Love Story Project – Eléonor and Ghislain

The “Love Story Project” continues! Since the original 15 testimonies posted in February 2018, leading us to this celebration of St. Valentine’s day in 2018, couples continue to share with us their “Love Stories” and drawing us closer to the Source of their love. The beauty of a sacramental marriage extends well beyond the St. Valentine’s day, all through life. Here is another proof: happy reading!

When asked how we met, Ghislain generally answers: “at church”, smiling. It could have been true but is absolutely not! I add right away: “In a night club”, smiling too. We rely on the following “small beatitude”: Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves; they will have no end of fun! (Joseph Folliet). The truth is that we met at an afterwork party, with an absent friend acting as intermediary.

During the months after our first encounter, Ghislain courted me in an old-fashioned, not explicit way, much to my dismay! I must admit that in a way, I loved it too.

At the time, Ghislain was slowly coming back to the faith in which he had been raised, after years away from any spiritual life. It did not come as a surprise to him that he met this wonderful woman precisely at that time. “When times were difficult in the building of our relationship, I always turned to prayers and blessings received in these early times, which to me acted as foundations for our couple”, he says.

Coming from a non-religious family and brazenly converted during her teenage years, I was seeking consistency in my life, and trying to root my faith in everyday living.”

In our first few years together we shared much joy and laughs; we also spent time – increasingly so after we got engaged – in several spiritual retreats, together or as part of youth groups, which gave us comfort and strengthened our discernment. Writing these lines, it seems to us as if everything was «given» to us, from the very beginning, as if it had been «engraved in the palms of our hands».

We got married three years after that first evening, going through wonderful moments and difficult ones. Our path together was not an easy road, but always towards God and we feel as if we built our relationship on the rock, with His constant help. The priest friend who celebrated our wedding mass said that he had rarely met a groom and a bride so different in so many ways. He did succeed in making the assembly laugh!

Like many couples, sometimes we experience how demanding it can be to live with an «imperfect» match. We strive to always keep God in our household and between the two of us, and make Him the ultimate goal of everything we do. He helps us to overcome the more difficult parts of being a married couple (and parents).

We are deeply connected in our desire to go to Him and that is where we can always meet each other profoundly and without doubt.

We joined the Emmanuel Community 5 years ago in France, and have had the joy to meet new brothers and sisters in Cambridge, MA upon our arrival. All of them are silent and present guards God put on our path to help us live our sacrament and sanctify each other in marriage. And with them we praise and rejoice in the Lord!

Eléonor and Ghislain (MA)