Married Saints You Can Learn From
/One of the greatest gifts from our rich Catholic tradition is the communion of Saints.
PHOTOGRAPHY: AN ENDLESS PURSUIT
Our brothers and sisters in the Church Triumphant have left behind a legacy and example we can learn from and offer their prayers for those of us still on earth.
There are so many wonderful saints we can look toward in this vocation of marriage, who better to ask for help than couples who practice heroic virtue in their own relationships.
Saints Anne and Joachim
Saints Anne and Joachim are the parents of the Blessed Mother and the grandparents of Jesus.
Not much is known about Anne and Joachim but traditionally it is believed that they conceived their daughter in their old age but went on to instill in her a deep faith and love of God.
The Church sees the parents of Mother of God as the ones who taught her how to respond to God’s request with “May it be done to me according to your word.”
Saints Elizabeth and Zacheriah
After being barren for many years and advanced in age, Elizabeth, the cousin of Mary and Zacheriah, a priest in the temple, were promised a son through the messenger Gabriel.
Their son, John the Baptist was a prophet who foretold the coming of the savior, even from within his mother’s womb. He has been called “the greatest man born of woman” and held in high esteem in the Church.
Elizabeth and Zacheriah are exemplary models for married couples of patience and trust in God.
Saints Louis and Zelie Martin
The parents of St. Therese of Lisieux became the first married couple to be canonized together.
Louis Martin and Zelie Guerin had both wanted to enter the religious life but learned that God had other plans for them. The couple had nine children, four of whom died immaturely. The remaining five daughters all went on to become Carmelite nuns.
The Pope stated in his homily during their canonization mass: “The holy spouses Louis Martin and Marie-Azélie Guérin practiced Christian service in the family, creating day by day an environment of faith and love which nurtured the vocations of their daughters…”
Blessed Maria & Luigi Beltrame
Luigi and Maria Beltrame Quattrocchi "made a true domestic church of their family, which was open to life, to prayer, to the social apostolate, to solidarity with the poor and to friendship."
During the Nazi invasion of Italy, their apartment remained a place of peace as they prayed the rosary together each evening and consecrated their family to the Sacred Heart. It also became a shelter for refugees.
With Maria’s fourth pregnancy, she experienced serious complications that greatly reduced her chance of survival and was advised to abort the baby. Trusting in God, Maria and Luigi refused. All four children went on to have vocations to the priesthood or religious life.
The couple was beatified together on October 21, 2001 by Pope John Paul II.
Blessed Karl of Austria & Zita
Karl became the last Emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire during the First World War and both he and his wife, Zita were devout Catholics. On the eve of their wedding, Karl told Zita: "Now we must help each other attain heaven."
During his reign, Karl worked to create peace within his empire made every decision with the temporal and spiritual welfare of the people in mind. And at home, Karl and Zita raised their eight children to love the Lord and to serve others.
The couple’s hearts are enshrined together in Muri Abbey, Switzerland.