Three years

I think it's in the Introduction to the Devout Life that St. Francis de Sales encourages couples to celebrate their wedding anniversaries by assisting at Mass, and receiving Holy Communion.

The day before our wedding, a priest friend of ours told us, "from now on, every Communion you receive will be saying 'amen' once again to your wedding vows."

So, being that today is our third anniversary, we took both boys to our parish for Mass. It's at 7pm, which is normally Noah's bed time, but I figured keeping him up about thirty minutes late would be alright. He's stayed up later than that simply so we could eat dinner with my parents in town.

Well Noah was very, how-you-say, two at Mass today. Patrick had to remove him from the chapel and pace around at the entrance because he was shouting and laughing and had been running around while we tried to hold him back.

Meanwhile, Isaiah wailed in my arms. I took him out too.

While we stood there, listening in to the Mass but not actually there, the sound of Father's homily being drowned by two very noisy children, I said somewhat sarcastically "well, happy anniversary."

Yet I think it was a perfect anniversary. I don't recall St. Francis de Sales saying "Go to Mass on your anniversary, but only if your kids are silent" or "leave the kids with a babysitter. This is your day, after all." Because, it isn't. It's really a beautiful day for all four of us. While our marriage relationship is the foundation of our family, it is only the starting point. These two beautiful (noisy!) children are the expression of those vows we made three years ago.

They communicate to us so strongly that God isn't served with half-measures. Our kids need all of us, all our energy and love, and so does the Lord. How refreshingly they remind us they how we need to be to live out a calling so much bigger and holier than either Patrick or I are.

These beautiful faces show us Christ. They show us who we ought to be, and how far from that place we are.

So when Patrick and I enjoy a glass of wine tonight, we won't toast ourselves for how great and awesome we are for being married, we'll toast these children for the greatness and awesomeness they remind us that this sacrament is.