How Do You Prepare Spiritually for Catholic Marriage?

Spiritual preparation for Catholic marriage means deepening your prayer life, receiving the sacraments regularly, healing past wounds, and growing in the virtues that make self-gift possible. It’s not something that happens in a weekend retreat – it’s the ongoing work of becoming the kind of person who can love another person for a lifetime. And it starts long before you meet your future spouse. The Deeper Story I think we sometimes treat spiritual preparation as the “bonus track” of marriage prep – nice to have, but secondary to the practical stuff like budgets and communication skills. The Church sees it the other way around. The spiritual dimension is the foundation on which everything else rests. ...

February 23, 2026 · 3 min · Katie Palitto