In Gratitude for Five Years of Marriage

Overview

Theo McManigal reflects on what his five years of marriage has taught him about diving more deeply into the graces Our Lord has to offer in this wonderful Sacrament.

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May 1, 2026 is the 5th wedding anniversary for my wife and I, and I am grateful for what have been five amazing years. These years have been amazing despite the deaths of our two boys. The reason I am passionate about helping marriages and families is because I love being married, and I want other couples to get joy from their marriages, while living their married lives according to the vision and teachings of the Catholic Church. My experience of marriage animates the work that I do for this Apostolate, as well as the work I do for Covenant Eyes and other work that I do as well. Further, I do not see the suffering we have experienced from losing our sons as something entirely separate from the calling of my wife and I to serve marriages and families. Rather, this tragedy fuels it more because we believe that who we have become from this experience is meant to somehow become a gift for other people. The crucifixion and death of Our Lord proves that good can be brought out of evil. The death of Our Lord Jesus Christ is the worst thing to have happened, yet because of His resurrection, it became the best thing to happen to us because it made possible our salvation. My wife and I are dedicated to turning it all into a gift for the betterment of other people, with the help of God’s grace. 

In these five years of marriage, my wife and I have taken great joy in our married life. We spend as much time together as we can by intentionally building a life together that makes that possible. We take great joy in raising our daughter. We have lived in a few different places. We center our marriage and family life in the Catholic faith. We canonically became Byzantine Catholics, and we are involved in our parish. We are always studying and learning to develop our knowledge and skills as spouses in the areas of theology, communication, sexual intimacy, finances, parenting, attachment theory, and more. Being a husband and father has made me a better person. Because I enjoy being married and see how its value is increased by living marriage according to the vision and teaching of the Catholic Church, I am passionate about helping others to do the same and apply this teaching from Pope St. Paul VI in Humane Vitae:

 “Among the fruits that ripen if the law of God be resolutely obeyed, the most precious is certainly this, that married couples themselves will often desire to communicate their own experience to others. Thus it comes about that in the fullness of the lay vocation will be included a novel and outstanding form of the apostolate by which, like ministering to like, married couples themselves by the leadership they offer will become apostles to other married couples.”  Pope St. Paul VI, Humane Vitae #26

Please offer a prayer for my wife and I, as well as our daughter, as we celebrate 5 years of marriage this month.