Christian Teachings (beliefs) on marriage

The bond and covenant in marriage was established by God in creation

Jesus Christ honoured this way of life by his presence and first miracle at the marriage of Cana

It signifies the mystery and union between Christ and his Church

The union of husband and wife in heart, body and mind is intended by God for their mutual joy; for the help and comfort given to one another in prosperity and adversity; and, when it is God’s will, for the procreation of children and their nature in the knowledge and love of the Lord

Marriage is not to be entered into adversely or lightly but reverently, deliberately, and in accordance with the purposes for which it was instituted by God

•  Christian Marriage is…

•  A Sacred Commitment

•  A Sacrament (in some denominations)

•  A Life Long Commitment

•  A Monogamous, Indissoluble and Faithful Relationship

•  A Covenant Relationship – a model of the love which Christ has for God’s people

•  A Vocation The foundation of the family and the Church

Describe the characteristics of marriage

The Time / The couple is required to be over the age of 18 years.
The Place / The wedding ceremony takes place in the Church (for Protestant denominations the venue does not have to be a Church. This expresses a belief that all of God’s earth is sacred and there is no place from which God is absent.)
The Participant / The rite of marriage is a public ceremony- the couple is required to make their vows in public. Also present participants are 2 witnesses, families and friends and a priest or minister.
The Charter / Orthodox, Roman Catholic and some Protestant Christians regard marriage as a sacrament – this means that it is a special means by which God acts in people’s lives.
The set for / The religious ceremony involves many symbols and actions such as, opening song, bridal procession, form giving the bride away, readings from the bible, etc. This can vary with each Christian denomination.
The symbol system / The use of symbols will vary with different Christian denominations. Some which are common include: system Recitation of marriage vows
Exchange of rings
Readings from scripture
Drinking from the cup of wine
Joining hands while the marriage vows are made Signing the marriage contract
Saying of prayers
The bride wearing a veil and wearing white
The hierarchical and role relation / The married couple move from being children of a family to an equal level with their parents. Most will hierarchically have children and become parents themselves. The relationship between a man and a woman in a Christian marriage is expected to be equal.
The transformation / Prior to marriage this couple was single and from 2 separate families. Marriage unites these two people together in love, forming a new family unit in which husband and wife are responsible for one another and for their children.

Demonstrate how marriage expresses the beliefs of Christianity

•  Marriage in the Sacred Writings

•  Marriage imagery is used consistently in the scriptures to help us understand God’s loving plan for creation.

•  The Bible begins with the story of the creation of man and woman as partners made in the image of God and it concludes with the wedding feast of the Lamb in the book of Revelation (19:5-8)

•  It is in human marriage that we get a glimpse of the tremendous love which Christ has for the Church and it is in human marriage and family life that we have a foretaste of the intimate communion and tremendous joy that will be ours in heaven. Patricia Morrison Driedger, 2001, Our Sacramental Life, page 208

Saint Paul: Regards marriage as a sacred commitment. He likens the love between husband and wife to the love Christ has for his Church and he calls upon them to love one another as they would love themselves. Paul stresses the ethic of faithfulness in marriage. “Marriage is to be honoured by all, and husbands and wives must be faithful to each other. God will judge those who are immoral and those who commit adultery.” (Hebrews 13:4)

Marriage in the Sacred Writings

The Christian rite of marriage stresses that marriage is a life long commitment. This belief is taken directly from the scriptures. It is made manifest in the recitation of the marriage vows, and sometimes in the readings chosen by the couple and in the homily given by the priest or minister.

The meaning and purpose of marriage / Mark 10:6 / “In the beginning, at the time of creation, ‘God made them male and female’ as the Scripture says.”
Jesus refers to the way God has made human beings / Mark 10:7-8 / “And for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and unite with his wife, and the two will become one.”
The purpose of marriage as preached by Paul / Ephesians 5:31 / “For this reason a man will leave his 5:31 father and mother and unite with his wife, and the two will become one.”
Jesus explains the idea of leaving one family in order to join another. This also explains the holiness and permanence of marriage with God as the designer of marriage / Mark 10: 8-9 / “So they are no longer two but one. Man must not separate then, what God has joined together.”
Jesus explains the Christian ideal-marriage involving lifelong companionship which is faithful and excludes divorce and remarriage / Mark 10: 11-12 / A man who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against his wife. In the same way a woman who divorces her husband and marries another man commits adultery.

How a Christian Rite of Marriage makes present the central beliefs of the tradition:

The Scripture / Central in the marriage ceremony
The readings focus on marriage as a life-long, sacred commitment, instituted by God, and the faithfulness and love that are required to make the marriage work.
Make clear that parents are obligated to bring up their children in a loving Christian environment. The couple can choose their own readings or can be given a set to choose from to ensure that the central Christian beliefs about marriage are the focus.
The Priest or Minister / The priest or minister delivers a homily which elaborates on the Scripture readings and which explains the meaning of a Christian marriage.
The location or place / The church reminds Christians that marriage is created by The God as a deep way of sharing between a couple, and that location or God blesses this relationship. place
The Symbols / The marriage vows affirm the Christian belief that marriage is a life-long commitment.
The giving of rings symbolizes the commitment that the couple will always be true to each other. The ring, being circular symbolizes that love has no end.
The lighted candle, used in some denominations, symbolizes the light of Christ which comes through the word of God in scripture.
In the Orthodox denomination, husband and wife are the king and queen of the family, which is an image of the kingdom of God. The crowns are also the symbols of the martyrs who are witnesses to Christ and his teaching, as the newly married couple will be.
The nuptial blessing brings out two themes of Catholic marriage: that a husband’s human love for his wife is a model of the love which Christ has for God’s people- the Church, and that marriage is a relationship based on faithfulness which is plain for all to see.

Analyze the significance of this practice for both the individual and the Christian community.

•  Marriage – A RITE OF PASSAGE A rite of passage is an important and often complex ritual that allows an individual or individuals to be transformed from one stage to another ie. from an old status to a new status. Rites of passage affect this change of status as well as proclaiming it to the community. Thus, there is a strong community element in rites of passage – it confirms the beliefs of the group, encourages group cohesion, and teaches moral lessons.

The significance of this practice for the individuals …

•  Elevates the mundane to the supernatural. Every aspect of the couples’ relationship is meant to reflect the love Christ has for his church, so that even the most mundane events of life, the love the couple has for each other deepens their relationship with God.

•  Structures the lives of the couple. Prior to marriage they are both single with responsibility just for themselves. Now married they share the same home and they have ongoing responsibility for each other and for their children.

•  A way of holiness. Marriage is a sacred and life long union of a man and a woman who give themselves to each other in trust and love. Their relationship should reflect the everlasting love that God has for the Church through Christ. Through marriage, the couple express their love and service of God through their love and service of each other.

The significance of this practice for the community …

•  A means of identification with the community of believers. For example, a couple who are married in a Catholic Church are likely to have their children baptised in the Catholic Church.

•  Strengthens the community of believers. This happens through the prayers that the congregation say for the couple about to be married. They affirm their Christian beliefs, and the central beliefs about marriage are made clear through the rite itself.

•  A means of reflection. On the couple’s participation within Christianity and their ultimate purpose as human beings, to grow in holiness through their relationship.

•  Acknowledges, supports and encourages the human conditions of suffering, joy and bereavement. This is particularly clear in the marriage vows “for better for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.”

•  When a couple marry in the Christian Church, the ceremony speaks of love, permanent commitment, fidelity, openness to children and perseverance in good time and bad. It is these qualities which make marriage a unique relationship. There is no other human relationship which requires so total a commitment between two people.