Marriage of Mr. & Mrs. Ariam Gulasekaram - 11 Dec 1942

Whom God hath joined together let no man put asunder. The Church makes this pronouncement on all who are married in the Church. When two people who have high ideals of Christian marriage before them, come together for the purpose of setting up a Christian home we have not the slightest doubt in our own minds that it is God who joins them together. Sometimes we may have wondered whether we are right in bringing the name of God into marriage which appears to be a very human affair. Is it not purely a social event and what has that got to do with God and religion? When the almighty and all loving God created the world He made all things good. And among the supreme excellencies of his creation is the beauty of the human family. So good and strong did he make family love that it has persisted and continued to flower in almost indescribable loveliness. In spite of man’s sin and selfishness family love has continued to shed its lustre and brighten life throughout the centuries. In family life and love there is a reservoir of strength which nations and people require for their stability and progress.

When the Son of God took upon Himself human form in order to deliver many, He found not only much sin and evil to endure and sorrow over, but also much that was lovely and to be rejoiced in. And the chief beauty of the human life which he assumed was that of family love. He experienced family love to the full in His mother’s arms and in the quiet home at Nazareth among his kith and kin. We are approaching Christmas. One of the peculiar joys of the Christmas festival is that it reminds us that the Son of God became man in order that God Himself might receive and enjoy to the full all the loveliness that he had designed to enshrine in human life. The Christmas message is that God has his own personal and intimate delight in family life and that he is best served and loved in the lovely and joyous simplicities of the Christian home.

Therefore, we are right in believing that God takes a personal interest in every marriage that is contracted according to the will of God; and that He is present at every marriage service to bless the young couple. For two people to say that it is God who has joined them they should look on marriage setting aside all unworthy motives and worldly desires. Their sole aim in marriage must be to build up a Christian home where God will be worshipped. That which unites the two people should be love and the desire to grow in love, and not any worldly considerations of wealth, social status or any such unworthy objective. At the very beginning of the marriage service , the Church warns the young people , who are to be married, that they should not enter the state of matrimony unadvisedly, lightly or wantonly, but reverently, discreetly, soberly and in the fear of the Lord. In the fear of the Lord : when two people enter matrimony in the fear of the Lord, as all young people should, then we are right in affirming that it is God who joins them.

My young friends, I am sure you believe, as we all do, that it is God who has joined you together in Holy Matrimony. We thank God that it is love which has drawn you together, and it is love strong enough to overcome the barriers of social customs and family ties. A union which is founded on true love will be lasting and will please the heart of God. It is our prayer that you should grow in your love towards one another day by day. Such a growth in love is possible only if you will grow in your love towards God. If you believe that it is God who has joined you together, you will remember to give the foremost place to Him in all your thoughts. Give your first thoughts to God every day of your life. From the very beginning make it a rule of your life to kneel together by your bedside for prayer. Worship of God, public and private, should find a prominent place in your life. The Church has taken great care to emphasize the importance of the worship of God for your life.

You will notice that the marriage service is in two parts. The first part is the solemnization of the marriage which takes place on the chancel steps and which is complete when the Priest announces that you are man and wife. From the chancel steps you go to the altar as husband and wife to offer your worship to God. Your first act after your marriage is worship. You go to meet God even before you receive the congratulations of your friends and relations. You begin your married life by asking for God’s guidance and strength. In this way the Church tries to place before you the place God ought to have in your life. Dedicate your lives afresh today that you may serve him more faithfully in the days to come than ever before. If you cultivate the friendship and companionship of Jesus He will be a strength and support to you at all times. He will bear your burdens and fill you with true joy. May God bless you both abundantly and give you a happy and fruitful life, and may all who come to your home know that it is God who joined you both.