Holy Matrimony

"Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh."
(Genesis 2:23-25)

Holy Matrimony (or the Sacrament of Marriage) is the intimate union and equal partnership of a man and a woman. It comes to us from the hand of God, who created male and female in his image, so that they might become one body and might be fertile and multiply (Genesis 1-2). Though man and woman are equal as God’s children, they are created with important differences that allow them to give themselves and to receive the other as a gift.

Holy Matrimony is a grace-filled encounter with God, and a way to holiness. As such, preparing for marriage is about more than planning the wedding, so at St. Ignatius Martyr, we take seriously our role in preparing couples for this sacrament.

• The spirituality of marriage
• Having an openness to life
• Relationship dynamics
• Communication
• Conflict management
• An understanding of the various stages of marriage
• An exploration of differences and potential areas of conflict
• Insights into the importance of faith and a faith community

All of these ingredients are built into our marriage preparation program at St. Ignatius.

Our prayer is that this preparation helps our couples to be a light and an example to the world.
 

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"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."    

 - 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
 

For more information on how to celebrate the sacrament of matrimony at our parish, please contact the Sr. Adelaide Cannon at the parish office: 512.442.3602.