Marriage is one of the cornerstones of our Catholic faith. Marriage is the union of one man and one woman. This partnership brings man and woman closer to Christ and the two assist each other in getting to heaven. In addition, children are most often the products of marriage. Without children there would be no one to carry on the faith, to become priests and religious, and to enter into marriage and become parents one day themselves. We need holy matrimony to carry on the Catholic faith.
The Church is recognizing more and more that married couples need encouragement and guidance in navigating the complexities of marriage. It is a serious vocation, just as any religious or priestly vocation is. Sometimes couples can lose sight of the seriousness that is marriage. So the Church has provided a number of initiatives to encourage married couples, help troubled marriages, and support traditional marriage** in a society that is increasingly muddying the waters. I’ve provided links at the end of this post to a variety of marriage resources offered by our Church.
In light of the March for Marriage that was held in Washington, D.C. yesterday, I decided to ask a number of Catholic friends and acquaintances to tell me their thoughts on marriage. Specifically, I asked them to describe marriage in 5 words or less. I got a ton of interesting responses, from humorous to sweet to thoughtful. They all reflect a wide range of perspectives and ideas while at the same time conveying a full understanding of why man and woman come together in marriage, of the difficulties, the joys, and everything in between.
Here is what people had to say:
Two imperfect people walking together.
Love that requires supernatural graces.
Helping each other to heaven.
The foundation of the family.
Crazy, fun, unpredictable, solid, journey.
A gift from God.
Three-legged stool: husband, wife, God.
We are a true partnership.
Investment, roller coaster, sweet, self-denial, red wine. [We’ll fudge the “5 words or less” requirement for this one.]
Beautiful work building a legacy.
Hard work, much love.
A path to Heaven.
Partners in crime and holiness.
Two that become one flesh.
Peace, support, growth, challenge, total.
We’re servants to each other.
Coordinated discipleship training.
Two words: redemptive suffering.
Different but complementary.
The Trinity on Earth.
Covenant of life-giving love.
A foretaste of Heaven.
We’re on the same team.
Reflection of the Holy Family.
Unity in difference.
Best friends forever.
Till death do us part.
I like it a lot.
Marriage means a lot of things, but in the end, it is a path to holiness, a partnership that brings both parties closer to God and heaven, and has a good dose of craziness, fun, and red wine thrown in. It was clear as I read through the many responses, that there were some themes. The most important being that marriage helps put us on a path to heaven, which is an important part of any vocation.
Add your thoughts: How would you describe marriage in 5 words or less?
**I use the phrase “traditional marriage” here only to illustrate how society views what we in the Catholic Church simply call “marriage.” In our faith, there is only one kind of marriage and it involves the union of one man and one woman. Plain and simple.
Marriage resources:
Marriage: Unique for a Reason: An initiative of the USCCB
For Your Marriage: Another USCCB Initiative
Worldwide Marriage Encounter: A marriage enrichment program aimed at revitalizing Christian marriage.
Retrouvaille: A program to help couples heal and renew their marriages.
Articles on Marriage here at Catholic Sistas.