Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Sacraments are:
1
Efficacious signs of Efficacious: having the
grace power to produce a desired
effect
The visible rites by which the
sacraments are celebrated signify and
God’s life in us! make present the graces proper to each
sacrament. They bear fruit in those who
receive them with the required
dispositions*. CCC 1131
The Sacrament in which a baptized man and a baptized woman
make a lifelong commitment of themselves to each other as
husband and wife and through which they are given the grace
to live out the commitment.
Natural Vs Supernatural
Eros Agape
Philia
Celebration of the Sacrament
Marriage is public act
which requires a
liturgical celebration
No prior bond or
other impediments
Essential Elements
1) Free consent of the couple
For this reason (or for other reasons that render the
marriage null and void) the Church, after an
examination of the situation by the competent
ecclesiastical tribunal, can declare the nullity of a
marriage, i.e., that the marriage never existed. In
this case the contracting parties are free to marry,
provided the natural obligations of a previous union
are discharged. CCC 1629
CONTRACT MARRIAGE COVENANT MARRIAGE
Terms based upon the compliance of the other Terms based upon a promise given to comply.
person. Example: I will love you if you love me. I Example: I will love you. I will be faithful.
will be faithful if you will be faithful.
Failure to comply releases the other party from Your failure to comply does not change my
the agreement. Example: Since you don't love me, promise to comply. Example: Even though you
I don't love you. Since you haven't been faithful to don't love me, I still love you. Even if you're not
me, I don't have to be faithful to you. faithful, I will remain faithful.
Contract marriage is over when promises are A covenant marriage is over when the one
completed or broken. Example: Since you did not making the promise dies. Example: The duration
fulfill your end of the deal, our contract is broken. of our covenant is "until death".
You are released from your contract.
Contract marriage maintains separate All belongings are held in common by both
belongings. Example: This is my car, this is money. covenant partners. Example: This is our money,
He is your son. my step-son is now our son.
Witnessed by the state. Example: getting married Witnessed by God. Example: getting married in a
in front of a justice of the peace. Church before God and the community
Is an exchange of goods and services. Example: I Is an exchange of people. Example: I am yours
will mow the grass and you will do the cooking. and you are mine.
Typically ratified by a signature. Example: I Typically ratified through “cutting a covenant.”
signed a contract with CapitalOne to pay off my In ancient times, those entering into an agreement
car loan. with each other would slay an animal and cut the
parts of it in half. They would lay the halves along
a path, then walk in the midst of the path to cement
the agreement. This was symbolic of the fact that
the success of the covenant was contingent upon
each performing his part of the bargain.
Examples: Examples:
1. prostitution vs. marriage
2. indentured servitude vs. kinship
3. babysitting vs. parenting