The book of Genesis clearly expresses the fact that human beings find their true identity
only in relationship with other human beings. "The man gave names to all cattle,and to
the birds of the air,and to every animal of the field ; but for man there was not found
a helper as his partner" (Gen. 2, 20). In relationship people are recognized and accepted
as persons. This is what happens in personal love. This is an essential requirement for
Christian marriage.The following can be considered as the characteristics of this
personal love:
Free to personal and independent existence. An essential aspect of the dialectics of
love is that it joins two persons together in the most intimate way and by doing so at
the same time sets them to be themselves. Only in this way can there be full comple-
mentary in there relationship.
Inter subjective communication mediated through sexuality. It is here that marriage
becomes fully operative. Sexuality expresses and mediates intersubjective communication.
Sexual union is a deep act of personal communication in which the whole person , body
and soul are involved.Just as in God the Three Persons are distinct and yet united in love,
in human communion, of which sexual relationship is one of the best images,there is perfect
personal distinction and freedom and yet a perfect oneness in love.It is only to the extent
that this distinction and communion are integrated into personal bonds that human sexuality
can be realized in the human sense. If these personal bonds are lacking, human sexuality can
only result in the disintegration and loss of dignity of the human person.
It manifest itself as constant growth in personal relationship. The most all-embracing form of
personal bond between man and human is marriage.More than any other forms of human
relationship,marriage embraces the whole person of both partners in all dimensions.This is
the reason why a couple that have lived their marriage union in all its integrity become closer
and closer to one another as they grow older. The permanence of marriage is also the result
of this integral personal relationship which the couples have been practicing throughout their
married life.
This personal character of love includes justice. This personal character of love also demands
that at least a minimum of physical health, social and economic requirements are needed if a
marriage is to be successful. This means that they give each his or her due and thus restore
equality in the relationship between the persons.
It is love that demands self-denial and sacrifice. The most important service which the Church
has to render is that of making young people capable of loving on the basis of Christian faith.
It is necessary that we bring home to people the fact that the success of marriage consist in
successfully living a life of love which is not possible without self-denial and sacrifice.
The fundamental law of the Gospel animated life is very much valid here: " He who losses his
life will find it" (Mt.10,39). One of the essential elements that should be included in our catechesis
of preparation for marriage is that deep personal relationship is not possible without denying self.
Although this maybe correctly called an ascetical attitude and practice in our traditional language,
this an aesthetic attitude and practice in as much the sacrificial element is given a positive meaning.
It lays the foundation for a life of complementarity in which the differences are not only accepted
and tolerated, but appreciated and fostered.This will truly bring out the meaning of those words
which we find often in commercial advertisements: "Made for each other"
only in relationship with other human beings. "The man gave names to all cattle,and to
the birds of the air,and to every animal of the field ; but for man there was not found
a helper as his partner" (Gen. 2, 20). In relationship people are recognized and accepted
as persons. This is what happens in personal love. This is an essential requirement for
Christian marriage.The following can be considered as the characteristics of this
personal love:
Free to personal and independent existence. An essential aspect of the dialectics of
love is that it joins two persons together in the most intimate way and by doing so at
the same time sets them to be themselves. Only in this way can there be full comple-
mentary in there relationship.
Inter subjective communication mediated through sexuality. It is here that marriage
becomes fully operative. Sexuality expresses and mediates intersubjective communication.
Sexual union is a deep act of personal communication in which the whole person , body
and soul are involved.Just as in God the Three Persons are distinct and yet united in love,
in human communion, of which sexual relationship is one of the best images,there is perfect
personal distinction and freedom and yet a perfect oneness in love.It is only to the extent
that this distinction and communion are integrated into personal bonds that human sexuality
can be realized in the human sense. If these personal bonds are lacking, human sexuality can
only result in the disintegration and loss of dignity of the human person.
It manifest itself as constant growth in personal relationship. The most all-embracing form of
personal bond between man and human is marriage.More than any other forms of human
relationship,marriage embraces the whole person of both partners in all dimensions.This is
the reason why a couple that have lived their marriage union in all its integrity become closer
and closer to one another as they grow older. The permanence of marriage is also the result
of this integral personal relationship which the couples have been practicing throughout their
married life.
This personal character of love includes justice. This personal character of love also demands
that at least a minimum of physical health, social and economic requirements are needed if a
marriage is to be successful. This means that they give each his or her due and thus restore
equality in the relationship between the persons.
It is love that demands self-denial and sacrifice. The most important service which the Church
has to render is that of making young people capable of loving on the basis of Christian faith.
It is necessary that we bring home to people the fact that the success of marriage consist in
successfully living a life of love which is not possible without self-denial and sacrifice.
The fundamental law of the Gospel animated life is very much valid here: " He who losses his
life will find it" (Mt.10,39). One of the essential elements that should be included in our catechesis
of preparation for marriage is that deep personal relationship is not possible without denying self.
Although this maybe correctly called an ascetical attitude and practice in our traditional language,
this an aesthetic attitude and practice in as much the sacrificial element is given a positive meaning.
It lays the foundation for a life of complementarity in which the differences are not only accepted
and tolerated, but appreciated and fostered.This will truly bring out the meaning of those words
which we find often in commercial advertisements: "Made for each other"
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