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Andrea and Brian's Wedding - Photos with narration of the meaning of the key elements of the ceremony. (10 min)
On Marriage and Family Life by John Chrysostom
In these sermons St. John Chrysostom, based on the epistles of St. Paul, we can find an important view on married life. Although a monk himself, Saint John Chrysostom had a profound understanding of his congregation's needs.He says marriage was primarily established by God to promote holiness of the husband and wife, and only secondarily to produce children. He tell us that the pleasure of sex in marriage is good and gently reprimands those married people who think they are doing well to abstain from sexual relations. In addition he discusses the mutual responsibilities of wives and husbands on the basis of Ephesians 5:22-33. He insists on the equal responsibility of husband and wife to preserve the integrity of their marriage. In regard to children he urges parents to take great care with their upbringing and in particular to provide their children with good examples to counter bad examples offered by popular entertainments. While he writes from a different time, most of his advice has a timeless relevance for the Christian family.