What Is Marriage For?
Opening Prayer
Lord,
You created love to reflect Your own fidelity.
Help me understand the meaning of marriage
and live with clarity and integrity.
Amen.
Part One
What Marriage Is
The Church teaches that marriage is:
A lifelong covenant
between one man and one woman,
ordered toward:
The good of the spouses,
And the gift of new life.
Marriage is not merely a contract.
It is not primarily about feelings.
It is a public, permanent commitment.
Why?
Because love seeks stability.
If love is self-gift,
then it must be:
Faithful.
Exclusive.
Open to life.
Marriage provides the structure
that protects that gift.
Pause and Reflect
Do I think of marriage mainly as a romantic arrangement?
Have I considered why permanence matters?
Part Two
Why Permanence Matters
Love is not simply attraction.
Attraction can change.
Emotion can fade.
But love is willing the good of the other.
Permanence protects love from becoming temporary convenience.
If commitment can be withdrawn easily,
security weakens.
Children especially depend on stability.
Marriage is not invented by the Church.
It arises from the nature of the human person:
Sexual complementarity.
The possibility of new life.
The need for long-term fidelity.
The Church defends marriage
because it protects human dignity.
Not because she fears change.
Consider
If marriage is temporary,
what protects long-term responsibility?
If commitment is conditional,
does love remain secure?
Part Three
Culture and Redefinition
In modern culture, marriage is often redefined as:
A personal arrangement based on feeling.
A flexible contract.
A structure shaped by preference.
But if marriage has a natural structure —
rooted in the complementarity of male and female
and openness to life —
then redefining it changes its meaning.
The Church’s teaching is not hostility.
It is clarity about what marriage is.
Marriage is not simply about affection.
It is about forming a stable family.
If identity and sexuality have objective meaning,
then marriage has objective structure.
Reflect Honestly
Do I understand why the Church teaches what she does?
Have I reduced marriage to emotion?
Do I see how culture shapes my assumptions?
Part Four
Vocation and Preparation
Not everyone is called to marriage.
But everyone is called to love.
Marriage is one vocation.
Priesthood and consecrated life are others.
Preparation for any vocation begins long before it is chosen.
Habits formed now matter.
Self-control now matters.
Integrity now matters.
Marriage is not something you improvise later.
It requires character.
The Church’s moral teaching is not about limiting options.
It is about preparing the heart for faithful love.
Quiet Reflection
Sit quietly.
Ask yourself:
Do I see love as sacrifice
or primarily as satisfaction?
If I am called to marriage,
what kind of spouse am I preparing to be?
Remain in silence.
This Week
Choose one:
• Reflect on the difference between attraction and commitment.
• Consider how stability benefits children.
• Read Ephesians 5 carefully.
• Pray simply: “Lord, prepare my heart for faithful love.”
Closing Prayer
Lord,
You are faithful.
Teach me to love with integrity.
Guard my heart from confusion.
Form me for the vocation You have prepared.
Amen.
St. Mary's, St. John Bosco and St. Edward's 