The Sacrament at the Present Moment....

....For me is marriage. I was re-reading Julian's wonderful post on the Sacrament of the Present Moment and then it got me thinking about the sacrament I am about to take....marriage. After all the flowers, satin, veil, lace, cake, and honeymoon are finished -- the couple must realize that they are in a marriage. My fiance and I are realizing together: MARRIAGE IS REALLY BIG DEAL! He's been dealing with some of his own personal issues, I've been busy planning and looking at gowns and flowers, and we've been planning our pre-Cana and NFP classes and then we stop to take a breath. And we look at each other. And we realize what we are about to undergo. A major sacrament! Sometimes in the midst of all the hoopla, it's very easy to lose sight of that major little fact. Yes major little fact.

But my fiance and I are doing our best to stay on point and focus on what we are doing together -- and that is what Julian emphasized in her post: the will of God. We realized that we are subject to major spiritual attacks and that prayer is the only weapon we have. But when we have faith, prayer, hope in the Lord, and when we seek His will diligently--only then we can stay focused (and sane). Isn't that in part what a sacrament is all about? The sacrament of the Eucharist is made possible because Christ obeyed the will of His Father. So even though it's so easy to get caught up in the excitement of the moment, it's so crucial to establish a habit of prayer and reflection as a couple. It's something that will indeed continue to redeem your married life together. So as I embark on this sacrament of my present moment -- I will be sure to share with all of my sisters the lessons that the Lord will most graciously teach me along the way.