A covenant of the whole of life
Marriage is not merely a private feeling or a temporary contract. Through consent, a man and a woman give and accept one another in a lifelong partnership of life and love, for each other's good and open to the procreation and education of children.
Between two baptized persons, a valid marriage is at the same time a sacrament. Its essential properties are unity and indissolubility; fidelity expresses a love that is exclusive and complete.
Suggested reading: Genesis 2:18-24 and Matthew 19:3-6. Jesus returns the question of marriage to the Creator's plan and the call to become “one flesh.”
The good of the spouses and children do not compete
The unitive love of the couple creates a setting that welcomes life; responsibility as parents, in turn, calls love beyond self-interest. The marriage of an older or infertile couple remains valuable and can bear abundant fruit in other ways.
What do I imagine marriage will chiefly give me? What am I prepared to give and to take responsibility for together?
Together, write one definition of marriage in your own language, making sure it includes all four elements: lifelong, for each other's good, faithful, and open to life.
References
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The Value and Meaning of Marriage
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