What is the best marriage advice you have ever received?
Father Simon Esshaki sat down with Sister Bernadette and Sister Lourde of the Daughters of Mary Immaculate Conception to discuss the Sacred Heart devotion and how it provides a blueprint for a healthy marriage.
The caption reads:
“We hear it all the time: there is no marriage or real love without sacrifice. But what does that entail? Is this something we strive to do? Why are there so many failed marriages? The Sacred Heart of Jesus is the prime example of sacrificial love, and that is where we should all start.”
In the video, the group discusses the keys to a successful marriage, especially amid conflict.
“A relationship won’t be saved if there is no sacrifice,” Sister Lourde says.
She continues,
“Jesus restored His relationship with us by His sacrificial love on the Cross. He gave Himself to us on the Cross, and He saved that relationship.”
Sister Lourde explains that the same has to be true within a marriage.
“If there is no sacrifice in this relationship, in this love, it won’t last.”
Sister Bernadette touches on the parallels of comparing our relationship as the Bride of Christ to that within a marriage and challenges listeners to turn to Christ’s example.
“[Jesus] teaches us what it means to be fully alive, fully human, and to make a gift of yourself.”
Father Simon shares his experience working with couples in conflict,
“... I tell them about the Heart of Jesus and about how they have to sacrifice for each other, and they've never heard this stuff before.”
“That's going to save your marriage,” he says.
Father Simon admits that this advice is hard for some couples to accept,
“They don't believe it, and they're not willing to try most of the time. Sometimes they are, and I've seen some cases where it definitely works out, but that's the only way.”
“Marriage is three persons, not two,” Sister Lourde chimes in.
“It's not only the spouses. It's not husband and wife. It's the husband, wife, and God.”
“They will need to bring Jesus in order for the relationship to be saved,” she adds.
Later in the episode, the group touches on a few more essentials for a healthy marriage, including the need for honest communication and the importance of maintaining a united front when it comes to disciplining your children.