The Sacrament of Marriage

1. Why is marriage sacred? Cross out the false reasons. What is a “sacrament”? Which reasons help to explain it. **Do any of these reasons apply to a legal definition of marriage? Why/ why not? The Sacrament of Marriage Marriage is sacred (holy) because.. The bride wears white God commanded humans to come together in marriage, to make new life It reflects the love of God: a love that supports and comforts Not everyone can get married The priest marries the couple The Holy Spirit is given to the couple in the Sacrament of Marriage to help them grow in mutual love. The Sacrament ceremony is a visible sign of this happening. The Bible teaches that God designed man and woman to become “one flesh” in marriage, so it is a vocation, that reflects the will of the Creator (Genesis) To explain why marriage is sacred To give evidence why marriage is sacred (biblical teachings) To reflect on the kind of love married couples show each other

2. “God made them male and female. For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one”. Mk 10:6-8 Draw the table & copy out the reasons (1st column) why marriage is sacred. Match & write out the bible evidence to support the reasons. What do these quotes tell you about what a Christian marriage should be like? Write it in the 3rd column. **Why won’t the Catholic Church accept gay marriages? “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” Eph 5:25 • “Be fruitful and multiply” Gen 1:28

3. What should a Christian marriage be like?? Draw the leaf and on each “spoke” write the 4 features. **What sort of things are not allowed if the marriage is exclusive? LEAF Life-giving Exclusive (no-one else) Always (permanent) Faithful LEAF

4. Marriage is a special case of “loving your neighbour”: they must care about each other, in a mutual way. This love is like God’s love: • Comforting: share each other’s joy, happiness and pain, not just their own. • Supporting: bring healing, difficulties of daily life can be restored and repaired in marriage • Forgiving: be patient and forgiving to each other in problems of daily life, mistakes and irritations Write down 3 ways a married couple’s love is like God’s love. Explain why one of these ways makes a big difference to the marriage. **What sort of attitudes do you think make marriages break down?

5. Which part of Christian marriage are these people breaking? • Going out with other people romantically • Divorcing • Keeping a mistress as well as a wife • using contraception whenever they have sex • visiting a prostitute • Deserting/ abandoning their partner • Watching pornography Li..Excl..Alw..Fai..

6. What sort of attitudes do you need in a marriage? Look at the quotes and identify 3 key attitudes needed to make a marriage work. • “Marriage is 3 parts love and 7 parts forgiveness” • “Marriage is not a noun: it’s a verb. It isn’t something you get. It’s something you do. It’s the way you love your partner every day.” • “The goal in marriage is not to think alike, but to think together”. • “More marriages might survive if the partners realised that sometimes, the better comes after the worse.” • “Happily ever after is not a fairy tale. It’s a choice.” • “The difference between an ordinary marriage and an extraordinary marriage is in giving just a little ‘extra’ every day, as often as possible, for as long as we both shall live.” • “A great marriage is not when the ‘perfect couple’ comes together. It is when an imperfect couple learns to enjoy their differences.”