Jomel and Mary Joy, it is said, “Love is useless unless it is shared with another. Indeed, no man is an island, the cruelest act of a partner in marriage is to say "I could not have cared less." This is so because an ungiven self is an unfulfilled self. The egoist has nothing but himself” (Chi Ming Tsoi vs Court of Appeals and Gina Lao-Tsoi, G. R. No. 119190, January 16, 1997).
Jomel and Mary Joy, you have your personal experience of love. You know what it feels to love and be loved. Love is meant to be shared with each other. This is why Jomel, when you found Mary Joy on Facebook, you became interested in her. Your interest in her was an initial sign of love. You did not keep it by yourself. You asked for your friends to help you get her phone number. Then, on August 29, 2013, you Jomel, shared your love to Mary Joy who in turn accepted it. Love is indeed shared with each other; neither hidden nor kept to oneself. But remember Jomel, Mary Joy did not just simply receive and accept your love. She also shared her love with you. Mary Joy has been the princess of their home. She is the joy of her siblings and the pride of her parents. She is a typical Filipina woman or traditional dalagang Pilipina in the community. Yet, when she fell in love with you, she went out of her way just to share her love with you. She gave you not only the best in her but also her all as she introduced you to her family. She was and has been faithful to you.
Nevertheless, Jomel and Mary Joy, your love shared with each other has its own limitations. This is the nature of human love –it is limited. You can be more sensitive with such limitations when you already live together as husband and wife. The passion and romance you once felt before your wedding shall fade. The intimacy shall be broken by secrecy and sometimes due to the excessive demand for privacy. Beyond all the feelings and emotions, the only string that is attached between the two of you is your commitment to share each other’s love until death.
What can you do to stand by your commitment? Both of you should know how to pray together to God starting today as husband and wife. Both of you should bring each other closer to Jesus every day. It is only with the love of Jesus that you can love each other faithfully until death. In the words of Jesus, “Love one another just as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this –that one lays down his life for his friends” (John 15:12-13).
Jomel and Mary Joy, trials, temptations and tribulations are real in married life. If you forget to pray together, then you put your love at risk. You will lose your commitment –the string that is attached between the two of you aside from your emotions and feelings. Do you know the reason why some relationships fail? Man and woman just have love but cannot make any commitment. When a man’s love is gone, the woman can do nothing. In order for a relationship to thrive in uncertain times, there should be a commitment between man and woman. If the woman’s love is gone, the husband has the obligation to rekindle that love. This is what commitment is all about –the willingness to love each other until death. You can have such commitment as long as you both have the love of Jesus. You can lay down your life for your beloved if you have that love of Jesus in you. Therefore, pray together. If you pray together, then you become pleasing before the Lord and His love shall remain in you. In short, pray together, to live together in love with each other. Amen.
