Marriage joins two people in the circle of its love

Marriage is a commitment to life – to the

best that two people can find and bring

out in each other. It offers opportunities

for sharing and growth no other human

relationship can equal, a physical and

emotional joining that is promised for a

lifetime.

Within the circle of its love, marriage

encompasses all of life's most important

relationships. A wife and husband are each

other's best friend, confidant, lover, teacher,

listener, and critic. There may come times

when one partner is heartbroken or ailing,

and the love of the other may resemble the

tender caring of a parent for a child.

Marriage deepens and enriches every facet of

life. Happiness is fuller; memories are fresher;

commitment is stronger; even anger is felt

more strongly, and passes away more quickly.

Marriage understands and forgives the

mistakes life is unable to avoid. It encourages

and nurtures new life, new experiences, and

new ways of expressing love through the seasons of life.

When two people pledge to love and care for

each other in marriage, they create a spirit

unique to themselves, which binds them closer

than any spoken or written words. Marriage is

a promise, a potential, made in the hearts of

two people who love, which takes a lifetime

to fulfil.

- Edmund O'Neill