(Lesson 5) -Holy Matrimony- (Lesson 5)
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The sacrament of Matrimony is the matrimonial
union of one man and one woman, who’s union
has been elevated, by Jesus Christ, to the dignity
of a “sacrament” between the baptized man and
the baptized woman (Read CCC 1601). The matri-
mony is an integral part of the Plan of Salvation
from God for humanity. As the man unites with
his wife and becomes one (Read Mark 10:7-9), the
Savior unites with the Chruch and becomes
one (Read Revelations 19:7-9; CCC 1602). Both unions are
possible by the love of both parts, as God is Love
(Read 1 John 4:8-16), and the man and the woman have
been created in the likeness of God (Read Genesis 1:26-
27),to love (Read John 13:34-35; CCC 1604). The matrimo-
ny between a man and a woman must reflect the
matrimony between the Savior and his Church:
“Husbands, love your women as Christ loved his
church and he gave himself for her to sanctify
her” Ephesians 5:25-26; and in the same way: “Wives,
submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
Because the husband is the head of the wife as
Christ is the head of the church, his body, and
he himself is its Savior” Ephesians 5:22-23 (Read CCC
1616). Jesus Christ teaches us clearly that the recipe
for a successful matrimony (avoid fights and the
divorce) is to understand matrimony as God
created and defined it: “Have you not read that
from the beginning the Creator made them male
and female and said, ‘For this reason man will
leave his father and mother to unite with his wife
and the two will become one flesh.’ So, they are
no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what
God has joined together, let no man separate.”
Matthew 19:3-6. The main factor for which fights
(silent or not) start in marriage, to the point that
the divorce is reached, is the original sin. The
original sin threatens the “order” that must exist
in the relation between the man and his wife,
converting it in a “disorder” in the relation. The
man and his wife now must repair that “disorder”
and take it to an “order”, that is only achieved
with the mercy of God. Therefore, for the
success of the matrimony, the man and his wife
must remain united asking God for help, to
overcome all the obstacles and attempts against
their union: discord, the spirit of the devil,
jealousy and conflicts that can lead to hatred
and rupture, etc. (Read CCC 1601-1608). “In his mercy,
God did not abandon the sinner man. The pe-
nalties that are a consequence of sin, ‘the pains
of childbirth’ (Read Genesis 3:16), the labor by ‘the
sweat of your brow’ (Read Genesis 3:19), constitute
remedies that limit the damages from sin. After
the fall, the matrimony helps to overcome the
withdrawal on oneself, selfishness, the pursuit of
one’s own pleasure, and to open oneself to the
other, to the mutual help, to the gift of self.”
CCC 1609. In the Old Testament, Moses allowed
the divorce “for the hardness of the heart” of
man (Read Matthew 19:8; Deut. 24:1; CCC 1610). But, con-
templating the Alliance of God with Israel
under a conjugal exclusive and loyal love, the
prophets started to prepare the awareness of the
people to a deeper understanding of indissolu-
ble matrimonial unity under an unconditional
love. The books of Ruth and Tobit give touching
testimonies of a deep feeling of matrimony, of
the fidelity and tenderness of spouses. And the
Song of Songs is a unique expression of human
love, pure reflection of the Love of God (Read CCC
1611). The bridal alliance between God and his
people (Old Testament: Read CCC 1611) is the instructive
prefigure for the new and eternal alliance with
the Son of God becoming flesh; that, by giving
his life, he united with all the humanity saved
by him, preparing thus “… the wedding of the
Lamb …” Revelations 19:7-9. Jesus Christ made his first
miracle, by petition from his mother, in a wedd-
ing banquet, confirming thus the goodness of
the matrimony and announcing thus the effect-
tive presence of Christ in matrimony (New Testa-
ment: Read CCC 1613). Christ Jesus taught the “origi-
nal” meaning of matrimony given by his Fa-
ther, the Creator, that is “the indissoluble
union” of one man and one woman: “‘For this
reason a man will leave his father and mother
and be united to his wife, and the two will be-
come one flesh.’ This is a profound mystery,
but I am talking about Christ and the church.”
Ephesians 5:31-32 (Read CCC 1614-1616). In this way, the
christian life is marked by the conjugal love
of Christ and his Church (his wife). The Baptism
is like the “wedding bath” that precedes the
“wedding banquet”, the Eucharist. The matri-
mony between the baptized is a true sacrament
of the New Alliance (Lee CIC 1617). Therefore, it is
convenient that the spouses seal their consent
to give oneself to the other through the offering
of their own lives, uniting themselves to the
offering of Christ for his Church, made present
in the eucharistic sacrifice, and receiving the
Eucharist, so that, having the communion in the
same body and in the same blood of Christ,
“form a single body” in Christ (Read CCC 1617).
Therefore, to be well prepared to receive the Sa-
crament of Marriage, the spouses must receive
first the Sacrament of Penance & Reconciliation
(Read CCC 1622). The matrimonial alliance, commu-
nity of life and love between one man and one
woman, was founded and endowed with its own
laws by the Creator and it is ordered to the good
of the spouses, thus to the generation and educa-
tion of the children; and the matrimony between
baptized has been elevated by Christ Jesus to the
dignity of the Sacrament of Matrimony (Read CCC
1660). The Christian home is the first place where
the children receive the first announcement of
faith; for that reason, the familiar house is called
“Domestic Church”, “Community of Grace and
Prayer”, “School of Human Virtues and
Christian Charity”.
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