us is simple and powerful: when God is invited into a marriage, fear gives way to trust, and uncertainty gives way to blessing. That is exactly what is happening here today.
Let me also encourage you to pray together every day. Find some time to thank God daily for your many blessings and together bring your concerns to him. Make him a part of every one of your important decisions. The grace that comes from taking this time together daily cannot be overstated.
In a few minutes you will convalidate your marriage and we will witness the vows you make to one another. A convalidation is sometimes described as “having your marriage blessed,” but it is much more than that. Today your marriage becomes a sacrament—a visible sign of Christ’s faithful love for His Church.
From this moment forward, Christ is not simply watching over your marriage—He is living within it. His grace strengthens your love, deepens your unity, and helps sustain you through every season of life.
For twenty-five years, you have already lived many of the virtues Saint Paul speaks about in the second reading: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness. You have built a life together through ordinary days and extraordinary moments, through joys and challenges alike. But today God gives you something new: sacramental grace to strengthen everything you have already built.
That grace is real. It strengthens fidelity when life becomes difficult. It renews patience when burdens grow heavy. It deepens forgiveness when wounds appear. And it reminds you that your marriage is not only about the two of you—it is also about Christ living in and through you.
Your witness of love today speaks powerfully to everyone here. In a world where commitment is often treated lightly, you are showing that love endures, that promises matter, and that it is never too late to invite Christ more deeply into your marriage.
Jesus Christ, who died and rose for you, now promises to remain with you and strengthen your love for the rest of your lives.
Like Tobiah and Sarah, you begin this new chapter with prayer and trust. And like them, we ask the Lord to bless you, strengthen you, and allow you to continue walking together—hand in hand—toward that happy old age they prayed for, and ultimately toward eternal life together in Christ.