Summary & Effect
Holy Matrimony is the sacrament where a couple vows to devote themselves entirely to each other. A sacramental marriage is focused on helping each spouse reach holiness and happiness in Christ. The sacrament of Matrimony will prepare each spouse to be worthy to enter heaven. It comes about through a promise made by a man and a woman before God and the Church, which is accepted and confirmed by God and consummated by the bodily union of the couple. Because God himself forms the bond of Sacramental marriage, it is binding until the death of one of the partners. The effects of Holy Matrimony are the two become "one-flesh", perpetual and exclusive covenant partnership, and free, total, faithful, and fruitful nuptial love. Minister Unlike the other sacraments, the ministers for Matrimony are the bride and groom themselves. The man and woman mutually administer the Sacrament. The priest or the deacon calls down God's blessing on the couple and, furthermore, witnesses that the marriage comes about under the right circumstances and that the promise is comprehensive and is made publicly. Form & Matter The form for the sacrament is "I,____, take you,____, to be my wife/husband. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life." The matter for Matrimony is mutual consent to live together as husband and wife in the marriage covenant and consummation of the Sacrament. Rite The rite for Matrimony is everything that happens during the ceremony. It starts with the celebration of Matrimony, followed by the questions before the consent, consent, the reception of consent, blessing and giving of rings, and the universal. The ceremony is finished off with the bride and groom sealing their covenant with a kiss. Impediments There are a number of prerequisites before a couple can enter into Holy Matrimony. These conditions are set by God's law, natural law, or by the Church. -Age: minimum age of 16 for males and 14 for females (the Church recognizes local laws if the minimum age is older). -Inability to consummate the marriage: a person cannot enter into Holy Matrimony if they are physically incapable of sexual intercourse to consummate the marriage and procreate. -Previous marriage: a person cannot enter in Holy Matrimony if they are already in a valid marriage until all former marriages are declared null. -Difference in faith: a Catholic may not enter in the sacrament of Holy Matrimony with someone who is not baptized. A Catholic may marry a non-Baptized person with the permission of the local bishop (called getting a dispensation). -Holy Orders: A person cannot enter into Matrimony if they are validly ordained a deacon, priest, or bishop. -Perpetual vow of chastity: They cannot enter into Matrimony if they have made a perpetual vow of chastity (like religious brothers or sisters). -Consanguinity: a person cannot enter into Holy Matrimony with someone who is too closely related to them (you cannot be the parent or child of the person and cannot share great-grandparents). -Affinity: you cannot enter into a marriage if you are related by marriage (in-laws and step-siblings). -Public Propriety: you cannot already be living as if you are married -Adoption: you cannot marry someone you are related to by adoption -Abduction: you cannot be married if you have been abducted in order to be married -Lack of form: If Catholics attempt to marry, but they do not use the rites of the Church, their marriage is invalid. -Coercion: you cannot be forced to marry someone -Psychological immaturity or mental incapacity: to enter into a sacramental marriage, both parties must understand and have the capacity to accept the minimum of what it entails. -Refusal to have children: one of the goods of marriage is children. A person cannot validly marry if they are physically able to have children yet refuse to. -Exclusion of fidelity: you can't enter into Holy Matrimony if you refuse to remain faithful to your spouse. |
Readings For My Future Wedding
Genesis 2:18-24 18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” 19 Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib[c] he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” 24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. I chose this reading because it is important to know the roots of the covenant of marriage and why we (my husband and I) will be coming together in the first place. This reading explains that we will be united as "one-flesh". We will live as one, instead of two separate people. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. I chose this reading because it will remind us of what love really is and its true meaning. It will be important for us to remember this and live by it for all the days of our life together. John 15:9-12 9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. I chose this reading to remind my husband that I love him like God loves me. My love and joy will complete my husband's joy and vise-versa. I will love him no mater what until death do us part. Annulment vs. Divorce Holy Matrimony is a lifelong vow. The marriage ends when one spouse passes away. There is no divorce when it comes to Holy Matrimony. Divorce is when the state/local authorities stop recognizing a marriage in civil/social circumstances. An annulment is a declaration that the marriage was never valid to begin with. Therefore, the individuals are free to marry someone else. Annulments are granted if it can be determined that one of the impediments to Holy Matrimony exists |