"She loves God, the Church, family, children, laughing, deep conversations, holding hands and playful banter."
"I had been going back and forth inside my head about where and how to propose to Joanna," he recalled. Everything from dinner at a pricey restaurant to a sunset walk on the beach to fireworks ran through Philip's head. "Ultimately though, I felt drawn to propose in the context of the sacraments," he concluded.
There was still uncertainty about how the proposal would all unfold. Philip bought the ring and secured the blessing of Joanna's father. The previous evening, he and Joanna had enjoyed a great time at Catholic Underground in Los Angeles. There was adoration, confession and live music by Catholic artists. When they left the event, each spoke aloud about how sure they felt about their future together. It all emboldened to Philip to propose after Sunday evening Mass.
"I probably checked my pocket 50 times to make sure the box hadn't somehow disappeared," Philip said regarding the Mass. Afterwards, he suggested to Joanna that they pray together in a side chapel with the tabernacle. "This wasn’t an unusual practice for us, so she was entirely unsuspecting."
It was through prayer, that Philip put his proposal into words. After giving thanks to the Lord for His Presence in the Eucharist, he added "And I pray you help me to make a gift of myself to Joanna, especially as we prepare for the sacrament of matrimony, if she'll have me." At this point, Joanna opened her eyes and saw the ring. She knew the prayer was a proposal and said yes...
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