The Catholic Sacrament of Matrimony: Covenant and Fulfillment

The Sacrament of Matrimony: A Divine Covenant

The Sacrament of Marriage is a covenant between a man and a woman, which is ordered to the well-being of the spouses and the procreation of children. Marriage should never be ended in divorce.

The Nuptial Blessing and Indissolubility

In Scripture, God gives us a Nuptial Blessing, which is a "blessed wedding." This takes place when the Church witnesses the couple's vows. Scripture also shows Jesus' teachings on indissolubility—the teaching that marriage should not end in divorce. It also states that the redeemed should not break from their spouses.

Marriage as a Sign of Grace

Marriage is a "sign of grace," brought about by the form and matter of marriage. The form of marriage is the marriage vows—the promises of the spouses before the Church.

The Domestic Church

Marriage also relates to the Domestic Church. This is because through marriage a family is formed, and the Domestic Church is used to describe the family as the first place the Traditio (handing on) of the faith occurs. This is the first place children experience God's love. Once we experience this love, we can believe in the redemption of the body: that we will receive our personal bodies at the Resurrection.

Fulfilling the Matter of Marriage

The Sacrament of Marriage is not over once the vows are said. The matter of marriage is also very important. To fulfill this, Marriage Preparation and Natural Family Planning (NFP) must occur.

Marriage Preparation and Catechesis

Marriage preparation is the formal catechesis that the Church requires before marriage.

Natural Family Planning (NFP) Methods

NFP is an essential part of marriage fulfillment. There are three different methods of family planning often discussed:

• The Rhythm Method
• The Sympto-Thermal Method
• The Cervical Mucus Method

Church-Approved Scientific Methods

Only two of these methods are taught by the Church. The Rhythm Method is generally considered scientifically unreliable because it relies on statistics to determine a woman's fertility, failing to take into account the unique rhythm of each cycle. The other two methods are scientifically proven, which is why the Church teaches them:

1. The Sympto-Thermal Method: Uses two variables (temperature and mucus) to determine a woman's fertility.
2. The Cervical Mucus Method: Only uses one variable (cervical mucus quality) to determine a woman's daily fertility.

The Church recommends these practices to newly married couples to help them live out their marriage fully, because without the matter, the marriage is not fulfilled, and the Church desires the couple's marriage to be fulfilled.