It is official, we are married!
We were married in Our Lady of Lourdes where, upon returning from a pilgrimage to the actual Lourdes, France, Jack and I met on the steps, and that we started our first date in with a Holy Hour and Morning Mass where the Gospel was the wedding feast of Cana (talk about having to practice emotional chastity and custody of the mind).
The week of our wedding was a blur of everything glorious, exciting, and challenging; but the day came with nothing but peace and joy.
We were surrounded by so many loved ones, who love us so dearly, our Bishop witnessed our marriage and was the main celebrant for the Mass, my brother and brother-in-law led worship for the Mass, and the reception was an absolute dream. Jack and I felt like it was nothing short of a foretaste of the Wedding Banquet of Heaven. All I can say was I experienced the purest and most peaceful of joys I have known.
Then, stepping away from life and work, we disappeared to Puerto Rico for two weeks to soak each other in as husband and wife. What an adventure! From touring the old Spanish fortresses, stumbling into multiple historic Churches including the OLDEST CHURCH in the Americas, to renting a camper van and touring the island all by ourselves, it was wonderful to say the least. We felt the Lord's delight in and provision for us over and over again. Like happening to walk into a Church and being gifted with Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, and then daily Masses upon daily Masses. Probably 3-4 times we would go to a Church to pray a Holy Hour and then as we were closing our time in prayer, Mass would begin, to our surprise. Or one night after dinner Jack felt inclined to swing through the old Franciscan Convent and as we walked in, a small sacred music concert was taking place which was by far the most beautiful music we have ever heard.
Even upon returning to Portland yesterday, we were praying in Jack's old Parish and our beloved Priest-friend walked in on us and asked us if we would like to have a private Mass. We told him how this was keeping with the entire theme of our honeymoon and he joyfully reminded us that the most beautiful gifts are the ones we don't grasp for and that are a surprise from the Lord. How Jesus loves to surprise us!
More and more I believe that true conversion and healing is the ongoing encounter with the love of the Lord; that authentic conversion is the continual conversion to fully believing and living in the goodness and love of the Lord. He is truly GOOD, and loves us so deeply and perfectly.
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