L-O-V-E

Yesterday we celebrated 9 years of marriage. Can it have been that long since we stood in front of the altar of my childhood parish in front of 200+ people to vow to love and honor each other till death do us part?

Fr. Lehrberger who celebrated the wedding Mass talked about L-O-V-E vs. L-U-V. LOVE is a self-sacrificing action which extends out to society. LUV is the world's concept of romance in which the couple, as Father said, lives in a cottage by the sea, wrapped up in each other without living their vocation in the world which needs their love in action. These words have stayed with me over the years and reminded me that marriage creates a family, a little domestic church, which can't thrive and grow if it does not go out of itself into the community.

Thinking about that day reminds me again that a wedding isn't about just those two people. Our families were instrumental in not only the wedding preparations, but our preparation as future husband and wife. Two different families were united and our little family started. My mom, dad and sisters took care of so much for me in Florissant, since I was living in Virginia, and they were in town from Australia. My brother traveled from Colorado where he was living at the time to be in the wedding. John's mom made Miriam's flower girl dress (it was beautiful) and his dad wrote an awesome story for the paper (where he's an editor) about our engagement and wedding. His brothers and sisters were in the wedding as well as our nephew, Andrew, who at 3 years old was a very entertaining ring bearer. Christina got him prepared and made a beautiful ring pillow for him to hold. Christina also organized a long distance Pampered Chef catalog bridal shower.

The more I thought about this day and the many people who were involved and did so much work, and the many friends who got on planes to get to a cold St. Louis where we were nervous about the weather holding out, the more I realized how blessed we are, how much love in action there was, how much grace showered us. So, for us as a newlywed couple to 'live in a cottage by the sea' would be a rejection of the love shown us by so many.

These 9 years of married life have been beautiful, difficult at times, a chance to grow in virtue and love someone as we have never loved before. John is the kind of husband I want my future daughters (God willing) and nieces to meet and marry. I love you, John. God bless you always.