Husbands, Love Your Wives

If you listened to our last podcast¹, you'll remember that we mentioned Ephesians 5² as being important to our marriage. So important, in fact, that it was a selected reading for our wedding.

Usually people tend to get wrapped up in the "Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord" part. But I'm here to remind those Christian men out there that there's a message for us, too.

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word, that he might present to himself the church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

How can we do what St. Paul demands of us in this passage? It certainly means dying to oneself. But what tangible method can we employ to live this charge? I have a new solution which takes advantage of an old Christian practice... fasting.

There is an organization called e5 Men³ which gathers together all interested men to join forces on the first Wednesday of the month. We fast for our bride, girlfriend, fianc�, mother, sister, or any woman in our life broken from the pains of sin. The prayer is that through such sacrifice, they win graces and are made "without spot or wrinkle" and "holy and without blemish".

A good friend and brother in Christ does this with me, and on those days of fasting, we call each other up and encourage one another. Why? Because it's hard. We get tempted, but persevere for the sake of that one woman.

Up for the challenge? Want to win some graces for that beautiful "someone"? Put it on your calendar each Wednesday and lay down your body for a friend.