* Q. 457. What is the sacrament of matrimony?
A. Matrimony is the sacrament by which a baptized man and a baptized woman bind themselves for life in a lawful marriage and receive the grace to discharge their duties.

 * Though unbaptized persons can be truly married, only baptized persons can be united in the sacrament of Matrimony and receive the graces of this sacrament.

 * God instituted marriage when He made Eve as a helpmate for Adam in the Garden of Eden. We know from the constant tradition of the Church that marriage was made a sacrament by Our Lord sometime during His life on earth.

 * The outward sign in the sacrament of Matrimony is the external expression by the man and woman of their mutual consent to give themselves to each other as husband and wife. The sacrament of Matrimony is administered by the contracting parties, each of whom confers the sacrament on the other.

 * > "And God created man to his own image; to the image of God he created him. Male and female he created them. And God blessed them, saying: Increase and multiply, and fill the earth" (Genesis 1:27-28).

 * > "And the Lord God said: It is not good for man to be alone; let us make him a help like unto himself.

 * > "And the Lord God having formed out of the ground all the beasts of the earth, and all the fowls of the air, brought them to Adam to see what he would call them: for whatsoever Adam called any living creature the same is its name.

 * > "And Adam called all the beasts by their names, and all the fowls of the air, and all the cattle of the field: but for Adam there was not found a helper like himself.

 * > "Then the Lord God cast a deep sleep upon Adam: and when he was fast asleep, he took one of his ribs, and filled up flesh for it. "And the Lord God built the rib which he took from Adam into a woman: and brought her to Adam.

 * > "And Adam said: This now is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man.

 * > "Wherefore a man shall leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they shall be two in one flesh" (Genesis 2:18-24).

 * > "It was said, moreover, 'Whoever puts away his wife, let him give her a written notice of dismissal.' But I say to you that everyone who puts away his wife, save on account of immorality, causes her to commit adultery; and he who marries a woman who has been put away commits adultery" (Matthew 5:31-32).

 * > "And there came to him some Pharisees, testing him, and saying, 'Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for any cause?' But he answered and said to them, 'Have you not read that the Creator, from the beginning, made them male and female, and said, "For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?" Therefore now they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder.' They said to him, 'Why then did Moses command to give a written notice of dismissal, and to put her away?' He said to them, 'Because Moses, by reason of the hardness of your heart, permitted you to put away your wives; but it was not so from the beginning. And I say to you, that whoever puts away his wife, except for immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and he who marries a woman who has been put away commits adultery.' " (Matthew 19:3-9).

 * > "Now concerning the things whereof you wrote to me: It is good for man not to touch woman. Yet, for fear of fornication, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. Let the husband render to the wife her due, and likewise the wife to the husband. The wife has not authority over her body, but the husband; the husband likewise has not authority over his body, but the wife. Do not deprive each other, except perhaps by consent, for a time that you may give yourselves to prayer; and return together again lest Satan tempt you because you lack self-control. But this I say by way of concession, not by way of commandment. For I would that you all were as I am myself; but each one has his own gift from God, one in this way, and another in that" (1 Corinthians 7:1-7).

 * > See also John 2:1-10. Our Lord, by attending the marriage feast at Cana and working His first miracle for the benefit of the bride and groom, thereby sanctified the married state.

 * Q. 458. What is the chief duty of husband and wife in the married state?
A. The chief duty of husband and wife in the married state is to be faithful to each other, and to provide in every way for the welfare of the children God may give them.

 * The duty of being faithful to each other means that the privileges of husband and wife may be shared by them alone.

 * Parents by the will of God have the primary right and obligation to feed, clothe, shelter, and educate their children. This God-given right may not be unjustly interfered with by any power on earth. Any law that takes away or lessens this right and obligation is unjust.

 * > "Take heed to keep thyself, my son, from all fornication: and beside thy wife never endure to know a crime" (Tobias 4:13).

 * > "He that loveth his son frequently chastiseth him: that he may rejoice in his latter end and not grope after the doors of his neighbors.

 * > "He that instructeth his son shall be praised in him and shall glory in him in the midst of them of his household.

 * > "He that teacheth his son maketh his enemy jealous: and in the midst of his friends he shall glory in him.

 * > "His father is dead, and he is as if he were not dead: for he hath left one behind that is like himself.

 * > "While he lived, he saw and rejoiced in him: and when he died, he was not sorrowful, neither was he confounded before his enemies.

 * > "For he left behind him a defender of his house against his enemies, and one that will requite kindness to his friends.

 * > "For the souls of his sons he shall bind up his wounds: and at every cry his bowels shall be troubled.

 * > "A horse not broken becometh stubborn: and a child left to himself will become headstrong.

 * > "Give thy son his way, and he shall make thee afraid: play with him, and he shall make thee sorrowful.

 * > "Laugh not with him: lest thou have sorrow, and at the last thy teeth be set on edge.

 * > "Give him not liberty in his youth: and wink not at his devices.

 * > "Bow down his neck while he is young, and beat his sides while he is a child: lest he grow stubborn, and regard thee not, and so be a sorrow of heart to thee.

 * > "Instruct thy son, and labor about him: lest his lewd behavior be an offense to thee" (Ecclesiasticus 30:1-13).

 * > "You have heard that it was said to the ancients, 'Thou shalt not commit adultery.' But I say to you that anyone who so much as looks with lust at a woman has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:27-28).

 * > "Be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. Let wives be subject to their husbands as to the Lord; because a husband is head of the wife, just as Christ is head of the Church, being himself savior of the body. But just as the Church is subject to Christ, so also let wives be to their husbands in all things.

 * > "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the Church, and delivered himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, cleansing her in the bath of water by means of the word; in order that he might present to himself the Church in all her glory, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she might be holy and without blemish. Even thus ought husbands also to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife, loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh; on the contrary he nourishes and cherishes it; as Christ also does the Church (because we are members of his body, made from his flesh and from his bones).

 * > 'For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh.'

 * > "This is a great mystery-I mean in reference to Christ and to the Church. However, let each one of you also love his wife just as he loves himself; and let the wife respect her husband" (Ephesians 5:21-33).

 * > "And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but rear them in the discipline and admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4).

 * > "Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is becoming in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter towards them" (Colossians 3:18-19).

 * Q. 459. Why does the bond of the sacrament of Matrimony last until the death of husband or wife?
A. The bond of the sacrament of Matrimony lasts until the death of husband or wife because Christ has said: "What therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder."

 * Once a man and woman are completely united in the sacrament of Matrimony, they remain truly husband and wife until the death of either of them. A separation, a divorce, or an attempted marriage with another person does not destroy the marriage bond.

 * It is for the good of husband and wife, for the bodily and spiritual welfare of their children, and for the good of society that God has decreed that the marriage bond can be broken only by death.

 * > "Do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know law), that the Law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? For the married woman is bound by the Law while her husband is alive; but if her husband die, she is set free from the law of her husband. Therefore while her husband is alive, she will be called an adulteress if she be with another man; but if her husband dies, she is set free from the law of the husband, so that she is not an adulteress if she has been with another man" (Romans 7:1-3).

 * > "But I say to the unmarried and to widows, it is good for them if they so remain, even as I. But if they do not have self-control, let them marry, for it is better to marry than to burn. But to those who are married, not I, but the Lord commands that a wife is not to depart from her husband, and if she departs, that she is to remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And let not a husband put away his wife.

 * > "To the others I say, not the Lord: If any brother has an unbelieving wife and she consents to live with him, let him not put her away. And if any woman has an unbelieving husband and he consents to live with her, let her not put away her husband. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the believing husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but, as it is, they are holy. But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart. For a brother or sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace" (1 Corinthians 7:8-15).

 * > "A woman is bound as long as her husband is alive, but if her husband dies, she is free. Let her marry whom she pleases, only let it be in the Lord. But she will be more blessed, in my judgment, if she remains as she is.

 * > And I think that I also have the spirit of God" (1 Corinthians 7:39-40).

 * Q. 460. What is meant by the unity of the sacrament of Matrimony?
A. By the unity of the sacrament of Matrimony is meant that the husband cannot during the life of his wife have another wife, nor the wife during the life of her husband have another husband.

 * Because of the unity of the sacrament of Matrimony, any other sexual union during the life of either party is adultery. Laws that permit remarriage during the life of husband or wife are contrary to God's laws. Even though civil law may permit remarriage, such a marriage is sinful and not really a marriage at all, but rather an adulterous union.

 * Q. 461. Why is every true marriage between a baptized man and a baptized woman a sacrament?
A. Every true marriage between a baptized man and a baptized woman is a sacrament because Christ Himself raised every marriage of this kind to the dignity of a sacrament.

 * Marriage by its nature is a contract. Marriage between baptized persons is a sacramental contract, that is, a contract that is also a sacrament.

 * See Scripture, question 457, Matthew 19:3-9.

 * Q. 462. Why has the Catholic Church alone the right to make laws regulating the marriages of baptized persons?
A. The Catholic Church alone has the right to make laws regulating the marriages of baptized persons because the Church alone has authority over the sacraments and over sacred matters affecting baptized persons.

 * Although the Catholic Church has the right to make laws regarding the marriages of all baptized persons, the Church does not in all cases bind baptized non-Catholics by these laws. Non-Catholics are bound by the laws when, for example, they marry Catholics.

 * > "For what have I to do with judging those outside? ... For those outside God will judge" (1 Corinthians 5:12-13).

 * > See Scripture, question 137, Matthew 16:18; Matthew 28:18-20; also question 459, 1 Corinthians 7:8-15.

 * Q. 463. What authority has the State regarding the marriages of baptized persons?
A. Regarding the marriages of baptized persons, the State has the authority to make laws concerning their effects that are merely civil.

 * By the civil effects of matrimony are meant the rights and obligations of husband and wife as citizens: for example, the right to a share in the property of the other.

 * > "Then he said to them, 'Render, therefore, to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's' " (Matthew 22:2l).

 * Q. 464. What is necessary to receive the sacrament of Matrimony worthily?
A. To receive the sacrament of Matrimony worthily it is necessary to be in the state of grace, to know the duties of married life, and to obey the marriage laws of the Church.

 * Matrimony is a sacrament of the living; therefore one must be in the state of grace to receive the grace of this sacrament. Even though one is not in the state of grace, a true marriage nevertheless is contracted. He who receives this sacrament in the state of mortal sin commits a mortal sin of sacrilege. It is customary for those who are to be married to go to confession shortly before the ceremony.

 * > "For we are the children of saints; and we must not be joined together like heathens that know not God" (Tobias 8:5).

 * > See Scripture, question 457, Genesis 2:18-24; Matthew 19:3-9; also question 458, Ecclesiasticus 30:1-13; Ephesians 5:21-33 and Ephesians 6:4.

 * Q. 465. In whose presence do the laws of the Church require a Catholic to be married?
A. The laws of the Church require a Catholic to be married in the presence of the parish priest, or the bishop of the diocese, or a priest delegated by either of them, and before two witnesses.

 * The marriage of a Catholic before a minister or a civil official, such as a judge, a justice of the peace, a squire, or any clerk of court, is not really a marriage. Catholics who live together after such a marriage are living in sin just as much as if they had never gone through such a ceremony. Catholics who attempt marriage in this fashion commit a mortal sin and incur other punishments of the Church.

 * Matrimony

 * In the center, St. Joseph is espousing the Holy Virgin in the presence of the high priest in the temple of Jerusalem. The flowering lily that St. Joseph is holding in his hand recalls the manner in which he was chosen to be the spouse of the Holy Virgin. When the Blessed Virgin Mary was old enough to be married, the high priest gathered the young men of the house of David who wished to marry her and gave to each one of them a blessed branch, ordering them to carve their names upon them. Then he put all the branches on the altar and prayed to the Lord to manifest His choice. When he took the branches from the altar, Joseph's alone was covered with leaves and a white flower similar to a lily. On the right is a young man who, upset at not having been chosen, breaks the branch that he received from the high priest.

 * At the top left, the young and Sara prepare themselves for marriage by fervent prayers. The angel Raphael is driving away a demon who had killed Sara's first seven husbands because of the bad dispositions with which they had entered marriage with her. The resolution that and Sara made to serve God in marriage obtained for them the protection of the angel.

 * At the bottom, two Catholics are marrying in the presence of a priest. Above, on the right, is Adam, with Eve, whom God formed from one of Adam's ribs. God is blessing them, saying:

 * > "Be fruitful and multiply." (Genesis 1:28)

 * Q. 466. What are the chief effects of the sacrament of Matrimony?
A. The chief effects of the sacrament of Matrimony are: first, an increase of sanctifying grace; second, the special help of God for husband and wife to love each other faithfully, to bear with each other's faults, and to bring up their children properly.

 * Q. 467. What should Catholics do to prepare for a holy and happy marriage?
A. To prepare for a holy and happy marriage, Catholics should: first, pray that God may direct their choice; second, seek the advice of their parents and confessors; third, practice the virtues, especially chastity; fourth, frequently receive the sacraments of Penance and Holy Eucharist.

 * Sinful and unhappy marriages frequently result from the company keeping of Catholics with non-Catholics. Keeping company with those who, because of previous marriage or who for any other reason are not free to marry Catholics, ordinarily is a mortal sin.

 * Catholics who are eligible and who intend to marry should keep company only with Catholics. The advice of parents and confessors should be sought, for they, more than anyone else, are interested in the welfare of those who intend to marry.

 * Close association with those of the other sex causes many temptations. Those who are keeping company must be especially diligent in the practice of the virtues, especially chastity, which will lessen the danger of committing sin. Those who intend to marry will find in the sacraments of Penance and Holy Eucharist the most fruitful source of grace necessary to prepare themselves for a holy and happy marriage.

 * > "O how beautiful is the chaste generation with glory, for the memory thereof is immortal: because it is known both with God and with men" (Wisdom 4:1).

 * > "Or do you not know that your members are the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought at a great price. Glorify God and bear him in your body" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

 * Q. 468. How can Catholics best obtain God's blessing for their marriage?
A. Catholics can best obtain God's blessing for their marriage by being married at a Nuptial Mass and by receiving Holy Communion devoutly.

 * In a Nuptial Mass special blessings are asked for the bride and groom. When Catholics are not married at a Nuptial Mass they should arrange to receive the nuptial blessing at a later date. Catholics who for any reason cannot be married at Mass should receive Holy Communion on the morning of the wedding day.

 * > For we are the children of saints: and we must not be joined together like heathens that know not God. "So they both arose, and prayed earnestly both together that health might be given them.

 * > "And said: Lord God of our fathers, may the heavens and the earth, and the sea, and the fountains, and the rivers, and all thy creatures that are in them, bless thee.

 * > "Thou madest Adam of the slime of the earth: and gavest him Eve for his helper.

 * > "And now, Lord, thou knowest, that not for fleshly lust do I take my sister to wife, but only for the love of posterity, in which thy name may be blessed forever and ever.

 * > "Sara also said: Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us: and let us grow old both together in health" (Tobias 8:5-10).

 * IMPORTANT TRUTHS ABOUT MATRIMONY

 * Since marriage is one of the most important institutions in human life, it is most natural that Our Lord should have established a special sacrament for married couples. Our Catholic faith teaches us that Christ did so, making the marriage contract of baptized persons the sacrament of Matrimony. Accordingly, whenever two baptized persons are married, they receive this sacrament at the very moment when they make the marriage contract, whether or not they realize that it is a sacrament.

 * The end to which marriage is primarily directed is that children be brought into the world and properly reared for happiness in this life and in the next. Hence, when a married couple make use of their right to sexual union but perform the act in such a way that the conception of children is positively frustrated, they are guilty of a grave sin. This sin, known as contraception or birth control, is very common nowadays. It was severely condemned by Pope Pius XI in his Encyclical on Christian Marriage. Other purposes of marriage are the love and assistance that husband and wife mutually give and the opportunity of satisfying reasonably and lawfully the inclination to sexual gratification, which is so strong an impulse in human nature.

 * Just when Our Lord made Christian marriage a sacrament is not clear from Sacred Scripture; but from a text of St. Paul, we can infer that Christ did raise marriage to this dignity. Writing to the Ephesians, St. Paul says that the union between a Christian husband and wife is a sign or symbol of the union between Christ and the Church (Ephesians, 5, 21-33). From this principle we argue that since the union between Christ and the Church is a supernatural union that produces grace, the union between husband and wife must also be a supernatural union giving grace to the couple- in other words, a sacrament. This doctrine is not indeed clearly stated by St. Paul, but our inference is fully confirmed by the tradition of the Church, which has always regarded marriage as one of the divine means of grace, especially blessed by Our Saviour, intended to aid Christian husbands and wives to be faithful to God and to each other, and to perform exactly all the duties of their state of life.

 * Since Christian marriage is a sacrament, the Church possesses jurisdiction over the marriages of all baptized persons. The Church uses this authority especially by laying down marriage impediments-that is, by ruling that certain couples may not marry because of a prohibition arising either from the law of God or from the law of the Church. If a couple, bound by an impediment, attempted marriage without a dispensation from the Church, the marriage would be sinful though valid, supposing that the impediment was an impeding impediment, and both sinful and invalid, supposing that the impediment was a diriment impediment. The Church can give a dispensation from an impediment established by ecclesiastical law, but not from an impediment established by divine law.

 * The fact that a person has taken a private vow of chastity is an impeding impediment; the bond of an already existing marriage is a diriment impediment by divine law; the blood relationship between first and second cousins is a diriment impediment by ecclesiastical law.

 * Nowadays the state of marriage is degraded by many persons. They enter marriage hastily, with little thought of its sacred dignity, and with small regard for its obligations. After a few years they tire of each other, obtain a divorce and marry again. Sad to say, even some Catholics have not the proper concept of marriage, and though they may not go so far as to seek divorce, they try to rid themselves of the burdens of the married state, and selfishly refuse to live up to the obligations of this state, as God has established it. That is the reason for unhappiness in some Catholic homes.

 * It is the teaching of the Catholic Church that the marriage of two baptized persons, once they have used their right of sexual union, can never be dissolved except by the death of one of the parties. This rule holds for the marriage of baptized non-Catholics as well as for that of Catholics. In other types of marriage, the bond can sometimes be broken with the consent or authority of the Church. There are three types of such marriages, which can be dissolved in exceptional circumstances: (1) if at the time of the marriage both of the parties were unbaptized, and later one receives Baptism and the other refuses to dwell peacefully and sinlessly with the convert. This is called the Pauline privilege. (2) If at the time of the marriage one was a baptized non-Catholic and the other an unbaptized person; (3) if at the time of the marriage both were baptized persons, but they never had sexual relations as husband and wife. Furthermore, sometimes the Church allows a husband and wife to separate or live apart, without having any right to remarry.

 * Before the marriage of a Catholic couple the law of the Church calls for the publication of the banns-announcements of the coming marriage-to be made in the parish of each of the parties on three Sundays or feast days. Then, if anyone believes that they should not marry because of some impediment or other grave reason he should at once inform the authorities of the Church. Those intending to marry should make arrangements with one of the priests in the parish of the intended bride (where the ceremony should ordinarily take place) at least a month before the date of the marriage.

 * In a Catholic home where the husband and wife live according to the Christian ideals as proposed by the Catholic Church there is true contentment and happiness, even though material comforts and luxuries may be lacking. They bring up their children religiously, with the realization that God has sent them these little ones to be trained in His love and to become one day citizens of heaven. Such a Catholic home is truly an image of the home of Nazareth, in which dwelt the three holiest persons that ever lived on earth-the Holy Family, Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

 * RESOLUTION:

 * Pray every day for your parents. If they are alive, ask God to help them to live up to their obligations of the holy state of Matrimony; if they are dead, pray that they may soon be admitted to the kingdom of heaven.

 * Complete Exercises For Lesson 35

 * STUDY HELPS

 * A. COLUMN SELECTION.

 * (Join correctly the parts of the sentences in Columns I and II, by placing the right key letter in the proper parenthesis.)

 * Column I

 * A civil divorce or a marriage with another party (...).

 * Every marriage between baptized persons (...).

 * One who marries in the state of mortal sin (...)?

 * The marriage of a Catholic before a civil official (...).

 * To keep company with one who is not free to marry a Catholic (...).

 * The marriage impediment between first cousins (...).

 * The marriage impediment of one who has taken a private vow of chastity (...).

 * The banns of marriage must be proclaimed (...).

 * The marriage of two unbaptized persons (...).

 * Those planning marriage should frequently receive (...).

 * Column II

 * Can sometimes be dissolved by the Pauline privilege.

 * Is not a real marriage.

 * Is an impeding impediment.

 * Does not break the bond of marriage.

 * Is a diriment impediment:

 * Is a sacrament.

 * The sacraments of Penance and the Holy Eucharist.

 * Is ordinarily a mortal sin.

 * Is guilty of sacrilege.

 * In the parish of each of the parties.

 * B. PROBLEMS AND EXERCISES.

 * (Answer the questions orally or write them as your teacher may direct):

 * Archibald, a baptized Anglican, and Publia, a baptized Huguenot are married by Moses, a Jewish clerk of the Marriage License Bureau in City Hall. In this instance, has the sacrament of Matrimony been administered in City Hall? State the reason for your answer.

 * What very happy and very holy family group furnishes the ideal or the pattern of the truly Catholic home?

 * In the commentary on this lesson, the following are linked together: Christ and the Church, husband and wife, grace. What point is made in the paragraph, quoting St. Paul and the foregoing notions?

 * Fidelis, Guy, and Malachy are Catholic boys in the sixth grade. They were asked to list five favorite movie actors and five favorite movie actresses. Of their 18 heroes and heroines, ten are persons who have been married, divorced, and remarried, some of them several times, and one of them five times. What conclusion do you draw about the wisdom of picking your ideals, your heroes and heroines from moviedom?

 * Who were the first married couple? Where were they married? Who witnessed their marriage? Did they receive the sacrament of Matrimony?

 * Supply the reason for your answer to this last question.

 * Zachary and Ulrica, Catholic husband and wife and parents of two small children, have been quarrelling constantly for the past year. Some of Ulrica's friends are suggesting that she get a divorce and marry her first lover, Artemas, who still loves her; she gets a civil divorce. May she now marry Artemas? Please give the reason for your answer.

 * When the pastor, Father Cyrus, announces the banns of marriage, he adds a remark to the effect that if anyone knows of any impediment to the marriage he is bound in conscience to report that impediment to the proper authorities before the marriage takes place. What does Father Cyrus mean by 'impediment' in this announcement?

 * Eustace and Melissa, Catholics, are second cousins. They arrange for their marriage, but through ignorance, fail to mention the fact that they are related. Their wedding takes place at a Nuptial Mass. Have they received the sacrament of Matrimony? Explain your reply.

 * Roy and Leah, Catholics, run away from home to be married. Late Saturday night they appear at the priest's rectory, to be married 'right away.' They grow very angry at the priest who explains to them that he will not marry them since they are without the necessary documents, etc. Were Roy and Leah justifiably angered?

 * Rudolph and Bertha, a well-instructed Catholic couple, appear at the rectory to arrange for their marriage. With them they bring recently issued baptismal certificates, a marriage license, and a letter from Rudolph's pastor, stating that he is a member of his parish in good standing, and is free to marry Bertha. The pastor then states that he will announce the forthcoming marriage on the three Sundays prior to Rudolph's marriage. The marriage is six weeks off. Rudolph and Bertha wish to be married at a Nuptial Mass. They make two special appointments with the priest, the first, for an instruction on Catholic married life, and the other, to rehearse for the nuptial ceremony. In a paragraph of from 100 to 200 words tell us what you think of this couple's preparation. Contrast it with that of Roy and Leah, the angered, runaway pair.

 * Emmanuel, a daily communicant and a member of the Third Order of St. Francis, has been married three times. Can that happen, and Emmanuel still remain a good Catholic? Explain your answer.

 * Victor and Juliana, weekly communicants, have been keeping company for fourteen months. The parents of both have given their consent to the marriage and their approval of it. During the customary two or three visits each week, Victor and Juliana have been very honorable, very modest, and very respectful toward each other; since Victor gave Juliana the engagement ring both of them have been receiving Holy Communion every Sunday, and have been attending the weekly novena devotion in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Their special intention is that they enter upon a happy and successful married career. In three or four sentences tell us why you think this pair, as man and wife, will receive God's special blessing.