Rose Sweet - A Catholic Woman’s Guide to Romance

And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole
world around you because the greatest secrets are
always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those
who dont believe in magic will never find it.

Roald Dahl, The Minpins

T oto, I have a feeling were not in Kansas anymore.

You know the sceneDorothy Gale has suddenly been transported to another world and is taking in the magical, breathtaking wonders of a very strange place. Released in 1939, MGMs grand Technicolor fantasy film, The Wizard of Oz, won the hearts of millions when it debuted on TV for the first time in 1956. It is one of the most watched movies of all time and became an annual household tradition when I was growing up.

It was both fascinating and scary. Ill never forget the anxiety I felt watching Dorothy being tossed wildly about in the tornado, seeing Miss Gulch morph into the Wicked Witch just outside Dorothys window, and being unnerved by the witchs evil, cackling laugh. When Dorothy hit her head and was knocked unconscious, I was so distressed.

But, thankfully, in a few minutes, it was over. A slightly dazed Dorothy rose from the bed, picked up her dog, Toto, walked to the front door of the house, and slowly opened itto a world full of brilliant color!

I was mesmerized.

Through that wooden portal, she stepped away from her sepia-toned life into a magical, color-splashed world of sunshine, sweetly singing birds, and even strains of heavenly music. Beautiful giant blooms of every kind grew abundantly along the yellow-brick roadand did she see something moving in those flower bushes?

Our world has magic doorways

Like Dorothys farmhouse door, mysterious openings to the interior world are all around us. They are not magic as in sorcery or New Age, but natural entryways that lead to the mysterious and supernatural world that coexists with ours. God has secrets, but because he loves us, he wants us to discover them. Some doorways are naturallike nature, music, art, or scienceand others are supernatural, like prayer and the sacraments. They all lead to the same transcendent realm from which we came and to which we are destined to return: the very heart of God.

Living in Kansas, Dorothy was restlesssomething inside her was calling. Life on the farm with Uncle Henry and Auntie Em just wasnt cutting it. She wanted deeper meaning, a greater happiness, and was willing to leave the safety and familiarity of home for a grand adventure. Have you been restless and longed to go farther, deeper, and higher than ever? From childhood, I believed romance was my great destiny; despite its thrills and pleasures, I discovered it was only a doorway to something greater. Romance, and all the wild, passionate longings that come with it, is one of those natural gateways that will take us to Godif we let it.

Are you ready for an adventure into the interior life? Here are some things to remember before we leave the farm.

The turbulence of life can take us to magical places

In a sense, Dorothy Gales story is prophetic; it is often the ominous storms of life and the terrible tornadoes of suffering that yank us violently out of our self-focused, black-and-white lives to discover something more profound. I never really noticed the hidden passages in this life that lead to ultimate happiness. I was too busy in my own little world to see Gods mysteries and hear his voice. So if you ever get stuck in that restless place, I say let the clouds appear and the wind begin to blow!

Doorways are all around us

Once we have the eyes to see, we will discover that doorways to the interior life are all around us. God is calling you into the interior world. He invites you to enjoy the gifts he has bestowed upon you in this world but always to let them serve as signs to lead you deeper. In fact, his call is less of a summons than it is a proposal for the ultimate happily-ever-after romance. After all, adventure and romance go hand-in-hand!

God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength (CCC 1, emphasis added).

Romance is a secret way of seeing into heaven

At its heart, everything that is romantic is a clue to seeing God as the Bridegroom who deeply longs for you, his beloved Bride. The saints and mystics know that romance is the beginning of what is called bridal spirituality, one of many ways to understand Gods love for us and our relationship with him.

Authentic spirituality is not about communing with nature, experiencing deep emotions, stretching, breathing, or lowering your stress levelalthough those can be results of it. Rather, its about really seeing and being drawn closer to God, a Person who desires loving, life-giving union with you. Through the colorful world of this spousal imagery, I trust you will be surprised and delighted to see or remember that: