The Catholic View of Marriage
Today's Gospel is the Wedding Feast at Cana passage (John 2:1-11). In performing the miracle at the wedding by turning water into wine and by simply being present at the wedding, Christ sanctifies marriage. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says it this way:
"On the threshold of his public life Jesus performs his first sign - at his mother's request - during a wedding feast. The Church attaches great importance to Jesus' presence at the wedding at Cana. She sees in it the confirmation of the goodness of marriage and the proclamation that thenceforth marriage will be an efficacious sign of Christ's presence." ~CCC 1613
In the Catholic faith, we believe that marriage is a Sacrament, which is "an efficacious sign of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us." (CCC 1131). The unity and sacramental bond between a husband and wife symbolize the bond between Christ and His Bride, the Church.
As Catholics, we know that marriage is very different from how it is portrayed in secular culture. It's a sacrament. It's the unification of two souls, bodies, hearts, and lives. For a marriage to be valid in the Catholic Church, it must be free (not forced by one partner or the other) total (permanent and only dissolved by death), fruitful (open to life), and faithful (one man, one woman, for life). According to the Catechism, the purpose of marriage is for the mutual good of the spouses, as well as for the procreation and education of children. (CCC 1601).
Marriage is a Vocation, a state of life to which one is called by God to fulfill their ultimate Vocation of Love. It is the total gift of oneself to another. God makes it very clear that Marriage has been holy from the very beginning of time- Adam and Eve were married. God gave woman to man as his helper. This is the ultimate Vocation of each woman: to live a life of service and of love. (Read my post Mini Bible Study- Proverbs 31 to hear more about all of this!) God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suited to him." (Gen. 2:18) In a marriage, the wife gives her life in service to her husband, not in a way that permits him to be cruel to her, but in a way that shows him that she loves and respects him and their children, and helps him to become the husband and father that he is called to be. The husband's role is one of protection and leadership, guiding the family toward Christ as the spiritual head of the household (the Domestic Church, which is an image and symbol of the Church) and providing for his family as best he can.
I love this quote from the Catechism:
"God who created man out of love also calls him to love the fundamental and innate vocation of every human being. For man is created in the image and likeness of God who is himself love. Since God created him man and woman, their mutual love becomes an image of the absolute and unfailing love with which God loves man. It is good, very good, in the Creator's eyes... " ~CCC 1604
Love is good. Marriage is good. Marriage is holy. Sadly, traditional marriage and family values are under attack in our world. "Unions" between people of the same sex are labeled "marriages." The tragedy of divorce seems to be more normalized each day. Cohabitation is common, and so is adultery. Marriage is seen as a contract, not as the covenantal relationship that it is. The Catechism states it this way: "The consent by which the spouses mutually give and receive one another is sealed by God himself....The...covenant between the spouses is integrated into God's covenant with man: 'Authentic married love is caught up into divine love.'" Marriage is a covenant, which further shows that it is a microcosm of the relationship for God with His people. We are sealed in a Covenant with God, pledging our love and devotion to him alone (The New Covenant). A married couple does the same for one another and to God through their sacramental marriage. As Christ gave His life for the salvation of His bride, the Church, the spouses give up their personal lives and desires for the other and for their children.
These articles are also really good for understanding the Catholic view of marriage:
I'd also encourage you to read the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraphs on marriage, which is in Article 7, paragraphs 1601-1658, and is summarized in paragraphs 1659-1666.
Also, a quick side note: All Catholics are canonically required to be married in the Catholic Church by a priest or deacon, even if their spouse is not Catholic. If a marriage is not blessed in the Church it is not a sacramental marriage, though it may be a marriage in the eyes of the state. A marriage can be dissolved in some circumstances, allowing for civil divorce, through a process called annulment. Read more about it here.
I hope that this post helps to give a bit of an overview of the Catholic understanding of sacramental marriage. If you have any questions, feel free to comment below, and I will try to find you an answer!