Covenant of Love :: Strengthening the Church One Marriage at a Time

The Church
In providing a Covenant of Love ministry, each local church can demonstrate their awareness of the importance of the Sacrament of Marriage. The Church also shows that it advocates Christ’s teachings and accepts God’s plan for marriage. Since Christ teaches in Matthew 19:6 that a married couple is “no longer two, but one flesh” and “what God has joined together, no human being must separate,” the Church will be a helper in defending marriage by reducing divorces.

By having a Covenant of Love Marriage Ministry, the Church also becomes a “God-centered” resource for marriage enrichment and education, providing assistance to any couple, whether they simply wish to strengthen their relationship, or are seeking help to fix their marriage. ince the Covenant of Love is a volunteer program, there will be no need to hire outside assistance.

The Laity
In any parish where there is a Covenant of Love Marriage Ministry, the laity will have a place to go for marriage education and enrichment opportunities, provided by and located at their local parish.

A couple is taught to encourage each other and to foster a spirit of service and selflessness.

Lay people are also given a good opportunity to fulfill their role as set forth in Vatican II.

Covenant of Love will also encourage couples to work with others in order to help build strong marriages within their community. Covenant of Love encourages couples to be a living witness to their children and teach them about the sanctity, dignity and permanence of marriage.

Proven to Work
In the piloting phase, the Covenant of Love has already proven to be a gateway to explore the riches and beauty of marriage. Fr. Danny Garcia of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Austin, TX says, “It has allowed couples to reflect on the dignity and value of the Sacrament of Marriage.”

The Covenant of Love Marriage Group calls couples to step back and reevaluate the commitment made when they first came together as husband and wife. The group format allows couples to see how their marriage has been influenced by their daily living, the gospel, and society.

The Covenant of Love invites couples to view their marriage based on what the Church teaches, and allows couples to lean on each other as a means of support. It empowers couples with the practical means to live out a joyous and happy marriage. We are in a culture where we need to look intently at the Sacrament of Marriage to see the fruits that a good marriage can bring.

Understanding marriage also allows the couples to live in a committed relationship with God.

The Covenant of Love has been successful in getting couples to come to the table and ask some of the hard questions about marriage. The sessions are tailored to provide not only the questions, but the answers to those questions.

As couples come together in their marriages, they begin to see how their strong relationship enriches the life of the Church. The Covenant of Love Marriage Group provides a forum to talk about the value and dignity of marriage and to learn what God is calling married couples to be.