When starting a lasting love relationship there is the desire and the determination to be happy by living one for each other. This desire is stronger than any doubt or hesitation. We all have a dream of a covenant relationship, i.e. a way of living together in which the relationship itself is at the centre.
A covenant is a promise to be faithful and to love each other no matter what. There is never a question of equity or justice between what is promised and what is expected; in other words, this love is unconditional. The love between the two of you is more important than the agreements you make. You want to invest in your relationship and therefore enrich it.
This type of covenant relationship makes love visible, a sign. As Catholics we understand that our relationship also can make Love visible, i.e. Jesus’ love for His people; this is what we call a sacrament.
When you live a covenant relationship, you discover that you are more than just two people who are committed to each other. Your relationship may also be a sign, that your life as a couple can make love visible.
How do you do that? Quite simply in the way you talk to one another, the way you listen to one another, the way you live your relationship, in the way you affirm one another, the way you face conflict/arguments and still stay together in your differences.
To live a covenant love, we need a community, people who share the same dream and who are prepared to invest in it. As believers on our journey we discover a community around Jesus, which is a real help to live a covenant love, and an enrichment for society.
In this time of isolation, as we prepare for Christmas, it is important to continue to be visible in our Love relationship to our community as its ripples bring hope for the future.
This blog was written by Mark & Sue Stubbings from Worldwide Marriage Encounter England & Wales Leadership who are also part of the Alliance of Catholic Marriage Organisations.
