When Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban...[he] went near and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock.... Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept (Genesis 29:10-11).

True marriage love is nothing but a union of love and wisdom. Two married partners who have this love between them and in them at the same time are a reflection and image of it (Conjugial Love 65).

The Lord's Divine providence continually works to unite truth to good and good to truth in a person, because it is through that union that a person is united to the Lord (see Divine Providence 21).

The story of Jacob seeing Rachel, being inspired to open the well for her, and then weeping for joy is a beautiful picture of marriage love. Jacob loved Rachel so deeply that not only was he willing to serve seven years for her (and then seven more), but those seven years seemed like only a few days. Jacob's years of labor for Rachel illustrate how true marriage love requires diligence in the face of hardship. It requires patience and a willingness to look to the Lord for leadership. Then a husband and wife must each do their part to have their relationship reach its full potential. 

The Heavenly Doctrines for the New Church teach that the marriage of a man and a woman is an image of the union of the wisdom and love that exist together in the Lord. Each partner brings something unique to the marriage. Together, through a lifetime of work that is sometimes joyful and sometime difficult, the two can become as one, each a perfect complement to the other. 

Another kind of marriage is also depicted in the story of Jacob and Rachel - a marriage that must take place in the mind of every individual human being. This is a marriage of good and truth, which flow into our minds from the Lord's love and wisdom. In order for our lives to prosper spiritually, a desire to be good and live in charity must be conjoined with truths which we find in the Lord's Word. This is a life-long process, and whatever our natural marital status, we can all work faithfully on this spiritual marriage.

These unions all carry the promise of the Lord's blessings of a true inner happiness and peace. We hope that these materials will help you see and rejoice in the wonderful possibilities of marriage on many levels.   

Highlights for this month include

READ: "The Heavenly Marriage" by the Rt. Rev. Peter M. Buss
The whole of the Word is a love story. It tells of the union between true ideas and good feelings, between strong principles and tender concern for others. It breathes the promise of the love of a man for his wife and hers for him. There is also a simple love story in the Word - the romance and enduring love between Jacob and Rachel.

 Prayers for Children, Teens, and Adults (PDF)

 PROJECT: Jacob Waters the Flocks for Rachel (ages 7-9) (PDF)
Make a well with a stone cover that can be moved out of the way to water Rachel's sheep.

READ: "The Lord's Love: Jacob and Rachel", a family talk by the Rev. John Odhner
The Lord's love for his church and for all its people is like the love of a husband for his wife or like the love of Jacob for Rachel. Because the Lord has such great love for His people, He wants to give us precious gifts. One of the most precious gifts He gives us is true marriage love, the conjugial love that brings a husband and wife together. He gives that love to people who go to His Word and take the truth from it and live by that truth so they can do good things.

 COLORING PAGE: "Jacob and Rachel Embrace" by Marguerite Acton (PDF)

 ACTIVITY: Matching Symbols of Good and Truth (ages 12-up) (PDF)
Match symbols from the Word that mean either good or truth. As you try to find pairs that seem to go together, it may help to think of stories in the Word.

READ: "Steps and Stages in Preparing for Marriage" by the Rev. Prescott Rogers
This article describes five steps you can take to prepare yourself for marriage: read, pray, love, observe, and shun evils. It also explains four stages that we go through in preparing for and entering into marriage: seeds, growth, blossoms, and fruit.

 ACTIVITY: Men and Women Picturing Good and Truth (ages 12-up) (PDF)
Think about qualities you admire in men and women that you know. Under the picture of a man, write ways that you think a man pictures truth. Under the picture of a woman, write ways that you think a woman pictures good. As an extension of this activity, you might want to make a collage of faces of men if you are male or women if you are female (using clip art or pictures cut from magazines) and then write the way that you would like to be a picture of good or truth.

An Overview of Projects and Activities for Families (html)
Projects and activities about The Story of Jacob and Rachel, Good and Truth in Creation, The Heavenly Marriage of Good and Truth, Uniting Love and Wisdom in the Marriage Relationship and Preparing for Marriage.