MATRIMONY Joseph G. Brandon V. Julian A. Jose V. Andre S.

What Does Matrimony Celebrate? Matrimony is a sacred bond between a man and a woman that pledges them to be faithful life partners. It celebrates a couple’s commitment to share their lives and reveal God’s love to themselves, their children, and others. Four concepts are emphasized in marriage: Mutual self-giving Conventional Faithfulness Becoming of one’s real self Creativity

Mutual Self-Giving Marriage reveals God’s love to us in human terms. It is a symbol of God’s total gift of self to humans. In marriage, the gift of self must be freely given or it isn’t considered love. In giving yourself freely, you recognize that you have something to offer and deserve the respect of that person. A consumer culture is quickly corrupting this view of marriage, often placing material possessions before the gift of self on the list of priorities. The sacrament itself affirms that no possessions will ever bring the joy that a life partner would bring. Sex is meant to express a man and woman’s sharing of their most intimate selves with each other. It is intended for marriage only because it is part of sharing life together. Because of this, marriage is considered “a communion of the whole of life.”

Faithfulness of a Covenant Marriage is modeled on the Covenant between God and the Chosen People (the Jews), or Jesus Christ and the Church. A covenant means a solemn promise between two parties as well as the community of personal partnership between God and humans. The Covenant binds God and humans to each other with the promise of love and faithfulness. God established a covenant with Abraham and his descendants and renewed it with the Israelites and Mount Sinai. The covenant promised faithfulness but people repeatedly broke the Covenant through idolatry and injustice. Despite the break of the Covenant, God’s love remained absolute and unharmed by the broken promise. The same concept of the Covenant can be applied to Christ’s love for the church. According to St. Paul, husbands should love their wives as Christ loved the church. Today’s society is very different from the one St. Paul lived in. Both spouses are now called upon to love their partners as Christ loves the church, not just the husband.

Conventional Faithfulness Faithfulness doesn’t just mean sexual fidelity. Four characteristics of faithfulness: Permanence: Faithfulness should last forever. Constancy: Ability to be faithful through all the times of joy and hardship. Loving Confrontation: Confront problems honestly and challenge them together. Lived Values: Put priority on the relationship and live out values.

Becoming One’s Real Self The covenantal relationship of partners doesn’t leave people unchanged. Often, they become more sensitive and develop a stronger identity.

Creativity Love in marriage is meant to lead to something creative, just as God’s love does. In order for love to be creative, a couple must move out of being self absorbed and begin caring for others. Couples must be willing to have children if they are to be married. It is the most obvious way of being creative. Couples must be generous, open to new life, and treat the child as a blessing. Faith of children must also be nurtured outside of the parish. Teach children prayers and basic concepts about their religion. The love of parents is also important for children to experience God’s love for them. The family is the “domestic church” Involvement in the community is also vital. It carries out the creative intent of making the love, justice, and peace of God a reality.

Living Out the Sacrament Marriage, like other sacraments, lasts a lifetime. It isn’t just a ceremony. The husband and wife are considered to be the primary symbols of marriage. The community is also a symbol, as with most other sacraments.

The Ritual Itself The marriage ceremony is adaptable to various needs. It can happen in or out of mass, depending on whether or not both partners are Catholic. Although the ideal wedding happens in a Catholic parish church, it can also take place in another Christian church. A bishop can also give permission to have a marriage outside of a church. Three possible rites: Rite for celebrating Matrimony during Mass Rite for celebrating Matrimony outside Mass Rite for celebrating Matrimony between a Catholic and someone who isn’t baptized. Common elements: Liturgy of the Word (Proclaiming word of God.) Consent (Exchange of promises in public.)

Blessing/Exchange of rings (Rings are signs of love and fidelity, some cultures omit this practice due to conflicting customs.) Nuptial Blessing (Prayer for Gods grace, peace, love, and strength to be with the couple and for children.) Final Blessing (Exactly what is says. A final blessing for the couple.) Weddings can be personalized by selecting different scriptures, prayers, blessings, music, and adding symbolic actions. Different cultures have different variations of marriage. Marriage often includes pre-Christian customs such as these three activities practices in Greek and Roman culture: The father of the bride hands the bride to the groom. The bride goes to the husbands house, where the husband picks her up and carries her over the threshold. The couple eats a wedding cake.

Matrimony’s History Historically, marriage has always been sacred. Divorce and infidelity was taken much more seriously by Christians than by the non- Christian Romans of the time. The early church took no special role in weddings and early Christians got married for the same reason other people did. The church got more involved as people began to ask their bishops for a blessing. (The blessing wasn’t required.) From the 7 th to the 11 th century, the church became more involved in marriage law and rites to protect people from abuses of marriage law. In the 12 th century, marriages were commonly held in front of churches, had a priest presiding, and was followed by Mass. Gradually, it began taking place in churches and during Mass. In the 13 th Century, it became one of the 7 sacraments.

A Tradition of Marriages Permanence Since the early church, marriage has always been seen as permanent. Divorce was only allowed if the woman was unfaithful. (If men were unfaithful, women couldn’t divorce.) Saint Ambrose and Saint Augustine both emphasized that marriage couldn’t be dissolved in any case. During the Protestant Reformation, the church also reiterated this concept. There were cases where marriages were considered to be invalid. After thorough investigation, the church can annul the marriage. Annulment is different front divorce because it defies the actual existence of a sacramental marriage.