English
EspañolSome see the wedding as the final peak. During the engagement, they make an effort. The conquest of their partner ends with the wedding. Objective accomplished. From then on, they lay down for a final nap. Was that a love story or a simple game of Capture the Flag?
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“Both short-term and long-term marriage preparation should ensure that the couple do not view the wedding ceremony as the end of the road, but instead embark upon marriage as a lifelong calling based on a firm and realistic decision to face all trials and difficult moments together. The pastoral care of engaged and married couples should be centred on the marriage bond.” (The Joy of Love, n.211)
Commentary
Rocio and Jorge have been married for 20 years. Rocio recalls: “I was very hopeful about getting married, about starting a family with Jorge. I must be honest and say that what I was most excited about at that time were the preparations for the event when I would be “queen for a day.” We were about to finish the cycle of the lectures in the parish regarding marriage, and the person who was giving some of the classes told us: “up to now we have talked about the ceremony, but marriage is much more than the wedding. The theme of this lesson is: the stages of marriage”. That session made us think and talk to each other.
I remember Jorge said to me: “mmm…, the wedding is only the first step. Until now I had this idea in the back of my mind, maybe because of the rush of these days. The class has brought it to the forefront”. Rocio continued: “The class was beneficial for us. It made us realize that life did not stop on our wedding day, but on the contrary, it started then. We were entering a new life, a whole road ahead; one meant for us to travel together, which would have good moments and not-so-good ones. The most important thing would be to intertwine our steps and not take them separately no matter what might occur. We were beginning the experience of creating harmony, the art of harvesting union instead of discord, taking advantage of whatever life brought; moreover, this meant loving each other with realism and depth. That there would be no obstacle that we could not overcome if we faced it together.”
“These art forms are endless, you can always learn more, you always make mistakes…, but you advance and grow. After a few years, you are no longer in the first chapter of the book”
