“The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life.”
Also in this document. Partnership implies an equality between the spouses.
In Catholic teaching, the emphasis is on the complimentarity of spouses, not on one spouse being subject to another. The official interpretation of this passage does not have the wife as inferior.
Also the obedience in those vows does not constitute a “vow of obedience”. They’re marriage vows, not religious vows. Your wife is not required to “submit” to every thing you say.
I just think if you don’t love this woman passionately and you are asking yourself if you should marry her at all then you shouldn’t be getting married to her.
This is an explanation of this verse (Col 3:18) from the Navarre Bible:
*18-19. In the period when this epistle was written, especially in the
East, women were regarded as inferior to men. St Paul does not make a
direct attack on the customs of his time, but the way he focuses the
question of the role of women provides the elements of an answer to it.
He identifies what a woman’s role in the family should be: it is true
that the husband has an important part to play, but the wife also has a
role to perform and one which is non-transferable. The wife is not the
husband’s slave: she is his equal in dignity and must be treated by him
with respect and sincere love. It is taken for granted that the family
needs a center of authority, and that this authority belongs to the
husband, in accordance with God’s design (cf. 1 Cor 11:3, 12-14). “The
place and task of the father in and for the family is of unique and
irreplaceable importance …]. In revealing and in reliving on earth
the very fatherhood of God (cf. Eph 3:15), a man is called upon to
ensure the harmonious and united development of all the members of the
family” (John Paul II, “Familiaris Consortio”, 25).
God gave Eve to Adam as his inseparable companion and complement (cf.
Gen 2:18); she was therefore duty-bound to live in peace with him. Man
and woman have different, though complementary, roles in family life;
they are equal in dignity, by virtue of the fact that they are human
persons: “The unity of marriage, distinctly recognized by our Lord, is
made clear in the equal personal dignity which must be accorded to man
and woman in mutual and unreserved affection” (Vatican II, “Gaudium Et
Spes”, 49).
Therefore, a husband should make a special effort to love and respect
his wife: “You are not her master”, writes Saint Ambrose, “but her
husband; she was not given to you to be your slave, but your wife
…]. Reciprocate her attentiveness to you and be grateful to her for
her love” (“Exameron”, 5, 7, 19 quoted in “Familiaris Consortio”, 25).*
Also in this document. Partnership implies an equality between the spouses.
In Catholic teaching, the emphasis is on the complimentarity of spouses, not on one spouse being subject to another. The official interpretation of this passage does not have the wife as inferior.
Also the obedience in those vows does not constitute a “vow of obedience”. They’re marriage vows, not religious vows. Your wife is not required to “submit” to every thing you say.
I just think if you don’t love this woman passionately and you are asking yourself if you should marry her at all then you shouldn’t be getting married to her.
This is an explanation of this verse (Col 3:18) from the Navarre Bible:
*18-19. In the period when this epistle was written, especially in the
East, women were regarded as inferior to men. St Paul does not make a
direct attack on the customs of his time, but the way he focuses the
question of the role of women provides the elements of an answer to it.
He identifies what a woman’s role in the family should be: it is true
that the husband has an important part to play, but the wife also has a
role to perform and one which is non-transferable. The wife is not the
husband’s slave: she is his equal in dignity and must be treated by him
with respect and sincere love. It is taken for granted that the family
needs a center of authority, and that this authority belongs to the
husband, in accordance with God’s design (cf. 1 Cor 11:3, 12-14). “The
place and task of the father in and for the family is of unique and
irreplaceable importance …]. In revealing and in reliving on earth
the very fatherhood of God (cf. Eph 3:15), a man is called upon to
ensure the harmonious and united development of all the members of the
family” (John Paul II, “Familiaris Consortio”, 25).
God gave Eve to Adam as his inseparable companion and complement (cf.
Gen 2:18); she was therefore duty-bound to live in peace with him. Man
and woman have different, though complementary, roles in family life;
they are equal in dignity, by virtue of the fact that they are human
persons: “The unity of marriage, distinctly recognized by our Lord, is
made clear in the equal personal dignity which must be accorded to man
and woman in mutual and unreserved affection” (Vatican II, “Gaudium Et
Spes”, 49).
Therefore, a husband should make a special effort to love and respect
his wife: “You are not her master”, writes Saint Ambrose, “but her
husband; she was not given to you to be your slave, but your wife
…]. Reciprocate her attentiveness to you and be grateful to her for
her love” (“Exameron”, 5, 7, 19 quoted in “Familiaris Consortio”, 25).*
