Happy Anniversary to Us

Our Blessed Mother with the Infants

Jesus and St. John the Baptist

by Morales

updated
Today we celebrated 17 years of marriage.  As I was talking with some friends after Mass I had to think about how many years it has been but then remembered "Samwise is 16, so we have been married 17 years" (incidentally they were able to do the same math)  That's the good part about being open to life from the get-go, you can usually remember how many years you were married by adding  1.  We share our Anniversay with St. John the Baptist's birth.  One of 3 births celebrated in the Church.  I remember thinking at our wedding that it was interesting that the priest, Fr. Kunz, didn't say the regular readings for a wedding but the ones for the Feast of St. John the Baptist.  Interesting.  And curious me can't ask him why...
We were blessed by our priest, Fr. John, this morning after the Mass, which was said for us.  Great way to start out another year.  The intention was to get a nice family picture taken afterwards.  It was a nice thought.  1.  You need a camera to take a picture.... or remember that the phone has a camera on it...  2.  You need to find 11 children at a precise moment while there is still someone around to take a picture.....

My off-the-cuff advice (that I don't always follow) to married couples or to-be-married couples:

Put God first
Pray
Put your spouse second
Pray
Have children according to God's Plan, put them third and see how funny they are
Pray
Put others and everything else fourth.....
Pray
Smile and laugh alot a lot
Pray
Keep a regular schedule (ora et labora) for making saints of yourselves so you can make saints of your children
Pray
Talk together
Pray
Forgive
Pray
Have a date every night, not just on "date-night" that means.... talk, smile and laugh together. (read:  little acts of love go a long ways)
Pray
Say, "I love you"... often.
Pray
Eat, drink and be merry.
Pray
Never grow weary of one another, if you do, correct it right away.
Pray
Do stuff together
Pray
Never let the sun set upon your anger (I know, we 'luv' to pout, to what end?)
Pray
And one I learned this weekend on a retreat, you know your spouses virtues and vices, encourage the virtues and don't provoke the vices.
Pray
Be patient .....this is soooo me :P
Pray
Go to confession frequently, forgive 70x7xs and say sorry
Pray
Give 100% always (not 50/50)
Did I mention Pray?

Life is never perfect, it is full of crosses whether you are single or married.  And to add to that, we are people of Faith, God will try that Faith.  Accept and embrace His Will and your crosses because they are His Will... accept them with great love as no cross comes without God's approval.  Make your crosses work for the edification of yourself and others.  (and believe me, I know this is very hard sometimes seems impossible)  But Our Lord fell under the weight of His Cross, and what did He do.... He got up.  (don't ask how many times I've had to get up....)  You will know you are on the right path when you are full of Joy.... I didn't say feel joy... I said full of Joy.   Full of Christ. Full of Love.  (I didn't say huggy-kissy-touchy-feely, I said full of Love... as in the Divine Virtue, as in God Himself)  And remember, He is a jealous God... if He isn't first, you will never be full of Happiness.  (but you might find yourself perfectly miserable)

Here I am Lord, I come to do Your Will.... or at least that is what I want to do and if you don't give me the Grace to do it, then I'm going to tell your Mother on You.