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)
Dear Newly Engaged,
Congratulations on your good news. Know I will be willing to pray with you and help guide you as you discern and prepare for the Sacrament of Marriage. I invite you to begin this journey by taking the time to discover more clearly the reality of the Sacrament in which you seek. The following information may be beneficial for you, so please take the time to read:
The Sacrament of Holy Matrimony is an act of worship, prayer and covenant. As such it is not to be approached or taken lightly. It is an act which speaks not simply to you as a couple, but also to the community. In this sacrament the two of you GIVE the sacrament to each other. Unlike the other sacraments in which the Priest is the "giver" of the sacrament, in matrimony the "givers" are the two people who are pledging and giving their lives to and for each other.
As an act of worship you are called to celebrate your wedding in the community from which you come or which you will live. Your choice of St. Thomas the Apostle Church should be based out of this. Properly speaking, you should not be choosing St. Thomas the Apostle Church simply because you think it is pretty or for the grandeur or mystique of being married at "St. Thomas the Apostle Church." You, the couple, are called to "preach" to the community through the celebration of your marriage. Your marriage is a sign and symbol of your faith to other people. Just as the community helps you, so you help the community by celebrating your marriage in their midst.
As an act of prayer you are called to take the time and effort to work with the staff and members of St. Thomas the Apostle Church to compose the liturgy of your wedding to select the music, readings, and prayers that will be used, which speak of and to your faith and love, in Christ and in each other.
As an act of covenant you are called to take the time and effort to not only fulfill the required retreats and classes, but also to hold sacred the daily sharing of each of yourselves with the other. On the day of your wedding you should be able to easily say that you are marrying your best friend. For additional information regarding weddings at the St. Thomas the Apostle Church, please contact our Parish Office at 361-387-1312.
The St Thomas the Apostle Catholic Faith Community is dedicated to making your marriage preparation a joy-filled and beneficial experience.
The Sacrament of Matrimony (Marriage) is the natural way in which man and woman freely express their innate desire to give completely of self to the other. The Catechism of the Scripture describes marriage as “the mark of the spousal love of Christ and the Church.” Just as Christ gives of Himself freely, totally, faithfully, and fruitfully to the Church, so husband and wife are to imitate that model of selfless self-donation.
In order to make a free, total, faithful and fruitful commitment to each other, the Catholic Church asks couples to enter into the period of marriage preparation with a spirit of discernment: is God calling me to marriage, and if so, is God calling me to be married to this person? It is critical that an engaged couple see marriage prep through this lens and not as “requirements to satisfy” or “hoops to jump through” before getting married in the Catholic Church. We ask each couple to contact the parish at least six months prior to the marriage so that a fruitful period of discernment might take place.
