Love Never Fails
(Advice to Newlyweds)

Almost every marriage starts out as a huge celebration. Together with their family and friends, each couple is full of hopes and dreams for their future life together. But the road to a happy marriage is far from easy. My advice to you is a paraphrase of St. Paul's teaching on the virtue of love, which I would like to apply, in particular, to marriage. My hope and prayer is that you will find it useful in completing your journey to a happy and durable marriage.

If you give away everything you own to your spouse, and if you hand over your body to him or her so that you may boast, but do not have love for your spouse --- you gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous. Love is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude.

Love does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury.

Love does not rejoice over wrongdoing that you may inflict on your spouse.

Love bears all things, hopes all things and endures all things for the sake of the marriage.

Love never fails.

The matrimonial duties of mutual fidelity, faithfulness, respect, care, help and support are founded on the fundamental duty of mutual love. No marriage can survive without love. St. Paul said that the greatest supernatural gift that God has given us is love. In the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony, God gives you the supernatural grace that empowers you to fulfill your marital obligations towards each other. It is therefore important that, as husband and wife, you should invite God to direct your relationship. If you would like to do so, I encourage you to pray the following:

"Dear God, thank you so much for bringing us together as a couple. We know that you have a plan and a purpose for our marriage, and we pray that you forgive us for our past self-centeredness. We invite you, O God, to come into our lives, enrich our relationship with your grace and shine your light on our steps from now on. Please give us the strength to put you first in all decisions we will make now and in the future. We pray that you bless our marriage so that it will be a blessing to the children you will give us, to our relatives and our friends. By your grace, O God, let our marriage give glory to your most Holy Name. Amen."

God bless and keep you always.