Couples across the Archdiocese are being encouraged to pray together during UK Marriage Week.

Fr Jeremy Milne, our Vicar Episcopal for Marriage and Families, issued this video message for married, engaged and dating couples to deepen their love for each other and for God. Full transcript below.

"This week is UK National Marriage Week, an initiative of the Marriage Foundation, to celebrate marriage and to encourage all couples whether married, engaged or dating, to take stock of where they are and where they are going in their relationship and to renew or deepen their commitment to one another.

"The theme of this year’s Marriage Week is ‘The Forever Conversation’. That’s a lovely way of describing the intimacy of the lifelong partnership of life and love, through good times and bad that is marriage.

"It also describes God’s desire to enfold each and every one of us in the eternal communion of love shared between Father, Son and Holy Spirit: the forever conversation with him that God calls us to join.

"Praying together is a sure way for couples to keep their own forever conversation immersed in the forever conversation of God’s love.

"The Marriage Week website has lots of resources to guide you and I commend it to you.

"One thing I took off it to show you is this selfie celebration card. If you are able, you can print this off from the website, put the number of years you are married in the star and then take a selfie which you can post on social media using the hashtags #marriageweek #foreverconversation. If you can’t print at home you could always draw one.

"So, why not celebrate marriage this week and spend some time praying together and giving thanks for each other? Here is a prayer that you might like to use which comes from the Marriage Week website."

God of love,
Thank you for our marriage;
For shared laughter and tears;
for strength in our weakness,
And enough for life each day.
Thank you for the gifts we bring each other,
And bless us as we grow together in love,
Through all that life brings through the years.
Amen.

See marriage-week.org.uk for more details.