Day 227: Summary of the Sacrament of Marriage

The sacrament of Matrimony signifies the union of Christ and the Church. It gives spouses the grace to love each other with the love with which Christ has loved his Church; the grace of the sacrament thus perfects the human love of the spouses, strengthens their indissoluble unity, and sanctifies them on the way to eternal life. CCC 1661

Today's reading from the Catechism is an "In Brief" that reviews what has already been covered on the Sacrament of Marriage for the past few days. Again, I have nothing more to add, so I will try and keep this short.

The Catechism Compendium summarizes nicely for what ends God instituted Matrimony:

The marital union of man and woman, which is founded and endowed with its own proper laws by the Creator, is by its very nature ordered to the communion and good of the couple and to the generation and education of children. According to the original divine plan, this conjugal union is indissoluble, as Jesus Christ affirmed: “What God has joined together, let no man put asunder” (Mark 10:9). (#338)

The Catechism Companion, Vol II has a simple line, which speaks much truth:

In the family we learn how to love. (p. 218) 

Short and sweet, you could say. Yet it is profound. Most of us learn about life and how to love from our parents and family primarily. Love for God, love for family, love for our neighbor. In a family that has not become so dysfunctional, where the image Christ intended is distorted by sin, this is true. We see the effects of that in the first human family after the Fall (Gen 3-4), are given examples of sin on families such as King David's disgraceful behavior to Uriah, mostly, but also to Bathsheba (2 Sam 11-12), even though she was willing. In the New Testament, we find parables such as that of the Prodigal Son and his brother (Lk 15:11-32), but also find the hope that faith in Christ families can be spiritually restored (Acts 16:31).

Pictured are Louis and Zelie Martin, the holy parents of St. Therese of Lisieux, who were canonized in 2015. They model for us Christ's love for the Church (see CCC 1661). (p. 219)

Having both once yearned to take Religious vows, they followed God's true calling of marriage for their lives, having multiple children who later joined Religious orders, including their youngest, the beloved St. Therese. Sts. Louis & Zelie are today recognized as the patron saints of marriage, families, and widowers.