For years they had wanted to get married, but life remained challenging, so they had to keep postponing it. Now the time had come. They had known and loved each other for over 15 years. A church wedding was not on their radar, but they had asked for a blessing. To allow the couple to experience the Church’s love, I agreed to preside over the ceremony. The ceremony took place in a beautiful park setting. In my address, I tried to include all the guests – both those with and without a faith. After the ceremony, whilst the guests were already heading to the champagne reception, the bride and groom stayed behind. With tears in his eyes, the groom told me: “I’m so moved. I felt so at home and so addressed; everything was just right. I don’t even know how to say THANK YOU.” I held both their hands and said: “You know, we all experienced it. There was a peace among us that everyone felt woven into. For me, it is the peace of the risen Jesus, which he promised us.” In silence and with deep understanding, we stood together for a few moments. When I then met the bride’s mother, she said: “There is only one word I can keep repeating: ‘grateful, grateful, grateful’.”
