ASF2: Module 8– Sacraments of Vocation/Service

Gadon, Marjhil BSA 1-C

Augustine on Marriage
I did not know this then, I was in love with beauty of the lower order and it was dragging me down.
I used to ask my friends ‘do we love anything unless it is beautiful? What then is beauty and in
what does it consist? What is that attracts us and wins us over to the things we Love? Unless there
were beauty and grace in them, they would be powerless to win our hearts. When I look at things, it
struck me that there were a difference between the beauty of an object considered by itself as one
whole and the beauty to be found in a proper proportion between separate things, such as due
balance between the whole body and nay its parts. (Confession book 4, 13)
Augustine's theology of marriage hinges on the three goods of marriage: children, fidelity, and sacrament.
The denial of these goods is a critical point in contemporary efforts to redefine marriage.
Augustine on Marriage and Virginity
In the year 401 Augustine wrote a pair of treatises that propose a middle path between the virtues of
marriage and celibacy – hot button issues at the time. He defended marriage in On the Good of Marriage
and he argued for the supremacy of celibacy in On Holy Virginity. We may disagree with Augustine’s
view of the superiority of virginity; however, his defence of marriage sets out a theological basis for the
inherent goodness of marriage. In fact, his theology of marriage provided the basic framework for the
traditional Western view of
marriage. The following article outlines Augustine’s theology of marriage, which is based on what he
identified as the three goods (bona) of marriage: children (proles), fidelity (fides), and sacrament
(sacramentum). Our contemporary culture has sought to redefine marriage by denying these three goods.
(https://www.ezrainstitute.com/resource-library/articles/augustine-on-the-good-of-marriage-part-1/)
The Three Goods of Marriage
For Augustine the three goods of marriage are children, fidelity, and sacrament. He usually lists the three
goods in this order, with sacrament consistently appearing last. Émile Schmitt suggests the order reflects
the ascending value of each good, so that the sacramental character of marriage is the greatest good.
Children (proles)
Augustine states at the outset of his treatise On the Good of Marriage: “the first natural bond (copula) of
society is that of husband and wife. God did not create them as separate individuals … but he created one
from the other, making the side, from which the woman was taken and formed, a sign of the strength of
their union.” Augustine argues that this first natural bond of society is not an end in itself. It’s procreative.
Since children are the fruit of sexual union (concubitus), sex cannot be viewed as evil. On the contrary,
it’s commanded: “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” (Gen. 1.28). Augustine concludes, “the union
(copulatio) of male and female for the sake of having children is, then, the natural good of marriage.” The
union of husband and wife in marriage is potentially procreative, which means the call to marry is also a
call to parent. Husband and wife are also father and mother. (https://www.ezrainstitute.com/resource-
library/articles/augustine-on-the-good-of-marriage-part-1/)
Fidelity (fides)
The second good of marriage is fidelity or conjugal chastity (castitas coniugalis). (Chastity should not be
confused with celibacy.) Mutual fidelity sustains the marital bond between husband and wife. However, it
ASF2: Module 8– Sacraments of Vocation/Service
Gadon, Marjhil BSA 1-C

is not simply a prohibition on adultery. Fidelity requires mutual submission in the bedroom (cf. 1 Cor. 7).
Augustine maintains that performing one’s conjugal duty is not a sin.
He adds that marital fidelity is good because it bridles sexual promiscuity: “in itself sensuality has the
unbridled
weakness of the flesh, but from marriage it has the permanent union of fidelity.” Fidelity, when observed,
curbs sexual promiscuity, prevents procreation outside of marriage, and provides the optimal opportunity
for children to be raised and nurtured within the natural bonds of the family. Thus, fidelity is not only an
inherent good of marriage, it’s a social good.
(https://www.ezrainstitute.com/resource-library/articles/augustine-on-the-good-of-marriage-part-1/)

Sacrament (sacramentum)
Augustine sees marriage as a sacrament in two ways: (1) as a sacramental sign (signum) and (2) as a
sacramental bond or covenant (vinculum; foedus). The sacramental significance of marriage can be
inferred from the citation and application of Genesis 2.24 in the New Testament: “Therefore a man shall
leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Paul cites
Genesis 2.24 in Ephesians 5.31 and then adds, “this mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to
Christ and the church” (Eph. 5.32). (In Augustine’s Latin translation, the word sacramentum was used to
translate the Greek word mystērion.) Marriage is a sacrament because it signifies the relationship between
Christ and the church. This allows Augustine to read Genesis 2.24 typologically. The first marriage
between Adam and Eve prefigures the last marriage between Christ and the church:
When [Christ] slept on the cross, he bore a sign, yea, he fulfilled what had been signified in Adam: for
when Adam was asleep, a rib was drawn from him and Eve was created; so also while the Lord slept on
the cross, his side was transfixed with a spear, and the sacraments flowed forth, whence the Church was
born. For the Church, the Lord’s Bride, was created from His side, as Eve was created from the side of
Adam.
(https://www.ezrainstitute.com/resource-library/articles/augustine-on-the-good-of-marriage-part-1/)
The Marriage of Christ and Church
https://youtu.be/eNKVNvAK5_s
Just as the first union between Adam and Eve signified the union of Christ and his church, so every
Christian marriage signifies Christ and his church. In this way, marriage is a sacramental sign.
Marriage is also sacramental because it is a covenant. The husband and wife make a vow of fidelity, “till
death us do part.” When Jesus was asked about divorce, he cited Genesis 2.24 and then added, “so they
are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate” (Matt.
19.6; cf. Mark 10.9). The marital bond is sacramental because it has been forged by God and the
indissoluble permanence of that bond signifies the indissoluble bond between Christ and the church.
Commenting on Paul’s exhortation to husbands and wives in Ephesians 5, Augustine writes:
Beyond any doubt the reality signified by this sacrament is that the man and the woman united in
marriage persevere inseparably in that union as long as they live … this is, after all, what is preserved
between Christ and the Church, that while Christ lives and while the Church lives, they are not separated
by any divorce for all eternity.
ASF2: Module 8– Sacraments of Vocation/Service
Gadon, Marjhil BSA 1-C

What is Christian Marriage?

By divine institution, Christian Matrimony is:
1. The permanent,
2. Covenant of love,
3. Between a qualified man and woman,
4. Intended for their common good,
5. and for the procreation and education of Children.
Why is Matrimony Permanent?
Holy Matrimony is an eternal conjugal covenant before God, and not a temporary arrangement between
two lovers; as Jesus declared: “What God has joined together, no human being must separate” (Mark
10:9).
Since a valid Christian Marriage is terminated only by death, it is a mortal sin to divorce from the lawful
spouse and to live More Uxorio (as husband and wife) with any other person.
Separation is allowed only for very serious reasons, such as violence or infidelity, provided the offended
party remains single and reunites with the other as soon as reasonably possible.

Why is Matrimony a Covenant of Love?

A true Marriage is established out of Love, which is the virtue of giving oneself to the other, as Jesus
declared: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends (John 15:13).
Christian Love is called Agape, or the selfless commitment of promoting the spouse’s good, and not Eros,
or the selfish attitude of exploiting the other for one’s interest.
Marrying for other reasons, such as physical attraction or financial gains, begets no everlasting happiness;
as by the Bible’s warning:
“Were one to offer all the wealth of his house for love, he would be utterly despised” (Song of Songs 8:7).

Why is Matrimony “Between a Qualified Man and Woman”?

Christian Matrimony is monogamous, as opposite to polygamous; and heterosexual, as opposite to
homosexual; as Jesus declared: “The Creator made them male and female and said, ‘For this reason a man
shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife’” (Matthew 19:4-5).
The two parties must be qualified for Matrimony, meaning, they should not incur any impediment that
will make the Sacrament invalid.
The perverted relationship with a person of the same gender is against Nature and God’s will and, if
unrepented, begets eternal damnation.
ASF2: Module 8– Sacraments of Vocation/Service
Gadon, Marjhil BSA 1-C

Why is Matrimony Intended for the Spouses’ Common Good?

The primary purpose of Matrimony is the reciprocal wellbeing of the spouses; as God said: “It is not good
for the man to be alone, I will make a helper suited to him” (Genesis 2:18).
Husband and wife complement each other at the physical and spiritual level, since their bodies were
created paired to provide intimacy and procreation; and their intellectual faculties, to be harmoniously
interactive.
Why is Matrimony Intended for the Procreation and Education of Children?
The secondary purpose of Matrimony is giving life to children, as by God’s command, “Be fertile and
multiply, fill the earth” (Genesis 1:28); as well as educating them to be holy Christians and honest
citizens.
Those spouses who cannot have children for natural causes can nevertheless engage in spiritual
parenthood, by engaging in adoption, charity, social services, and prayer.

What Are the Marriage Impediments?

The Impediments are the 13 obstacles that render a Matrimony illicit or invalid; some of them can be
dispensed by the Church.
AGE: A man cannot validly enter Matrimony before completing 16 years of age, or a woman 14. In the
Philippines, the lawful celebration of Marriage requires both parties to be 18 years old, and to obtain the
consent of their parents or guardians until the age of 21.
IMPOTENCE: Antecedent and Perpetual Impotence, which is the incapacity of having sexual intercourse,
whether on the part of the man or the woman, nullifies Marriage; while Sterility, or the incapacity of
having children, neither forbids nor invalidates a Marriage.
PREVIOUS SACRAMENTAL MARRIAGE: A Catholic bound by a prior Sacramental Marriage
invalidly attempts a second one, unless the spouse is dead, or the Church has issued a Declaration of
Nullity. A valid Marriage cannot be dissolved by any authority - not even by the Pope.
MIXED MARRIAGE AND DISPARITY OF CULT: The Marriage between a Catholic and a non-
Christian (Mixed), or a non-Catholic Christian (Disparity of Cult), is invalid, unless the Local Ordinary
has granted dispensation.
SACRED ORDERS AND PERPETUAL VOW OF CHASTITY: Deacons, Priests and Bishops, as well as
perpetually professed religious, invalidly attempt Marriage; unless the Pope has granted a Dispensation.
ABDUCTION, FORCE OR GRAVE FEAR: No Matrimony can exist when a party was kidnapped in
view of contracting Marriage, or married by reason of force or of grave fear; unless the victim chooses
Marriage of her own accord after being separated from the captor and established in a safe and free place.
CRIME: Anyone who in view of entering Marriage with a certain person has brought about the death of
that person’s spouse, or of his own, invalidly attempts Marriage.
ASF2: Module 8– Sacraments of Vocation/Service
Gadon, Marjhil BSA 1-C

CONSANGUINITY: Marriage is invalid between those related by Consanguinity, both legitimate and
natural, or by Legal Adoption, in all degrees of the direct line (parents and children; grandparents and
grandchildren), or in the second degree of the collateral line (brothers and sisters). The impediment of
Consanguinity in the third and fourth degree of collateral line (first cousins; nephews and uncles) can be
dispensed.
AFFINITY: The legal relationship existing between a spouse and the blood-relatives of the other spouse,
known as Affinity, invalidates a Matrimony in any degree of the direct line (step-father with step-
daughter; father-in-law with daughter-in-law).
PUBLIC PROPRIETY OR QUASI-AFFINITY: A partner of a public concubinage, or of an invalid
marriage, cannot validly marry those related by consanguinity in the first degree of the direct line to the
other party: for instance, a live-in partner cannot marry the natural daughter, nor the mother, of his
companion.
LACKING SUFFICIENT USE OF REASON: Those who do not have sufficient use of reason, or the
psychological capacity, to understand and assume the three essential properties (Unity, Indissolubility,
Openness to life), cannot contract a valid Matrimony.
ERROR: The Matrimony is invalid when one party has married a different person from the one he
intended; or when the party was mistaken about an important quality of the other party which was directly
and principally intended for the Marriage.
Who Are the Ministers of Matrimony?
The Ministers of Marriage are the Spouses, who mutually confer upon each other the Sacrament of
Matrimony by expressing their consent before the Church.
The Priest who assists at the Rite of Marriage is appointed to receive the consent of the spouses and to
give the blessing in the name of the Church. However, he is the Minister of the Holy Mass during which
the Sacrament of Marriage takes place.
What Is the Matter of Matrimony?
The Matter of the Sacrament of Matrimony is the Exchange of Consent, which is the human act by which
the spouses mutually give themselves to each other, by declaring: “I take you to be my wife” – “I take you
to be my husband.”
What Is the Form of Matrimony?
The Form of Matrimony are the words of Consent: “I take you to be my wife” – “I take you to be my
husband.”
This can be rephrased in question-and-answer format, where the Priest asks to both spouses: “N., do you
take N. here present, for your lawful husband/wife, according to the rite of our Holy Mother, the
Church?” And the spouses individually reply: “Yes, I do.”
“For as a young man marries a virgin, your Builder shall marry you; and as a bridegroom rejoices in his
bride so shall your God rejoice in you” (Isaiah 62:5).

Sacrament of Holy Order\

ASF2: Module 8– Sacraments of Vocation/Service
Gadon, Marjhil BSA 1-C

Augustine to the priesthood

Augustine turned against his profession as a rhetoric professor in order to devote more time to preaching.
In 391 Augustine was ordained a priest in Hippo Regius (now Annaba), in Algeria. He was especially
interested in discovering how his previous rhetorical training in Italian schools would help the Christian
Church achieve its objective of discovering and teaching the different scriptures in the bible.
He became a famous preacher (more than 350 preserved sermons are believed to be authentic), and was
noted for combating the Manichaean religion, to which he had formerly adhered He preached around
6,000 to 10,000 sermons when he was alive; however, there are only around 500 sermons that are
accessible today. When Augustine preached his sermons, they were recorded by stenographers.
Some of his sermons would last over one hour and he would preach multiple times throughout a given
week. When talking to his audience, he would stand on an elevated platform; however, he would walk
towards the audience during his sermons. When he was preaching, he used a variety of rhetorical devices
that included analogies, word pictures, similes, metaphors, repetition, and antithesis when trying to
explain more about the Bible.
In addition, he used questions and rhymes when talking about the differences between people's life on
Earth and heaven as seen in one of his sermons that was preached in 412 AD. Augustine believed that the
preachers' ultimate goal is to ensure the salvation of their audience.

Consecration to the office of the Bisshop

In 395, he was made coadjutor Bishop of Hippo and became full Bishop shortly thereafter, hence the
name "Augustine of Hippo"; and he gave his property to the church of Thagaste. He remained in that
position until his death in 430. Bishops were the only individuals allowed to preach when he was alive
and he scheduled time to preach after being ordained despite a busy schedule made up of preparing
sermons and preaching at other churches besides his own. When serving as the Bishop of Hippo, his goal
was to minister to individuals in his congregation and he would choose the passages that the church
planned to read every week. As bishop, he believed that it was his job to interpret the work of the Bible.
He wrote his autobiographical Confessions in 397–398. His work The City of God was written to console
his fellow Christians shortly after the Visigoths had sacked Rome in
410. Augustine worked tirelessly to convince the people of Hippo to convert to Christianity. Though he
had left his monastery, he continued to lead a monastic life in the episcopal residence.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustine_of_Hippo)
Much of Augustine’s later life was recorded by his friend Possidius, bishop of Calama (present-day
Guelma, Algeria), in his Sancti Augustini Vita. During this latter part of Augustine's life, he helped lead a
large community of Christians against different political and religious factors which had major influence
on his writings. Possidius admired Augustine as a man of powerful intellect and a stirring orator who took
every opportunity to defend Christianity against its detractors. Possidius also described Augustine's
personal traits in detail, drawing a portrait of a man who ate sparingly, worked tirelessly, despised gossip,
shunned the temptations of the flesh, and exercised prudence in the financial stewardship of his see.
“As a way of showing forth the Church’s holiness, it is to be recognized that the consecrated life, which
mirrors Christ’s own way of life, has an objective superiority. Precisely for this reason, it is an especially
rich manifestation of Gospel values and a more complete expression of the Church’s purpose, which is the
ASF2: Module 8– Sacraments of Vocation/Service
Gadon, Marjhil BSA 1-C

sanctification of humanity. The consecrated life proclaims and in a certain way anticipates the future age,
when the fullness of the Kingdom of Heaven, already present in its first fruits and in mystery,[62] will be
achieved and when the children of the resurrection will take neither wife nor husband, but will be like the
angels of God (cf. Mt. 22:30)” Pope John Paul II Vita Consecrata, no. 32

In Persona Christi
In the ecclesial service of the ordained minister, it is Christ himself who is present to his church as Head
of his Body, Shepherd of his flock, high priest of the redemptive sacrifice, Teacher of Truth. This is what
the Church means by saying that a priest, by virtue of the sacrament of Holy Orders, acts in persona
Christi Capitis.
It is the same priest, Christ Jesus, whose sacred person his minister truly represents. Now the minister, by
reason of the sacerdotal consecration which he
has received, is truly made like to the high priest and possesses the authority to act in the power and place
of the person of Christ himself.
Christ is the source of all priesthood: the priest of the old law was a figure of Christ, and the priest of the
new law acts in the person of Christ (St. Thomas Aquinas quoted in CCC 1548)
. . . “in the name of the whole Church”
The ministerial priesthood has the task not only of representing Christ—Head of the Church—before the
assembly of the faithful, but also of acting in the name of the whole Church when presenting to God the
prayer of the Church, and above all when offering the Eucharistic sacrifice (CCC1552).
ASF2: Module 8– Sacraments of Vocation/Service
Gadon, Marjhil BSA 1-C

3 Degrees of the Sacrament of Holy Orders

Since the beginning, the ordained ministry has been conferred and exercised in three degrees: that of
bishops, that of presbyters, and that of deacons. The ministries conferred by ordination are irreplaceable
for the organic structure of the Church: without the bishop, presbyters, and deacons, one cannot speak of
the Church (CCC1593).
Deacon
Deacons are minister ordained for tasks of service of the Church; they do not receive the ministerial
priesthood, but ordination confers on them important functions in the ministry of the word, divine
worship, pastoral governance, and the service of charity, tasks which they must carry out under the
pastoral authority of their bishop (CCC 1596).
Deacons share in Christ’s mission and grace in a special way. The sacrament of Holy Orders marks them
with an imprint which cannot be removed and which configures them to Chris, who made himself the
“deacon” or servant of all. Among other tasks, it is the task of deacons to assist the bishop and priests in
the celebration of the divine mysteries, above all the Eucharist, in the distribution of Holy Communion, in
assisting at and blessing marriages, in the proclamation of the Gospel and preaching, in presiding over
funerals, and in dedicating themselves to the various ministries of charity (CCC 1570).
Since the Second Vatican Council, the Latin Church [Roman Church] has restored the diaconate “as a
proper and permanent rank of the hierarchy,” while the Churches of the East had always maintained it.
ASF2: Module 8– Sacraments of Vocation/Service
Gadon, Marjhil BSA 1-C

This permanent diaconate, which can be conferred on married men, constitutes an important enrichment
for the Church’s mission. Indeed it is appropriate and useful in its liturgical and pastoral life or whether in
its social and charitable works, should “be strengthened by the imposition of hands which has come down
from the apostles. They would be more closely bound to the altar and their ministry would be made more
fruitful through the sacramental grace of the diaconate (CCC 1571).

Priests
Priests are united with the bishops in sacerdotal dignity and at the same time depend on them in the
exercise of their pastoral functions; they are called to be the bishops’ prudent co-workers. they form
around their bishop the presbyterium which bears responsibility with him for the particular Church. They
receive from the bishop the charge of a parish community or a determinate ecclesial office. (CCC 1595)
Through the sacrament of Holy Orders, priests
share in the universal dimensions of the mission that Christ entrusted to the apostles. The spiritual gift
they have received in ordination prepares them, not for a limited and restricted mission, “but for the
fullest, in fact the universal mission of salvation’ to the end of the earth,’” prepared in spirit to preach the
Gospel everywhere (CCC1565).
“It is in the Eucharistic cult or in the Eucharistic assembly of the faithful (synaxis) that they exercise in a
supreme degree their sacred office; there, acting in the person of Christ and proclaiming his mystery, they
untie the votive offerings of the faithful to the sacrifice of Christ their head, and in the sacrifice of the
Mass they make present again and apply, until the coming of the Lord, the unique sacrifice of the New
Testament, that namely of Christ offering himself once for all a spotless victim to the Father.” From this
unique sacrifice, their whole priestly ministry draws its strength (CCC1566).

Bishop
The bishop received the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders, which integrates him into the Episcopal
college and make him the visible head of the particular Church entrusted to him. As successors of the
apostles and members of the college, the bishops share in the apostolic responsibility and mission of the
whole Church under the authority of the Pope, successor of St. Peter (CCC1594).
“Episcopal consecration confers, together with the office of sanctifying, also the offices of teaching and
ruling…In fact…by the imposition of hands and through the words of consecration, the grace of the Holy
Spirit
is given, and a cared character is impressed in such wise that bishops, in an eminent and visible manner,
take the place of Christ himself, teacher, shepherd, and priest, and act as his representative (in Eius
persona agant).” “By virtue, therefore, of the Holy Spirit who has been given to them, bishops have been
constituted true and authentic teachers of the faith and have been made pontiffs and pastors (CCC 1558).
ASF2: Module 8– Sacraments of Vocation/Service
Gadon, Marjhil BSA 1-C

As Christ’s vicar, each bishop has the pastoral care of the particular Church entrusted to him, but a the
same time he bears collegially with all his brothers in the episcopacy the solicitude for all the Churches:
“Though each bishop is the lawful pastor only of the portion of the flock entrusted to his care, as a
legitimate successor of the apostles he is, by divine institution and precept, responsible with the other
bishops for the apostolic mission of the Church (CCC 1560).