麻豆约拍

Good morning. It shouldn鈥檛 be a surprise to hear someone say,聽 鈥淚鈥檓 not the person that I used to be鈥�.聽 Jobs, hobbies, relationships all change; and for better or for worse, that in turn changes us.
One big change in my family is that we鈥檙e looking forward to my son鈥檚 wedding this summer. The time was when I鈥檇 be the priest who planned the ceremony with the couple; but now I鈥檓 also the mum who鈥檚 planning a huge family event. More than that, I鈥檓 going to be gaining a daughter-in-law, and the whole new network of family relations that she鈥檒l be bringing with her.聽
鈥楧aughter-in-law鈥� is an interesting concept. There鈥檚 an old adage that says 鈥榶ou can choose your friends but you can鈥檛 choose your family鈥�. Yet those whom we know as 鈥榠n laws鈥� come to us through someone else鈥檚 choice, a family created by law, yes, but also by love.As we鈥檝e been busy drawing up invitation lists and seating arrangements for the reception, I鈥檝e been reflecting on the way we鈥檒l be giving expression to that creative choice through some of the old wedding traditions. So the custom of seating the two families on either side of the church marks the starting point- our separateness. But once the bride and groom have exchanged their vows, they lead a grand procession down the aisle - and then there鈥檚 a symbolic mixing and matching of family members who follow them out. The love that brought the couple together also brings the two families together.
That鈥檚 the theory of course- there are no guarantees.聽 But if love makes such change even possible, I believe we should seize it with both hands聽 whenever it comes.聽
O God who holds us fast in your embrace, we thank you for all whom we have come to know on the journey of life. Open our hearts that we may learn to be generous in the way we offer love and be ready to receive love in return. Amen.聽