Through Baptism we enter into a personal relationship with Jesus, who loves us intimately and completely, accepting us as we are while also calling us to be more. The way Jesus loves us in Baptism is the model for the way spouses are called to love each other
- Both in Baptism and in Marriage two persons freely choose each other. In Baptism Jesus freely chooses us because he loves us, and we freely choose him. In the sacrament of Marriage spouses must freely and completely choose each other.
- In Baptism Christ forgives our sins and accepts us as members of his Body to share his divine life with us. In Marriage husband and wife see beyond each other’s imperfections and shortcomings. They welcome and accept each other as they are and join together for the whole of life.
- In Baptism we become one with Christ as members of his Mystical Body, the Church. In Marriage spouses become one: a single entity, a couple, “one flesh” as the Bible describes it (Gn 2:24).
- The unions that take place in Baptism and in Marriage are sacred covenants that are permanent and irrevocable.
- In the sacrament of Baptism the one being baptized dies with Christ to sin and one way of being in the world and is raised with him as a person with a new identity. Baptism makes one a Christian—a person who belongs to Christ. In Marriage each person leaves the wedding ceremony with a new identity: a husband or a wife, a married person, a person who belongs to one’s spouse.
- In Baptism we become members of the Body of Christ, and our life takes on a new purpose: to carry on the mission of the Church. In Marriage spouses begin a new life, one that has a special mission: to serve God, each other, and society. In carrying out this mission they find joy and become a sign to the world of God’s abiding love for all humanity.
How the Sacramental Graces of Baptism Help Married Couples
Because they are joined to Christ in Baptism, couples do not face the challenges of married life alone. Christ, through the Holy Spirit, is always present with them to help them. “Christ dwells with them, gives them the strength to take up their crosses . . . , to rise again after they have fallen, to forgive one another, and to bear one another’s burdens” (CCC, 1642).
Baptism is a door to many graces in the life of a couple. Christian spouses do not have fewer conflicts and challenges than anyone else. What they have, because of Baptism, is the ability to turn to Jesus and to ask for his help. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus guides them and helps them navigate the difficult times in life and enjoy the good times.
Do you know the date of your Baptism or where you were baptized? What does Baptism mean to you? Have you learned anything new about Baptism in what you just read?
How is your religious faith guiding you in your daily life?
God loves us with unconditional love. In what ways do you experience unconditional love and acceptance in your relationship with your fiancé?
How does your experience of love help you be a better person and source of goodness in the world? How does it help you to be a sign of God’s love?
This excerpt from The Joined by Grace Couple’s Book is reprinted with permission of Ave Maria Press.
John Bosio is a former marriage and family therapist, director of religious education, and diocesan family life coordinator. He and his wife, Teri, wrote Joined by Grace, a marriage preparation program from Ave Maria Press.
