CHRISTIAN DIMENSIONS

OF MARRIAGE

CONTRACT

COVENANT

SACRAMENT

CELEBRATION AND
VOCATION
 Marriage as CONTRACT
FAMILY CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES
“ A special contract of permanent union
between man and woman entered into in
accordance with law for the establishment of
conjugal and family life. It is the foundation of
the family and an inviolable social institution
whose nature, consequences and incidents are
governed by law and not subject to
stipulations”
 CONTRACT

MUST BE TREATED IN A SPECIAL WAY

BECAUSE OF ITS PURPOSES

for the good of the spouse (conjugal

life)

For the good of the children (family life)

 CONTRACT

REQUIREMENT: WILL
“…only those
who freely
choose and love
“Through the free,
mutual act of another may
consent given, man marry”
and woman enter
into the conjugal Pope Francis (AL
union”
217)
 CONTRACT

Obstacles to contract marriage:

1. Incapacity to decide
2. Whose freedom is blocked to give
consent
3. Incapable of expressing externally the
consent
MARRIAGE AS COVENANT
 COVENANT

love

Sacrifice

Forgiveness

Faithfulness
 ENDS OF MARRIAGE

1. Good of the
spouses
2. Good of the
children
 Ways to achieve those ends
Properties of Marriage

1.Unity or exclusiveness: enriched by

the spouses faithfulness
2.Indissolubility or permanence:
enriched by the spouses’ struggles
for lastingness
3.Openness to fertility: enriched by
fruitfulness in the married life
MARRIAGE AS
SACRAMENT
 SACRAMENT

Christ raised marriage to

a sacrament to make it
essentially different
from marriage as a
natural institution (Jn.
2: 1-11; Mt. 19:3; 1 Cor.
7:9; Eph. 5:32)
SACRAMENT MARRIAGE

Love and life

SIGN Element: Mutual self
giving

Husband and wife:

PRESENCE reminder of Christ’s
Presence

GRACE - Indissolubility
- Grace proper to it
 SACRAMENT

What makes it a valid Why marry in the Church?

marriage? 1. it is a requirement
1. It is a sacrament 2. a public declaration of
2. It must be held in the Church their love
3. No valid marriage except the 3. commitment before
sacrament of matrimony Christ and his Church
4. Through the sacrament of
matrimony, the couple
receives grace for it is a
channel of grace
 Symbols

Cord- symbol of unity or

exclusiveness of marriage

Veil- symbol of indissolubility or

permanence of marriage

Ring- symbol of love and fidelity;

symbol of marriage

Candle- symbol of Christ as the

light of the couple

Arrhae - symbol of
 Marriage as
CELEBRATION AND
VOCATION
 CELEBRATION

MOMENTOUS EVENT
fulfilment of their dreams
final answer for their
longing to be one
a moment of triumph
a moment of gratitude
a moment filled with
emotions (joy and
excitement)
 CElEBRATION

- the Church requires the submit

themselves to the standard rite
(liturgical form)
Form of the Sacrament

“Name…..I take you as my lawful

wife/husband according to the rites
of the Holy Mother the Church”

“Grant us, O Lord, to be one heart

and one soul from this day forward,
for better, for worse, for richer, for
poorer, in sickness and in health,
until death do us part”.
 CELEBRATION

Ministers: couple

Role of Church’s minister:

- Expression that marriage is
ecclesial reality
- Witness

Celebrated within the mass-

connection of
matrimony in the paschal
mystery of Christ
Marriage as
VOCATION
Marriage as a VOCATION

A call to holiness

A way to holiness
Marriage as a VOCATION

Holiness means
giving ourselves in
sacrifice every
day. So married life
is tremendous path
to sanctity
- Pope Francis
Marriage as a VOCATION

GIFT
a source of joy,
a source of blessings
a source of gratitude
a source of grace for husband and wife
Marriage as a VOCATION

MISSION
A call to parenthood: quality of
children
A call to holiness
A call to carry the cross