 |
| SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY. Image from catholicharboroffaithandmorals.com via google.com |
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church,
"The matrimonial covenant, 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 persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of sacrament." [CCC 1601].
"The matrimonial covenant, 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 persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of sacrament." [CCC 1601].
We must take note that Scriptures begin with creation crowned by the marriage between the first man and first woman and ends with a vision of the wedding feast of the Lamb [1602]. God has instituted marriage, making Him its author therefore it is not just a human institution [1603]; marriage is a manifestation of God's love and is intended to be fruitful and realized in the vocation to be stewards of the earth [1604]; and, marriage affirms the fact that man and woman have been made for each other and signifies an unbreakable union of becoming no longer two, but one flesh [1605].
Although blessed by God, spouses encounter problems not due to their own natures but because of sin [1606-1608] but God did not forsake mankind so He established laws to govern the union of man and wife though not perfectly free from limitations brought about by man's hardness of heart which allowed divorce [1609-1611] and yet raised it to a higher level through grace which the Lord Jesus Christ gained by His incarnation and sacrifice through which the original intent of God about the indissolubility of marriage has been emphasized [1612-1617].
A valid Christian marriage therefore produces
"... a bond between the spouses which by its very nature is perpetual and exclusive; furthermore, in a Christian marriage the spouses are strengthened and, as it were, consecrated for the duties and the dignity of their state by a special sacrament" [1638].
Christian marriage therefore has the following effects:
[1] The mutual consent of spouses o freely give and receive one another is sealed by God himself and is "caught up in divine love" [1639].
[2] The marriage bond between spouses has been established by God and therefore made irrevocable as a covenant guaranteed by God's fidelity [1640].
[3] The spouses receive grace to help one another attain holiness in their married life and in welcoming and educating their children [1641].
[4] Christ dwells in the spouses and helps them to fulfill their duties, face challenges, and grow in love for one another [1642].
Another important role of the matrimony is the establishment of families as domestic churches which become islands of Christian life in an unbelieving world [1655]. In our times, believing families are of primary importance and parents by their word and example should be the first heralds of faith with regard to their children [1666] making the home truly the first school of Christian life [1667].
We must also remember that there are those who choose to remain virgins for the sake of the kingdom [1619] for the Lord himself has invited some to follow Him in such a state [1618]. The Church accepts both the married state and the single life dedicated to the Lord as true vocations [1620]. Though there are many who remain single for various reason, they must be made to understand that they also have a family to belong to, not only those who are married, for the Church is a home and a family for everyone [1658].
How do we live the Sacrament of Matrimony in our lives?
One of the important characteristics of Christian marriage is indissolubility. The Christian spouses cannot be separated separated except by death. This speaks so much about our faith, of our relationship with God and our fellow Christians. By Baptism we have become a member of the Body of Christ, the Church, and we are united to Him through grace. As spouses can be separated by death, our union with Christ can also be severed through spiritual death, which is sin. Therefore, in order to remain connected and united with the Lord, we must never sin.
In the Old Testament, whenever Israel commits sin and disregards the Laws of the Lord, the Lord calls her an adulterous nation [see Jeremiah 3:8; Isaiah 57:3]. In the New Testament, Christ himself mentions that the Jews of His time as an adulterous generation [see Matthew 12:39; 16:4; Luke 11:29]. So whenever we commit sin against God - whatever sin - we also commit adultery because we break our commitment to Him, we break the covenant which the Lord Jesus Christ has established between the Father and us through His blood.
We must therefore remain faithful to our Baptismal vows: of avoiding all occasions of sin, of not committing sin, and of turning away from the Devil and his enticements. We are God's children already, a holy people, set apart by Him. There is no room for sin in our lives for we have been freed by the Lord and were made slaves of righteousness.
Or would you rather be a slave of sin than of holiness?
Although blessed by God, spouses encounter problems not due to their own natures but because of sin [1606-1608] but God did not forsake mankind so He established laws to govern the union of man and wife though not perfectly free from limitations brought about by man's hardness of heart which allowed divorce [1609-1611] and yet raised it to a higher level through grace which the Lord Jesus Christ gained by His incarnation and sacrifice through which the original intent of God about the indissolubility of marriage has been emphasized [1612-1617].
A valid Christian marriage therefore produces
"... a bond between the spouses which by its very nature is perpetual and exclusive; furthermore, in a Christian marriage the spouses are strengthened and, as it were, consecrated for the duties and the dignity of their state by a special sacrament" [1638].
Christian marriage therefore has the following effects:
[1] The mutual consent of spouses o freely give and receive one another is sealed by God himself and is "caught up in divine love" [1639].
[2] The marriage bond between spouses has been established by God and therefore made irrevocable as a covenant guaranteed by God's fidelity [1640].
[3] The spouses receive grace to help one another attain holiness in their married life and in welcoming and educating their children [1641].
[4] Christ dwells in the spouses and helps them to fulfill their duties, face challenges, and grow in love for one another [1642].
Another important role of the matrimony is the establishment of families as domestic churches which become islands of Christian life in an unbelieving world [1655]. In our times, believing families are of primary importance and parents by their word and example should be the first heralds of faith with regard to their children [1666] making the home truly the first school of Christian life [1667].
We must also remember that there are those who choose to remain virgins for the sake of the kingdom [1619] for the Lord himself has invited some to follow Him in such a state [1618]. The Church accepts both the married state and the single life dedicated to the Lord as true vocations [1620]. Though there are many who remain single for various reason, they must be made to understand that they also have a family to belong to, not only those who are married, for the Church is a home and a family for everyone [1658].
How do we live the Sacrament of Matrimony in our lives?
One of the important characteristics of Christian marriage is indissolubility. The Christian spouses cannot be separated separated except by death. This speaks so much about our faith, of our relationship with God and our fellow Christians. By Baptism we have become a member of the Body of Christ, the Church, and we are united to Him through grace. As spouses can be separated by death, our union with Christ can also be severed through spiritual death, which is sin. Therefore, in order to remain connected and united with the Lord, we must never sin.
In the Old Testament, whenever Israel commits sin and disregards the Laws of the Lord, the Lord calls her an adulterous nation [see Jeremiah 3:8; Isaiah 57:3]. In the New Testament, Christ himself mentions that the Jews of His time as an adulterous generation [see Matthew 12:39; 16:4; Luke 11:29]. So whenever we commit sin against God - whatever sin - we also commit adultery because we break our commitment to Him, we break the covenant which the Lord Jesus Christ has established between the Father and us through His blood.
We must therefore remain faithful to our Baptismal vows: of avoiding all occasions of sin, of not committing sin, and of turning away from the Devil and his enticements. We are God's children already, a holy people, set apart by Him. There is no room for sin in our lives for we have been freed by the Lord and were made slaves of righteousness.
Or would you rather be a slave of sin than of holiness?
No comments:
Post a Comment