A man or a woman sometimes encounters another human being to whom they are so attracted that the love of this other person supersedes all other life goals and ambitions.

Little by little they decide that first on their agenda is now going to be the life, the happiness, the holiness of this other person. The good of this other takes precedence even over the desires and dreams they have for themselves. And when that other makes the same decision, together the two embark on a whole new adventure. This is the basic meaning of the sacrament of Marriage.

The sacrament reveals the religious dimension of marriage. Besides the human, social and legal dimensions of marriage—the public sign that one gives oneself totally to this other person—sacramental marriage is also a public statement about God.

In parishes where this exchange of consent takes place in the presence of the church community, the sacramental dimension of the marriage is more easily seen and appreciated. What the couple says to each other is not for themselves alone. Their promise speaks to all of us: It tells us who God is for us.