Questions and Answers
You do not need to fill out the 'name' or 'email' cells to send me a question. In the answers to follow, I will not use any names in my short response to them. The questions might be organized in some way if enough people send them, so please feel free to send any questions involving Terry's essay and Rachel's poems. Other general questions about the wedding are welcome as well.
Will this be a physical marriage or a spiritual marriage?
Yes. The first marriage can bring us to an understanding of God's intentions, as the words of Christ attest to: "From the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female.' 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate" (Mark 10:6-9).
Marriage is physical, but through God it is spiritual and unitive.
This spiritual strength you're seeking, is it for the next life, this life, or both?
It is for both. We are convinced that God has purposes for us that remain a mystery. From the time he breathed the breath of life into our mothers' wombs, He knew. But, as the garden of Eden and the general history of Israel shows, we can deflect His will and create an idol of our will. It is not for God's benefit that we pray, or seek to become disciplined in our interior life, but for our own. The Spirit of Truth, as promised by Christ, will transform and guide us. It's a hard journey and we lack the strength for it.
Which has been harder or has grieved you the most, the acceptance of your conversion or budgeting for married life?
Of those two choices, budgeting has been the hardest.
Since it is out of our control as to what degree our family accepts our conversion, we take it as a matter of fact that some disagree. We don’t demand that each and every family member embrace Catholicism; we understand when they fail to do so, even if they are passionate in their rejection. We know they are not rejecting us as persons.
The hardest aspect with the budget is distinguishing what we need from what we want within the restraints of our income and monthly bills. This can be rather difficult at times when we really like something we want, since it’s easy to say we need it. The budget is under control at the moment, though it’s stressed a little. It would be a lot harder if our families didn’t help us by supplying furniture and other goods for when we live together. That help is something we weren’t expecting or demanding. We really appreciate it.