Sacrament of Marriage

I. Introduction

The Pressing Ethical Problems: The document acknowledges the challenges faced by perceptions of marriage in today's world.
Understanding Christian Marriage: It emphasizes the importance of understanding Christian marriage in its true depth and meaning, beyond superficial views.
A New Covenant: Christian marriage is presented as a "new covenant," not a set of rules, but a living relationship rooted in the Spirit.

II. Marriage as Covenant Love

Foundational Human Reality: Marriage is rooted in the very nature of man and woman, a foundational reality with profound meaning.
The "External Sign": The love relationship between the couple is the visible sign of this covenant.
Lifelong Commitment: Christian marriage is characterized by a lifelong commitment of total conjugal intimacy and self-giving.
Image of God's Love: The Bible reveals the covenant of love as an image of God's absolute and unfailing love.
Created in Love: Humans are created through God's love, in the image of God who is loved and called to love one another.

III. Third Preface for the Wedding Mass

Created in Love to Share Divine Life: The Third Preface for the Wedding Mass proclaims that God created man in love to share his divine life.
High Destiny in Marriage: Marriage is presented as a reflection of God's love, a high destiny for man and woman.
Love as Origin, Calling, and Fulfillment: Love is the origin, constant calling, and ultimate fulfillment of humanity.

IV. A. Marriage in Genesis

Priestly Account: The priestly account of creation in Genesis emphasizes man's dominion over creation, highlighting the social purpose of marriage in propagating the human race.
Yahwist Account: The Yahwist account focuses on the creation of woman, emphasizing the personal purpose of marriage as mutual love, support, and unity.

V. 1. One “Body” (or “Flesh”)

Unity Beyond Physical: The document emphasizes that the unity of marriage goes beyond physical union, encompassing all levels of human being (physical, psychological, spiritual).
Intimate Partnership: Marriage is described as an "intimate partnership of life and love."
Intertwined Destinies: The thoughts, ideals, hopes, and destinies of the spouses become intertwined.
Unique Individuality: While becoming one, the spouses also maintain their unique individuality and personal character.

VI. 2. “Become”

Life-Long Process: Marriage is a life-long process of transformation, moving from "I" and "Thou" to "We."
Unity and Equality: The unity and equality of the spouses are expressed through the shared name "man."
Created in God's Image: Humans are created in the image and likeness of God, who is Love, with the capacity for knowing, willing, and free self-giving.

VII. B. Failure in Conjugal Unity/Equality

Origin of Sin: The document acknowledges the origin of sin and its impact on human marriage.
Distortion of God's Plan: Sin distorts God's plan for marriage, leading to mutual accusation and domination.
The Fall of Humanity: The story of Adam and Eve in Genesis highlights the consequences of sin, including infidelity, adultery, divorce, and broken families.

VIII. C. Marriage in God's Redemptive Plan

God's Faithfulness: God's covenant of love includes marriage and family within his redemptive plan.
Old Testament Symbolism: The Old Testament prophets used marriage as a symbol of God's covenant, emphasizing fidelity.
New Covenant in Christ: Through Jesus Christ, the "covenant of human love" is raised to become the sacrament of the "new covenant of Christ's redemptive love" with his people, the Church.

IX. 1. The New Covenant

Unsurpassable Heights: In Jesus Christ, God's covenant with his people reaches unsurpassable heights.
God and Man United: Jesus is God's covenant with his people in person, God and man united in one person.
Perfect Self-Gift: Jesus is God's perfect self-gift to man and man's loving response to God.
Baptized into One Body: In Jesus, we are baptized into one body, members of Christ who are cleansed by the power of the word.
Wedding Feast in God's Kingdom: Jesus is the Bridegroom of God's New Covenant people, inviting them to share the wedding feast in God's Kingdom.

X. 2. Marriage, Image of the New Covenant

Christ's Saving Work: Christian marriage is understood in terms of Christ's saving work, his love for his people.
Original Creative Ideal: Jesus' teaching on marriage goes back to God's original creative ideal of man and woman becoming "one body."
Renewal of the Covenant: The Sacrament of Marriage renews the covenant of creation, offering a "new heart" to the couple.
Consecration in Duties and Dignity: Spouses are consecrated in the duties and dignity of their state, filled with the Spirit of Christ.
Symbol of Divine Plan: The marriage covenant is a symbol of God's plan of love, sealing the love of husband and wife.

XI. 3. New Testament Ground

Image of Christ and the Church: The covenant between man and woman is seen as an image of the covenant between Christ and the Church.
Mutual Reverence: Marriage partners are admonished to "defer to one another out of reverence for Christ."
Headship and Love: The document clarifies that the husband's headship is not about domination but about loving service, as Christ loved the Church.
Great Mystery: The marriage covenant is a "great mystery foreshadowing" the covenant between Christ and the Church.

XII. 11. The Three Goods of Marriage

Offspring, Love/Fidelity, and Sacrament: St. Augustine identified three goods of marriage: offspring, mutual love/fidelity, and the sacrament.
Sacramentality as Foundation: The sacramentality of Christian marriage grounds the other two goods.

XIII. A. Marriage as a Sacrament

Saving Symbolic Action: Marriage is seen as an ongoing saving symbolic action, grounded in the ministry of Christ.
Celebrated in Faith: Marriage is proclaimed, realized, and celebrated in faith.
Sharing God's Love: Marriage makes present and shares God's love and faithfulness in Jesus Christ.

XIV. 1. Sacrament: Rite and Ongoing Married Life

Sacramental Celebration and Ongoing Life: Marriage as a sacrament encompasses both the sacramental celebration and the ongoing married life.
Public Proclamation: The sacrament publicly proclaims the couple's exclusive and permanent love.
Sign of Christ's Love: Marriage is a sign of Christ's redemptive love to the couple, their offspring, and the wider community.

XV. 2. “Why Get Married in the Church?”

Misconceptions: The document addresses common misconceptions about Church marriage, such as viewing it as a social custom or a matter of personal preference.
True Meaning: Church marriage is a solemn, binding commitment before God and the Christian community, a declaration of enduring love, and a request for communal respect and support.
Dignity and Truth of the Marital Bond: Church marriage affirms the dignity and truth of the marital bond, opposing "trial marriages" or "free unions."

XVI. Christ is the Key to the Answer

Importance of Christ: For truly believing Christians, the most important relationship of their lives cannot succeed without Christ.
Christ's Presence at Cana: The Wedding at Cana in John's Gospel illustrates Christ's presence and concern for Christian spouses.
First of Christ's Signs: The miracle at Cana reveals Christ's glory and invites belief in him.

XVII. Christ's Presence in the Ongoing Married Life

Process, Not a State: Marriage is a process, a beginning, not an end.
Christ's Gift: Christ gives himself to the married couple through their ongoing mutual self-giving love.
Enduring Fidelity: Spouses are called to love each other with enduring fidelity, enriched by the redemptive power of Christ and the salvific action of the Church.

XVIII. The Marriage of Christians

Symbol of the New Covenant: The marriage of Christians is a symbol of the new and eternal covenant sanctioned in the blood of Christ.

XIX. 3. Marriage: The Sign of Christ

Christ as the Primordial Sacrament: Christ is the ultimate sacrament, grounding and providing the basis for Christian marriage.
God's Perfect Covenant Love: Christ embodies God's perfect covenant love for his people.
Jesus as the Lover: Jesus is God's covenant "in person," the Lover, the Baptized One, the Confirmed One, the Really Present One, the Reconciler, the Healer, and the Priest.

XX. 4. Sacrament of the Church

The Church as the Foundational Sacrament: The Church is the foundational sacrament, making Christ present to all.
The Domestic Church: Christian marriage and family life are called the "Domestic Church," a reflection of the Church in miniature.
Similarities Between Church and Family: The Church and the Christian family are both communities united in love, called to constant growth, and share in Christ's mission.

XXI. 5. What the Church Does for the Family

Church as Mother: The Church as Mother gives birth to, educates, and builds up the Christian family.
Threefold Image of Faith: The Church's bond with the family is based on the threefold image of Faith (doctrine, worship, and morals).
Proclaiming the Word: The Church reveals the true identity of the Christian family through the Word of God.
Celebrating Sacraments: The Church strengthens the family through the sacraments.
New Commandment of Love: The Church encourages the family to live out the new commandment of love.

XXII. 6. Mission of the Family

Sharing in the Saving Mission: The Christian family shares in the saving mission of the Church.
Communicating Christ's Love: Married couples are called to communicate Christ's love to their brethren.

XXIII. B. Conjugal Love and Fidelity

Founded and Given Life by Love: Marriage and family are founded and given life by love.
True Love: The document explores the nature of true love in Christian marriage.

XXIV. 1. Love in Christian Marriage

Deepest Reality: Love is the deepest and most fundamental reality of human life.
Affirming Human Dignity: Love affirms basic human dignity.
Full Acceptance: Love accepts the other person fully, wanting them to flourish.
Nourishing and Developing Wedlock: The biblical Word of God urges married couples to nourish their wedlock with pure conjugal love and undivided affection.
Characteristics of Married Love: Married love is eminently human, enriched by dignity, and a sign of the friendship unique to marriage.

XXV. 2. Married Love as Friendship

Unshakeable Commitment: Authentic friendship is characterized by unselfish, enduring mutual love.
Equality in Sharing: Friendship brings out the equality of the partners, sharing on all levels.
Totality of the Person: Conjugal love involves a totality of the person, uniting body, mind, and spirit.
One Heart and Soul: Conjugal love aims at a deeply personal unity, forming one heart and soul.
Restored, Perfected, and Elevated: Christ restores, perfects, and elevates natural married love with special gifts of grace, making the spouses "friends" in his friendship.

XXVI. 3. Practical Implications of Married Love

Equality and Responsibility: Husband and wife are equal as persons, with joint responsibility for becoming one body.
Conjugal Unity: Conjugal unity requires effort, is built on real selves, and involves trust, love, and belief in the union.
Responding to Changes: Spouses should accept and understand personal development and changes in each other, communicating on deeper personal levels.

XXVII. 4. Two Aspects of Graced Conjugal Love

Integration of Sexuality: The integration of sexuality into the personal bond of love is essential for true human love.
Free and Mutual Gift: Authentic conjugal love is a free and mutual gift of self, experienced in tenderness and action.
Inclusive of Social Reality: Authentic conjugal love is not a romantic ideal but is inclusive of the social, economic, and cultural realities of the spouses.

XXVIII. 5. Marriage Fidelity/Indissolubility

Intimate Union: The intimate union of marriage requires constant fidelity, for the good of the spouses and children.
Unbreakable Unity: Christ proclaimed that no man should separate what God has joined.
Grace and Power of Christ: The grace and power of Christ help overcome obstacles to persevering conjugal fidelity.
Till Death Do Us Part: The wedding consent proposes the marriage covenant as indissoluble, "till death do us part."
Indissolubility as a Gift: The love that makes indissoluble marriage possible is a gift from God.
Christ's Grace: Permanent conjugal love is possible through Christ's grace and the Holy Spirit.
Obstacles to Fidelity: Obstacles to fidelity include double standards, economic pressures, hedonism, and false media values.
Pastoral Help: The Church offers pastoral help for broken marriages.
Grace Overcomes Sin: Christ restores God's original plan for marriage, giving grace to live out the covenant.
Unbreakable Bond: Christian couples reflect the unbreakable bond between Christ and the Church.

XXIX. C. Serving Life: Offspring

Intimate Partnership of Life and Love: Marriage is an intimate partnership of life and love, rooted in the conjugal covenant.
Covenant, Not Contract: The document emphasizes the importance of the covenant aspect of marriage, not just the contract.
Procreation and Conjugal Support: The document avoids the common distinction between procreation and conjugal support as primary and secondary ends of marriage.
God's Gift of Marriage: God is the author of marriage and has endowed it with various benefits.
Ordained for Procreation and Education: Marriage is ordained for the procreation and education of children.

XXX. Integration of Marriage Goals

Unity/Conjugal Love and Procreation: The document highlights the integration of the two goals of marriage: unity/conjugal love and procreation.

XXXI. Family Planning

Love is Life: The CBCP issued a pastoral letter "Love is Life" and "Guiding Principles on Population Control."
Christian Conscience: Parents must make decisions about the number of children according to their formed Christian conscience.
Natural Family Planning: The Church advocates only Natural Family Planning, rejecting artificial means of contraception.
Conjugal Love's Value: Even when procreation is not possible, conjugal love does not lose its value.

XXXII. Vocation of Married Life

Vocation to Share in God's Love: Marriage is a vocation, a call to share in God's own life of love.
Fullness of Christian Life: All Christians are called to the fullness of Christian life.
Sacrament of Sanctification: Marriage is the specific source and original means of sanctification for Christian married couples and families.

XXXIII. Marriage Spirituality

Journey to Holiness: Marriage is a journey to holiness.
Growing in Faith: Couples grow in faith by staying faithful to each other and God.
Support and Grace: Spouses support each other with grace in daily life and during challenges.
Parents' Role: Parents teach Christian truths and virtues rooted in the Gospel.

XXXIV. Key Aspects of Conjugal and Family Spirituality

Fidelity: Fidelity goes beyond avoiding infidelity, involving building deeper trust and faith.
Mutual Respect and Forgiveness: Spouses should respect each other's roles, individuality, and shared goals, and practice forgiveness.
Generous Service: Spouses should be selfless in caring for each other and the family.
Prayer: Prayer is a foundation for guidance, unity, and grace within the family.

XXXV. Faith in Today's Context

Challenges in Living Out Faith: Challenges in living out faith today require modern applications of marriage spirituality.
Diocesan Family Centers' Mission: Diocesan family centers develop materials emphasizing Filipino values in Christian marriage spirituality and incorporate Filipino cultural expressions into spiritual practices.

XXXVI. Resources for Christian Family Life

Existing Resources: Popular materials based on psychology and behavioral science offer practical insights.
Identified Gap: There is a lack of locally created materials grounded in Catholic theology, and a need to connect Church teachings on marriage with everyday family life.
Practical Approaches: Resources should use Christ's life and ministry as a guiding example, focus on how Church teachings apply to daily family challenges, and build spirituality through small, consistent actions rooted in faith.

XXXVII. Marriage and the Kingdom of God

Christ's Mission: Christ preached about the Kingdom of God as a place of truth and life, holiness and grace, justice, love, and peace.
Church's Mission: The Church continues Christ's mission by spreading the "Good News," drawing all people into personal communion with God.
Role of Marriage and Family: Christian marriage and family play a central role in this mission, making the Kingdom of God tangible.

XXXVIII. Experiencing God's Kingdom in Family Life

Glimpse of the Kingdom: Families offer a glimpse of the Kingdom of God through shared daily experiences.
Truth in God's Kingdom: Truth involves fostering