Growing in Virtue When Planning a Wedding
/CORINNE GANNOTTI
In the section of the Catechism that meditates on the virtues, there's a line that says, "the virtuous person tends toward the good with all his sensory and spiritual powers; he pursues the good and chooses it in concrete actions."
PHOTOGRAPHY: Ann Losinski Photography
I love that sentence, because it leaves no room for mistaking that a virtuous life is one in which we distance ourselves from the "stuff" of life and focus only on otherworldly things. No - the voice of the Catechism, echoing the voice of Christ to us, helps us realize that really seeking virtue will integrate our natural lives in this fallen world and the divine life of God.
The more virtue we possess, the easier it becomes to live in relationship with the Holy Trinity in the actual circumstances of our days. And that's a relationship that involves the fullness of who we are - body and soul.
We express it through concrete actions we make, experiencing it sensorially and spiritually.
Seeking to live in this way is at the heart of everything for a Christian. It matters for our whole life long. But in a particular way, I think this sentence can hold special meaning during the unique season that is wedding planning. It's such a clear time in which we can recognize the impact of virtue.
The process of planning our wedding involves many decisions to be made about tangible things, but those things have so much spiritual and emotional significance. We have to take concrete actions along with our fiancé and our families to choose the good, discerning what that looks like practically in terms of our wedding celebration and perhaps reception.
If you find yourself in this season, know that God desires to give you His life of grace to help you live it with virtue. Consider that line from the Catechism, spoken over you.
The virtuous bride tends toward the good with all her sensory and spiritual powers. She pursues the good and chooses it in concrete actions.
What does that mean for you, as a bride?
Here are four specific virtues which I think can be especially valuable for the bride-to-be, who is longing to pursue and choose the good as she plans her wedding:
Prudence
Prudence - the ability for us to discern clearly what the true good is in a given situation and choose it, or choose the things that will help us achieve it. Prudence is the virtue which helps us to put our right reason into action.
Temperance
Temperance - the ability to seek what is pleasurable in moderation and with discretion, helping us to use created goods in a balanced and healthy way. It's the virtue that draws our desires up into our understanding of the greatest good - closeness with God.
Hope
Hope - the desire for heaven and eternal life as the true source of our happiness. It's the virtue that puts our longing to be happy in its rightful place - the heart of God. Hope keeps us from looking for satisfaction only in the world before us and so keeps us from discouragement when those things don't fulfill or satisfy our hearts.
Love
Love - the choice to love God above all things and through that love of Him, love ourselves and others. It's the virtue that shapes everything, motivating and animating all we do. Love gives us purpose, and also exists as our goal and desire.
To read more about the virtues, explore Paragraphs 1803 - 1845 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
These and all other virtues expand our capacity to live fully and freely. That’s the kind of goodness God wants for us in the season of wedding planning and always.
Take time to ask God to fill you with these graces, to gift them to you for the good of this season you're living and for your future life. There is no shortage of opportunity to put them into action in the days leading up to a wedding, and that itself can be a gift.
About the Author: Corinne studied Theology and Catechetics at Franciscan University where she met her husband, Sam. They were married in 2016 and now live in Pennsylvania with their two children, Michael and Vera, and where she continues to work in the ministry field. She especially enjoys reading stories with her 3 year old, running, and crossing things off her to-do list. She desires to live a life marked by joy, and is grateful to have a family who makes that effort much easier by helping her take herself less seriously.