Home/Stay Informed/All Diocesan Articles

All Diocesan Articles

Sacraments 101: Elements of Marriage - 'Free, Total, Faithful, Fruitful'

Posted on October 20, 2021 in: Sacraments 101

Sacraments 101: Elements of Marriage - 'Free, Total, Faithful, Fruitful'

Last month we introduced the Sacrament of Matrimony. In doing so, we also entered into the third and final category of the sacraments. First, we covered the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Eucharist. Then, we looked at the second category, the Sacraments of Healing: Penance (Confession) and Anointing of the Sick. Now, with marriage, we transition into the third and final category, the sacraments at the service of communion: Marriage and Holy Orders. 

These two sacraments of Marriage and Holy Orders are given to us by Jesus, among other reasons, in order to help foster communion among God’s people. Marriage is primarily ordered to relationship and communion at the level of the spouses and family, while Holy Orders is ordered primarily toward relationship and communion among the local Christian community, namely, the diocese and the parish family.

Last month we saw how Jesus has elevated the beauty of “natural marriage” to the level of a sacrament by making it a means of sanctifying grace - a channel of divine life - for the married couple. Now we’ll take a closer look at what that means.

The best place to start is by taking a look at both the questions of consent and the vows that take place in a Catholic wedding. Like the other sacraments we’ve covered, where there is always a proper form associated with the sacrament, so too, in Marriage, there is a form or formula which is required for the sacrament to be valid. 

Before the couple exchange their vows in the wedding, the minister asks the bride and groom three questions of consent that publicly establish that both the bride and groom know what they are entering into. These vital questions reflect some of the key “ingredients” for a Catholic marriage.

The three questions are: 

Have you come here to enter Marriage without coercion; freely and wholeheartedly? 

Are you prepared, as you follow the path of Marriage, to love and honor each other for as long as you both shall live?

Are you prepared to accept children lovingly from God and to bring them up according to the law of Christ and His Church?

Immediately after these questions, the bride and groom turn toward each other and exchange their vows, which typically use the following words: “I, N., take you, N., to be my wife/husband. I promise to be faithful to you, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love you and to honor you all the days of my life.”

Captured in these three questions before consent and in the vows themselves, the Church draws out four elements that define Christian marriage. The four elements are free, total, faithful, and fruitful.

These four qualities “define” for us what Christian marriage is meant to be - they are what the bride and groom promise to one another before God and His Church. These four qualities are what the married couple strives to live out each day for the rest of their lives.

As many of you know very well, these qualities are beautiful but they can, at times, be difficult to live. Therefore, it is important to recall that these four qualities are not given to us at random. Rather, they reveal for us the love that Christ has for His Bride, the Church, especially as He gave Himself on the Cross. There, He gave Himself freely and totally. He was faithful to His Bride even unto death. And lastly, His love on the Cross has proven fruitful, for it was through the Cross that the Church has spread throughout the world, bearing countless spiritual children down through the centuries.

By Fr. Michael Bovino


Most Viewed Articles of the Last 30 Days

Calendar of Events

Posted on July 04, 2025 in: Events, Around the Diocese

31419

The Role of Spirituality in a Caregiver’s Life
    When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, "Woman, here is your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Here is your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.                                                  &...

Read More

Join Bishop Reidy for a Youth Hike!

Posted on June 17, 2025 in: News, Events

1582

Join Bishop Reidy for a Youth Hike!
Middle School and High School youth are invited to a special hike with Bishop Reidy on Saturday, July 19th at 10:00 A.M. at Hurd State Park in East Hampton. Hurd State Park provides the perfect backdrop for a meaningful outdoor adventure, blending fun, exercise, scenic views, and moments of spiritual reflection. The park's flexible trails, peaceful riverside spots, and stunning overlooks make it an ideal place to connect with nature and one another. What to bring: Comfortable shoes, water, and a picnic lunch. Parents are welcome, and Youth Groups are encoura...

Read More

A Prayer for Father's Day

Posted on June 12, 2025 in: Reflections

1252

A Prayer for Father's Day
Dear God, Thank you for loving us with your perfect heart of a father. We ask you this Father's Day and always to guide and protect the hearts of all men in fatherly roles who are striving to love with your heart and do your work. Give them pure, chaste, courageous, and creative hearts like Saint Joseph. Give them hearts that never tire of serving those they are called to love. Give them hearts that seek out their loved ones and gently turn their gaze to see You, who is Love.  And we ask you, Father, to bless them abundantly today....

Read More

Now Hiring: Faith Filled Educators

Posted on June 17, 2025 in: News, School News

1177

Now Hiring: Faith Filled Educators
There are several current job openings for educators in our diocese.  The positions are updated weekly, so be sure to bookmark this page in your browser-  NorwichDiocese.org/Employment Click Here to See the Current Open Positions  All candidates must complete the official professional application to be considered for a teaching position or principal position and submit it to the Diocesan School Office. Applications are available on the employment page of the website. Visit NorwichDiocese.org/Employment to view all of the open jobs in the di...

Read More

Pray for the Pope: Join the Sacred Heart Novena June 19–27
Knights of Columbus Launches Sacred Heart Novena for Pope Leo XIV New Haven, Conn. — The Knights of Columbus have announced a special novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for the intention of Pope Leo XIV, beginning June 19—his anniversary of priestly ordination—and concluding June 27, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart. Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly is encouraging Knights, their families, and all people of goodwill to participate in the novena and to submit personal prayer intentions, which he will personally bring to Rome later this Jubilee Year. P...

Read More

Annual Catholic Appeal

ACA DONATE

English

Español

 

Latest Articles
Bishop Reidy to Take Part in Annual Stonington Blessing of the Fleet
5 Ways to Sanctify Your Summer Vacation and Evangelize
Pope Leo Meets with Supreme Knight, Supreme Chaplain
Clergy Appointments
Parishes Need to Launch 'Revolution of Care' for the Elderly, Pope Says
The Role of Spirituality in a Caregiver’s Life
Saints — Men and Women of Holiness
Calendar of Events

 

Recently Added Galleries
Click to view album: Episcopal Ordination of Bishop Richard F. Reidy
Click to view album: Students Called to Feed the Hungry
Click to view album: 40 Days for Life 2024
Click to view album: Blessing of the Fleet 2024
Signup for Weekly Newsletter

     

    Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich
    201 Broadway
    Norwich, CT 06360-4328
    Phone: 860-887-9294