The marriage of two Christians is a sacrament – an effective sign which reveals and makes present the mystery of God’s love for humanity and in particular, the mystery of Christ’s love for the Church. It is an occasion for great celebration within the Christian community. The celebration of a marriage between a Catholic and a non-Christian, though not a sacrament, is also an occasion for celebration within the Christian community. Rooted in God’s plan for humanity, the union of man and woman in marriage is a symbol of the faithful and all-embracing love of God for the world.
The Christian celebration of marriage, like all rites of the Church, is a celebration of the Paschal Mystery of Christ’s passion, death and resurrection. Husband and wife first enter into this great mystery on the day of their baptism. In the sacrament of marriage, this mystery is intensified and rendered more visible in the mutual, committed and self-sacrificing love they have for one another. Through the power of the Holy Spirit this same mystery is further manifested in the loving service which married persons offer to others. The Christian celebration of marriage is a public act of the entire Christian community. It is never a private event. It is a celebration of the church, the community of believers – not only an event that takes place in the house of the church. The purpose of Christian marriage is the establishment of an enduring communion of life and love, between a man and a woman, a sign to the world of the very love of Christ for His Church. In addition, Christian marriage has its purpose, the bringing forth and nurturing of new life which enriches birth the human race and the Christian community. Marriage is intimately bound to the life of the church and its mission to bring about the reign of God in the world.