- Feb 5, 2002
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In early 2021, just a few short months before my wedding, my health began to decline. I lost weight and experienced fainting, bouts of debilitating sickness, and a vast array of symptoms that affected my entire body. After months of seeing many doctors and struggling with their reluctance to believe me, incorrect diagnoses, overnight hospital visits, numerous labs, imaging, and more, I was properly diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, Gastroparesis, Vascular Compressions, and other comorbid chronic health conditions that greatly affect my day-to-day life. I also learned that it would be extremely imprudent and even lethal for me and a future baby if I got pregnant (if I would even be able to get pregnant). In light of my debilitating symptoms and diagnoses, my husband and I have been living a Josephite marriage since our wedding day.
Many Catholics are unaware of the Josephite marriage. When the question “when are you going to have children?” is brought up, and I respond with a brief synopsis of my situation, they typically tell me, “your marriage is invalid,” “you’re leading yourself and your husband to hell” and/or “don’t you trust God enough to give you a miracle baby?” These are just a few things others have told me. Though we are at deep peace with our vocation and marriage, it can be difficult to cope with the judgment we often receive from others.
A Josephite marriage is a celibate marriage that gets its name from Joseph and Mary and their marriage. Theologically, a valid marriage begins from the time two people proclaim their vows to each other. Consummation is a right of marriage, but spouses may not claim this right for different reasons (such as in the case of Mary and Joseph). The Josephite marriage is incredibly rare today but is still valid and Sacramental. Because of its rarity, many Catholics tend to assume that it is invalid or sinful, when in fact, it is a beautiful form of the vocation in which instead of bearing physical fruit (i.e., biological children), the marriage is able to bear great spiritual fruit. Within a Josephite marriage, St. Paul’s note that spouses refrain from sexual intimacy “by mutual consent for a time” to devote themselves to prayer (1 Corinthians 7) is elevated to daily living. My husband and I are grateful that God has given us the grace to live out this vocation and to bear fruit in other ways.
Continued below.
springsinthedesert.org
Many Catholics are unaware of the Josephite marriage. When the question “when are you going to have children?” is brought up, and I respond with a brief synopsis of my situation, they typically tell me, “your marriage is invalid,” “you’re leading yourself and your husband to hell” and/or “don’t you trust God enough to give you a miracle baby?” These are just a few things others have told me. Though we are at deep peace with our vocation and marriage, it can be difficult to cope with the judgment we often receive from others.
A Josephite marriage is a celibate marriage that gets its name from Joseph and Mary and their marriage. Theologically, a valid marriage begins from the time two people proclaim their vows to each other. Consummation is a right of marriage, but spouses may not claim this right for different reasons (such as in the case of Mary and Joseph). The Josephite marriage is incredibly rare today but is still valid and Sacramental. Because of its rarity, many Catholics tend to assume that it is invalid or sinful, when in fact, it is a beautiful form of the vocation in which instead of bearing physical fruit (i.e., biological children), the marriage is able to bear great spiritual fruit. Within a Josephite marriage, St. Paul’s note that spouses refrain from sexual intimacy “by mutual consent for a time” to devote themselves to prayer (1 Corinthians 7) is elevated to daily living. My husband and I are grateful that God has given us the grace to live out this vocation and to bear fruit in other ways.
Continued below.
The Beauty and Graces of a Josephite Marriage | Springs in the Desert
Despite - or perhaps, because - of our celibate arrangement, we have experienced an abundance of grace in our marriage and the depth of these graces has shown no bounds. When my husband and I proclaimed our wedding vows on a crucifix, we did not realize the extent to which this image of Christ...
springsinthedesert.org
