UNIT 1: LESSON 1
THY 2
FUNDAMENTAL CHRISTIAN DIMENSIONS OF THE FAMILY
UNIT 1: FUNDAMENTAL CHRISTIAN
DIMENSIONS OF THE FAMILY
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LESSON A: FAMILY AS A SOCIAL
INSTITUTION
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THE SITUATION OF THE FAMILY IN THE
WORLD TODAY Familiaris Constortio, 6
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The situation in which the family finds itself
presents positive and negative aspects:
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The first are a sign of the salvation
of Christ operating in the world;
The second, a sign of the refusal
that man gives to the love of God.
POSITIVE ASPECTS
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There is a more lively awareness of
personal freedom and greater
attention to the quality of
interpersonal relationships in
marriage, to promoting the dignity of
women, to responsible procreation,
to the education of children. FC, 6
There is also an awareness of the
need for the development of inter
family relationships, for reciprocal
spiritual and material assistance, the
rediscovery of the ecclesial mission
proper to the family and its
responsibility for the building of a
more just society.
NEGATIVE ASPECTS
Signs are not lacking of a disturbing
degradation of some fundamental values:
1
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A mistaken theoretical and practical
concept of the independence of the
spouses in relation to each other
Serious misconceptions regarding
the relationship of authority between
parents and children
The concrete difficulties that the
family itself experiences in the
transmission of values;
The growing number of divorces
The scourge of abortion
The ever more frequent recourse to
sterilization
The appearance of a truly
contraceptive mentality
1. THE SITUATION OF THE FAMILY
IN THE WORLD TODAY Familiaris
Constortio, 6
The situation in which the family finds itself
presents positive and negative aspects:
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The first are a sign of the salvation
of Christ operating in the world;
The second, a sign of the refusal
that man gives to the love of God.
2. THE FAMILY IS THE FIRST AND
VITAL CELL OF SOCIETY
“Since the Creator of all things has
established the conjugal partnership as the
beginning and basis of human society, the
family is the first and vital cell of society.”
Vatican II Decree on the Apostolate of the
Laity, Apostolicam Actuositatem (11)
The Family Binds People Together
UNIT 1: LESSON 1
THY 2
FUNDAMENTAL CHRISTIAN DIMENSIONS OF THE FAMILY
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The Family is a group of people who
support and love each other
unconditionally.
Through marriage, a man and a
woman who are completely
independent from each other, bind
themselves together and create new
lives and establish their own family.
The Family is Responsible for the
Upbringing of Children
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Parents are given the responsibility
to take care of their children,
because the future of the Church
and the society depends on them.
Parents must be concerned as to
“how they can best ensure that their
children will grow up as genuine
Christians and successful adults”.
The Good of the Family Redounds to the
Good of the Society
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Values like kindness, generosity,
honesty, etc., when practiced in
every family, engender a tolerant,
self-giving, fair, and just society.
A dysfunctional and unhealthy family
leads to a society that is also
dysfunctional and unhealthy.
It is in the Family where Children Learn
to Socialize
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2
It is the major unit in which
socialization happens and children
learn the fundamental relational
skills.
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The family provides its members
with social identity.
3. FUNCTIONS OF THE FAMILY
Since the family is considered as the
foundation of society, it performs important
functions, such as:
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Regulation of sexuality
Responsible Procreation
Socialization
Economic Cooperation
Regulation of Sexuality
The conjugal act, in its theological sense, is
realized in a truly human way only if it is
treated as an essential part of the love by
which man and woman commit themselves
totally to one another until death.
Extramarital sexual intercourse is
unacceptable, sinful.
No other forms of sexual pleasure should be
allowed or accepted, but only that which is
within the genuine joy of love between man
and woman who are married.
The purpose of the conjugal act is to
express the mutual love and respect of
husband and wife, and to deepen their
intimacy. Its end is to unite and procreate
(Gen. 4:1-2)
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The Catholic Church teaches that
sex within marriage is both a
physical and a spiritual act.
The integrity of human sexuality and
the procreative, relational and erotic
UNIT 1: LESSON 1
THY 2
FUNDAMENTAL CHRISTIAN DIMENSIONS OF THE FAMILY
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dimensions, require the right context
in which sexuality can be honored.
Conjugal act must be considered a
sacred and holy act.
John Paul II highlights the sexual
complementarity between the husband and
the wife. (Theology of the Body)
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This complementarity enables them
to ‘give” themselves to one another,
to “receive” one another, and to
carry out responsibilities as spouses
and parents.
● This must be freely done by the man
and the woman.
● From the day they give and receive
their consent in marriage, they freely
give themselves a new identity as
husband and wife.
● They commit themselves to one
another throughout their entire
married life. And they must freely
choose to engage in the conjugal
act.
● The marital act honors the unitive
meaning of human sexuality.
● This act is their willingness to
cooperate with God and be open to
procreation, welcoming life with
open arms, raise the child and
educate him/her in the love of
service of God and neighbor.
Pope Paul VI, in his encyclical Humanae
Vitae, expounds the unitive and procreative
dimension of marriage when he said,
“because of its intrinsic nature, the conjugal
act, while uniting husband and wife in the
most intimate of bonds, also makes them fit
to bring forth new life according to the laws
3
written in their very nature as male and
female.”
RESPONSIBLE PROCREATION
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While procreation is not the only
purpose of marriage, it is one of the
benefits that can result from
marriage . FC, 14 .
Procreation in marriage is perceived
as cooperation with the God of love
and so must be exercised with
responsibility, prudence, and
unselfishness . (Genesis 1 :28 )
In begetting life, husband and wife
fulfill one of the highest dimensions
of the Christian calling, which is to
become God’s co-worker and
co-creator.
Responsible cooperation with God in
the order of human sexuality cannot
be reduced to the concept of fertility.
Procreation of children cannot be
ignored.
Children are a gift that God gives
man and woman united in marriage.
PARENTS AS CO-CREATORS WITH GOD
Parents have the responsibility to decide on
the number of children they can care for as
they cooperate with God in this noble task. (
1 Timothy 3:5).
Four Things to Remember:
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God has made parents responsible
for the physical, emotional, and
spiritual needs of their children.
Parents will be able to fulfill their
responsibility when the number of
UNIT 1: LESSON 1
THY 2
FUNDAMENTAL CHRISTIAN DIMENSIONS OF THE FAMILY
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children in a family is reasonable
and manageable.
Parents should not reproduce
carelessly, having many children yet
failing to give the care they deserve.
Married couples must discuss and
make decisions together regarding
the regulation of birth in the family.
PCP II
Parents are responsible for educating
their children on social concerns and
encouraging them to participate in
charity works and political activities.
4. POSITIVE CONTRIBUTIONS OF
THE FAMILY TO THE SOCIETY
SOCIALIZATION
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The family is the original cell of
social life. The family is the
community in which, from childhood,
one can learn moral values, begin to
honor God. And make good use of
freedom.
Family life is an initiation into life in
society ( CCC 2207 ).
The family is the cradle of life and
love where they are born and grow.
The family has a crucial role in the
society by being the model of love
for children.
ECONOMIC COOPERATION
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4
Responsible citizenship is a virtue,
and participation in political life is a
moral obligation. Pope Francis,
Evangelii Gaudium, 220
If a brother or a sister has nothing to
wear and has no food for the day,
and one of you says to them ‘Go in
peace, keep warm. And eat well,’ but
you do not give them the necessities
of the body, what good is it? James
2:15-16
No one is so poor that he has
nothing to give, and no one is so rich
that he has nothing to receive. JP II,
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The family is the bedrock of society.
The man, as father, should be a
living model of patience and
kindness.
The husband-wife relationship
should reflect the love of Jesus for
His Church.
The woman must be the refuge,
comfort, and teacher that children
are entitled to have.
According to Pope Benedict XVI, the love
between a married couple can be fully
understood in the light of the love of the
crucified Christ. Deus Caritas Est, 2
Marriage becomes the image of the
relationship of God and his people. God’s
way of loving becomes the measure of
human love. DCE, 11
KEYS TO HAPPINESS IN MARRIAGE:
1. Mutual Respect. - It is a sign of
true conjugal love. To put down
one’s spouse is to degrade him/her
as a person
2. Fidelity - The greatest gift that a
father could give to his children is to
UNIT 1: LESSON 1
THY 2
FUNDAMENTAL CHRISTIAN DIMENSIONS OF THE FAMILY
love and to be faithful to his wife.
This may also be his way of showing
respect to his wife’s dignity as a
person and to the family as a whole
3.
Protection of the State and
Society - The laws and institutions
of the state must support and
safeguard the rights and duties of
the family.
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The state and society must defend
the family and respect its identity
and its autonomy as a way of
fulfilling the requirements of the
principle of subsidiarity. FC 45
4. Respect for the Sanctity of
Marriage. - The family must promote
marriage as sacred, which is
exclusive for a man and a woman as
ordained by God in the story of
creation.
5. Love for Children. - Parents must
show love to their children by
spending quality time with them,
educating them and see them
mature to be good Christian so that
they can carry out the mission of
Christ when their turn comes to pass
on the gospel to their own families.
6. Mutual Love. - Spouses must love
each other according to Christ’s
pattern of love which is kind, patient,
cherishing and nourishing each
other.
7. Conjugal love. - is the greatest
blessing that they could have for
each other. Spouses must love each
other according to Christ’s pattern of
love which is kind, patient,
5
cherishing and nourishing each
other.
UNIT 1: LESSON 2
THY 2
LESSON A: THE FAMILY AS A DOMESTIC CHURCH
Every home is called to become a
domestic church wherein:
Should parents and kids be best-friends?
What are the implications of this emerging
parenting-style phenomenon to:
• Roles
• Authority
• Decision-Making
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Should parents give up on their decision
making authority?
Are we doing society any favor by
investing too much authority on kids?
Are we expecting too much from them?
Are we putting undue stress on them?
1. THE NATURE OF THE FAMILY AS
DOMESTIC CHURCH
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The family is an important gift that
God has endowed man and the
whole of humanity.
It is a community of grace.
The family is a place of encounter
with Christ within the community
especially when members are
actively participating in the mission
of Christ entrusted to the Church.
Second Vatican Council
● The family is the “Ecclesia
Domestica”.
● It is in the bosom of the family that
parents are by word and example,
the first heralds of the faith with
regard to their children.
6
• Family life is completely centered on the
Lordship of Christ.
• The love of husband and wife mirrors the
mystery of Christ‘s love for the church, his
bride.
Families are expected to be effective
bearers of the Gospel in their community.
They should be witnesses as domestic
churches (AL, 200).
2. THE FAMILY IS CALLED TO
PARTICIPATE IN THE THREEFOLD
MISSION OF JESUS CHRIST
Prophetic: The family must be a believing
and evangelizing community.
Priestly: Its members must actively
participate in the liturgical and sacramental
celebration of the church.
Kingly: The members of the family must
become witnesses of Christ‘s love in their
day-to-day life. They should be involved in
the mission of the Church.
Prophetic
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The family must be a place where
the Gospel is transmitted and from
which the Gospel radiates.
They must be evangelized so they
can become evangelizers of many
other families in their community.
Priestly
UNIT 1: LESSON 2
THY 2
LESSON A: THE FAMILY AS A DOMESTIC CHURCH
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The strength of their mission can be
nourished and sustained by constant
prayers to God, frequently receiving
the Eucharist and observance of the
Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Kingly
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The love within the family should be
shared with others, reaching out to
those who are in need. The parents
and their children must be the salt of
the world and leaven in the midst of
humanity.
3. Four General Tasks of the Family (FC,
18- 64)
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Seat of Communion
Sanctuary of Life
Agents of Social Development
Leaven of Evangelization
Seat of Communion
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The Family is the place where
parents become their children’s first
teachers in the faith.
Children, for their part, are called to
accept the commandments.
Sanctuary of Life
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7
Every child deserves to be born of
love.
God made us instruments of his
love, entrusting to us the
responsibility for the future of
mankind, through the transmission
of human life.
Agents of Social Development
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The overall education of children is
the “Most Serious Duty” and at the
same time a “Primary Right” of
parents.
By their reception of the Sacrament
of Marriage the parents become
ministers of their children’s
education
Leaven of Evangelization
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Individuals enter upon an ecclesial
experience of communion among
persons.
They Learn Care for one another
and Mutual Forgiveness
4. Duties of Family Members
a. Duties of Parents
The fecundity of conjugal love cannot be
reduced solely to the procreation of children
but must extend to their moral education
and their spiritual formation. CCC, 2221.
● Parents have the first responsibility
for the education of their children.
CCC, 2225
● "The role of parents in education is
of such importance that it is almost
impossible to provide an adequate
substitute.” GE, 3
● The right and the duty of parents to
educate their children are primordial
and inalienable. FC, 36
Education in Virtues, FC
UNIT 1: LESSON 2
THY 2
LESSON A: THE FAMILY AS A DOMESTIC CHURCH
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Parents should teach their children
to subordinate the "material and
instinctual dimensions to interior and
spiritual ones."
Parents have a grave responsibility
to give good examples to their
children. By knowing how to
acknowledge their own failings to
their children, parents will be better
able to guide and correct them
Filial respect is shown by true docility
and obedience, FC
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Education in the Faith, FC
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Parents should initiate their children
at an early age into the mysteries of
the faith of which they are the "first
heralds" for their children.
They should associate them from
their tenderest years with the life of
the Church.
A wholesome family life can foster
interior dispositions that are a
genuine preparation for a living faith
and remain a support for it
throughout one's life.
"My son, keep your father's
commandment, and forsake not your
mother's teaching. . . . When you
walk, they will lead you; when you lie
down, they will watch over you; and
when you awake, they will talk with
you." (Prov 6:20-22.)
"A wise son hears his father's
instruction, but a scoffer does not
listen to rebuke.” (Prov 13:1.)
"Children, obey your parents in everything,
for this pleases the Lord” Col. 3:20;cf.Eph.
6:1.
• As long as a child lives at home with his
parents, the child should obey his parents in
all that they ask of him when it is for his
good or that of the family. CCC, 2217
As they grow up, children should
continue to respect their parents. CCC,
2217
b. Duties of Children, FC
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They should anticipate their wishes,
willingly seek their advice, and
accept their just admonitions.
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Obedience toward parents ceases
with the emancipation of the
children; not so respect, which is
always owed to them. This respect
has its roots in the fear of God, one
of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Filial piety springs from the
gratitude of children towards their
parents.
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8
"With all your heart honor your
father, and do not forget the birth
pangs of your mother. Remember
that through your parents you were
born; what can you give back to
them that equals their gift to you?”
(Sirach 7:27-28)
UNIT 1: LESSON 2
LESSON B: MARRIAGE IN THE SCRIPTURES
1. Old Testament
2. New Testament
3. Marriage as Covenant
The vocation to marriage is written in the
very nature of man and woman as they
came from the hand of the Creator.
Marriage is not a purely human institution
despite the many variations it may have
undergone through the centuries in different
cultures, social structures, and spiritual
attitudes. CCC, 1603
THY 2
❖ The Holy Scripture affirms that man
and woman were created for one another
(CCC, 1605)
❑ "It is not good that the man should be
alone.” Gen 2:18.
❑ The woman, "flesh of his flesh," his
equal, his nearest in all things, is given to
him by God as a "helpmate"; she thus
represents God from whom comes our
help.” Cf. Gen 2:18-25.
❑ Therefore, a man leaves his father and
his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they
become one flesh.” Gen 2:24.
1. OLD TESTAMENTS
❖ The Consequence of Sin CCC, 1606
MARRIAGE IS ROOTED IN CREATION
❖ In the Original Plan of God
"The intimate community of life and love
which constitutes the married state has
been established by the Creator and
endowed by him with its own proper laws. . .
. GS48§1., CCC, 1603
❖ God Himself is the Author of
Marriage.GS48§1.,
CCC, 1603 Since God created him man and
woman, their mutual love becomes an
image of the absolute and unfailing love
with which God loves man. It is good, very
good, in the Creator's eyes. And this love
which God blesses is intended to be fruitful
and to be realized in the common work of
watching over creation: "And God blessed
them, and God said to them: 'Be fruitful
and multiply and fill the earth and
subdue it.” Gen 1:28; cf. 1:31.
9
❑Every man experience evil around him
and within himself. This experience makes
itself felt in the relationships between man
and woman.
❑ According to faith, the disorder we notice
so painfully does not stem from the nature
of man and woman, nor from the nature of
their relations, but from SIN.
GOD’S MERCY
❖ In his mercy God has not forsaken
sinful man.
❑ After the fall, marriage helps to overcome
self-absorption, egoism, pursuit of one's
own pleasure, and to open oneself to the
other, to mutual aid and to self-giving. CCC,
1609
MARRIAGE IS ROOTED IN THE
COVENANT
UNIT 1: LESSON 2
LESSON B: MARRIAGE IN THE SCRIPTURES
❖ Moral conscience concerning the
unity and indissolubility of marriage
developed under the pedagogy of the old
law.
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In the Old Testament the polygamy
of patriarchs and kings is not yet
explicitly rejected. Nevertheless, the
law given to Moses aims at
protecting the wife from arbitrary
domination by the husband, even
though according to the Lord's words
it still carries traces of man's
"hardness of heart" which was the
reason Moses permitted men to
divorce their wives. CCC, 1610
Seeing God's covenant with Israel in
the image of exclusive and faithful
married love, the prophets prepared
the Chosen People's conscience for
a deepened understanding of the
unity and indissolubility of marriage.
The books of Ruth and Tobit bear
moving witness to an elevated sense of
marriage and to the fidelity and
tenderness of spouses.
2. NEW TESTAMENT
FROM THE HOLY GOSPEL
❑The nuptial covenant between God and
his people Israel had prepared the way for
the new and everlasting covenant in which
the Son of God, by becoming incarnate and
giving his life, has united to himself in a
certain way all mankind saved by him, thus
preparing for "the wedding-feast of the
Lamb.” Cf. Rev. 19:7, 9; cf. GS 22. CCC,
1612
On the threshold of his public life, Jesus
performs his first sign, at his mother's
request, during a wedding feast. Cf.
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The Church attaches great
importance to Jesus' presence at the
wedding at Cana. She sees in it the
confirmation of the goodness of
marriage and the proclamation that
thenceforth marriage will be an
efficacious sign of Christ's presence.
CCC 1613
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In his preaching, Jesus
unequivocally taught the original
meaning of the union of man and
woman as the Creator willed it from
the beginning: permission given by
Moses to divorce one's wife was a
concession to the hardness of
hearts. CCC 1614; Cf. Mt 19:8.
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The matrimonial union of man and
woman is indissoluble: God himself
has determined it "what therefore
God has joined together, let no man
put asunder.” CCC 1614; Mt 19:6.
The Excellence of Marriage, Tobit 8:4b-9
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10
The elevation of the spiritual life
The placement of nobility above lust\
The recollection of tradition
The role of the family
Tradition has always seen in the
Song of Solomon a unique
expression of human love, insofar as
it reflects God's love - a love strong
as death that many waters cannot
quench. Song 8:6-7
THY 2
UNIT 1: LESSON 2
LESSON B: MARRIAGE IN THE SCRIPTURES
lives; but if her husband dies,
she is discharged from the
law concerning the husband.
Accordingly, she will be
called an adulteress if she
lives with another man while
her husband is alive. But if
her husband dies, she is free
from that law, and if she
remarries another, she is not
an adulteress”.
From the Letters of the St. Paul
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UNITY Eph. 5:25-26, 31-32. "For this
reason, a man shall leave his father
and mother and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one. This
is a great mystery, and I mean in
reference to Christ and the Church.”
Cf. Gen 2:24; CCC, 1616 From the
Letters of the St. Paul
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UNITY By coming to restore the
original order of creation disturbed
by sin, Jesus gives the strength and
grace to live marriage in the new
dimension of the Reign of God. CCC
1615
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It is by following Christ, renouncing
themselves, and taking up their
crosses that spouses will be able to
"receive" the original meaning of
marriage and live it with the help of
Christ. CCC 1 6 1 5 ; Mt 19:11
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INDISSOLUBILITY Exclusive and
Permanent
○ 1 Cor 7:10-11. “To the
married I give charge, not I
but the Lord, that the wife
should not separate from her
husband, but if she does, let
her remain single or else be
reconciled to her husband –
and that the husband should
not divorce his wife”.
○
11
Rom 7:2-3. “Thus, a married
woman is bound by law to
her husband as long as he
THY 2
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Authentic Love Self -Sacrifice and
Commitment
○ Eph . 5 :25 -27 "Husbands,
love your wives, as Christ
loved the church and gave
himself up for her, that he
might sanctify her,"
○ Eph 5 :22 -24 . “Wives, be
subject to your husbands, as
to the Lord . For the husband
is the head of the wife as
Christ is the head of the
church, his body, and is
himself its Savior . As the
church is subject to Christ, so
let wives also be subject in
everything to their husbands”
3. COVENANT
Christian marriage is an efficacious sign,
the sacrament of the covenant of Christ
and the Church.
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Since it signifies and communicates
grace, marriage between baptized
persons is a true sacrament of the
New Covenant. Cf. DS 1800; CIC,
can. 1055 § 2; CCC, 1617
UNIT 1: LESSON 2
LESSON B: MARRIAGE IN THE SCRIPTURES
THY 2
Etymology of the word COVENANT
The primordial model of the family is to be
sought in God Himself, in the Trinitarian
mystery of His life. . . The divine We is the
eternal pattern of the human WE.
The matrimonial covenant…
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by which a man and a woman
establish between themselves a
partnership of the whole of life,
is by its nature ordered toward the
good of the spouses and the
procreation and education of
offspring;
this covenant between baptized
persons has been raised by Christ
the Lord to the dignity of a
sacrament.” CCC, 1601;
It is an image and living sign of the
covenant relationship between God and
his people.
12
UNIT 2: LESSON A
THEOLOGICAL DIMENSION OF MARRIAGE
1. Marriage as a Natural Phenomenon
2. Marriage as a Sacrament
THE THEOLOGICAL DIMENSION OF
MARRIAGE
Christian marriage…becomes an efficacious
sign, the sacrament of the covenant of
Christ and the Church. Since it signifies and
communicates grace, marriage between
baptized persons is a true sacrament of the
New Covenant.
First and Principal End: Begetting and
Education of Children
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ST THOMAS AQUINAS ON MARRIAGE
MARRIAGE:
1. Natural Phenomenon
2. Christian Sacrament
1. AS A NATURAL PHENOMENON
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Human beings are naturally inclined
to marriage…in a rational movement
toward a good that men and women
bring about through deliberation and
consent.
First and Principal End: Bonum Proles.
Begetting and Education of Children.
Second End: Bonum Fides. - The
cooperation in making and perfecting a
household.
13
Men and women come together to
generate new life and they stay
together to provide their children
education not only in survival but
also in virtue.
It is for the benefit of the child’s
education that he/she be certain of
his parent’s identity and virtue.
To this end a father and mother bind
themselves together and provide a
home for their child in which over
many years he/she can confidently
develop daily with his/her parents
the practice of virtue. Marriage
(Aquinas 101)
Second End: The Cooperation in Making
and Perfecting a Household Marriage
(Aquinas 101)
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—------------------------------------------------------Two Primary Ends of the Natural
Inclination to Marriage
THY 2
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Because a human being is a social
and political animal it is natural that
human beings form society to
pursue and enjoy ever increasing
goods. The most fundamental and
natural of these societies is the
family.
In the family, men and women
cooperate intimately where around a
common home they share the whole
of life producing and enjoying
together the necessities of life.
For Aquinas, marriage unites these two
natural ends into one seamless life of the
family where the ends of father, mother, and
child are met all at once. Marriage (Aquinas
101)
UNIT 2: LESSON A
THEOLOGICAL DIMENSION OF MARRIAGE
When entered into by two Christians,
marriage not only serves their earthly needs
but also supplies merit for their salvation.
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Marriage is a remedy for sin and a
cause of grace for the spouses.
Conforms the spouses to the
passion of Christ (not according to
its pain), in charity, whereby Christ
lovingly suffered for the Church,
which was united to him as his
spouse. Marriage (Aquinas 101)
and, as it were, consecrated for the duties
and the dignity of their state by a special
sacrament.”
—------------------------------------------------------The Marriage Bond
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2. MARRIAGE AS A SACRAMENT
(Bonum Sacramentum)
Basis of Aquinas for highlighting the
sacramental character of Marriage
Ephesians 5:31-32. “For this reason, a man
will leave his father and mother and be
united to his wife, and two will become one
flesh. This is a profound mystery – but I am
talking about Christ and the Church.”
The union of man and woman is a
profound mystery, a profound
sacramentum that refers to the union of
Christ and his Church.
THY 2
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The consent by which the spouses
mutually give and receive one
another is sealed by God himself.
Cf. Mk 10:9.
From their covenant arises "an
institution, confirmed by the divine
law, . . . even in the eyes of
society."GS,48§1.
The covenant between the spouses
is integrated into God's covenant
with man: "Authentic married love is
caught up into divine love.” GS48§2.
The marriage bond has been
established by God himself in such a
way that a marriage concluded and
consummated between baptized
persons can never be dissolved.
This bond, which results from the
free human act of the spouses and
their consummation of the marriage,
is a reality, henceforth irrevocable,
and gives rise to a covenant
guaranteed by God's fidelity.
The Church does not have the
power to contravene this disposition
of divine wisdom. 146; CCC 1640
❖ Effects of Marriage as a Sacrament,
Marriage Bond - From a valid marriage
arises a bond between the spouses which
by its very nature is perpetual and
exclusive;
Matrimonial Grace - In a Christian
marriage the spouses are strengthened
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The Grace of the Sacrament of
Matrimony
By reason of their state in life and of
their order, [Christian spouses] have
UNIT 2: LESSON A
THEOLOGICAL DIMENSION OF MARRIAGE
their own special gifts in the People of
God . "
● This grace proper to the sacrament
of Matrimony is intended to perfect
the couple's love and to strengthen
their indissoluble unity. By this grace
they "help one another to attain
holiness in their married life and in
welcoming and educating their
children."
Christ is the source of this grace.
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Just as of old, God encountered his
people with a covenant of love and
fidelity, so our Savior, the spouse of
the Church, now encounters
Christian spouses through the
sacrament of Matrimony."
Christ dwells with them, gives them
the strength to take up their crosses
and so follow him, to rise again after
they have fallen, to forgive one
another, to bear one another's
burdens, to "be subject to one
another out of reverence for Christ,"
and to love one another with
supernatural, tender, and fruitful
love. Eph 5:21; cf. Gal 6:2
In the joys of their love and family
life he gives them here on earth a
foretaste of the wedding feast of the
Lamb. CCC, 1642
Marriage, therefore, enables the husband
and the wife by grace to love each other
salvifically, not as the savior of the other
but in imitation of the savior of both
bestowing on each other the love with
which Christ loves the Church.
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THY 2
In the graced union of matrimony, which
unites man and woman in mind and
body, the Christian man and wife enjoy
the goods of children, mutual fidelity,
and indivisibility of their union in which
the abiding grace of the sacrament takes
fruit.
—------------------------------------------------------The matrimonial covenant, by which a
man and woman establish between
themselves a partnership of whole life
and which is ordered by its nature to the
good of the spouses and the procreation
and education of offspring, has been
raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of
a sacrament between the baptized.
Code of Canon Law 1055, 1.
—------------------------------------------------------❖ THE CELEBRATION OF MARRIAGE
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The celebration of marriage between
two Catholic faithful normally takes
place during Holy Mass, because of
the connection of all the sacraments
with the Paschal mystery of Christ.
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In the Eucharist, the memorial of the
New Covenant is realized, the New
Covenant in which Christ has united
himself forever to the Church, his
beloved bride for whom he gave
himself up.
—-------------------------------------------------------
UNIT 2: LESSON A
THEOLOGICAL DIMENSION OF MARRIAGE
It is therefore fitting that the spouses
should seal their consent to give
themselves to each other through the
offering of their own lives by uniting it to
the offering of Christ for his Church
made present in the Eucharistic
sacrifice, and by receiving the Eucharist
so that, communicating in the same
Body and the same Blood of Christ, they
may form but "one body" in Christ.
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"Inasmuch as it is a sacramental
action of sanctification, the liturgical
celebration of marriage . . . must be,
per se, valid, worthy, and fruitful."
It is therefore appropriate for the
bride and groom to prepare
themselves for the celebration of
their marriage by receiving the
sacrament of penance
According to the Latin tradition, the
spouses as ministers of Christ's grace
mutually confer upon each other the
sacrament of Matrimony by expressing
their consent before the Church.
The various liturgies abound in prayers
of blessing and epiclesis asking God's
grace and blessing on the new couple,
especially the bride.
In the epiclesis of this sacrament the
spouses receive the Holy Spirit as the
communion of love of Christ and the
Church. The Holy Spirit is the seal of
their covenant, the ever available source
of their love and the strength to renew
their fidelity.
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THY 2