Happy Advent! For the duration of this season, with the help of Ven. Fulton Sheen, we will be reflecting on the marriage of Mary and Joseph and the profound impact it had on Jesus, His mission, and our salvation.

We will look deeper into the marriage of Mary and Joseph, their Holy Family, and learn how to model their example of Divine Intimacy within our marriages and in our own homes.

“How much more beautiful Mary and Joseph become when we see in their lives what might be called the first Divine Romance!” - Ven. Fulton Sheen

Our Models

The Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Chaste Heart of St. Joseph were profoundly united in marriage and in parenthood.  Their love took on a “Divine Romance”, one that united their perfectly practiced virtues with their reliance on grace which bore the fruit of salvation through their son, Jesus.  It was passion driven, unconditional, and life giving.

As spouses, Joseph and Mary are perfect examples of marital love. Their sacrifices to the will of God through their collective virtues practiced within the bond of marriage show couples how marital love and intimacy can and should be lived.

Like an orchestra concert, the elegance of the harmonization of instruments is one that surpasses articulation; so too, can the goodness of marriage beautifully glorify the Lord with the spousal surrender to His will.

Deeper Romance

The Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Chaste Heart of St. Joseph were deeply in love.

“Their marriage was not like that of others, because the right to the body was surrendered; in normal marriages, unity in the flesh is the symbol of its consummation, and the ecstasy that accompanies a consummation is only a foretaste of the joy that comes to the soul when it attains union with God through grace.” - Ven. Fulton Sheen

Joseph and Mary did not lack romance because they were virgins. Instead, because of their holiness and unity of will to the Lord, they surpassed the romance that any of us could ever experience this side of Heaven.

For a married couple, sometimes the focus on physical intimacy can become a barrier to emotional and spiritual intimacy. While physical intimacy, the vulnerability of sex, the selfless gift to the other, and the oneness of the spouses in the act is sacramental, it cannot be used to mask areas of weakness.

Deeper Intimacy

God’s creation of sexuality is one of his greatest gifts to married couples, and therefore, it is one of the areas that Satan seeks to destroy.

The truth is that physical intimacy should have emotional and spiritual intimacy as its anchor. If physical intimacy alone attempts to steer the ship of marriage, a couple will quickly find themselves off course and discover that physical intimacy has become an obstacle rather than a propeller towards deeper love. 

The purpose of marriage is not sex. The purpose of marriage is the union of hearts for the glory of the Almighty. In this, Mary and Joseph excelled. Their excellence came through having Christ at the center of their relationship.

Anchored In Christ

As spouses, we must think about whether the love in our marriage flows from our love of Jesus. Christ should be our foundation. And from there, we are free to grow well in the areas in need of the most intimacy: spiritual, emotional, or physical.

As we journey through Advent and consider Mary and Joseph’s marriage, we can find the redemption of marital romance with their emphasis on putting Christ first through their prayer and unity of their wills with His.

Become what you are. - Renzo & Monica