By Tony DeGol
Proclaim!
For Dustin and Julia Ludwig, the number 13 is anything but unlucky.
The couple, members of Saint Nicholas Parish in Nicktown, has been married for 13 years, and it appears the honeymoon is still going strong.
“It’s wonderful,” assured Dustin of married life.
“I just feel like every day is a good day,” added Julia.
The Ludwigs are especially blessed by their three handsome young sons.
Sure, family life presents some occasional challenges, but the couple stresses that they never let themselves be weighed down by them.
“Don’t sweat the small stuff,” advised Dustin. “Everything always works out in the long run.”
They also rely heavily on their Catholic faith to guide them, and they are grateful to the extended Catholic school family to which they belong, thanks to their commitment to Catholic education for their boys.
“It’s like a family you create outside your family,” noted Julia.
The Ludwig clan were among the hundreds who attended the great summer tradition in the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown, the annual outdoor Mass for married couples.
Celebrated by Bishop Mark, it was held on July 21 at the Our Lady of the Alleghenies Shrine in Loretto.
The Lord blessed the liturgy with beautiful weather, and Bishop Mark offered an encouraging homily message.
He mentioned that vulnerability is at the heart of personal relationships.
“It puts the love of husbands and wives to the test when they have to let go of their own worries or desires to take care of one’s spouse, let alone one’s child,” the Bishop explained. “And the Gospel reveals another important reality in Christian marriage. It says it was because of their vulnerability that Jesus was able to teach the crowd that had come to see Him and listen to him. That kind of vulnerability is found in every human relationship, in a unique way in the relationship of husband and wife.”
Married couples should never be afraid of the vulnerability in their union, Bishop Mark stressed.
“When it is put to the test, bring those concerns to the Lord, place them on the altar, and see that the Lord will help you turn those challenges of life into pathways to eternal life.”
During the Mass, husbands and wives had the opportunity to renew their sacramental commitment to each other and seal their renewal with a kiss.
[Photo: Dustin and Julia Ludwig and their three sons, members of Saint Nicholas Parish in Nicktown, following the annual outdoor Mass for married couples on July 21.]
