Recently, I came across a quote by Saint Nicholas of Serbia that deeply resonated with me: “The body cannot love or hate. The body cannot love the body. The ability to love belongs to the soul. When the soul loves the body, this is not love but desire, passion. When the soul loves the soul not in God, it is either admiration or pity. But when the soul in God loves the soul, regardless of appearance, beauty, or ugliness, this is love.”

These profound and wise words gave me much to reflect upon. Indeed, in today’s world, there is a popular, almost fashionable, definition of love. It is often said that “love is chemistry,” an attraction that arises between people, a physical desire, or simply, passion. It is this passion that draws people together, they attempt to build relationships, marry, or even get married in the Church, all while making vows of eternal love.

I know many examples where people attempt to create a family based on this passionate impulse. But just as this feeling arises, it can just as quickly fade, and what remains? Disappointment, emptiness, pain? In reality, no one is to blame. People deceive themselves when they confuse passion for love. Relationships cannot be built solely on sensuality. To build a future together, it is essential to have spiritual closeness, common interests, and shared expectations for marriage and family. This, I believe, is the key. As we often hear, “chemistry” may arise suddenly, but it can just as swiftly dissipate. It might even develop with someone else... And then, does one need to part ways with the first?

God endows each person with an immortal, unique soul. And when, by God's grace, you unexpectedly find your "soul" in another, that is likely to be your future. Everything aligns—there is that unique, sacred space of love, open only to the two of you, founded on the essential—spiritual unity. Only in such love, in my opinion, can people grow together, become stronger, gain strength, build, and have children. Lord, help us in this!

Therefore, I believe that when entering marriage, especially when contemplating a church wedding with your chosen one, it is crucial to feel not just the "chemistry" but the spiritual unity. Returning to the words of Saint Nicholas of Serbia, “When the soul loves the soul, this is love,” I want to learn this love and teach my growing children that “love is not chemistry.” And, as I see it, if teenagers understand the true meaning of love from a young age, its foundation, there will be fewer betrayals and divorces. The person you choose will become truly valuable, and there will be “two becoming one flesh.”