Slide 1 This is a slide for the first movement

Why is marriage more than a contract? After the creation of Adam, the Lord God said: ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner’ (Genesis 2:18). Living in relationships is at the heart of who God created us to be. Human sexuality is the God-given gift of being a man or a woman. The man–woman partnership is an image of God the Creator, who is Love.

Why is marriage more than a contract? Genesis chapters 1―2 reveal the inherent goodness of all creation, including our human sexuality. Genesis chapters 3―10 tells of Original Sin and its devastating effects on creation and on the partnership of Adam and Eve. Throughout the remaining texts of Sacred Scripture, from Genesis 11 to the final words in the Book of Revelation, we learn about God’s plan of Salvation in Christ to heal human selfishness and self-centeredness. And we learn of the harmful sinful relationships that distort and destroy our relationship with God and other people.

The following are truths of our faith that guide us in growing to become responsible and mature sexual persons:  Our sexuality is a great gift from God the Creator.  God created us as embodied persons with a body and a soul.  Human sexuality is an essential part of our body.  God is present within our very bodies.  We are alive by the breath of God.  Our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, through which we glorify God. Why is marriage more than a contract?

Married life: the nuptial covenant Marriage is a Covenant and not simply a contract. It is an image and living sign of the covenant relationship between God and his people. The Old Testament uses the image of marital love to reveal the relationship binding God and his people. The sacramental marriage of Christians signifies the love uniting Christ and his Church. Catholics who wish to marry are required to do so according to Church law.

Married life: the nuptial covenant Jesus used his listeners’ experience of marriage and weddings to help them understand his teachings on the Kingdom of God.  Jesus compared the Kingdom of God to a wedding banquet. (Matthew 22:1-14)  Jesus changed water into wine at a wedding feast at Cana in Galilee. (John 2:1-11) The Church sees in the miracle at Cana the confirmation of the goodness of marriage and the vocation of married Christians to build up the Kingdom of God. Christ’s love for his Church is the model for the spousal covenant of marriage.

The elements and purposes of marriage Conjugal love involves the giving and receiving of a whole person. For a sacramental marriage to be true and valid, three elements are essential:  The man and woman are both free to enter the marriage covenant.  They both make a lifelong commitment of inviolable fidelity to each other.  Both are open to the gift of children.

The elements and purposes of marriage A Christian marriage is indissoluble during the lifetime of the spouses and can be dissolved only by the death of one spouse. Fidelity strengthens the couple’s ability to trust each other. Making love in a Christian marriage must always be open to the possibility of procreation. The fidelity, unity and permanence of married life are needed to create the secure and loving environment for nurturing and educating children.

The Rite of Marriage The Rite of Marriage between two Catholics is normally celebrated within the celebration of Mass. Through receiving the Eucharist, the newly married couple are further bonded to Christ and to the Church, the Body of Christ. The man and woman marrying each other are the ministers of Christ’s grace given through the Sacrament of Matrimony. In exchanging their marriage vows, the couple also express their commitment symbolically to the entire Church and to God. The faith community that witnesses the marriage takes on the responsibility to pray for and support the couple.

The Rite of Marriage The Sacrament of Marriage takes place after the Liturgy of the Word. The priest or deacon invites the couple to declare their consent openly and publicly. Having witnessed the consent, the celebrant says in part: ‘What God has joined, men must not divide.’ The couple exchange rings as a sign of their love and fidelity to each other. The priest or deacon blesses the newly married couple before dismissing the congregation.

Jacques and Raïssa Maritain: equal partners in married life As students at the Sorbonne University in Paris, Jacques and Raïssa became discouraged when the popular philosophy of the time offered them no real answers to their questions about the true meaning of life. They gradually discovered the wisdom of the Catholic faith and felt sure that their quest for meaning had been answered. They were married in 1904 and were baptized into the Catholic Church in Jacques and Raïssa became great scholars, known for their study and teachings on the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas. Many credit them with preparing the way for the reforms of Vatican II.