PREPARING FOR A GOOD MARRIAGE

We all want a good marriage in the end...One that will last as well as be filled with joy and contentment. Good preparation is a must for a great life together in Holy Matrimony. We all know we should be chaste and resist temptation prior to marriage. A wedding and marriage should not be looked on as just a formality with a $20,000 budget nor just a formal ocassion where there are five signatures on a special piece of paper. Marriage is a spiritual bond between a man and a woman with God preceding. It is a sacred union that a couple enters into. When and after vows have been said only then should a women be treated like a women and a man like a husband. If one waits for marriage, one will treasure the gift of each other more than if one did not wait for marriage. Any vice only damages a marriage and does not help us obey God in a pleasing manner. Proper character and virtue will do  quite the oposite. Being chaste and pure as well as patient, humble, obedient to God's laws, and willingness to sacrifice for eaxh other will help us build  a life-long relationship. The more one helps each other thru a trial or keep one from fallling into sin, the more you will thank and love each other for the future. It is a great privilege to kneel before the altar on your wedding day without any past regrets, especially nowadays!

We should also remember that not all engagements lead to marriage. During the engagement process, yes we are planning to get married, but it is also during this time that we see whether or not we are meant for each other. That is why it is very important during this time to be very focused and not distracted by too much romance in order to decifer if this person you are dating is the right person for you. Again, if you are intimate, it is very hard to see this. Also, if you later break up, you may look back and see it as an unpleasant experience that you might have wished had not happened. If one has been with several people, it is not as special when you do find the right one, or the person you are marrying may feel at times the same that he or she  will not be sharing something special only with you. This is certainly something to think about, especially if one dates alot!

In closing, we all want an honest marriage. In marriage, we will be entirely each others, not before. Sex in marriage is a gift to each other. Before marriage, it is just taking, it is not committment, and it is not pure but selfish. Your future mate is really a gift from God. Why not come to the altar after making a sacrifice of making an effort to keep your engagement pure beforehand? This is a gift I'm sure Our Lord will be very pleased with. And certainly will come with many blessings.