Scrutiny #3
Questions and answers: Chapter 29: Marriage
Who established marriage? God established marriage, the intimate partnership between a man and a woman, a reflection of the love that is God (Trinity). It is a union of love like the Trinity's which is both unitive and creative.
What is the purpose of marriage? Its purpose is twofold: unitive (uniting a man and a woman in enriching one another, seeking one another's fulfillment in the present, and supporting one another's quest for salvation), and creative (procreating with God, begetting and upbringing children).
What is the sacrament of Marriage (or Matrimony)? It is the marriage covenant by which a man and a woman establish a partnership for their whole lives, ordered to the well-being on one another and the procreation and upbringing of children. CCC 1613.
What is the sign of the sacrament of Marriage? The expression on the part on the bride and the groom of their consent to marriage.
When does the sacrament of Marriage occur? It occurs when a baptized man and a baptized woman freely give their consent to the covenant of marriage. When this consent is consummated by marital intercourse the marriage is indissoluble.
What are some of the graces of Marriage?
a. Dialogue or communication
b. Unity
c. Healing wounds
d. Parenthood (raising and educating their children)
e. Sanctification: supporting one another's salvation journey, seeking holiness
What did our Lord teach about the sacrament of Marriage?
a. Marriage was instituted by God
b. A husband and a wife find fulfillment in each other
c. Marriage is to last for life
d. Marriage is between one man and one woman.
What did Jesus do for Marriage by elevating it to the dignity of a sacrament? He challenged spouses to give themselves to one another in the same self-sacrificing love by which He gave Himself for the Church. Marriage then becomes a source of holiness for both spouses. It also provides graces which make possible the continued personal growth in comforting and supporting one another.
In what way is the union of husband and wife a symbol of the union of Christ and his Church? It is a vital life-giving union, imparting grace to their souls. It is a union of two in one flesh and one spirit. It is a union of constant and unwavering love which is self-sacrificial. It is a love exclusively given to one's spouse, love which is unselfish, and lasts as long as life itself. It is a domestic Church because the family in a unique way carries forward the mission of the Church.
Who administers the sacrament of Marriage? The bride and the groom with the priest or deacon officiating and also witnessing with the wedding party and the rest of the congregation.
What laws safeguard marriage? Divine laws safeguard the indissolubility and unity of marriage. Church laws protect it setting up basic rules (age, rules for interfaith marriage, etc.)
What did Jesus teach about divorce? "Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate" (Mk 10:9); "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her" (Mk 10:11)
Has the state the power to grant a divorce? It cannot dissolve the spiritual bond of a valid sacramental marriage; it may end the civil aspects of a marriage through divorce.
Has the Church the power to grant a divorce? The Church cannot dissolve a valid, sacramental marriage which has been consummated. The Church may grant an annulment declaring that something existed at the time of the marriage which rendered it invalid from the very beginning (e.g. fear, force, fraud).
See also: Marriage; Marriage Encounter, Retrouvaille, Divorce, Birth Control
Real Marriages: Team and Sponsors Sharing
Introduction to a Saint’s life: Saint Anthony
Closing Prayer: Chaplet of the Divine Mercy