The Seasons of Marriage

Jan. 1, 2026

Couples can weather any storm through dedication to prayer and trust in God’s providence

By Kathleen and Troy Billings

Jan. 1, 2026

aphrodite74 / E+ via Getty Images — Alexandre Patchine / iStock via Getty Images

In the fall of 2024, Hurricane Helene raged through Greenville, South Carolina, causing widespread damage that many are still dealing with to this day. Personally, we were without power and water for 11 days, but thankfully experienced minimal property damage compared to so many who lost their homes, vehicles — and even their lives. Like Hurricane Helene, which arrived as the weather patterns began to change from summer to fall, the shift from one season in marriage to the next can be unforeseen and feel like a raging storm. Whether a new season is a welcome change or an undesired and difficult one, varying degrees of stress accompany the transition from one marital season to the next.

God permits such inevitable change in our marriages for the same reason that he allows the natural change of seasons — as opportunities for growth. Although a season may initially appear negative, perhaps marked by a cancer diagnosis or a job loss, there is always a greater good that God desires to bring from it — and will bring from it — if we cooperate with his grace. Facing such difficulties together with faith and patience can ultimately strengthen marital unity.

Like a tree in winter, a marriage in a difficult season may appear bare — but growth is still possible beneath the surface. If we trust that God is at work, even in what seems lifeless or uncertain, we can allow him to form us through suffering and sacrifice. These seasons call us to die to ourselves in new ways — and in doing so, to deepen the love that both sustains and enriches our marital vocation. B

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KATHLEEN AND TROY BILLINGS are co-authors of Simply Love: Catholic Marriage Day by Day (Our Sunday Visitor, 2023). Kathleen and Troy, a Knight since 2011, live in Simpsonville, S.C., with their five children.

A sculpture showing an expectant Mary with Joseph en route to Bethlehem is seen in a church during the season of Advent

The Seasons of Marriage

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