Valentine’s Day 2025: A Kenyan Priest’s Prayer for Young Catholics Discerning Marriage

“These include money and wealth, alcohol and drugs, autonomy, career, pregnancy or child bearing, digital culture, irresponsibility, and lust among others,” he said, and added, “Let us learn to accept our weaknesses and imperfection to each other and seek to maintain our love higher.”

According to Fr. Mwakio, marriage is a covenantal love between God and his people in which married couples are only participants. 

He noted that throughout the history of salvation, humanity drifted from the love that God intended by engaging in idolatry, adultery and unfaithfulness.

“Although it was human beings who had separated from the love of God, it was God who always sought to bring us back,” he said.

In his message of encouragement to young couples experiencing hardships in their marriage, the Kenyan Catholic Priest said, “We can never be perfect in our marriage and love. We try to make the best of it as we live. Through the grace of God, we live together, love, pray, joke, laugh, cry, forgive or regret in specific moments of life.”

Fr. Mwakio, who also serves as the Chair of the Youth Advisory Council at the Pan African Catholic Theology and Pastoral Network (PACTPAN) also shared a prayer he has for young Catholics preparing for marriage, searching for married partners or those who fear to delve into it.

We thank God who is love and who shares his love with us. Through this love God reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ.

We pray for the virtue of courage to the youth preparing to embrace marriage if this be their choice and vocation.

May you, through prayer, discernment and reflection make the right decision. We pray that you do not get afraid of marriage or the partner that you will encounter in your life. The person you have met or will meet is a new opportunity to explore life.

May no amount of  wealth, money or qualification be the measure of success in your love, courtship or readiness to marry.

May it be your decision to love through the challenges and successes. We  pray that the gift of  love and determination will be the key as you look for your partner. May you compare your life and love with God who is  the love per excellence.

May God grant you that person created in his image as your companion to treasure and respect in good and bad times, a shoulder to lean on.

Oh God who said that it is not good for a man to be alone, grant the youth this desire. It is from marriage that they will be a companion to a woman and bring other vocations through their offspring as they witness to your Love in the world.

We make this prayer through Christ our loving Lord.

Amen.

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