In Christian marriage, spouses model the love and self-gift of Christ. By giving of themselves and serving one another, their family, and community, they help one another live out Christ’s call to discipleship, love, and service. Marriage provides a foundation for a family committed to community, solidarity, and Jesus’ mission in the world.
The mutual love of spouses reflects God’s own love for humanity (Catechism of the Catholic Church [CCC], no. 1604). In Scripture, God’s “communion of love” with his people is seen in the covenant he forms with them, as well as in Jesus’ self-offering on the Cross. The covenant of love into which spouses enter in marriage reflects the love of Christ for the Church and his self-gift on behalf of humanity (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church [Compendium], no. 219). usccb.org