Family is God’s first school of love—
the place where faith is learned not by lecture,
but by witness,
by sacrifice,
by the quiet fidelity that holds a home together.
In these days of marriage prep,
and with a wedding on Saturday evening,
I’ve seen the same beautiful spark
in both young couples—
excitement, tenderness,
the thrill of a new beginning.
But Christ wants more for them
than excitement alone.
He wants integrity,
He wants fidelity,
He wants accompaniment—
the very heart of His covenant.
Jesus reminds us:
A man shall leave father and mother,
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh…
What God has joined,
no one must divide.
This is God’s pledge—
His truth,
His loyalty,
His promise to walk with us always.
But Ezekiel warns us:
even with God’s steadfast love,
our hearts can wander.
We can become unfaithful,
forgetful,
distracted by lesser loves.
So Christ calls us back—
again and again—
to the covenant that makes us whole.
Today we honor Saint Maximilian Kolbe,
patron of families, prisoners, and all who suffer.
A man who gave his life
so another, a husband and father could live.
Saint John Paul II called him
“the patron of our difficult century,”
because Kolbe shows us
what love looks like
when it is poured out completely.
Families shaped
by sacrificial love.
Marriages rooted
in Christ’s integrity,
fidelity,
accompaniment.
The longing to love as Christ loves.
Is a covenant that holds us together
Prayer
Lord Jesus,
Bless our families
with Your steadfast love.
Keep our marriages rooted in
Your truth and fidelity.
Guard our hearts from wandering
and strengthen our covenant.
Make us faithful and free.
Amen
St Maximilian Kolbe - pray for us
