Rob & Katie McGaver
What Do You Get When You Take Two Cradle Catholic High School Sweethearts, Turned Cafeteria Catholics; Throw In A Life Lined With The Joys And Blessings Of Marriage And Children; Pepper In The Dark Crosses Of Family Strife, Sudden Illness Leading To Years Of Debility, Suffering, Job Loss, And A Stripping Of Self-Made Identities; When The Light Of Christ Breaks In Shining Light On Every Paralyzing Sin, Idol And Deep Wound?!?
Divine Romance... And A Resurrected Faith, Life And Marriage Transformed By Merciful Love Itself; Filled With Boundless Joy And Breathtaking Adventure.
Hello Friends! We Are Rob And Katie McGaver From Wisconsin! Six Years Ago Our Cute Social Media Introduction Would Tell Of How We Were Cradle Catholics & High School Sweethearts, Blessed To Be Raising Beautiful Boys, Working In Fulfilling Careers, Living In A Loving Home With An Adorable Pup Surrounded By Family And A Wonderful Parish Community!
But The Truth Is That “The Light Shines In The Darkness” (John 1:5). Retrospectively, Our “Yes’s” To God Dawn From Encountering The Light Of Christ Amid The Darkness. Our Story Is Absolutely One Of Joyful, Radiant, Merciful Love And Light; But It Shines Through The Darkness Of Trial, Loss, Pain And Illness.
We Have Been Married Thirteen Years, Together Over Twenty-Two; And Reflectively, The Lord Has Illuminated How Our Image Of Love, Marriage & The Family Has Been Repeatedly Marred By Dark Trials Throughout Our Lives. From This Vantage Point, That Does Not Surprise Us; For Our Greatest Callings From The Lord Are Often The Most Tried And Tested.
Through Katie's Parent's Divorce; Divisions With Rob's Family Surrounding Our Wedding; Our Vows Tested Through Katie’s Sudden Illness With Meningitis, The Resultant Job Loss And Recovery In The Years That Followed While Raising Two Young Children... It Was Crushed Beneath These Dark Crosses That God’s Love -Light Broke Through; And The Call To "Let His Light So Shine" (Matthew 5:16) - Through Our Own Lives, Marriage & Family - Became Apparent. In His Goodness, God’s Love-Light Was Tenderly Reflected To Us At The Calvaries Of Our Life Through Love Of Each Other And Of Our Children.
Our Romantic Adventure With The Lord And One Another Is Married To The Cross Of Love.
The Painful Cost Of Love Is A Truth That Has Been Woven Deeply Throughout Our Story. Continually Enrolled In The School Of Suffering, God Has Taught Us That True Love Is Born At The Cross; And That The Cross Of Love Lies At The Heart Of Every Reflection Of Divine Romance In Our Lives.
Through The Pain And Grief Of Broken Family Relationships Met With Healing And Merciful Reconciliation...Through Sudden Illness Complicated By Debility And An Arduous Recovery That Birthed The Greatest Physical, Emotional And Spiritual Healing Of Our Lives...
Through Job Loss And Restoration Following Illness That Led To The Unexpected Invitation To Radical Career Surrender In Loving Trust To Divine Providence...Through Coming Face -To-Face With The Suffering Cross Of Our Own Sinfulness, Inviting Us To The Font Of Sacramental Grace And Mercy...Leading Us To Fully Embrace Sacrificial, Life-Giving Love In Our Marriage And Family...
Through The Myriad Of Ordinary Invitations To Surrender To Love Illuminated Before Us Every Day... God’s Radiant Love Shines Through The Crosses Of Our Lives. In Seeking To Love By His Grace In The Light Of Divine Mercy, Surrender, Service, And Obedience - To Continually Empty Ourselves For Love (St. Teresa of Calcutta) - Our Love Is Enkindled Ever New. Each Time We Bear The Cross Of Love In The Suffering Light Of His; Christ Beckons Us Deeper Into The Beauty Of The Paschal Mystery And Our Catholic Faith.
Through The Mass, Sacraments, Communion Of Saints, Eucharistic Love, And Our Sacramental Married Love - Christ Illuminates Love ’s Cross And The Path To Divine Romance With Radiant, Resurrected, Joyful Love Unimaginable. The Light Of True Love Is Married To The Cross - For Love Carries The Cross; And The Cross Bears Love. In Facing Our Sinfulness And Dark Trials Illuminated By Merciful Love; God Did Not Ask For Our Hearts Superficially Or On Our Terms... But In Complete Trust And Radical Surrender Of Every Aspect Of Our Lives. In Saying “Yes ”By His Grace And Repeatedly Dying To Self, We Felt A Revitalization Of His Love -Light Break Forth In Our Love ... His Love Reborn Radiated Forth Into Our Family Life, Friendships, Passions, Works - And As He Assures Us - In Ways Beyond What We Will Ever Come To Know.
Now Striving To Embrace The Graces God Has In Store For Us Living In The Fullness Of Our Catholic Faith, We Have Found Joyful Light Amid Whatever Season Of Life We Are In. He Continually Surprises Us, Often Through Heavy Crosses, With The Depths Of His Merciful Love. As New Trials Emerge, The Light Of His Cross Spurs Us To Deeper Love. We Stand In Awe Of His Creative Genius - The Intimate Ways His Heart Is Uniquely Reflected Through Our Love For One Another; And In Turn, Our Family's Love! When The Light Of Christ Broke Into Our Hearts So Transformed, It Yearned To Radiate Forth And Inspired Us To Mission. Called Into Life To Love By Love Itself, We All Have A Mission From The Lord - As Individuals, Married Couples & Families!
On The Other Side Of Illness, Katie Said “Yes” To Radiate His Love -Light Forth Through BetheLightofChrist.Org - As A Vessel For Prayer And A Love Letter To The Lord With Her Life. We Pray The Light Of Christ Shines Through The Witness Of The Reflections, Images, Videos And Prayers Born From The Light Of Our Darkest Cross And Married To The Light Of Our Catholic Faith. May It Inspire You Or Someone In A Place Of Darkness To Seek His Light Alive In Your Life And Radiate It Forth For God's Glory! When The 2020 Pandemic Began, We Felt Called To Pray The Divine Mercy Chaplet On The Be The Light Of Christ's Facebook Daily At The Holy Hour. On 3/15/2020, We Began “Spreading A Pandemic Of Love,” Asking God To Radiate His Healing Love -Light Around The World To All In Times Of Darkness; Praying For An End To This Pandemic. God Then Shone Through Our Geography Loving Son, Inspiring Us By Isaiah 42:6-7 To “Be A Light For The Nations.” Unexpectedly, People Around The World Joined In Lifting Up One Country A Day To Divine Mercy Between 4/23/2020 - 11/4/2020.
In November Came The Invitation To “Light A Light For Loved Ones Lost,” Praying For Eternal Rest. We Continue “Spreading A Pandemic Of Love,” Praying The Chaplet Daily; Inviting All To Believe In God’s Miraculous Mercy As We Pray For A Healing Miracle For Our Friend’s Son, Eli (Eli's Super Squad), From Relapsed Neuroblastoma Through The Intercession Of Fr. Joseph Walijewski. Pray With Us! A Few Years Ago, God Also Inspired Us To Prayerfully Discern “Our Family Mission” - "Called To Joyfully Reflect Christ's Love-Light Into The World"- Inspired By Matthew 5:14-16
Seeking To Help Our Family Live Out Our Mission, God Encourages Us To “Journey As A Family.” Each Day We Strive By Grace To Raise Up Little Saints, Leaning Into His Light Shining Through The Witness Of The Holy Family, The Saints And Other Saints In The Making Like You.
Amid The Catholic Marriage Summit Last Summer Came The Call To Create “Our Marriage Mission” Using John & Ashley Noronha's, Free Resource “Mission Marriage.” As We Discerned, We Prayed To The Lord "Sanctify Our Love.” A Permeating Theme For Our Mission Emerged, Anchored In Scripture That God Has Highlighted Throughout Our Love Story: “With Servant Hearts, His Merciful & Joyful Love-Light Must Radiate Through Us Into The World!”
“We Love Because He First Loved Us.”
- 1 John 4:19
God First Brought This Scripture To Light For Us When Rob Came Into Katie’s Life As A Beacon Of Joyful Hope Amid The Darkness Of Her Parent’s Divorce... A Gift Of Love From Love Itself. In College, Rob Gave Katie A Love Note On A 3x5 Notecard That Simply Said, “Know That Every Day Of Your Life You Are Loved... Especially By Me.” At Our Wedding Homily, Our Priest Beautifully Articulated That Katie Kept That Notecard Because She Knew That Those Words Were More Than Rob Just Saying, “I Love You.” They Were A Reflection Of God’s Unconditional Love For Her Through Rob. She Carried That Notecard With Her Everywhere, And Every Time She Saw It She Was Reminded That, “We Love Because He First Loved Us” (1 John 4:19).
God Continues To Illuminate His Love For Us By Bringing This Scripture To Light And Life Before Us To This Day... Most Recently, Radiating Through The Daily Scriptures The Very Moment We Found Out We Were Blessed With The Gift Of Another Child. God Is So Good. In Keeping With The Love-Light Christ Calls Us To Radiate Forth, We Shared Our Marriage & Family Missions On BetheLightofChrist.Org In Hopes They May Inspire Others To Seek The Reflection Of His Radiance Within Their Love!
In Prayerfully Discerning Our Missions, The Lord Intimately Revealed How We Are Unique Reflections Of His Love; Yet Created For Communion – With Him And With Others. Within Our Young Family, We Are Gifted With Glimmers Of God Shining Through Our Individual Gifts, Talents, Joys, Passions, Sufferings And Experiences, And Marrying Them To That Of One Another For His Glory.
A Beacon Of How God’s Light Has Woven Us Together Billows Forth From The Light In The Darkness Of September 5th. If You Follow Along With BetheLightofChrist.Org, You’ll Soon Learn That In The Aftermath Of Meningitis, The Lord Met Katie As Light In The Darkness - Through The Love-Light Of Our Children, As Her Divine Physician, And In A Myriad Of Intimately Beautiful Ways Amid Her Vale Of Tears And Fears; Shining His Love-Light Into Her Darkest Cross... A Radiant Light Of Hope That He Slowly Revealed Through Years Of Physical, Emotional And Spiritual Suffering To Be The Love-Light Of His Divine Mercy. By Divine Design, The First Feast Day Of St. Teresa Of Calcutta Fell On The One Year Anniversary Of Katie’s Illness. Crushed Beneath Her Dark Cross, She Felt As If God Spoke Directly To Her With A Merciful Ray Of Hope:
“If I Ever Become A Saint–I Will Surely Be One Of 'Darkness.’ I Will Continually Be Absent From Heaven–To Light The Light Of Those In Darkness On Earth.”- St. Teresa Of Calcutta
St. Teresa of Calcutta “Lit The Light” For Christ Amid Katie’s Darkest Dark In A Touch Of Peace And Moment Of Transcendent Grace That God In His Mercy Allowed To Light Her Path Back To Him. As A Physician Assistant Turned Patient, The Divine Physician Shone Through Her Passion For Medicine, Inviting Her To Be Healed In The Font Of Merciful Love That Continues To Transform Every Facet Of Her Life. Bearing His Love-Light Born From The Cross Of Her Life United To His, God Then Called Her To Be A Vessel Of His Merciful Love -Light For Others In Times Of Darkness. Her Divine Physician Whispered Lovingly That She Is Now “His PA;” Called To “Work In The Hospital Of His Church.” He Beckoned Her To “Get Out Of The Boat” And Leave Behind Her Traditional PA Career Only Six Months After Being Gifted With The Opportunity To Return To Practice Two And A Half Years After Illness. The Invitation To “Do Something Beautiful For God” Could Not Be Ignored. Aflame With Excitement And Certain Peace That No Matter The Cost Or Unknowns Of This “Yes,” This Was What God Created Her To Do. As Katie Now Says, “Divine Mercy Is Both My Medicine And My Calling.” Amid Katie’s Spiritual Transformation And Healing Journey, The Light Of Christ Began Breaking Into Rob’s Life And Their Marriage. God Clearly Shone A Light On The Call To Embrace Life -Giving Love As They Emerged From That Dark Cross. This Invitation Was A “Scary Yes;” Katie Still Physically Recovering. While God Quickly Inspired Katie Through Humanae Vitae And The Call That “Children Are The Light You Are To Shine Into This World;” God Worked Differently On Rob’s Heart.
One Of Rob’s Favorite Pastimes Is Listening To Podcasts. As We Began Praying On This Call As A Couple, Topics About Marriage And The Family, Masculinity, & Love And Sacrifice Found Their Way Into His Downloads; And Even Began Unexpectedly Popping Up In Various Secular Podcasts He Would Follow. That Lit The Path To Explore More About St. Pope John Paul II’s Theology Of The Body And Venerable Fulton Sheen’s Three To Get Married.
Speaking To His Heart By Means Only The Lord Knew Would Breakthrough; Suddenly The Puzzle Pieces Came Together, And It Became Clear To Both Rob And Katie That This Was What The Lord Was Asking Of Them... Even Amid Looming Uncertainties In The Wake Of Katie’s Illness. From That Moment On - Our Love Was Transformed. Since Then, God Continues To Shine Awe-Inspiring Reflections of His Love Into Our Lives; Radiating Through Themes And Moments Poignant To Each Of Our Spiritual Journeys – Yet Also Marrying Them Together At Seemingly Intentional Yet Unexpected Times For His Greater Glory. Through Light In The Darkness, The Communion Of Saints, Theology Of The Body, The Love And Witness Of The Holy Family, As Our Divine Physician And The Medicine Of His Mercy, Through Adoration And Eucharistic Love... We Stand Repeatedly In Awesome Wonder Of How God Draws Up Threads Of Our Stories To Reveal But A Glimmer Of The Radiance Of The Divine Tapestry He Is Weaving Throughout Our Lives Married Together In Love. In That Light, It Could Only Be Divine Timing That God Inspired Us To Create Our Marriage Mission & Prayer For Our 13th Wedding Anniversary, And Called Us To Share It With Others On September 5th Of Last Year... September 5th - In God’s Perfect Timing, The Anniversary Of Katie Coming Ill With Meningitis... The Feast Day Of Her Beloved St. Teresa Of Calcutta... And As Rob Would Learn Years Later, The Anniversary Of St. Pope John Paul II’s Very First General Audience On Theology Of The Body. Through September 5th, The Lord Further Transcended That Dark Cross Of Our Lives; Intersecting It With Our Callings Inspired Through The Lives And Witnesses Of These Dear Saints – Heavenly Chosen Friends For Us To Journey For His Purpose. In His Goodness, God Is Slowly Writing The Significance Of That Date Into Our Love Story - Into Our Reflection Of Divine Love ’s Story.
For On September 5th, Love Resurrected Love ’s Cross In Our Lives... The Symbolic Marrying Of His Joyful And Merciful Light Intimately Breaking Into Our Dark Cross Through The Details Of Our Lives With Radiant Love; Illuminated The Marriage Of Our Love-Lit Missions. We Remain Overcome By The Gift; Humbled And Grateful To Love And Be Loved In The Light Of This Ever-Unfolding Adventure And Invitation To Divine Romance.
In His Light,
Rob & Katie