God's Plan
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Simplified
Marriage - At the Beginning and the End (1602)
Scripture begins with the creation of man and woman and concludes with the "wedding feast of the Lamb" (Rev 19:7, 9). Scripture speaks extensively of marriage, its mystery, its origin and its purpose. It describes the difficulties caused by sin and the renewal of marriage by Christ.
God's Laws for Marriage (1603)
In creating man and woman, God himself established marriage with its own proper laws. Although customs and laws vary, marriage is not a purely human institution but has some common permanent characteristics. Every culture has some sense of the greatness of the matrimonial union "because the well-being of the person and the society depends on a healthy conjugal life" (Second Vatican Council).
All Called to Love (1604)
The mutual love of man and woman is an image of God's unfailing love. God intends man and woman to "Be fruitful and multiply", because mankind has the task to "fill the earth and subdue it" (Gen 1:27).
Leaving All (1605)
From the beginning, God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone." God gave him woman, "flesh of his flesh." She is clearly his equal and helpmate. So, man "leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife" (Gen 2:18-25). Jesus approves this plan of an unbreakable union." "They are no longer two, but one flesh" (Mt 19:6).
Disorder within Marriage (1606)
Evil (experienced everywhere by man) is also felt in the man/woman relationships. Evil threatens their union with conflicts, hatred and even separation. This disorder (although having different manifestations according to cultures and individuals) seems to happen everywhere.
Source of the Disorder (1607-1608)
This disorder does not come from the nature of man/woman or from their relationship. It comes from sin. Original sin (a breaking from God) ruptured the original communion of man and woman. They experienced recriminations in their relationship and lust in their mutual attraction. Their vocations to have offspring and to till the soil were burdened by the pain of childbirth and the toil of work.
Nevertheless, God's order of creation endured. By making "garments of skin for the first couple" (Gen 3:21), God showed that he still provided the grace needed to achieve marital union.
Dual Punishment (1609)
The dual punishments (pain in childbearing and toil by "the sweat of your brow") actually embody remedies to sin. Marriage helps to overcome self-absorption and leads to mutual self-giving.
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