God’s understanding of marriage is two become one.

But Jesus goes deeper, two become one body (Matthew 19:4-6)

It’s as if something new is created, a new living reality, a bond like the blood relationship that exists between brother and sister.

Brother and sister, no matter how they try, cannot deny that they are brother and sister.

They might hate each other, they might never communicate, they might refuse to acknowledge the other but they are still biologically brother and sister.

Well Jesus seems to me to be saying that marriage creates a unique bond that we may try to break, deny, one way or another, but like the biological relationship between brother and sister we can deny it all we want, but in Gods sight the unique one-ness of marriage remains.

There is much evidence in the life of Jesus to support this view; the woman at the well … although you’ve had five (husbands) the one you have now is not your husband (John 4:17)

His rejection of divorce and the shock of the disciples as they try to comprehend (Matthew 19:7-10)

Now there’s another detail of two becoming one; two (male and female, husband and wife) do become one in a new born baby!

Of course this is what God intended; male and female should meet and gradually two become one.

Do you want to know a little about how Lorna and Sean started to become one?

Enter biographical details …

There comes a point where the process of two becoming one expresses itself sexually. This is the seal of the whole process (the seal of the marriage covenant)

The Catholic Church believes that the physical act speaks its own language, it has its own inner meaning, a meaning that’s obvious; I give myself to you completely in love.

Therefore it belongs to giving yourself to another human person exclusively in love – marriage.

The physical expresses something that’s already there, an inner reality, I am yours …

But if that inner reality is not there (if two are not really one) then we’re being used and we’re using!