Surely you have made this important decision not for traditional reasons, but rather out of a desire to strengthen your love. Yet this desire alone is not enough. It is essential to become ever more aware that the celebration of the sacrament will bring your relationship to another level. Christian marriage is a true vocation: It’s to make visible, through faithful and patient love, the love with which God loves us, or to become a ray of his love for humanity.

Pope Francis explains: “It is clear that this is an imperfect analogy, but let’s try to grasp the spiritual meaning that is very deep and revolutionary here, and, at the same time, simple, within the reach of every man and woman who relies on the grace of God.” Your love which is so fragile, with the help of that covenant ratified before God, will grow and become ever stronger. Everything will become lighter if each of you is married not to take possession of the life of the other, but to help their partner realize themselves fully. It is a great challenge, but also a great trust God gives to those who marry. Conscious of the exciting and challenging task that awaits you, learn to dialogue constantly, to rediscover the reasons for your faith and the deep motivations of your every gesture, even the apparently trivial ones. Above all, try to love each other better every day, with a love full of respect, esteem, and tenderness, rediscovering the value of sexuality as a sign of total self-giving. It can also certainly help you, especially in this period, to talk things over with a mature couple, or even with the priest who will welcome your covenant of love.

Maria and Raimondo Scotto