Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Increasingly in the
developed world
research suggests that
what most couples are
looking for is…
a SOUL-MATE
A SOUL-MATE is someone with whom I can share a deep,
intimate, loving relationship and have children
A SOUL-MATE MARRIAGE
IS DIFFICULT TO ATTAIN
BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE
A COVENANT
That’s an unconditional
commitment
A SACRAMENT
That’s a sign of God’s
unconditional love
Marriage is GOD’s idea
- not ours
It’s a VOCATION:
a call from God
“It is not good for man to be alone.”
It’s the call God gave to
“God made them male and female.”
every couple from “Increase and multiply and fill
the beginning, the earth and make it yours.”
COMPANIONSHIP
and PROCREATION
Each person is called to love.
Jesus said:
“What GOD has joined together
let no man put asunder”
God’s command to love applies
to everyone.
ROMANCE,
DISILLUSIONMENT
and JOY
TO LOVE IS A
DECISION
We have a choice
For Christians,
marriage is a
covenant of
UNCONDITIONAL
LOVE
God’s covenant love is
UNCONDITIONAL
He calls us to RESPOND in love
There must be no
impediments to the marriage.
The priest or deacon will
explain what this means
There must be no conditions
to your consent:
e.g.
I will marry, but if…or only if…
I will marry you as long as…
I will marry you unless…
If you have made a
PRE-MARITAL AGREEMENT
the terms of the agreement
may amount to conditional
consent. If you have any
questions about this, ask
your priest or deacon
You ‘gift’ yourself to the other and
you ‘take’ the gift offered.
I promise...
the Father
the Son
the Holy Spirit
They live in an eternal
loving relationship.
The love that exists between them
is the only love there is.
They share this love with us,
making it possible for us to love.
The Sacrament of
Matrimony provides
the help we need to
show our love for
each other, not just
on our wedding day
but throughout the
rest of our married
lives.
You marry each other.
The priest or deacon is there as an
official witness for the Church.
‘The Church’
means
‘The Assembly’
So the couple are a ‘Little Church’
So a Christian couple ARE the Church:
‘a little church’ - a community of love.
So the ‘little’ Church becomes a
In their love and respect
sign to the ‘big’ Church of the
for each other, reality of God’s love and
in their confronting and faithfulness. It is there for all to see
in the relationship of this couple.
forgiving of one another,
in their faithfulness
to each other,
a couple BECOME a living
tangible ‘sign’ (Sacrament)
of the ‘real’ presence of
God in the midst of his
people, the Church.
This is not a pious image. It’s a
way of living that challenges and
enriches those who seek to live by
it in order to make it a reality.
Even when one of the
partners is not a
Catholic, couples can
benefit by attending
Mass together -
and the church
community as a whole
also benefits.
Remember that your wedding service is
YOUR service. You can select the
Scripture readings, choose favourite
hymns, even write your own prayers if
you wish.