Thursday, June 2, 2011

On the Ascension and Married Love

Of Christ, St. Augustine said: "Look upon the beauty of your Lover." Even the lousiest day, the most frustrating day, a day when I might  struggle to see the face of Christ in people I encounter, begins and ends with the embrace of my beloved husband, Greg.

Just as Christ brought His Humanity to heaven when He ascended, God brings our beloveds to us, to give us every day a glimpse of the Eternal Love that created us. No love in this world is more beautiful than married love. And it is stunning to realize that our sons, who give us such joy, would not have been summoned into existence without it.

Anyone who has been married as long as Greg and I have - nearly 18 years - knows it takes work. Sharing a life with someone for the long haul requires patience, planning, communication and forgiveness. None of these traits come naturally to me; I know Another is with me, guiding me, even in the moments when my struggle might be to see the face of Christ in my husband.

"Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field, let us abide in the villages. Let us get up early to the vineyards, let us see if the vineyard flourish, if the flowers be ready to bring forth fruits, if the pomegranates flourish."

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