Before I got married, I thought I was the perfect catch. I was confident in myself, loved adventure, was disciplined in my job,  went to daily Mass, and frequented the adoration chapel. I was intelligent and happy and was surrounded by good friends.

Often today if a man and woman want to get married, they first live together to see if they would be a good fit. To a lot of people, it makes sense to see if you are “compatible” before marriage, but really the opposite is true.

When I stood at the altar 7 years ago, I could have never imagined what would happen in the next 7 years: mother to 4, several job changes, a growing business, a move, and some emotional issues that I’ve had to work through. All I knew is that I loved my husband and we would be starting an adventure together.
 

In speaking to a group of priests on February 25^th, Pope Francis urged that during marriage prep, couples must be helped to understand “the profound meaning of the step that they are about to take. . . They say yes, but do they understand this? Do they have faith in this? A true catechumenate is needed for the sacrament of marriage.”
 

It’s trivia time! There seems to be a trend on TV these days – from Parks and Rec to The Office, Gilmore Girls to Grey’s Anatomy- that the romantic thing to do is to impulsively get married in private and then have a big ceremony with friends. And with many shows, and in the case of a recent episode of Last Man Standing, the venue was switched last minute from the Church to a retail store where the family worked, which apparently was more meaningful.