"...but He created the one out of the other, setting a sign also of the power of the union in the side, whence she was drawn, was formed. For they are joined one to another side by side. Who walk together and look together whiter they walk."- St. Augustine of Hippo (Of the Good of Marriage)

The topic of marriage has become a prominent theme for me as of late. Why exactly? That's hard to say.

Is it because I've been paying too much attention to Focus on the Family? Perhaps.

Is it because my inner romantic is starting to show? ....Maybe.

Or perhaps, I'm being prepared for it in my own life. This is very possible.

Regardless of the reason, this much has become clear: Marriage is both a union and reflection. It's a union of that which was formed at the Creation, and a reflection of Christ's love for the Church.

We talk much about marriage and relationships in today's age. But I must ask: When we date, where does it lead to? Or rather, where do WE want it to lead to? Many would say that they are dating just for fun; to have all of the pleasantries of togetherness without striving for something greater. On the surface, this would make sense. Some do dread the idea of eternal commitment. Some do not know how to commit. Some are focused on chasing their dreams and achieving their personal goals. Marriage, to some, involves putting everything that they stand for on the line: their money; their time; their independence; their livelihood.

While all of these are reasonable considerations, I must ask again: When we date, where does it lead to?

In the past, dating( or courtship), was done with the end goal of marriage. While looking up courtship, I have noticed that it also involved placing great emphasis on family approval before anything.

Today, family approval seems more or less like a luxury; it's a very good bonus to have, but it's not necessarily a requirement. It's as if the need for approval from a third party is viewed as more of a hassle than anything.

Family involvement, from what I understand, acted as a means of the couple being accountable to their authority figures. They were not able to run off and do their own thing like we are to do today.

While the world embraces this freedom, one must wonder: where does accountability stem from in relationships? Many would argue that we do not need it, seeing as how those in the relationship should be accountable to each other. I'm not so crazy about this, mainly because it seems like the equivalent of having a yes-person around you. At least with those outside of the relationship, there is some form of objectivity with how to view it.

Who is that objective lens in your life? And for Christians, is your relationship of God and involves God?