The Sacrament of Matrimony at Saint Matthew Parish

Our parish family celebrates with you as you prepare for Holy Marriage. For scheduling and marriage preparation courses, please contact the parish office at least six months prior to your planned wedding date. For more information, please contact the parish office.

The Sacramental Signs of Matrimony

1. Words - the mutual consent of the persons, expressed by words or signs in accordance with the laws of the Church
2. Rings

Marriage is a Covenant

The Sacrament of Marriage is a covenantal union in the image of the covenants between God and his people with Abraham and later with Moses at Mt. Sinai. This divine covenant can never be broken. In this way, marriage is a union that bonds spouses together during their entire lifetime.

Institution by Jesus Christ

But from the beginning of creation, "God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother (and be joined to his wife), and the two shall become one flesh." So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate. Mark 10:6-9

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her.... cleansing her by the bath of water with the word, that he might present to himself the church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. So (also) husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. "For this reason a man shall leave (his) father and (his) mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the church. In any case, each one of you should love his wife as himself, and the wife should respect her husband. Ephesians 5:25-33

The Grace (Effect)

The effects of the Sacrament of Matrimony are:

• To sanctify the love of husband and wife
• To give them grace to bear with each other's weaknesses
• To enable them to bring up their children in the fear and love of God