The Most Perfect Union

"When Christ our Lord wished to give a sign of the intimate union that exists between Him and His Church and His immense love for us, He chose especially the sacred union of man and wife...That Matrimony is a Sacrament of the Church, following the authority of the Apostle, has always held to be certain and incontestable."  Catechism of Trent

This very union of Christ and the Church offers us a dual reflection, that is, it offers us insight into both Matrimony as well as insight into the nature of the Church.  This union of Christ and the Church is undeniable, as well as unbreakable.  This is the why the Church has always carried the torch of Christ's teaching that marriage is also unbreakable...and does not allow for divorce.  By understanding marriage we can, in turn begin to understand the Church, and vice-versa.

This is especially important when it comes to the doctrine of exclusivity.  A husbands exclusive devotion to his wife reflects that of Christ to His Bride, the Church.  Were a man to disavow this exclusivity, it would be as if Christ could somehow put away His Bride, the Church...to somehow disown Her.  We know that this is the heresy that led to the Protestant Revolt.  The a husband's exclusive devotion to his wife demonstrates to the world that Christ is faithful, and the Church will always be united to Him.

Husbands must then live this exclusivity by avoiding any type of impurity or devotion to outside pursuits apart from his wife and family.  This may present itself through a inappropriate devotion to one's work, hobbies, sports, or entertainment.  When a man chooses to pursue entertainment (ie, sports television, games, partying)in place of giving devotion to his wife and home, he, in a way, is saying that these are more important to him than his wife.  Thus he demonstrates a break with this exclusivity.

Purity is the ultimate form of living this exclusivity in marriage today.  With attacks from every direction, it becomes more and more difficult for men to live the ideal of manly purity.  However, this is no excuse for lessening the challenge.  Men must step up to this challenge and live it out, despite there own weakness, the vileness of the world, or the attacks that come from every direction.  One must develop of life of prayer, fasting, and mortification to train oneself to resist these attacks on his manhood and his exclusive devotion to his bride.  A man that fails in this, is failing to live his matrimonial vows.

The union of man and wife is sacramental.  There is grace to live it, flowing from the fountain of the sacrament itself.  However, one must choose to live the ideal of a truly holy, sacramental marriage by choosing to imitate Christ and His Bride the Church.  In this way, we give witness to the world, of the beauty of christian marriage and of the beauty of Chr