THE SACRAMENTS

THE SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY

Sacrament of MatrimonyThe Catholic Understanding of Marriage A sign of God calling a man and woman to

holiness through ordinary married life A vocation written into our nature A permanent, exclusive love relationship True committed love brings forth life Requires the virtues of faithfulness until

death and openness to children

The Catholic Understanding of Marriage

The bride and groom are the ministers Sexual sharing must take place according to

God’s two-fold plan: it must be unitive – a powerful sign that binds the couple as lifelong partners it must be procreative – open to sharing in God’s creative activity

The family is the domestic Church Marriage is meant to be indissoluble

Effects of the Sacrament of Matrimony

Because it is a covenant, it is valid for life Christ gives the husband and wife graces

they need to live lovingly each day If Christ blesses the marriage with children,

he helps the parents to raise and educate them in a Christian family setting

The Graces of the Sacrament of Matrimony

The loving and faithful relationship between a husband and wife is now the visible sign of the loving and faithful

relationship between Christ and his Church.

The graces of the sacrament help the spouses grow in love and holiness as they meet the challenges of daily life.

Family CommunionMatrimony helps Christian families mirror the love

between Christ and his Church so completely that the family actually becomes a domestic church.