Christian Marriage has been instituted by God himself at the beginning of the Creation. Human being was created in the image of God. The image of God was love. God wanted man to love him and love with each other. When Human was alone and lonely , God gave him a fitting Companion taken out of his own Ribs , Woman. By looking at Eve , Adam sang his first love song ” Bone of my Bone and flesh of my flesh”. Thus God reaches out to a lonely Man through a Helpmate Woman. The Woman is a gift of God to the Man , who resemble God himself who is love. Thus love of God and to each other is the fundamental purpose of Christian Marriage.
In every Culture and Religion , the institution of marriage has an important value ,a committed and trusted Vows of husband and Wife to live with each other is the basic rule of Marriage. A commitment of a man and Woman to live with each other in faith and unity is a inbuilt quality of a human in the image of God. The moral and natural Law binds every human despite of his Religion or culture through the bond of Marriage.
We happened to visit a remote tribal area to understand their culture. The marriage of theirs is so meaningful and trusted relation.
These tribals live almost naked and there is no sense of shame in their culture. When young boys want to get married to the young girls, all the young girls tie a sacred thread on 10 metre high slippery post which has been applied with all possible animal oils. All girls stand at the bottom of the post and start beating the boys who try to climb the post.The young boys must bear the beatings and remove all slippery oil from the post and climb the top of the post and pick one of the thread and then they can choose any one of the girls they like and tie the thread on their neck and leave that Village and disappear for a month for a Honeymoon to a neighbouring Village.In this village there is no word called rape or unfaithfullness as per their understanding and culture.
When Man disobeyed God and started loving the Devil, the nature of Sin entered in Marriage. As per some ancient Jewish books , the first Sin entered through unfaithfulness in Marriage. Thus the sanctity of Marriage got corrupted and domination, disunity,Pride, lust and selfishness entered in the Sacred Bond of love or marriage.
Jesus destroyed the power of Sin by dying on the Cross. When a human couple accept Jesus as their Lord through Baptism , they receive the original pure love for God and each other, this is Christian Marriage.When Couples have difference of opinions and Sinful nature, it is a clear indication that they have not accepted the Salvation of Jesus completely and surrendered their life to the Lord. The Sacrament of Matrimony is the grace of the Holyspirit which unite two souls in to one but if the Couple is not united with Jesus through Baptism , the grace of Matrimony can not function due to the Sinful nature.
The Marriage is the first Sacrament which testifies the Christian living in Words and action. In marriage there is no room for Hypocrisy because there is a small community called family to point out and correct the weaknesses of each other. Many Successfull people and Visionaries of the World were great people of the World but if we look at their Marriage or family, they were a big failure because they could not adjust with one wife or family in their life.
Marriage is the Mirror of our life, so the more and more we live together, we can see ourselves as we are through each other. These understandings of our Weaknesses through our partners sanctify us and make us holy day by day. Christian marriage lived in prayer and day today renewal of our life with Jesus is the Second Heaven on this Earth.The faithfulness, trust,the selfless love of parents and husband and wife, Sacrifices for each other and family makes the Couple resemble the image of God.
The Church encourages for family life and calls them the domestic Church. Most of the Vocations start from the family and good witnessing of the Couples. Jesus lived with their parents Joseph and Mary for 30 Years in Holyfamily in Nazareth.
Mixed Marriages bring many troubles in the beliefes and upbringing of Children but church permits these marriages on the commitment of the Christian partner to witness their spouses in Christian love and win them for Christ and to Baptise and educate their Children.
The marriage preparation is must for Christian Marriages, reconciluation and Community Blessings are must for a successful marriage.
Divorce tears the body of Christ because the marriage binds the two human in to one in mind, body and spirit. When this unity is broken , a great offence to Jesus, the Couple, Children, Relatives and the Society ruptures harmony and love. Divorce is against the plan of God and against moral and Natural Law. The Civil Authorities must appoint regulatory bodies to prevent Divorce of Comforts and selfishness. The children of divorced coupled are wounded for life and the same give birth to Crimes and Social Evil. The nations, Economy, integration, Justice shrinks due to this Social Evil. God hates Divorce and it is very difficult for these couples to enter the Kingdom of God. Church even does not permit to receive the Holy Communion to these divorced couples but accept them for a reconciliation and renewal.
Church permits divorces in extreme situations where the Couple just can not live together and danger to life. These cases have been examined carefuly by the ordained clerics through the magesterium and Canon Law. A marriage tribunal has been set up to descern the truth in line with the teachings of the Church. If the trubunal feels the case is genuine through Witness and Evidences then the marriage is nullified as it did not happen from the beginning.
A vow of Marriage is also a Vow of Chastity of Fidelity. To live with each other in Joy and Sorrow through out their life is a life long Commitment. The Sin of Lust, Adultery, Rape, Masturbation, Pornography are great offences to the Christian Marriages. When Couples encounter these evil’s in their marriage , it is a clear indication of lack of self surrender and prayer to Jesus in their life. A good Jesus encounter Retreat for couples can uproute these Sins and once again heal the marriages. The lack of trust, doubts, Domination, Laziness, lack of sexual acquaintances are also the modern Evils in marriages, a Quality Time spent together in mutual understanding by communicating with each other in Christian love and forgiveness bring a revival in marriage life.
Families that pray together, stay together. The couples participating in Eucharist with their Children, morning prayers and Holy Rosary keeps the Evil away from the. Marriages. But the most important part is to transform our life by accepting Jesus as our personal Lord and Master of our marriages and receive the Holyspirit of Love, Joy and Peace , unity, selfcontrol to live a spirit led marriage life. God us greatly delighted on those couples who do God’s work and take care of their families. These families are sure and assured of the the Kingdom of God not only after death but right now on this Earth because they transform their Marriage and family life in to Divine life of God. This is the very purpose of families and Christian Marriage.
The family planning , Surrogates, Embryo Babies, Artificial pregnancies are against the moral and Natural Law. Abortion is not only against Natural Law but also sin against the Holyspirit, there is no pardon for this Crime. It is destroying the Spirit of God due to our selfish desires. The Civil Authorities must honour the Natural Law and come with strict legislations against abirtion.
Moreover Adoption of Orphan Babies ips great work of Charity. These Couples resemble God himself and give a new life to them.