old man and lady walking

"Love My Bride Like This Man."

by Father Brian J. Soliven on Sunday March 5, 2023

I remember once on a pilgrimage toTurkey, a group of my classmates decided to fly to Turkey and follow the path of St. Paul. We were still seminarians. We wanted to visit the places that Paul visited, two-thousands years before. On this particular trip, there happened to be another American couple from Oakland. There were retired, probably in their late sixties or seventies. As we were walking up a cobblestoned street, the woman had trouble, almost tripping. At that moment her husband rushed to her side and grabbed her right hand with his, and with the other hand, wrapped it around her waist. He gently walked beside her with each precarious step. He smiled at her the whole time, keeping his eyes on her. I watched this whole scene unfold with fascination. Here was this husband, taking care of his bride, in their old age. At that moment, I heard God say to me, Brian,  “The Church will be your bride. Love Her. Take care of her like this man.”