“And then George, you will repeat after me:
I, George, take you, Jessica, to be my wife.I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health.
I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.”
I sat in the small conference room at my fiancé’s home parish staring with wide eyes as our priest recited the words laced with promises that George and I will profess to each other in only a matter of days.
For my entire life, I’ve dreamed about those words, silently cheering on friends as they exchanged vows with their spouses and patiently waiting for God to reveal to me the man that would love me unconditionally and pledge his life to me.
And just like each of you, I waited and waited and waited, wondering when this person would appear. It wasn’t until I was asked to join the site in 2011 to write about my firsthand experience that I even considered online dating. After prayerful discernment, I recommitted to God writing my love story in the way He wanted it to unfold by creating my profile and opening my heart to His plan.
“So here I am on CatholicMatch as Jessica-744973, wholeheartedly surprised to be here yet trusting that I was meant to be here all along,” I unapologetically wrote in my first post as a new member.
Within only a few days, my now fiancé, George, sent me a simple emoticon that led to messages and eventually an in-person meeting that confirmed that this person was brought to me at the perfect time and was here to stay.
A year and a half later, I said “yes” in an emotional proposal and more than a year later, we’re on the cusp of saying “I do.” I’ve turned in the keys to my only apartment post-college and moved a bag of my essentials into my parent’s home. We’ve put the finishing touches on our detailed wedding day itinerary, and now we wait for that day to come. As the leaves slowly turn to shades of rust and cranberry signally the change of seasons, my heart, too, is anticipating my new role as a wife and future mother.
On last year’s “Day of the Family,” Pope Francis addressed St. Peter’s Square with a message about newly-married couples in a very realistic and tangible way, saying:
“They are setting out, like Abraham, on a journey together. And that is what marriage is! Setting out and walking together, hand in hand, putting yourselves in the Lord’s powerful hands. Hand in hand, always and for the rest of your lives.”
I love the imagery of holding hands—not just with each other, but with the Lord. Looking back at our wedding planning experience, which I’ve shared on this blog, I’m proud that we have kept the sacrament of marriage and not just the excitement of a wedding at the heart of all of our choices. We’ve walked hand in hand throughout our relationship and engagement, always keeping our focus on the greater purpose, anointed by God, that we will work to discover everyday in our marriage.
So now I’m ready. I’m ready to be the wife that God calls me to be. I’m ready to be a mother. I’m ready to be an even better version of myself by living each day as George’s wife.
As I enter into this new season, I pray that you, too, are ready for what God has prepared for you. While you may not feel equipped for what He sends your way, He provides each of us with the tools we need to face every challenge, fight every battle and love unconditionally.
