A Spiritual Marriage Forms a Stronger Marriage

There have been a number of Baha’i events here in Cork in the last few weeks. It has been so wonderful getting to know the community here. It is filled with so many loving people and they have instantly made me feel welcome and at home. There has been a cluster reflection meeting (where we discussed what events have been taking place in the community and what new ones would be starting), feast (which is the Baha’i equivalent of church), a devotional for departed loved ones, and a Book 3 refresher course (this Book is based on teaching children’s classes). The Book 3 is taking place in our home. Jeff and I were both so upset that we are technically outside of the city limits because that meant that we wouldn’t be able to have feasts in our home. It is so uplifting to have spiritual meetings in your own home. It blesses the walls that you spend your days in. So since we couldn’t host feasts at home, I volunteered to have Book 3 here on Thursday mornings.

Our first meeting was last week, and let me just say that it made me smile. First off, it was so nice to have people here! We haven’t had too much company because our weekends have been pretty full, what with rugby matches and setting up the house and purchasing things that we didn’t have yet. So this was really the first time that we had non-family members in the house. And it made me SO happy! The class itself was great, discussing the blessing that it is to teach children.

Something else that the community planned was a prayer vigil, for the cluster, for healing, for strength, for anything. It took place on a Sunday and went all day, with people having signed up to say prayers during specific time slots so that there were prayers being said all day. I thought it was a very nice idea. So Jeff and I woke up and came downstairs, and for 30 minutes we prayed together and listened to beautiful music. When the time was finished, I felt like it had gone by too quickly. It was so wonderful to sit with Jeff and pray together, and we both felt such a closeness afterwards.

To me, a spiritual marriage forms a stronger marriage. When you have a spiritual likeness and connection with your spouse, the bond between the couple becomes stronger. This connection helps to make the love even more special as these two souls begin their journey together through all the worlds of God. And it is made even better when your in-laws also share that connection with you. Last night, my in-laws had a devotional at their house for departed loved ones. It was the anniversary of Jeff’s uncle’s passing and they had the evening in his memory. And I felt even closer to them as they relived the pain in losing someone they loved so much, and then as they relived the joy in remembering that his soul was ascending in Heaven as we prayed for him and others.

I can’t imagine a marriage that doesn’t recognize and crave God’s love. I feel blessed to be one half of a spiritually invigorated marriage.