Novena

Reflection

June 24 (Day 1)

“Christian marriage is not just a social institution, much less a mere remedy for human weakness. It is a real supernatural calling. A great sacrament, in Christ and in the Church, says St Paul. At the same time, it is a permanent contract between a man and a woman. Whether we like it or not, the sacrament of matrimony, instituted by Christ, cannot be dissolved. It is a permanent contract that sanctifies in cooperation with Jesus Christ. He fills the souls of husband and wife and invites them to follow him. He transforms their whole married life into an occasion for God’s presence on earth.” ST. JOSEMARIA ESCRIVA Christ is Passing By, no. 23

Prayer

June 24 (Day 1)

Lord Jesus Christ, help Andrew and Amanda to appreciate how great the calling to marriage is, as they together prepare for the great sacrament (cf. Eph 5:32). Grant that they might seek to reflect the love that You have for Your Church by their sincere and sacrificing love for each other. May they be pure in their hearts, chaste in their bodies, and generous in their service to each other, so that their love for one another may truly imitate the love with which You laid down Your life for Your bride, the Church. Amen

Reflection

June 25 (Day 2)

“Marriage is a sacrament that makes one flesh of two bodies. Theology expresses this fact in a striking way when it teaches us that the matter of the sacrament is the bodies of husband and wife. Our Lord sanctifies and blesses the mutual love of husband and wife. He foresees not only a union of souls but a union of bodies as well. No Christian, whether or not he is called to the married state, has a right to underestimate the value of marriage.” ST. JOSEMARIA ESCRIVA Christ is Passing By, no. 24

Prayer

June 25 (Day 2)

Lord Jesus Christ, as Andrew and Amanda prepare to be united as two in one flesh, grant that they might grow in mutual respect and understanding of each other. Help them to deepen their union of mind and heart, so that they will better appreciate their union of body as the privileged expression of that spiritual union which Your Spirit accomplishes in them. Amen.

Reflection

June 26 (Day 3)

“Husband and wife are called to sanctify their married life and to sanctify themselves in it. [...]They will achieve this aim by exercising the virtues of faith and hope, facing serenely all the great and small problems which confront any family and persevering in the love and enthusiasm with which they fulfill their duties. In this way they practice the virtue of charity in all things. They learn to smile and forget about themselves in order to pay attention to others. Husband and wife will listen to each other and to their children, showing them that they are really loved and understood. They will forget about the unimportant little frictions that selfishness could magnify out of proportion. They will do lovingly all the small acts of service that make up their daily life together.”

Prayer

June 26 (Day 3)

Lord Jesus Christ, Andrew and Amanda are preparing to enter into married life, where times of joy are often mingled with moments of sorrow and difficulty. Grant that they may see all of these occasions as opportunities to grow in holiness and fidelity. By striving now to accept all things for love of You, may they strive ever more zealously to pursue holiness when they are united together in You. Amen.

Reflection

June 27 (Day 4)

“Human love — pure, sincere and joyful — cannot subsist in marriage without the virtue of chastity[...] When there is chastity in the love of married persons, their marital life is authentic; husband and wife are true to themselves, they understand each other and develop the union between them. When the divine gift of sex is perverted, their intimacy is destroyed, and they can no longer look openly at each other. [...]This is the context in which we must see the Christian doctrine. Our faith does not ignore anything on this earth that is beautiful, noble and authentically human. It simply teaches us that the rule of our life should not be the selfish pursuit of pleasure, because only sacrifice and self-denial lead to true love.” ST. JOSEMARIA ESCRIVA Christ is Passing By, no. 25 & 24

Prayer

June 27 (Day 4)

Lord Jesus Christ, help Andrew and Amanda to prepare for a chaste married life by living chastity right now. As they work toward self-mastery, let them never lose sight of the beautiful gift of pure married love. Let them always remember that the quality of their married love depends upon their willingness to sacrifice themselves for each other. Beginning now, give them the strength to deny themselves so that they can affirm the great dignity of the love to which You call them. Amen

Reflection

June 28 (Day 5)

“A married couple should build their life together on the foundation of a sincere and pure affection for each other, and on the joy that comes from having brought into the world the children God has enabled them to have. They should be capable of renouncing their personal comfort; and they should put their trust in the providence of God." "People who are constantly concerned with themselves, who act above all for their own satisfaction, endanger their eternal salvation and cannot avoid being unhappy even in this life. Only if a person forgets himself and gives himself to God and to others can he be happy on this earth, with a happiness that is a preparation for, and a foretaste of, the joy of heaven.” ST. JOSEMARIA ESCRIVA Christ is Passing By, no. 25 & 24

Prayer

June 28 (Day 5)

Lord Jesus Christ, we ask You to prepare Andrew and Amanda for parenthood by enlarging their hearts. Deepen their love and generosity so that they will gratefully receive the children whom You wish to give them. Prepare them to make the necessary sacrifices that will not only ensure the wellbeing of their children, but assure those children that they are loved by You through Andrew and Amanda's loving care. Amen.

Reflection

June 29 (Day 6)

“As long as we walk on this earth, suffering will always be the touchstone of love. If we were to describe what occurs in the married state, we could say that there are two sides to the coin. On the one hand, there is the joy of knowing that one is loved[...]. On the other hand, there are also sorrows and difficulties [...]. We would have a poor idea of marriage and of human affection if we were to think that love and joy come to an end when faced with difficulties. It is precisely then that our true sentiments come to the surface. Then the tenderness of a person’s gift of himself takes root and shows itself in a true and profound affection that is stronger than death.” ST. JOSEMARIA ESCRIVA Christ is Passing By, no. 24

Prayer

June 29 (Day 6)

Lord Jesus Christ, we ask You to prepare Andrew and Amanda for the self-giving that marriage will ask of them. Remind them that their married life will be joyful and fulfilling only to the extent that they model their love on Your self-sacrificing love. Especially in times of trial and hardship, may they embrace the difficulties that You permit with a spirit of love and courage. Enlighten their minds and strengthen their hearts to receive all of the sufferings of married life with confidence in Your providence and mercy. Amen

Reflection

June 30 (Day 7)

“When I think of Christian homes, I like to imagine them as being full of the light and joy that were in the home of the Holy Family. The message of Christmas is heard in all its forcefulness: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will.’ ‘And may the peace of Christ triumph in your hearts,’ writes the Apostle. It is a peace that comes from knowing that our Father God loves us, and that we are made one with Christ. It results from being under the protection of the Virgin, our Lady, and assisted by St Joseph. This is the great light that illuminates our lives. In spite of the small frustrations of daily life, an atmosphere of profound and sincere affection should reign there with a deep-rooted calm, which is the result of authentic faith that is put into practice.”

Prayer

June 30 (Day 7)

Lord Jesus Christ, help Andrew and Amanda to be devoted to Our Lady and St Joseph, who will teach them how to make their future home into a place where You are pleased to dwell. The Psalm tells us: “If the Lord does not build the house, those who build it labor in vain” (Ps 127:1). May they always allow You to build up their family and home life by accepting from Your hand all of the opportunities You give them to serve each other and grow in mutual love. Amen

Reflection

July 1 (Day 8)

“Listen to your children. Give them your time, even the time that you have reserved for yourselves. Show them your confidence; believe whatever they tell you, even if sometimes they try to deceive you. Don’t be afraid when they rebel, because, at their age, you yourselves were more or less rebellious. Go to meet them half-way and pray for them. If you act in this Christian manner, they will come to you with simplicity. At the same time, parents should help their children to direct their efforts. It is not a matter of imposing a line of conduct, but rather of showing the human and supernatural motives for it. In a word, parents have to respect their children’s freedom, because there is no real education without personal responsibility, and there is no responsibility without freedom.”

Prayer

July 1 (Day 8)

Lord Jesus Christ, help Andrew and Amanda to appreciate deeply their status as adopted children of God. Help them to call upon God as their Father with great tenderness and confidence. By learning to treasure their own dignity as God’s children, may they also know better how to love and form the children that You wish to give them, in the same Spirit that has made us all Your brothers and sisters, and sons and daughters of the Heavenly Father. Amen.

Reflection

July 2 (Day 9)

“Couples should be convinced that they are really and truly called to take part in the fulfillment of God’s plan for the salvation of all men. For this reason, there is perhaps no better model for a Christian couple than that of the Christian families of apostolic times, and so many other homes and families of Jews and Gentiles, Greeks and Romans, in which the preaching of our Lord’s first disciples began to bear fruit—families who lived in union with Christ and who made him known to others; families no different from other families of those times, but living with a new spirit, which spread to all those who were in contact with them. This is what the first Christians were, and this is what we have to be: sowers of peace and joy, the peace and joy that Jesus has brought to us.”

Prayer

July 2 (Day 9)

Lord Jesus Christ, You call Andrew and Amanda to live a life of Christian witness in the world, reflecting the joy and peace that comes from belonging to You and to Your Church. Grant that their married love may radiate outward to many souls, inspiring those souls to come to You and to the Church. May they prepare for this by living authentically Christian lives right now— lives of generosity, self-restraint, and purity—so that by their example, the light of the Gospel may shine brightly before all. Amen.

Wedding Day!

July 3