Part III, The Means of Grace: Matrimony

1. By whom was Matrimony instituted?

Matrimony was instituted by God Himself, when He gave to Adam in Paradise Eve for his wife, that they both might lead a godly life, and live together in faithful and indissoluble love.

2. Was the sanctity of Matrimony always respected according to its original institution?

No. When by sin the entire human race had fallen away from God, the contract of marriage was no longer kept so holy, until our Saviour came, and not only restored Matrimony as God had originally instituted it, but also elevated it to the dignity of a Sacrament.

3. How did Christ restore Matrimony to its original institution?

He ordained that Marriage should again, as it was from the beginning, subsist between one man and one

woman only, and that unto the death of either of them ; and He proposed, therefore, His spiritual union with the Church as an example to married people (Ephes. v.).

'Moses, by reason of the hardness of your heart, permitted you to put away your wives; but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, and shall marry another, committeth adultery ; and he that shall marry her that is put away committeth adultery' (Matt. xix. 8, 9, and Luke xvl 18; Mark x. 11, 12).

4. Can, then, the bond of Marriage never be dissolved?

Spiritual Superiors can, indeed, for important reasons, allow a husband and wife to live separated from each other; but, nevertheless, they continue married people, and neither of them can validly contract a second marriage whilst the other party is living,

'To them that are married, not I, but the Lord commandeth that the wife depart not from her husband. And if she depart, that she remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband. And let not the husband put away his wife' (1 Cor. vii. 10, 11). The bond of Christian marriage cannot be dissolved by the civil law, because the civil authority cannot interfere with the Sacrament, and cannot put asunder Avhat God has joined.

5. How do we know that Matrimony is a Sacrament?

1. St. Paul teaches so, who calls Matrimony in the Church 'a great Sacrament' ' (Ephes. v. 32) ;

2. The Church has at all times believed and taught so, as is evident, not only from the Holy Fathers, but also from the fact that those Sects who in the first ages separated themselves from us agree in holding this doctrine.

St. Paul teaches that husbands and wives should be united with each other, as Christ and His Church are united. Now, the union that subsists between Christ and His Church is supernatural and replete with graces; consequently, Matrimony is a sign to which invisible grace is attached, and, therefore, a Sacrament.

6. What, then, is Matrimony in the Church of Christ?

jMatrimony is a Sacrament by which two single persons, man and woman, are married to each other, and

receive grace from God to discharge the duties of their state faithfully until death.

7. How is this Sacrament received?

The bridegroom and the bride declare before a dulyauthorized Priest and two witnesses that they take each other for wife and husband, whereupon the Priest blesses their union.

8. What are the duties of married persons?

1. They should take the mutual love of Christ and His Church for their model and live with each other in peace and conjugal fidelity, until death separates them;

2. They should edify each other by leading a holy life;

3. They should concur together in bringing up their children in the fear of God, and suffer no servants to be in their house who might endanger their innocence;

4. The husband should treat his wife with kindness, support and cherish her; the wife should obey her husband in all that is just and honorable, and conscientiously manage the domestic concerns.

'Marriage honorable in all, and the bed undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge' (Heb. xiii. 4). 'As the Church is subject to Christ, so also let the wives be to their husbands in all things'; i.e., that are just and honorable. 'Husbands, love your wives, as Christ also loved the Church, and delivered Himself up for it. . . . For no man ever hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, as also Christ doth the Church' (Ephes. v. 24-29).

9. What should married people consider when they are tempted to break their conjugal fideUty?

1. That by adultery thev break the solemn contract they have made in the presence of God and of the Church ;

2. That they break the most sacred bond by which, according to God's disposal, human society is united and kept together;

3. That they disturb domestic peace, hinder the good

education of their children, and destroy the happiness of the whole family; and

4. That they expose themselves to the danger of falling into disgrace and misery, and all sorts of sins and vices, and even of being severely chastised, and ultimately entirely rejected by God Himself.

'He that is an adulterer shall destroy his own soul; he gathereth to himself shame and dishonor, and his reproach shall not be blotted out' (Prov. vi. 32, 33).

In the Old Law adultery was, by God's command, punished with death, and, in the Primitive Church, with public penance of many years, like manslaughter.

10. What should these people bear in mind who intend to enter the married state?

1. They should not thoughtlessly, and without due leflection, enter into an engagement to marry.

2. They should be properly instructed, confirmed, and be free from impediments;

3. They should live innocently whilst they are engaged, and should not think that, during that time, they are allowed sinful liberties on that account.

4. They should enter the marriage state with a pure and holy intention ; and

5. Before they marry, they should make a good Confession and worthily receive Holy Communion.

'We are the children of saints, and we must not be .ioined together like heathens, that knoAv not God' (Tob. viii. 5).

11. Who may be said to espouse each other thoughtlessly?

1. All who neglect to have previous recourse to God, and disregard His will, the advice of their parents, and the salvation of their own soul in the affair (Prov. xix. 14);

2. Those who, in their choice, care less for religion and virtue than for temporal advantages, etc. ; and

3. Those who do not first consider whether they will be able to fulfil the weiffhtv duties of the married state.

The husband should be able to maintain his wife and chi' dren; he should not be a free-thinker, or addicted to gambling drinking, quarrelling, cursing, etc. ' The wife should be fre from vanity, love of finery, and capriciousness ; she should b chaste, pious, modest, industrious, and economical. Both shoul possess the virtue, intelligence, and knowledge in religious mal ters requisite to give their children a Christian education.

12. How is a binding engagement to marry entered into

The engagement must be in writing and signed by th two parties in presence of the Pastor of one of them, o the Bishop, or two other witnesses.

13. What sin do they commit who receive the Sacra ment of Matrimony with an unholy intention, or in th( state of moral sin?

They render themselves guilty of sacrilege, and, there fore, unworthy of all the Divine graces and blessings at tached to the Sacrament.

14. What is meant by an invalid marriage?

It is one that is entirely destitute of effect in the eye of Crod and of the Church.

15. What should they do who are married invalidly? They should go at once to the priest and be properl

married, or else separate.

16. What things make a marriage invalid?

Three things: 1. Imperfect consent; 2. want of prope form ; or 3. existence of an impediment.

17. What is meant by imperfect consent?

It is consent that is given out of ignorance or fear.

18. What is meant by the proper form of marriage?

It is that formality without which the Church will no recognize the marriage, and consists in the presence 0 a duly qualified Priest and at least two witnesses.

19. What are impediments?

Impediments are circumstances which from the natur of the case or the law of God or of the Church preven the marriage.

20. How many kinds of impediments are there? There are two kiiids :

21. Such as render the marriage illegal, as for instanc

irtain vows, and difference of religion between the arties where both are baptized.

2. Such as render it not only illegal, but null if atmipted. These are : lack of proper age, physical inipacity, bond of previous marriage still existing, dif- rence of religion between a Catholic and an unbaptized erson, sacred orders, solemn religious profession, relaonship by blood or marriage, spiritual relationship, ublic propriety, abduction and crime.

21. What is understood by the ' forbidden times '?

1. The time which begins with the first Sunday of dvent and ends with the Epiphany of our Lord ; and , That which begins Avith Ash Wednesday and ends ith Low Sunday, within which times the Church forids the solemnizing of marriage, because they have been articularly set apart for penance and prayer. This Commandment of the Church does not forbid marriages iring Lent and Advent; it forbids them to be solemnized ; that , the Priest is not allowed to say the Mass appointed in the 'issal for the bridegroom and bride, nor to give the solemn iptial benediction.

22. Can the Impediments of Marriage never be dis- 3ns ed with?

The Church can dispense with some when there are ifhcient reasons, but not with all ; on this subject the arties must confer with their Pastor.

That the reasons must be weighty, is evident from the ecree of the Council of Trent (Sess. 24, Cli. v.), which says lat ' Impediments of marriage are either never, or but rarely, ) be dispensed Avith. '

23. What should we think of 'mixed' marriages — i.e., I marriages which are contracted between Catholics and on-Catholics, especially Protestants?

That the Church has, at all times, disapproved of such larriages, and never permits them, except on certain :)nditioiis.

24. Why does the Church disapprove of such marages?

1. Because the Catholic party is exposed to great dan-

ger of either losing the faith or of becoming indifferent ;

2. Because the Catholic education of the children is generally deficient, and not seldom impossible;

3. Because the non-Catholic party usually does not acknowledge Matrimony either as a Sacrament or as indissoluble, and can, therefore, according to his or her principles, separate, and marry again, which the Catholic consort is not permitted to do ; and

4. Because for that very reason such a marriage never is a true emblem of the most intimate, indissoluble union of Christ with His Church, which every Christian marriage ought to be;

5. Because the happiness of married life depends, above all, on unity of faith.

19. On what conditions does the Church consent to a mixed marriage ?

On these: 1. That the Catholic party be allowed the free exercise of religion; 2. That all the children be brought up in the Catholic religion (Briefs of Pius YIII. and Gregory XVI.) ; and 3. That the Catholic party earnestly endeavor to gain by persuasion the non- Catholic consort to the true Church.

20. Is the Church obliged to require such conditions ? Yes ; otherwise she would either be indifferent to the

eternal welfare of her children, or deny that she alone is the true saving Church.

21. Can, then, a person never be permitted to contract a mixed marriage, unless the Catholic education of the children be previously secured ?

No; for such a marriage would be a grievous sin against the Catholic Church and the spiritual welfare of the children that may be born; wherefore the Church can in no case give her consent to it.

Parents who freely consent to such a marriage of their child render themselves guilty of the same sin as the child, and incur a severe responsibility before God.

Application. In the choice of a state of life co above all things, God and the salvation of your Should you, after a mature deliberation, think youi .xi to be called to the married state, prepare yourself for it by prayer, good works, and especially by a good General Confession, and be careful not to follow those who, by sin and vice draw the curse of God upon their heads.