The sacrament of the Holy Matrimony is a covenant between the husband and wife and it symbolizes the marriage of Christ and his Church.  Let us look at the various Biblical references of the sacrament of marriage.

Creation of Man and Woman

The Bible begins with the creation story and the creation of man and woman takes center stage. God created man and woman in His own image and blessed them to be fruitful and multiply. God took one of Adam’s ribs to create Eve and Adam on seeing Eve exclaims that she is bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh.

“God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” (Genesis 1:27)

“…but for the man there was not found a helper fit for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh; and the rib which the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”

Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh. (Genesis 2:20-24)

Jesus’ beginning of His Public Ministry

Jesus began his public ministry during the Wedding feast of Cana. Jesus turned water into wine on the behest of his Mother and thus He saved the wedding couple from any embarrassment. Jesus manifested His glory and His disciples believed in him. Since Jesus began his public ministry at the wedding feast of Cana, this signifies the very importance of the holy matrimony.

“This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed in him.” (John 2:11)

Jesus instituted the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony:

Jesus further emphasizes on the importance of the marriage when the Pharisees questioned him. Jesus quotes the book of Genesis and says God created couples male and female and for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.

“He answered, “Have you not read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one’? So they are no longer two but one. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.” (Mathew 19:4-6)

Thus the sacrament of marriage is a sacred union between the husband and wife which is instituted by Christ and is a Christ centered union.