On behalf of St. Sebastians parish – we offer you a blessing on this happy occasion.

In gratitude for God blessing you all these years, we turn to Him in humble thanksgiving.

Thankful for the gift of this united life, thankful for when the two of you met and that one of you took the initiative to make this union lifelong.

In happy and joyous times, we hope that you both savored them and kept pieces of that happiness tucked away in a safe place for future memories. We hope that your marriage strengthened the personal commitments of those around you. (For whether we like it or not, we witness commitment, dedication and perseverance for all to see and believe.)

God created marriage as a sacrament to unite man and woman together in a union that is similar to the relationship between Christ and the Church – in other words, it is inseparable, it is one and it lasts a lifetime.

I hope that you are now able to finish each other’s sentences (even if the other person doesn’t like it), I hope you have likes and dislikes figured out after 50 years of shared life, I hope that in retelling stories to friends and you change things around that the other doesn’t correct you but simply smiles at how one story can have so many different endings.

We pray that in troubling and difficult times that you sought God’s advice as well as the advice of each other. If the troubles were personal, we hope that you experienced them together and solved or treated them together. We pray that during troubling times you two were able to find that happiness and joy that you tucked away and kept safe years ago.

Life is full of ups and downs, twists and turns. We pray that life’s road was made a little easier and smoother because you had a shoulder to lean upon, a friend who told you that “It’s okay” even when it wasn’t, a confidant who helped you carry your burdens and worries, doubts and anxieties.

50 years ago you turned to each other and said “I do” without knowing what “I do” did. Now you know. You’ve lived it and now witness that commitment to all of us here today. And we pray that what you said 50 years ago may echo through all your years ahead. And even better than that, that your years may resonate into the eternal kingdom promised us by Jesus Christ.

For it is in his name that this parish community blesses you today Bob and Marilyn…