The Vows

1. Listen to a song about love. The Vows Do love and marriage go together? What sort of love should married love be ?

2. The Sacrament of Marriage Mindmap the reasons why people get married. **How is this different to why Christians get married? • To explain the purpose of Christian marriage • To explain the purpose of the Sacrament of Marriage • To evaluate what objects could make God’s power present in the Sacrament of marriage.

3. The Meaning of Christian Marriage • Write out and complete the 3 things that make a marriage Christian. • Give 2 examples of self sacrificing love between a husband and wife. • **Why is true love always self-sacrificing? • For Vocation: marriage is the task God gives you, to love your partner like Jesus did, and to bring up your family in a Christian way. God means for marriage to be ___________________ • ______________________ For Family: Christian marriage means loving in a ___________________ Marriage should lead to having children. About Love: Christian marriage means becoming “one flesh” with the other person, to love them in a _______ _____________way, always trusting in God’s help. • the path that bring you closer to Him. faithful, and self-sacrificing life-giving way.

4. What they symbolise • promise to love and care for faithfully • Faithful, everlasting love • God’s self-sacrificing love, and promise to help them love like this • Reminder of baptism: new life & new vocation as a married person What do the symbols of marriage mean ? Wedding Vows Wedding rings 1.Write out the symbols of marriage, and match them to what they symbolise. 2.What does God’s power do for the married couple in the Sacrament? White dress Mass In Church

5. Why does a marrying couple need a Sacrament of Marriage? What can God’s life and power do for them? • Choose the true ones • It will bless them with children • It makes them “one flesh” • It gives them God’s help to keep their vows, even when it is difficult • It allows them to have a nice wedding service in a nice Church • It gives them the task to love each other like Jesus did • It makes sure that they never have difficulties in their married life • It makes sure they will always have everything they want as a family Bullet point 3 things that God’s power does for the couple in the Sacrament of Marriage. Give it a subtitle! Which one do you think is the most important? **What do you think “becoming one flesh” means? .

6. Plan your Own Wedding Service I love you, (Name), and I know that this love is from God. Through all of the uncertainties and trials of the present and future, I promise to be faithful to you and love you. I promise to guide and protect you, as Christ does his Church, as long as we both shall live. Write your own wedding vows I, (name), take you (name), to be my (wife/husband), to have and to hold for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part • I promise to love you, (Name), with an unselfish devotion. I will care for you with tenderness, and I will always seek to strengthen you, comfort you, encourage you, and hold you up daily in prayer before our Heavenly Father. I pledge you my faithfulness and eternal love, from this day forward.

7. Can you identify and put the marriage service in order? Draw and label the 3 important parts of the Sacrament of Marriage – in order! Exchanging wedding rings Receiving the Eucharist as man and wife Saying wedding vows in public

8. Think of a word about marriage beginning with… • R • M • F • C • V • V

9. 5 in a group: Write an Order of Service for a Wedding • Two people – decide on and write out the 1st reading and the gospel • One person – write out the Vows the couple are going to say • One person write the priest’s sermon/ homily • One person write the priest’s opening greeting, questioning the couple and final blessing • Then put it all together, presenting it as a complete “Order of Service” with all the headings (as on the example sheet)