Marriage as a journey : changing perspectives in M.G. Lawlers theology of marriage

Abstract

In Maltese culture a lot of emphasis is put on the wedding event, but apart from the obligatory course organised by Cana Movement, some other short meetings before the wedding date and a quarter of an hour 'test' by the parish priest, nothing is asked from a couple who is approaching Catholic Marriage. All this might give the impression that the wedding ceremony is the climax of marriage. Through my own experience of marriage, this is not the case. The wedding ceremony is the seal of previous decisions taken, but it is also the starting point of the spouses' life as husband and wife. Since pre-marriage decisions affect life that follows the wedding ceremony, I wish to delve into the concept of marriage as a journey - a continuum in life. This journey does not only involve the couple, but continues through a cycle from one generation to the next. During my studies in Family Ministry I have come across changes in the interpretation of marriage with the introduction of the Personalist challenge; for example, from an understanding of marriage highlighting the institution of marriage as a procreative union to an interpersonal one. There has also been a change from the use of 'contract' to that of 'covenant'. But do persons approaching marriage understand the significance of this difference or is it only a change in vocabulary? Hopefully, this dissertation may highlight the true meaning of Christian marriage while discussing the changes in perspective that occurred and those that are still in the process of taking place.