This summer, Ss Alban and Stephen Catholic Church has seen the marriages of several young people and the funerals of several older people, and the love evident on these occasions is very moving. Generally weddings are happy and joyful, although they can bring a mixture of emotions, and funerals are sad. But the funeral of one parishioner in particular was also joyful because that person had approached her impending death with such faith in the love of God.

When my own son got married, I was privileged to read a Bible passage from St Paul to the Corinthians on love. In this he reminds us that love is patient and kind, never jealous, conceited, or irritable, never keeping a record of wrong doings, and is eternal.

Few young people starting married life realise the challenges love will bring, or how much they will need the help of family and friends as they journey through married life.

At Ss Alban and Stephen we are immensely fortunate to have Marriage Preparation Courses for our couples getting married. These not only have the involvement of our clergy, but also married couples able to share their experiences.

Seeing the love shown throughout a long marriage, particularly when a loved partner has endured a long illness, is humbling.

But love reaches another dimension completely when we try to understand God’s love for us. Unlike in marriage, or friendship, we cannot earn God’s love, and there is nothing that can separate us from it.

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Readers who submit articles must agree to our terms of use. The content is the sole responsibility of the contributor and is unmoderated. But we will react if anything that breaks the rules comes to our attention. If you wish to complain about this article, contact us here