Married Saints

Tomorrow is the feast of St. Joachim and Anne, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is typically a time when the Church focuses on marriage and married love. Many diocese celebrate awareness of Natural Family Planning and offer free workshops because of today's anniversary of Humanae Vitae.

(Raise my hand.) I'm a successful user of NFP in my own marriage. I'm a testament that it works: for communication, for health, for love.  Lately, I've been speaking at Catholic Engagement Weekends about NFP.  One girl said, "I want my husband to look at me that way," after Captain and I discussed our ups and downs with NFP charting. WOW--she noticed something I sometimes take for granted. Captain is still romantic, listens to me attentively, and wants to be on the same wavelength. Marriage is a pathway to heaven, and I may not be a saint, but I have a great supporter!
By the way, my talk is always evolving. Not because I've changed methods of NFP or discovered a perfect loophole, but because I'm braver. I want to give full disclosure to these 20-somethings who are engaged about what LOVE entails. It is not like a modern movie or reality show. You really shouldn't live together or sleeping around until you tie the knot. It is about waiting for the wedding. And there are times of waiting after the wedding. But these times allow us not to use each other as a possession/piece of property--but to cherish the beauty of the other person we are sacrificing for. NFP lets me see a bit of heaven on earth.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Update: Is anyone else surprised that Princess Kate got pregnant so quickly into her marriage? I am fairly certain she was on the Pill during some of her 8-year courtship with Prince William.  Research shows that women can have hormonal problems long after discontinuing the Pill, which can delay the return of normal fertility.