Many years ago, friends of mine got married in Colorado. My brother, who was just rediscovering his Catholic faith, came with me. We grew up in Eugene, Oregon, where women were frequently awarded the title of “worst dressed” in typical marijuana-fueled hippie culture fashions. This wedding, then, of two faithful Catholic families, was a refreshing and striking change of scenery.
A forest fire had just run through the area near the outdoor reception; the residual smell of smoke and the acres of burned forest added a slightly threatening sense to the day amid the joy.
Leaving the event, my brother said, “That was a wonderful wedding. The women were beautiful, and the men were there to protect them.” I agreed, knowing he had captured not just the day and these families’ values, but something deeper and more foundational. When men are deeply committed to the will of God, understand the dignity of women and family, and exercise their gifts accordingly, women can be beautiful, not a superficial beauty, but the kind of beauty that radiates from inside. The rough edges of cynicism, bitterness, anger, and contempt no longer need to be clung to for self-protection.
Of course, there have always
