Marriage is natural and good

Marriage (called more technically “the institution of marriage”) is the natural union between a man and a woman who have freely given themselves to each other. It is called “natural” because it fulfils the way that God created men and women to come together in love.

Direct evidence of the “natural” character of marriage is apparent every day: the daily commitment of couples to each other and commitment to family relationships are obvious signs that men and women exist for each other. Earning a living, picking up children from school, preparing and sharing meals, praying together and for one another: all these are daily instances of how families grow together.

This natural aspect of love is reflected in the Bible. Sacred Scripture is full of references to marriage and family life, both in the Old Testament (see Ruth 4, 11-15, Song of Songs 2, 8-13, Isaiah 62, 3-5, Hosea 2,16-20) and in the New (John 2, 1-11, Ephesians 5, Revelation 19, 6-9, Revelation 21, 2.9). The natural desire that men and women have for each other, and the sense that the other is there to be loved, manifests in a very real way one aspect of how we are made “in the image and likeness of God”. Take, for example, the fact that God loved the world so much that he went so far as to die for us. What husband would not sacrifice what he loves most, his very life, for the one whom he loves? There is something in human love that reflects divine love.