The Christian Contract of Marriage

A Catholic Marriage Contract is considered a sacrament. It is sanctified by the blessings of the Almighty and is legitimized by the Church’s official witness, a Priest.

Marriage is a legalized contract between a woman and a man by means of which they confer on each other the absolute and everlasting right to those physical functions that are naturally appropriate to produce progeny. Now what does this indicate?

Matrimony is referred to as the sacrament of humankind. In order to obtain the blessings that go with it, both parties need to be suitably baptized and in a reverential state when obtaining it. In contrast with other sacraments that are generally carried out by a priest, here the bride as well as the groom themselves act as ministers of the holy state of matrimony. Here the priest does not contribute to the conferring of the outward symbol. He simply serves as the Church’s formal witness of the marriage contract.

The Church needs him to be there, since in his absence, a Catholic marriage would not be legitimate. A Catholic marriage that is presided over by a Justice of Peace or perhaps a minister belonging to another religion is, evidently, a null and void marriage.

If a Protestant minister conducts a mixed marriage, then this not just an unacceptable marriage but also involves excommunication of the concerned Catholic party. In certain dioceses, this is what is known as a “reserved sin,” which means that it there is no possibility of it being taken away by the average confessor, but the bishop has to be approached to deal with such a wrongdoing. In other dioceses, if a Justice of Peace presides over such a marriage, then a similar punishment is incurred. The harshness of the punishment reveals the wickedness of the sin and one is barred from the sacraments through excommunication until he asks forgiveness.

It is not possible to enter into a marriage contract unless both parties unreservedly state their marriage compliance in words or corresponding signs. It should be explicit and perceptible. This compliance in a marriage is customarily the “I will” enunciated individually by the bride as well as the groom.

It is specifically this expression of joint assent that brings about blessing in the holy state of matrimony. Now a sacrament, in fact, is an external sign created by Christ to bestow grace. The articulating of “I will” sincerely by the bride as well as the groom signifies not only compliance with the contract but it also is the external representation of the sacrament.

Now, it not just implies, but also truly fills the recently wedded couples’ souls with an abundance of sanctifying grace as well as the extraordinary grace of the holy state of matrimony.

These exceptional blessings allow the couple to meet all the commitments of married life.

Nobody knows exactly when Christ set up the sacrament of marriage. Quite a few people are of the opinion that it was the famous wedding feast of Cana where this was done and which He sanctified with His presence.

Still others state that He created it when He declared that the break-up of a marriage was not permitted. And some others claim that marriage became a sacrament at the time when He told His Apostles of matters concerning the kingdom of the Almighty, in the course of His resurrection and His ascension. The second view is the more universally acknowledged teaching.

The precise moment when matrimony was established is, certainly, irrelevant. What is of significance is that Christ truly did establish it as is absolutely evident from the earliest Church traditions and schooling of children entailed some sacrifice on the parents’ part; God caused the appeal between the different sexes to be a pleasurable experience. Now in a marriage, “the sexual deed is one of deep enjoyment.

The majority of people in no way would have committed to marriage if they reflected only on the trials it entails. However, they tend to fall in love with each other and wish to bring to completion this love by having sexual relations with the dearly loved.

In order to carry this out, they enter into marriage, indulge in sex, and beget a child. Marriage is thus equally a Contract as well as a Sacrament.

Source: http://www.readycontracts.com

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