Welcome to Fairest Love Families! This series highlights families throughout the United States who have a love for their Catholic faith and a devotion to the Blessed Mother.
Meet Marielle and Daniel from Michigan!
Where are you from and how did you meet?
We live in Grand Rapids, MI where Daniel is originally from. I am from Illinois. We met in our last few weeks at Benedictine College (Go Ravens!) through some mutual friends. It was one of those crazy moments that I knew God was calling me to get to know Daniel better as soon as I met him, that there was something beautiful in store for us. And there was! Life threw some crazy battles at us and it made us grow even closer to Christ and each other, leading us to our marriage. We have one beautiful daughter, Lyana Francesca. She is 14 months old and we hope to have many more, God-willing. She is full of energy and love for life and she keeps us on our toes. She brings us so much joy.
Do you have any religious traditions that you keep as a family?
Recently we started doing family rosaries in the evening right before putting our baby girl down to sleep. It teaches her that it is important and it keeps our family close to the Blessed Mother. It is also a peaceful time in the evening that we really enjoy. Both Daniel and I grew up doing this in our families, so it was something that we wanted to continue in our own. As a small new little family, we are still working on making Catholic family traditions each year, but it is special to share the faith and teach it to our little girl.
What role does your faith play in your family life?
Faith has a huge role! It guides us in our love for each other as husband and wife, as a mother and a father. Our faith guides our family decisions, the structure of our day, and how we speak to and treat each other with love.
What is your favorite devotion or prayer as a family? Why?
Every night before going to bed, Daniel and I say a prayer together thanking God for different things in our day, praying for good rest, and for our family. This little spiritual recap of our day is bonding for us and also spiritually bonding to Christ. It is small, but it is so special. We also are growing in our love for the rosary as a family. Adoration is a big favorite as well.
What was a moment, personally or within your family, that you felt Our Lady working in your life? Share a moment when the Blessed Mother has helped you through a difficult time or a challenge you faced as a family…
Daniel’s and my journey through friendship to dating and finally to marriage was all thanks to the Blessed Mother. In fact, he proposed to me at her grotto at Benedictine College. The Blessed Mother constantly reminded me to pray for Daniel while we were friends, and she would not take him off my heart even though I couldn’t figure out why. Of course, she knew how things were meant to be and through my persistent prayer for him and me pushing to stay in touch even when I felt it didn’t make sense, she brought us together. And she brought a lot of peace with it, which helped us trust that we were doing the right thing when we began dating even when we had to go through a personal time of a lot of suffering (due to external factors). So I am very grateful to our Mother because without her, we would not have found each other and our vocation.
What would you want your children to take away from any particular devotion you have to the Blessed Mother?
That she really is a mother to us. We are allowed and asked to come to her with all our thoughts, decisions, worries, anxieties. Mothers ease their children, that is exactly what Mary does for us. And she guides us as well.
If you could impart any wisdom to your children about the faith, what would it be?
That faith is truly the source of joy and the reason for all things. Our hearts are made for Christ and only in Him will we really find rest. Faith and prayer isn’t just a “to-do” or an idea. It is the deepest core of who we are and what we are made for.
How has Mary been a mother to you?
Mary is a mother to me because she brings me comfort and I can feel her with me in times of need and loneliness.