The Grace to Grow

By Megan Lacourrege

I’ve recently gotten into watching Father Mike Schmitz’s short reflections on Ascension Presents’ YouTube channel. One of his latest videos was answering the question, “Why get married if it doesn’t exist in heaven?”

In it, he talks about how marriage is purposeful in our walk with Christ. As he put it, “The goal of marriage is it’s the vehicle by which you become the man or become the woman that God has created you to be.”

I loved the sense of mission in marriage that Father Mike conveyed. It reminded me of various talks I had heard before about husband and wife being helpmates. Helpmates are called to assist each other through God’s grace so that they are prepared for heaven.

I think we get used to hearing things like “men will be men” or “you know how women are” as a dismissal of behaviors in the opposite gender that we don’t appreciate. But marriage empowers us to lovingly confront any concerning actions displayed by a spouse. Marriage also equally challenges spouses to be docile to one another’s corrections. Priests and nuns submit themselves to their superiors for correction. Married couples submit themselves to each other.

Father Mike’s video reminded me that the central focus of marriage is getting our spouses and children into heaven. How wonderful it is that God grants us the freedom in marriage to be able to grow in holiness. Through prayerful bonding, may all spouses experience the freedom through which they can help themselves and their children become saints.