MATRIMONY

God did not create persons, but a society of persons; inside Adam there was already Eve (Gen. 1:27. 2:18-25. Matth. 19:3-6). God Himself, with the blessing of the first couple, even before the falling of man, suggested the mystery of matrimony (Gen. 1:28). Within marriage the one human nature is expressed, in which the spouses participate as separate persons: "and they shall be one flesh" (Gen. 2:24).

This way, God, with His benevolence, established marriage, inside which the spouses surpass their selves, even after the falling, and are taught the return to unity, which continually expands and embraces more and more persons. Marriage that is conducted "in the Lord" (1 Corinth. 7:39) is received as a bond in the body of the Church and thus it does not just express the union of Christ with the Church, but the bond of marriage "in Christ" itself becomes Church: "in Christ and in Church" (Ephes. 5:33, c.f. 5:31-33).

The difference between the natural bond (relationship) and the marriage "in the Lord" is precisely this; that with the mystery, the Church receives this bond in Her body and places it in the service of eternal love. The spouses surpass their self-centredness and are placed again on the road that leads to the society (communion) of persons, to the union of the one human nature, "in Christ and in Church". On the contrary, the marriage that is not conducted "in the Lord", the natural bond that is, ends in the grave.

Marriage "in the Lord" was being blessed in the first Church by the bishop or at least by the presbyters who had permission by the bishop. In fact, the conducting of marriage was being connected to the Divine Eucharist.

"Do the union with the opinion of the bishop, in order for the marriage to be in the Lord, and not by desire" (Ign, epistle to Polyc. V). In such a marriage, the physical union is blessed and everything has a spiritual context within the Church: "and these things you do in flesh are also spiritual; do everything in Christ" (Ign., Ephes. 8:2).

The event of the ceremony of marriage in the scope of the divine eucharist is certified by Tertullian (ad uxorem book 2,9 Pr. haer. 40); Basil the Great notes: "the bond of nature and the yoke via hierology; let them be union of those that are far from them" (Bas., to six-day 7:5). "In Church no natural conjugal bond is realised, but holy mystery of marriage" (August., Faith and acts 7,10).

In Protestantism too, marriage is considered to be an holy institution and a special "ceremony" of matrimony in the Church is in use. This ceremony, however, does not have the nature of a mystery.

For more information on the Sacrament of Matrimony, please read here.

EXPLANATION OF TERMS USED IN THE CHAPTER

mysteries = A mystery in the orthodox faith refers to the transmission of the invisible divine grace via visible signs. For instance, what the Roman Catholics call "the seven sacraments" are all mysteries, as well as the nativity of the Son from the Father and the procession of the Spirit from the Father and His mission from the Son are all mysteries. For more on this subject, visit this link.