Marriage
God created man and woman out of love and commanded them to imitate his love in their relations with each other. Man and woman were created for each other…Woman and man are equal in human dignity, and in marriage both are united in an unbreakable bond. (United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, Ch. 21, p. 279)
The sacrament of marriage is a visible sign of God’s love for the Church. When a man and a woman are married in the Church, they receive the grace needed for a lifelong bond of unity.
Marriage is a Covenant
The Sacrament of Marriage is a covenantal union in the image of the covenants between God and his people with Abraham and later with Moses at Mt. Sinai. This divine covenant can never be broken. In this way, marriage is a union that bonds spouses together during their entire lifetime.
The sacrament of Matrimony signifies the union of Christ and the Church. It gives spouses the grace to love each other with the love with which Christ has loved his Church; the grace of the sacrament thus perfects the human love of the spouses, strengthens their indissoluble unity, and sanctifies them on the way to eternal life. (CCC 1661)
The love in a married relationship is exemplified in the total gift of one’s self to another. It’s this self-giving and self-sacrificing love that we see in our other model of marriage, the relationship between Christ and the Church.
Marriage is based on the consent of the contracting parties, that is, on their will to give themselves, each to the other, mutually and definitively, in order to live a covenant of faithful and fruitful love. (CCC 1662)
The Church takes the lifelong nature of the Sacrament of Marriage seriously. The Church teaches that a break in this covenant teaches goes against the natural law of God:
The remarriage of persons divorced from a living, lawful spouse contravenes the plan and law of God as taught by Christ. They are not separated from the Church, but they cannot receive Eucharistic communion. They will lead Christian lives especially by educating their children in the faith. (CCC 1665)
Marriage Reflects the Holy Trinity
We believe that God exists in eternal communion. Together, Father, Son and Holy Spirit are united in one being with no beginning and no end. Human beings, likewise, were created by God in God’s image for the purpose of communion with another human being.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “The Christian family is a communion of persons, a sign and image of the communion of the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit” (CCC 2205). The Sacrament of Marriage is “unitive, indissoluble and calls us to be completely open to fertility.” Christian marriage at its finest is a reflection of God’s self-giving love expressed between the love of two people.
St. Joseph the Worker Marriage Formation:
- Marriage Formation within the San Bernardino Diocese is a minimum of 6-8 months process. A year of preparation is strongly suggested. There must not be any other prior Marriages for either party, whether civil or Sacramental. The Annulment process must be completed before any Marriage preparation can begin within our Diocese. Please call or email our office on how to begin the Annulment process.
- A Marriage Formation appointment must be made with the parish priest or Deacon, to fill out several documents, and go over the Parish and Diocesan requirements. A $100 non refundable deposit is required when meeting with the Priest/Deacon. Both parties will need recent copies of their baptismal certificates (stamped within the last 6 months) at the first meeting, along with copies of their Confirmation certificates. If civilly married, please bring a copy of the Marriage license. A civil marriage that is to blessed in the Catholic Church, is a con-validation. An Engaged Encounter weekend is required, which is a separate fee from the parish. Do not book a venue until meeting with the Priest/Deacon to secure the wedding date, and preparation is on track.
- If a marriage is to take place outside the San Bernardino Diocese: Transfer documents and fees will need to be processed. Once the Marriage packet is complete and sent to the San Bernardino Diocese- the Office of Canonical Services will be in charge of the Marriage packet. Please allow several weeks for Domestic or international mail to be delivered. Diocesan Fees can be paid in cash or check, payable to the Diocese of San Bernardino.
