“Holy Matrimony is one of the Seven Sacraments, which are the physical signs of God’s Grace in the world. Holy Matrimony, or marriage, is a sacred union between a man and a woman. It is not a civil contract. It is a holy, lifelong covenant between two people who are giving themselves completely to each other in the love of God. Holy Matrimony is ultimately a reflection of the Most Holy Trinity. In the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are One God. In sacramental marriage, God, Man, and Woman are one union. In this marriage, the man becomes the head over his household and the woman becomes the heart of the family. Just as Jesus is the head of the Church and gave His life for us, the man is called to die to himself and serve the family as the sacrificial leader. The bride is called to submit to her husband in all things except sin, just as the Church, the bride of Christ, is to be obedient to Him. This relationship of self-sacrifice and obedience is the perfect formula by which God pours grace into the relationship and therefore the whole home. Matrimony must be open to procreation, must be entered into freely and lawfully, and cannot be broken by any human power,
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“Genesis 2:24 “”Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”” This shows marriage as part of God’s original plan.
Matthew 19:4–6 “”What God has joined together, let no man separate.””
Jesus affirms the permanence and sacredness of marriage.
John 2:1–11 The Wedding at Cana, where Jesus performs His first miracle, is seen as a sign of the sanctity of marriage.
Ephesians 5:22 – 25 “”Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22 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. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
Hebrews 13:4 “”Let marriage be held in honor among all and let the marriage bed be undefiled.””
1 Corinthians 7:10–11 “”The wife should not separate from her husband… and the husband should not divorce his wife.””
Baltimore Catechism: Lesson 32″
Illustration by: Colton Rompala