Holy Matrimony is a Sacrament of Mission in the Church. A vocation is a call that God places on our hearts to live our Christian life in a specific way. Every vocation is given to build up the Church because it is a call to imitate Jesus by 'laying down our lives' for others. In marriage a couple are called to give themselves totally - to lay down their lives - for each other. This total self-giving will bear fruit in many ways, especially in the gift of new life. Christian parents are encouraged to be generous to God in welcoming the gift of life he may send them.
In the Sacament of Matrimony God unites a man and a woman in a a faithful, life-giving, and exclusive bond. In that way their love takes on the characteristics of God's love as revealed to us in the Scriptures.
The Catholic Church requires at least six month's notice of an intention to get married. Every couple also needs to complete an approved marriage preparation course.
