BIS Mumbai
BOSCO INFORMATION SERVICE # 3378
FOURTH WORLD MARRIAGE DAY CELEBRATED IN BHINGAR
Bento D'Souza
BHINGAR-AHMEDNAGAR, FEBRUARY 12, 2013 : Twenty eight years ago, Worldwide Marriage Encounter began encouraging a Celebration of Marriage on the second Sunday of February. In 1983, World Marriage Day (WMD) was designated as a day to honour the husband and the wife as the head of the family, the basic unit of society. The archdiocese of Mumbai and Vasai and few other dioceses follow this tradition and celebrate it annually.
Nagpur Diocese celebrated it on February 03 this year. This tradition continues even today in different parishes and different dioceses across the nation. This is the fourth anniversary of World Marriage Day celebrated on Sunday, February 10, 2013 in St. John the Baptist church, Bhingar during both masses.
The Fourth World Marriage Day, Bhingar event flowed smoothly with the people all prepared for it by a forty day marriage marathon. Introduction was done by the children and Priest. While the last three years it was the personal animation of Fr. Bento that effected WMD. This year WMD, in Bhingar was planed by the Parish priest personally.
WMD has about all the fixings for a real wedding to remind couples about how it all began. We had a special liturgy to affirm the renewal of marriage vows including a homily on Marriage and what it is all about.
Worldwide Marriage Encounter has a special website : <www. World Marriage Day.org> with oodles of history and ideas.
First reading was taken from the regular Fifth Sunday, Isaiah, 61-2a, 6-8. The Second reading of Fourth Sunday: 1Corinthians, 12,31 -13,13/ 13,4,13 was on love and the Gospel of Second Sunday, the Wedding at Cana, John 2,1-11 were chosen.
The Homily was preached in Marathi by Fr. Dominic Lisboa, SDB a former parish priest in Bhingar and Fr. Joe D'Souza SJ in English. Fr. Joe made three couples share their marriage experience.Prayer of faithful of the ordinary Sunday were prayed by the main celebrants Fr. Sijju and Fr. Gerard read the petitions.
Symbolic Offering of icons of life and marriage, a clock-symbolic of time, water and wine, the Indian flags, the replica of the Taj Mahal and a military tank were offered with relevant commentary.
After communion, the Prayer for our Marriage in Marathi and Renewal of Vows were expressed as the climax of the celebration.
Concluding prayer was said and all were sent on a mission to build their home-church and planetary-church. All left reinvigorated to cherish their gift of marriage and realize that 'marriage without love can end in a divorce.' It is not so much as to fear, but enjoy this journey into the future and treasure a marriage begun in heaven lived here on this earth.
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