In a culture often captivated by spectacle, Archbishop Richard Smith said Christian marriage keeps believers focused on what truly matters—the “main event,” Jesus Christ.
He shared the reflection during the Archdiocese of Vancouver’s Milestone Marriage Anniversary Mass, giving thanks for the sacrament of matrimony and praying for the grace of continued fidelity, continuing a long-standing archdiocesan tradition of celebrating the Mass on World Marriage Day, the second Sunday of February.
Speaking at St. Patrick’s Church in Vancouver, the Archbishop pointed to the cultural phenomenon surrounding spectacles like the Super Bowl, where commercials often generate as much attention as the game itself.
“The main event is the game; the commercials are incidental,” he said. “Yet increasingly they attract attention away from the game.”
In that dynamic, he suggested, lies a broader spiritual struggle.
“We witness a diversion of attention away from the real toward the imaginary, a preference for illusion over substance, and a massive investment in what is fleeting,” he said. “The main event is Jesus Christ; what is real is life in him. Yet we are continually seduced away by what is illusory, by what is passing, by what ultimately does not matter at all.”
Christian marriage on the other hand offers a steady and visible witness to what lasts, he said. The covenant between husband and wife reflects Christ’s faithful love for his Church and keeps couples—and the wider community—rooted in what truly matters.
“Faithfulness of husband and wife throughout the inevitable challenges of family life points to the steadfast and reliable presence of Jesus,” he said. “This is how married couples fulfill their call as disciples to be salt of the earth and light for the world.”
By persevering in their vows through joys and trials alike, anniversary couples proclaim that love grounded in Christ is enduring and life-giving.
“The world needs the witness of the faithful marriages we honour and celebrate today,” Archbishop Smith said. “We all need to be reminded by their example of what matters, so that we do not waste our lives on what doesn’t.”
During the Mass, couples renewed their marriage promises before family and friends and received a special blessing.
