Spouse

Who is your spouse? he asked 
He is the one who loves you the most
She is the one who places you first within her heart
It is a truth both basic yet profound when it comes to marriage
Trust in it, then live it out 
Putting your energy entirely into cultivating intimacy 
A nuptial union of minds and hearts
Day in, day out
Season after season 
Share the joys and sorrows
the good and the bad
thick and thin
Be the we who show the world
We are the individuals who ask ourselves:
Lord, show me how to love him in the way he needs to be loved.
Jesus, reveal how to love her in the way she can freely blossom.
Father, let us discover how we can help each other flourish and bear fruit. 
There is a no man's land, 
A place of misunderstanding, of differences and brokenness, 
The vast outer space between Mars and Venus
Where frustrations and hurts can grow cancerously prolific
But, here, too, is where holy Mystery resides 
Incomprehensible yet healing 
The invitation to dive into the deep beckons constantly in the murk
Do not be afraid, as the Son reassures, time and again
Here we can plumb new depths within ourselves, smashing limitations, 
even our abhorred weaknesses
Here we can fire up hidden strengths, new powers that can forge greater bonds
Fortifying the marriage and changing the world in innumerable ways. 
After all, this is what marriage is truly about:
To love each other just as Christ loves us
And when we love in and with His Spirit, we can walk with ever-growing strength
Hand in hand, we can soar new heights and touch the face of God. 
Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one, and come!*

* Song of Songs 2:13