MARRIAGE:
State of the UNION
Opening Prayer
Taken from:
•Tobit 8:5-6
•Rite of Marriage B, No. 120: Nuptial Blessing
Before we begin. . .
What do youthink?
“The future of humanitypasses by way of the family.”
- Pope John Paul II
Marriage
A vision of eternal life with God
Love and Life in the Divine Plan
•God has a plan for marriage
•This divine plan is not something we canchange to fit our purposes
•This divine plan is rooted in Truth, which iseternal and unchanging
Marriage was instituted by God
•Begins at Creation (Genesis 2:18-24)
•Confirmed by Christ himself (Mt 19:3-6)
•Sacred Scripture ends with the Wedding Feastof the Lamb – the marriage of Christ to Hisbride, the Church (Revelation 19:7, 9)
Marriage illustrates thecovenant relationship betweenGod and His people.
•Hosea 2:16, 18, 21-22
•Ephesians 5:29-32
•Revelation 21:2
Marriage is a Covenant
•Unconditional promise
•Like our promise to Christ as Christians
•This kind of promise cannot be based on merefeelings
Marriage Requires aCovenant Love
•Not simply a feeling (a passion)
•Married love is a decision
•Married love is a total self-gift and acommitment
•“To love is to will the good of another”- St. Thomas Aquinas
Marriage is a Reflection of theLife of the Trinity
•God is three persons – Father, Son, and Spirit
•The Trinity is the ultimate communion ofpersons
•We are created in the image & likeness of God
–Intellect
–Free Will
–Created for communion with each other
Marriage is a Liturgical Act
Who is the minister of theSacrament of Matrimony?
Marriage is a Liturgical Act
What is the role of thePriest or Deaconin celebrating theSacrament of Marriage?
Elements of theSacrament of Marriage
•Free consent of spouses is a criticalelement – vows are their public consent
•Rings are a visible sign of the covenant
•Two witnesses, plus the congregationparticipate in the liturgy with the couple
•The conjugal act consummates themarriage
The Language of the Body
•The body is a “sacrament” of the person
•What we do with our body is an expression ofour whole person
•In marriage, we should express with our bodywhat we have expressed in our vows
Effects of theSacrament of Marriage
•Gift of the bond between the spouses
•Grace as an effect of the sacrament
–Perfects love between spouses
–Aids spouses in welcoming and caring for children
–Aids spouses in times of difficulty
–Aids spouses in bearing fruit within the largercommunity
Grace of the Sacrament ofMarriage is Continuously Renewed
•Properly understood, the sexual act is boththe consummation and the renewal of theself-giving love of the wedding vows
•Wedding vows are just the beginning
•Sacrament of Marriage is lifelong
The Purpose of Marriage
•Purpose is two-fold:
–Unitive (Love)
–Procreative (Life)
•These cannot be separated
Love
•The grace of the sacrament of marriage “isintended to perfect the couple’s love. . .”CCC 1641
•Using this grace they “help one another toattain holiness. . .” CCC 1641
•Spouses should lead each other to heaven
Life
•Married love should bear fruit
•Love expands outward
•Family is the Domestic Church
•Marriages without children can and shouldbear fruit in the community - “the humanfamily”
Protecting thePurposes of Marriage:
•Indissolubility
•Mutual Fidelity
Free, Total,Fruitful, Faithful
Four essential elements of married love
Free
Husband and wife freely choose togive themselves to each other inmarriage
Total
Husband and Wife make ofthemselves a total, mutual self-gift
Faithful
Unity of the spouses, mutual gift ofself, and the good of the childrendemand complete faithfulness
Fruitful
Marriage must always be open to thegift of life
Keeping Marriage Christ-Centered
•Follow the “roadmap” for marriage providedby Christ and His Church
•Frequent reception of Holy Communion andReconciliation (go to Mass and reconciliationas a couple)
•Pray together daily
RecommendedResources onMarriageand Related Topics
Upcoming Sessions
•Chastity Isn’t Just for Teens: How Singles, MarriedCouples, Priests and Religious are Called to Authentic Lives ofLove (Feb 2011)
•Life-Giving Love: Understanding What the Church saysabout Contraception (May 2011)
•Homosexuality & Hope: The Church’s Care forHomosexual Persons (Sept 2011)
•Divorce & Annulment: What’s the Difference and WhyDoes it Matter? (Nov 2011)
•Love & Money: A Catholic Perspective on Family Finances(Feb 2012)
Discussion andQuestions
Closing Song
When Love is Found
#346
Food for Thought / Discussion
•What did I learn tonight about marriage that I didn’t know?
•How can I apply tonight’s lesson to something in my own life(my marriage, my marriage preparation, or the understandingof someone else’s situation)
•For married people:
–Are my spouse and I living our marriage according to God’s plan? Ifnot, what might we change?
–How will I view my marriage differently or treat my spouse differentlyas a result of what I learned?
•Those preparing for marriage:
–Is there anything from tonight’s presentation that I had not yetconsidered in approaching my marriage?
–Is there anything I can or should change about my life now to betterprepare myself for the marriage covenant?