"On the Road to Marriage"

It should be noted that the fact that the text differs in form does not mean that the Guide is no
longer valid. In reality, the Guide for the catechist continues to be his support for the proper
assimilation of the message to be communicated, as well as the methodological orientations that
help him to do so.

CONTENTS

Communiqué of the Episcopal Conference of Costa Rica on catechesis for the

sacrament of Matrimony

Part One: General guidelines

I. Preparation for Marriage and Family Life

Promote the pastoral care of engaged couples

2. Importance of Marriage Preparation
3. A gradual and continuous process
4. The Celebration of Marriage
5. Accompanying young couples

II. Catechesis in preparation for the Sacrament of Marriage

Addressees
2. Objectives
3. Features
4. Contents
5. Methodological orientations
6. Catechists responsible for marriage preparation
7. Times and modalities
8. Thematic
9. The elements this Guide offers in each topic
10. Planning a catechetical encounter
11. The text of the bride and groom

Part Two: Development of the topics

The following are the topics, by units, with their corresponding orientation or "axis":

INTRODUCTORY TOPIC:

1. Marriage is not improvised: To receive the sacrament of Matrimony, an adequate

and special preparation is required. Preparation consists of knowing the Good News of
God about marriage and the family, and assuming the demands that derive from the
sacrament. Therefore, it is not about preparing for the wedding, but about preparing for
married and family life. Such preparation is done through an itinerary of faith.

FIRST MODULE: MAN AND WOMAN CREATED THEM - (anthropological module)

The dimensions of the human person; the human person, a being open to others and to God;
self-knowledge and self-esteem in the process of human development; the Christian vision of
sexuality; sexuality in the couple relationship; the elaboration of a couple project; the growth of
the couple in the horizon of love.

2. Who am I, who is my partner: to know each other in order to love each other:
The human being, created in the image of God, has the dignity of a person. Every human
being is an original subject, free, open to others and to God. In order to marry and form a
true "community of persons", the bride and groom need a basic psychological maturity.
To fulfill themselves as persons and collaborate in the human growth of the spouse as a
way to build the marriage.

Knowing and accepting yourself helps you to have a more sincere and deeper relationship
with your partner. You cannot love someone you do not know: that is why it is important
to know the future spouse well: his/her qualities and limitations, his/her ideas and
convictions, his/her emotional world, his/her values, needs and aspirations. God made
man and woman different and complementary: the challenge for the couple is to know
how to manage the differences and to know how to complement each other.

3. Communication in Marriage:The human person is a being who communicates. To

improve communication between spouses, it is necessary to know how to dialogue, to
know how to listen actively, to know how to express feelings positively and to know how
to resolve marital conflicts satisfactorily. Good communication enriches and fosters marital
harmony.

4. Sexuality at the service of love:The human being is a sexual being. Sexuality, as a

force for personal growth and as an interpersonal encounter, is ordered towards the
conjugal love of man and woman. Marriage is the sphere where the sexual relationship is
an expression of an oblative love. The sexuality of spouses acquires meaning when it is
oriented to the service of love and life.

SECOND MODULE: JESUS SAVES US IN COMMUNITY - (kerygmatic module)

Jesus, the incarnate Son of God; Jesus announces and makes present the reign of God; Jesus,
full response to the meaning of life; faith in Jesus Christ is lived in community; the Church,
community of faith, worship and love.

5. To the encounter with Jesus Christ who saves us:Jesus, the Son of God, born of
the Virgin Mary, becomes true man. It faithfully carries out its mission of proclaiming and
making present the Kingdom of God. For our sins and for our salvation, he dies on the
cross. God the Father resurrects him, manifesting that he is the Lord of life. The
resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of our faith.

6. Living members of the Church: The Church has its origin in God and is guided by
the Holy Spirit. As a community of believers, it has the mission to evangelize, making
present the liberating salvation of Jesus Christ. The foundation and central axis of
ecclesial life is Christ. The authentic believer is one who has a strong ecclesial identity.

7. The couple project:a love project:The couple is not born: the couple is "made", it is
built. It is necessary to elaborate a couple's project that visualizes the ideal of marriage
that one wishes to build. Such a project must contemplate all the dimensions of married
and family life. Love is the foundation that sustains and gives meaning to the couple's
project. God, in creating man and woman, established the intimate communion of life and
love between husband and wife. This is precisely God's plan for the human couple.

THIRD MODULE: GOD'S GOOD NEWS ON MARRIAGE AND FAMILY - (theological-moral

module)
Marriage as human reality, religious reality and Christian vocation; the sacramentality of
Marriage; the essential notes of marriage (unity, fidelity, indissolubility and fecundity); marriage
as a conjugal community of life and love; the transmission of life and the value of responsible
procreation; methods of family planning; the educational right-duty of parents; communication
and conjugal dialogue; conflicts in marriage; the Christian family as "domestic Church"; the
Christian life of the spouses; family participation in marriage; the Christian family as a "domestic
Church"; the Christian life of the spouses; the Christian family as a "domestic Church"; the
Christian life of the spouses; the family participation in marriage.The following are some of the
themes of the course: family planning methods; the educational rights and duties of parents;
communication and conjugal dialogue; conflicts in marriage; the Christian family as a "domestic
Church"; the Christian life of spouses; the participation of the family in the development of
society; the participation of the family in the life of the Church.

8. The Marriage:Jesus Christ is the sign (sacrament) of God and the Church is the
sacrament that makes visible the love and salvation of Christ. The sacraments are signs
that make present and efficacious the saving action of Jesus Christ. Marriage, as a union
of love between a man and a woman for life, was elevated by Christ to the dignity of a
sacrament. When a couple celebrates the sacrament of Matrimony, their love is a sign of
God's love for humanity and Christ's love for his Church.

9. Marriage, community of life and love: Marriage is a true vocation. Man and woman,
who are "married in the Lord", are called to become a conjugal community of life and
love. As a community of life, marriage requires the spouses to share life in all its
dimensions: as a community of love, marriage requires living the characteristics of
conjugal love: unity, fidelity, indissolubility and openness to fruitfulness.

10. Marriage, a fruitful and educating community:Married love is a fruitful love that
tends to procreation and the education of children. Human procreation is an expression of
love and a decision made with responsibility. The spouses are the ones who decide how
many children they want to have and when they want to have them. Parents are the first
educators and the first catechists of their own children.

11. Marriage, community of goods: Certainly, money has occupied a predominant

place in the minds and hearts of human beings. The couple has to know, share, analyze
and assume each other's (dynamic / vision) about the management of assets and money,
during the courtship and agree on it. Christ calls us to be good stewards and not to make
money an absolute, but a means for healthy coexistence, to share equitably and thus
honor Him. Let us learn to have a good management of the money and goods of
marriage, in order to witness the concrete experience of reciprocal love.

12. The Christian family:at the service of the Church and society: The Christian family
is called to be a reality of openness, service and solidarity. As a small "domestic Church",
it must welcome, celebrate, live and proclaim the Word of God. From a community
perspective, the family has two major tasks: to participate in the life and mission of the
church (ecclesial role) and to participate in the development of society (social role).

FOURTH MODULE: TOWARDS AN ECCLESIAL, MEANINGFUL AND VALID CELEBRATION

OF MARRIAGE - (canonical and liturgical module)

The valid celebration of marriage; canonical impediments; the liturgical celebration of marriage;
the structure and meaning of the sacramental rite of marriage.

13. The valid celebration of Marriage:The Church has elaborated laws to guarantee
the validity and lawfulness of the sacrament of Marriage. For a marriage to be valid, the
contracting parties must be legally ABLE (free of impediments), they must be CAPABLE OF
GIVING MARITAL CONSENT and the liturgical celebration of the marriage must be carried
out IN A VALID FORM (canonical form).
14. The liturgical celebration of Marriage:The celebration of Marriage is a sacramental
celebration and, therefore, ecclesial. The liturgy of Marriage includes the following
moments: scrutiny, consent, blessing and presentation of the rings; blessing and
presentation of the arras and prayer of the faithful.