“…if they give a promise and become engaged – and it’s good if the duration of the engagement is not overly extended – he should try during the period of engagement to see his fiancee as a sister and respect her. If they both struggle, with philotimo [Christ-life attitude], to preserve their virginity, then at the Sacrament of Marriage, when they are crowned by the priest, they will receive an abundance of the Grace of God. For as Saint John Chrysostom says, “the crowns are symbols of victory over bodily pleasure”.  Following this, they should cultivate, as far as possible, the virtue of love, so the two of them will always “remain united in such a way that the Third Person – our sweetest Lord Jesus Christ – will also remain with them.”

– ‘Family Life’