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.
Since marriage establishes the couple in a public state of life in the
Church, it is fitting that its celebration be public, in the framework of a
liturgical celebration, before the priest (or a witness authorized by the
Church), the witnesses, and the assembly of the faithful.
In the Latin Rite the celebration of marriage between two Catholic faithful
normally takes place during Holy Mass, because of the connection of all the
sacraments with the Paschal mystery of Christ. In the Eucharist the memorial
of the New Covenant is realized, the New Covenant in which Christ has united
himself for ever to the Church, his beloved bride for whom he gave himself up.
It is therefore fitting that the spouses should seal their consent to give
themselves to each other through the offering of their own lives by uniting
it to the offering of Christ for his Church made present in the Eucharistic
sacrifice, and by receiving the Eucharist so that, communicating in the same
Body and the same Blood of Christ, they may form but "one body" in Christ.
Where the marriage is between a Catholic and non-Catholic, it is usual that
the ceremony will not include Holy Mass and the Eucharist. This does not make
it less of a true marriage and the service without Mass is equally impressive
and joyful.
In the Latin Church, it is ordinarily understood that the spouses, as
ministers of Christ's grace, mutually confer upon each other the sacrament of
Matrimony by expressing their consent before the Church. The various
liturgies abound in prayers of blessing and epiclesis asking God's grace and
blessing on the new couple, especially the bride. In the epiclesis of this
sacrament the spouses receive the Holy Spirit as the communion of love of
Christ and the Church. The Holy Spirit is the seal of their covenant, the
ever available source of their love and the strength to renew their fidelity.
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