Reaching a certain intimacy with one’s lifelong partner is important, for without it, the couple cannot really grow. What is intimacy? Generally it is synonymous with total and profound sharing of emotions, feelings, ideas, the synthesis of the whole person; in marriage ‘intimacy’ also includes the gift of corporeity. It is the point of arrival for a journey of communion that respects the originality and individuality of each one.
Intimacy should not be confused only with physical fusion, which tends to cancel all differences between the two and to create dependence on the other; on the contrary, intimacy increases one’s freedom since each one feels loved as he/she is in a climate of trust, and the positive qualities of each one can multiply.
To reach intimacy, however, it is necessary to expose oneself, not to be afraid to share everything, to exclude false modesty, and be transparent even in our fragility; and because of all these, it sometimes provokes fear.
Our best wish for the two spouses is to be able to start and to reach
a full intimacy. It will enrich them both, as individuals and as a couple, making them experience what it means to become “one flesh”. In many moments it will also help them penetrate the mystery of the other.
This is why intimacy is priceless. It is a gift available to everyone and it matures progressively, but requires a good start and clear objectives. So let us set aside our existential solitude, and try to fill the hearts of those who live next to us.
