30 Days with the Married Saints will help you to pray with a variety of holy married men and women of the Church from well-known couples like Mary and Joseph to lesser-known couples like Luigi and Maria Beltrame Quattrocchi (the first couple to be beatified together). Each day contains vivid portraits of heroically virtuous married saints as well as prayers, moving reflections, questions, and practical suggestions to enrich your marriage and inspire you and your spouse on your journey of sanctity.
I picked this up because my husband and I are the Spiritual Directors for an upcoming marriage enrichment retreat. I'm so glad I did because otherwise I would have missed this wonderful devotional.
I was impressed by the range and variety of the married couples presented for our contemplation. In some cases, both spouses were saints. In many more, as one might expect, one was a saint and the other was along for the ride, with varying degrees of enthusiasm. For example, we're all familiar with Saint Monica whose husband was violent, faithless, and unfaithful to her. However, after twenty years of marriage he was baptized shortly before his death.
On the other hand, Blessed Frederic Ozanam who founded the Saint Vincent de Paul Society had a loving, supportive wife. They both worked to keep their marriage full of small, daily reminders of affection. This is despite the fact that he was incredibly busy as a professor, journalist, and helping poor households as a member of the Saint Vincent de Paul society.
Many of the couples merit several chapters. The chapters in this small book are never longer than three or four pages which have been a good amount for my husband and I to read together every day. Each chapter has an opening prayer, modern illustrations of living the examples found in the saints' lives, points for reflection and a closing prayer. I tend not to like reflection prompts but the ones in this book are thoughtful and often highlight angles I might not have considered.
Highly recommended.
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