The ingredients of a lasting relationship include this commitment of similar values: living/lodge, people/friends — family, God/ultimate reality, death/death. The relationship is entered into with the quality of permanence. This implies the need to create a meaningful marriage, to promise to work at growing in love.

These two have accepted the gift of a love that makes two come together as one. The love poem from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians emphasizes patience, kindness, non-irritability, control of jealousy, boasting, arrogance, resentfulness. These are all qualities of interaction between persons. As ideals they confront us with objectives to grow in graciousness, respect, mutual supportiveness. Our need for divine forgiveness accompanies our aspirations that somehow the climate of o…