Marriage

This union of man and woman is seen not only as a celebration of love, but also as a vocation and in the eyes of the Church also as a sacrament of service, in somewhat the same manner as the sacrament of ordination. No longer seen as a social contract, the union is seen as a special sign of God’s presence in humanity in the creative expression of the love in the union of the couple, in times of happiness and difficulty. In this communal love, Christ’s boundless love becomes manifest in the Christian community and in society at large. This boundless love is symbolized by the lifetime commitment of the couple and their openness to creating children.