Christians encouraged to exemplify the Sacrament of Marriage

The Most Rev. Gabriel Edoe Kumordji (SVD), Bishop of the Keta-Akatsi Diocese of the Catholic Church, has delivered a heartfelt message to the Christian community, urging them to become shining examples of the church’s teachings on marriage. In his address, he emphasized the importance of embodying the ideals of Christian marriage to serve as ambassadors of Christ to both Christians and non-Christians.

Bishop Kumordji explained the significance of marriage within the Catholic faith, highlighting that it is one of the Seven Sacraments. He categorized these Sacraments into three groups: the Sacraments of Initiation, Healing, and Service. Marriage, he elucidated, falls under the Sacraments of Service, with Holy Orders (Priesthood) being the other. Through the Sacrament of marriage, couples are called to serve God by providing unconditional love and support to each other and their families.

The Bishop urged married couples to present their unions before God, seeking His blessings to receive the grace necessary for a harmonious Christian family life.

This message was delivered during the thanksgiving mass commemorating the 50th Marriage Anniversary of Sir Stephen and Mrs. Felicia Adzamli at the Christ The King Church in Xikpo, part of the Sogakope Deanery within the Diocese.

Bishop Kumordji advised couples who are living together without the sanctity of marriage to formalize their unions customarily and sacramentally. He stressed the importance of making their commitment recognized both by society and the church, emphasizing that it is unacceptable for a man to continue having children with a woman he calls his “wife” without the proper commitment of marriage. He encouraged women in such situations to remain steadfast in their prayers for their husbands and to assert their rights.

The Bishop also expressed his concerns about Christian men engaging in extra-marital affairs, commonly referred to as “side-chicks,” and emphasized that such behaviour is unacceptable in the eyes of God.

He commended Sir Stephen and Felicia for their 50 years of marriage and requested them to share their experiences and wisdom with younger couples.

In reflecting on their journey, Sir Stephen, who serves as the Director of the Diocesan Lay Faithful and is a Marriage Counselor, shared valuable insights. He emphasized the importance of acknowledging one’s imperfections in a marriage and using apology and forgiveness as remedies for conflicts. Sir Stephen encouraged couples to rely on prayer to combat challenges and advised against frequent and prolonged arguments, as they can undermine marital happiness.

He further stressed the virtues of patience, tolerance, and honesty within a marriage and advised children to support their parents as a unified front rather than playing them against each other.

The couple’s five children, Dr. Innocent, Bridget, Walter, Genevieve, and Timothy, expressed their gratitude and respect by honoring their parents with citations and gifts.

As a gesture of goodwill, the celebrants presented food items and financial contributions to the residents of the Good Samaritan Home in Adidome. They also donated plastic chairs to the Christ The King Church and extended their appreciation to the Goka Abusa family, with whom they shared their lives from 1975 to 1979 in Xikpo.

The church, in return, recognized and praised the celebrants for their significant contributions to its growth. The event was attended by family members, in-laws, friends, and couples who had been counseled by the celebrants for their marriages.

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