I walk the shoes you are in. Your
REPEATED requests here are for other fellow Catholics to pray for you and support you in your decision to go through the ‘bad’ and ‘illness’ times in your marriage. From what I have seen so far, only one poster has been directly specific in this (thanks, ‘
Leonie’).
I often feel somewhat apprehensive in engaging with this kind of dialogue because of the expected result you have mostly got from here, so I do apologise for not having written earlier. I admire your determination. Please remember that the choice of faith is to bring LIFE, not death.
In effect, this situation is killing me. That is one of the reasons why I relate so strongly to the Gethsemane narrative. My commitment to my marriage vows is killing me. I now have to decide if I follow this path, to its ultimate conclusion.
I can very well understand your suffering, but it is indeed within the suffering that we are able to enter into a much deeper relationship of faith with God, through Jesus. You, like everyone, have a free choice of will - what YOU decide to do with it. People from all walks of life will advise you one way or another, but ALL have agenda’s to promote (just like I have

). Your job is to seek your faith through all of this, to put Christ first, not yourself or other opinions of you. Same goes with your wife.
If you really want any chance of this coming to a better outcome, and not just an inevitable one, start by taking the focus off yourself first and secondly, off your wife. Start with pursuing your relationship with God with every particle of your being, whatever you believe you need to do, to ***experience ***and ***know ***the LOVE of God. Let Love be your guiding force in all things. If you go the path of love, you will have anger, you will have grief, but you will find love, the purest and most unconditional love there is, from God. And it will be God who will give you the understanding and love that you need (that we ALL need). You will realize that
your love is also ***conditional, ***so we really then can only begin to understand why we cannot judge others because of the logs in our own eyes.
Some have said your situation warrants abuse and this can so easily be justified when you continue to be the ‘victim’ for the abuser to play out on you. You know you have a course to know a love that this world does not offer, you take that on board and you cannot remain the victim any longer, you have only love and compassion for the other.,
you will not die! In the strength of this knowledge,
YOU WILL become a stronger person and you will become a witness for her. What she ultimately decides upon is of course, her choice. But marriage is a SACRAMENT that requires each of us to bring the other to our ultimate destination - HEAVEN. Not the pathway of abandonment. Whatever the outcome, you can be this witness both for your children and your wife and be at peace with God.
WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE - I and my husband are living testimony to this and have struggled with this problem all our married life as well. I considered divorce, annulment etc. and knew I would be only too well supported in this path. I even told him that perhaps he needed to go out and experience that lifestyle. (What was I thinking?!!:doh2

. I knew that we only get one chance around this lifetime, so after much consideration, I figured that maybe this just was the cross I had to bear. I know the scene of Jesus’ suffering in Gethsemane only so well!! I actually did a painting of it - and one day I got such a fright when I saw it out of the corner of my eye - it was me that I had painted without realising it! Then I began to realise that I had been emotionally abused growing up - without really ever knowing it - hence began MY journey of healing and continued reconciliation with God. Whilst I started to acknowledge God’s will throughout all of this, I couldn’t help but be amazed at how my husband was transforming right alongside with me. He and I began a journey into TRUTH and now have such a deep love for one another that is solidly rooted in the Love of God. Marriage is indeed a sacrament, a LIVING sacrament. God continues to bless us along the way with a deeper appreciation of just who HE is, and His immense desire to be reconciled with Him. I will pray for you, in fact, I should say I will continue to pray for you. Know you are NOT alone in this - it is incredible the number of marriages that are afflicted with this.
On a practical note - I also was the one who went and slept in another bed, couch, whatever was on offer - and could barely sleep most of the time. Dh stated that it was probably a good thing as he needed the better sleep more than me!

One day, I just decided that in order for me to approach any of this rationally, I too, needed proper sleep and I was entitled to the bed as much as he was. I just started sleeping in OUR bed again, regardless of how he or I were feeling. It hurt a lot in the beginning, but now he always wonders when I’m coming to bed as he loves me being there and feels very lonely if I’m not! So just reclaim your right to sleep in your bed as well, regardless of whether or not she stays - that’s her choice - at the moment.
God’s love and peace to you, and may he fill you with a renewed hope and joy in HIM. You are a lovable person, just let God show you how much!! You have had incredible strength to stay in this relationship so far, so you are not pathetic!