Sacrament = Efficacious sign of grace, instituted by Christ, entrusted to the Church, in which we receive divine life and grace How many Sacraments? Sacraments of Initiation … Sacraments of Healing … Sacraments in Service of Communion … Vocation …

Chapter 15: Matrimony

Matrimony = Sacrament at the service of Communion that joins a man and woman in a covenant or partnership of life, which is ordered to the well being of the spouses and to the procreation and upbringing of children

Marriage is part of God’s plan Man and woman created for each other God is the author of marriage Law of OT upholds and protects marriage Jesus’ 1st miracle at wedding at Cana Jesus teaches on importance and permanence of marriage – Mark 10:6-9 “But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother (and be joined to his wife) and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate."

Marriage is not a simple contract that can be left at any moment – it’s a holy union that has specific purposes: good of the spouses and creation of new life People marry to help each other get to Heaven and raise children who will do the same

Marriage signifies union of Christ with the Church Just as Jesus loves the Church with a self-sacrificing love, so too a man and wife love each other

Marriage is mysterious – why are 2 people drawn to each other? God is active in each one – guiding the couple and giving them grace CCC 1603 – vocation to marriage is written on the nature of man and woman as they come from the hand of the Creator; marriage is not a purely human institution, God is the author of marriage

In marriage a man is joined to his wife = a permanent union Union of man and wife in marriage is a bond of love, an image and likeness of God Original sin caused a disruption between man and woman Complete union and openness between man and woman lost See consequences of this in today’s society

God has not forsaken us in our state of sin – God has graced marriage so that it is a Sacrament and a source of life Without this grace living a lifelong commitment would be impossible God gives couples grace so that they can live as God wishes Living a life of self-sacrificing love

Celebration of Matrimony Normally takes place during Mass with the Eucharist Couple receives power of the Eucharist to live out the marriage covenant Just as Jesus offers His body to the Church in the Eucharist, a man and woman are offering up their lives to each other

Minister of the Sacrament = the couple Bishop, Priest or Deacon just witnesses Every other Sacrament they are the minister The celebrant receives the consent of the spouses in the name of the Church and gives the Church’s blessing Presence of the celebrant demonstrates the Sacramental part of marriage

Vows are exchanged between the couple Essential part of Sacrament Must do in free and full consent Give themselves to each other in a definitive way, vowing to live a covenant of faithful and fruitful love until death do us part Both man and woman must consent to a permanent, indissoluble union and the openness to children No one can separate these A human act in which the man takes the woman to be his wife and the woman the man to be her husband – makes the two one flesh

Who can receive the Sacrament of Matrimony? Baptized man and woman, free to be married who freely express their consent Can’t be any obstacles to freely consenting to marriage vows

Effects of Sacrament of Matrimony 1. Formation of permanent bond between the spouses Couple united in covenant which is established and guaranteed by God 3 parties in a marriage: God, husband, wife Can not be dissolved = indissoluble For the duration of their lives – until death do us part

2. Grace to live out the marital vows Grace to love the other with a tender love, remain faithful to each other and their vows, welcome and raise children, and be holy Grace to forgive each other, rise after falling into sin, bear each other’s burdens, respect each other

3. Conjugal love = total, faithful, exclusive, and unitive love between a husband and wife Giving of the self to the other completely – includes sexual relations Conjugal love is unitive and procreative Unitive = bringing the spouses together Procreative = creating new life, children

In marriage 2 people agree to share a life in which they are bound together to seek Heaven and create new life A huge commitment that can only be fulfilled with God’s grace God is the author of marriage and watches over every married couple with great love and care

Sometimes there are situations in which marriages aren’t working Seek counsel/help first Annulments = special decree of the Church saying that a particular union was not a valid, sacramental marriage Different from divorces = civil separation

Sins against marriage Contraception – deliberate interference with marital intercourse to prevent conception of children Goes against being open to children Adultery – acts of marriage between a married person and a party other than his/her spouse Goes against unity and exclusivity of marriage Divorce – an action that claims to break a valid marriage bond Goes against indissolubility or permanence of marriage

Sins against marriage continued Polygamy – state of an individual contracting more than one marriage or a marriage with an already married person (having more than 1 spouse) Goes against unity and exclusivity of marriage Trial Marriage or Cohabitation – state of man and woman living together in a relationship that involves sexual intimacy outside of marriage to see what it’s like