Initially quite reluctant, my college roommate finally convinced me to
sign up for Catholic Match. I was skeptical and I'm ashamed to admit
somewhat disappointed and frustrated about trying to "follow God's
will." My pessimistic attitude developed after life's paths took me in
various directions of discernment, and I still hadn't
discovered God's will for my life even though in the past I had been
stubbornly convinced I knew what He was asking of me.
I had only been
on Catholic Match for about a week when I came across someone rather
handsome. While that was my initial attraction, his profile spoke more
deeply to me for several reasons. Perhaps most striking is our mutual
love for The Divine Mercy and many of the same saints. What stood out
about him in particular was a humility that I immediately came to
admire and one that I continue to treasure as a model for my own life.
Believing that he was "out of my league," I emailed his profile and
pictures to one of my sisters to ask her opinion. She definitely saw
the goodness that I saw in him; and she readily agreed that he was quite
good-looking! After getting the courage to send him an emotigram, we
began communicating by email for several months before speaking on the
phone. After about four months, we decided to meet ...on St.
Valentine's Day.
From that point on our friendship grew and our mutual
admiration grew into a beautiful love. We quickly became close
realizing that we were each other's best friend in a way we never
imagined. The purity and depth that we bring out in each other cannot
be explained except in light of grace. We both have had our share of
crosses from the past, but the unconditional nature of God's love
allows us to see those crosses as an opportunity to love each other in
our human frailty but with a depth that is divinely inspired. I knew
that I wanted to love this man for the rest of my life when he looked
me straight in the eye, and said: "I want to be your St. Joseph." I was
touched in a way that wasn't sentimental or necessarily romantic, but
far beyond that. He makes me want to be be a model of virtue and
dignity. I want to honor him as a man of virtue, as someone I admire
and want to emulate. I want to be the gift that only God can give
as one who desires to be the spouse of my St. Joseph. It is a gift that
is only possible through His Divine Mercy.
