An 85-year-old building engineer, Chief Paulinus Nwafor, has disclosed that couples should avoid bringing in third parties into their marriages, as well as avoid focusing on materialism if they want to live long and stay healthy.
Nwafor said that being alive to witness his children and loved ones coming together to celebrate him and his wife was more significant to them than any other material thing.
The octogenarian disclosed this while speaking to journalists at the sidelines of the celebration of the 45th wedding anniversary between himself and his wife, Lolo Nwafor, over the weekend.
The wedding anniversary, which was organised by their children, took place at Nwafor’s country home in Ezioko village, Oko, in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State, and was presided over by the Bishop of Ekwulobia Catholic Dioceses, His Eminence Peter Cardinal Okpalaeke.
The Bishop of Awka Catholic Diocese, Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor, a Labour Party chieftain, Valentine Ozigbo, family, friends and other well-wishers graced the occasion.
Recounting the challenges and breakthroughs they went through in their 45-year marriage, especially to train all their children, Nwafor said their staying power was not allowing third parties into their marriage and also avoiding focusing on material things while looking unto God for their supplies.
He said, “We are very excited that our children are celebrating us while we are alive, which they are doing today that is our 45th wedding anniversary. It is better to be celebrated while alive than the fanfare thrown at the demise of someone.
“I am happy seeing people coming together to make merry because of me and my wife and we are witnessing it. Our life wish is being fulfilled today and we are so happy about it. We are blessed with the gift of children and a wonderful community.
“Marriage is a thing of joy as ordained by God. For 45 years now, I and my wife have been living happily together. No marriage is without challenges and despite the challenges, we have always had breakthroughs and our staying power is because we avoided third parties and kept our focus on God for direction.
“My advice to struggling marriages is to be patient; divorce should not be the first option. They should always be prayerful and invest everything they have in giving their children the best training in the ways of God. I appreciate God for the gift of being alive to witness this day and I expressed satisfaction with what God has bestowed on me and my wife, for 45 years.”
In his message, the Bishop of Ekwulobia Catholic Dioceses, His Eminence Peter Cardinal Okpalaeke, identified parental failure, community failure and failure of the Church as the reasons marriages are crashing all over the world today.
Okpalaeke said training of children in the ways of God from infantry to the stage of getting married remains the only solution to curb what he described as a “marriage menace.”
He said, “Marriage should be a thing of joy. To the best of my knowledge, marriages are constantly crashing today because such couples have lost a sense of family.
“The crises you are seeing in marriages today is a reflection of failure; failure of the parents, failure of the community, failure of the Church and other institutions that are supposed to be a nurturing place or ground for those that would eventually get married.
“Institutions have failed. Individuals have lost a sense of family. Many of the crashed marriages today, point to the fact that the couples were not well prepared before entering into marriage life. The family and the Church somehow have failed.
“Good family provide good husband/wife, provide good Reverend Fathers and Sisters.”
Okpalaeke, while admonishing Christians to be followers of Christ, show love of Christ and live a Christ-like life, also harped on the importance of having good intentions which he noted matter a lot to God, reminding the people to always put God first in their daily activities.
Also in his appreciation, one of the sons of the celebrants and a serving Priest at the Ekwulobia Catholic Diocese, Reverend Father Emmanuel Nwafor, said the celebration had become an annual routine in their family to celebrate God’s abundant grace and mercies.
He urged the Christian faithful to imbibe the spirit of celebrating their parents while they are still alive, adding that it was their wish to celebrate their parents while alive.
He said, “It is our wish to celebrate our parents while alive. I will never forget their unending support to make sure that all their children become great in life. They are a beacon of faith and testament that serving God is indeed rewarding.”