My husband Greg and I just returned from a 24-hour getaway to Cold Spring, New York in the Hudson Valley (pictured at left) Our sons stayed with neighbors and a friend visited our home to take care of the puppy. We took some time to hike and to celebrate Greg's 46th birthday, reconnecting as a couple, away from the constant demands of children, jobs, pets, bills, and home repairs.We married 17 years ago at Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Raleigh, North Carolina. In the intervening years, we've witnessed many of our friends' and siblings' marriages dissolve. And we have weathered losses and challenges: two miscarriages, the life-threatening illness of one of our newborns, Greg's near death in the World Trade Center, seasons of unemployment, financial stress and so on. What has kept our marriage thriving through crises and also through the sometimes grinding monotony of daily living? Our unwavering commitment to one another, the blessings of the Holy Spirit, and the recognition that our relationship has a supernatural dimension.
Marriages were around long before Christ was born. Catholic marriage is one of the seven sacraments; Christ himself performed his first public miracle at the Wedding at Cana. In the Catholic tradition, the ministers of this sacrament are not the priest, but the man and woman who are marrying. This is because the sign of the marriage are the vows the spouses make to one another.
Seventeen years ago, the vows we exchanged were sincere. "I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life." But those vows only came to life when we faced moments of great joy or deep sadness.
Perhaps my favorite moment of our wedding ceremony came when everyone gathered sang this hymn. I didn't know much Catholic philosophy or theology or history then. I did know we were enveloped by love - the love of one another, by the love our families and friends, and most particularly, by the love of a God who never abandons us.
