Anthony and I (Jessica) are eternally grateful to the Lord, St.
Raphael, and Catholic Match for bringing us together! We feel so
blessed... and so unworthy of His infinite love and mercy. It is
literally a dream come true to tell this story - to say that we are
engaged and we're going to be husband and wife by the year's end.
(WOW!)
We both signed up for Catholic Match after years of
stormy, sorrowful, unfulfilling relationships led us to the realization
that we had to look among fellow believers, if we were ever to be
granted marriage and true love in Christ.
Anthony and I met in
New York City in May 2005, after just four days of talking online and
on the phone. From reading one another's profiles, we knew that we had
a great deal in common - yet Anthony didn't send me a note first!
Instead, I wrote him, and he later confessed to me that he thought I
would be "inactive" in a week and that someone would snatch me up
immediately. As it turns out, he was right - after a week, I had met him!
Our
first date was beautiful, special, and unforgettable. I had never
before enjoyed a romantic dinner with a warm, honest Catholic man. His
eyes shone when I told him that I was waiting, against all odds, to
share intimacy with my husband. I had never seen a man react that way
and it moved me tremendously. When we started talking about our
relationships with our families and the ways we'd want to raise
children, it was as if we were sharing one mind. It was amazing. He
held my hand gently all night; when we prayed together that evening in
the restaurant, it felt meant to be, from the bottom of my heart. There
are no other words to describe it.
Our relationship has grown
by leaps and bounds every day since. We talk to the Lord together,
attend Mass and Eucharistic Adoration together, and WITH the grace of
God, we have been in love almost since the day we met. In the fall of
2005, we even decided to attend an "Engagement Encounter" weekend, not
because we were engaged, but because we wanted to spend a few days
discussing our relationship, and focusing on where we hoped to be going
- asking God to guide our path.
Anthony always makes me feel
like his precious princess. In February 2006, he surprised me on a
castle tower beneath the stars, on bended knee, with a stunning ring, a
proposal, and our families appearing out of nowhere to celebrate with
us. What a powerful night that was – knowing that God was giving us the
opportunity of a lifetime to create a marriage in His name, and for His
glory.
My sweetheart is a brave, brilliant, loving man, devoted
to his family, to my family, and to his faith. He is my "dream
husband," and the only reason I am with him today is because we both
put our trust in the Lord, years and years before we ever met each
other.
So to all the men and women who might be reading this now...
Do not give up. Do not settle for less than God's best for you.
If you have Him in your lives, you have everything, and He will bring
you pure happiness and unmatched joy - no matter how dark and difficult
the road may seem. You already know that God can do the impossible;
that He rewards our faith; that He grants us the desires of our hearts.
He is readying you, every day, for the person you are meant to be with.
BELIEVE IT. Let us never forget how blessed we all are to live in His
love.
****Our engagement photos were taken by the wonderful and talented Rose Mary and Kelley of Creative Touch Photography & Video. They can be reached at 203-445-0774 or via e-mail at [email protected]****
