Intention: That all engaged couples may recognize the high calling of their unique vocation to love one another as Christ loves the Church.
Reflection: As Catholics, we believe that the marriage of one man and one woman is not a temporary contract or something that can be ended if a husband or wife “falls out of love.”
Instead, the bond of marriage is all-encompassing. It involves the husband and wife making a vow that is indissoluble, that is, unbreakable. On their wedding day, the bride and groom promise to be committed to one another not only in that moment, but in every moment for the rest of their lives. The nature of love implies totality. “It is impossible for two young people to reach the point of sincerely saying ‘I love you’ without adding, implicitly or explicitly, ‘forever.’”1
In this way, husband and wife are able to participate in Trinitarian love, which is eternal.
Did You Know? During his recent address to young people in Assisi, Pope Francis encouraged men and women to be open to the vocation of marriage. He explained that marriage is “the vocation to form one flesh and one life from two, male and female,” that it is rooted “in God himself,” and that “by this gift, and by the certainty of this call, you can continue on assured; you have nothing to fear; you can face everything together! ”
1 Angelo Cardinal Scola, The Nuptial Mystery, 267.
More:
- Learn about the Bishops’ Call to Prayer for Life, Marriage, and Religious Liberty
- Sign the pledge to fast on Fridays for life, marriage, and religious liberty
- Join the Call to Prayer Facebook event
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