In secular cultures, and even among Catholics, it can be common to assume one out of two views of marriage.

For some, marriage has only ever been "transactional"—a trade-off in which women sought material security from men, who in turn sought family connections, domestic upkeep, or comfort.

Others have a more "romantic" view of marriage, in which the relationship is only built on sentimental notions of love as a feeling.

Is a third view possible?

National Marriage Week 2026

The observances of National Marriage Week (Feb. 7-14) and World Marriage Day (Sunday, Feb. 8) are an opportunity to focus on building a culture of life and love that begins with supporting and promoting marriage and the family. This year's theme is "Man and Woman He Created Them: Together with Purpose."

Looking for ways to strengthen your celebration of National Marriage Week? The USCCB's resources include a Lectio Divina guide, and At-Home Retreat, parish resources, and more!

Upcoming Webinar: Love in the Age of AI

With marriage and dating relationships in decline, human-seeming chatbots are rising to prominence at a pivotal time. Andrew Buonopane will discuss how Large Language Models (aka "generative AI") work and how they produce convincing forgeries of personal relationships. We will discuss the nature of genuine personhood, and why it can never be replaced by software, no matter how sophisticated. Finally, we'll figure out how to protect those at risk from this new threat to love. 

This webinar will be held on February 19 at 1pm ET and is an exclusive benefit for Catholic Family Life Association members. To learn more about becoming a CFLA member, see below.