Marriage is mission

Marriage is sometimes spoken of as if it were losing freedom or closing off possibilities. But loving truly does not consist in always keeping an exit open, but in building a life where another can truly rest. Raising a family requires patience, forgiveness, hard work, and a fidelity that does not depend solely on mood. Precisely for that reason it possesses so much strength. Christian love does not stop at a pleasant emotion. It becomes a mission when it cares, sustains, educates, and learns to begin again many times over.