How I Became Mrs. Watts ✓

How I Became Mrs. Watts (17)

CHAPTER 17

***Monday***

“Guten Morgen, Ella,” Andrew told me as I took my seat. I smiled at his use of random German.

“Good morning to you too,” I replied. He smiled, I suppose, at the fact that I could translate his greeting.

“Was machst du diesesWochenende?” He asked what I was doing this weekend.

“Um, Ichweissnicht.” I don't know.

“Gut.” Good.

“Warum?” I asked. Why?

“I thought you'd like to come to a play date of Oliver's. This couple has a little girl Oliver's age and they play together, but it's always awkward when I go by myself. I was hoping you'd join me,” he said, switching back to English.

“Yeah, okay. That sounds like fun actually.”

“Good.” Gut, I thought with a grin. “What?”

“Gut,” I said. He nodded and smiled too. I knew that he didn't fully understand, but he let it go.

“Take your seats please,” Andrew said. I looked around, shocked at how I didn't notice the others. Andrew smiled, knowing the reason for my confusion.

“So, I'll be talking about Matrimony, or Marriage, today, and, before we begin, I'd like to tell you that I've been married.”

A boy raised his hand and said, “So you're going to be telling us about a sacrament that you've disgraced by your, I'm assuming, divorce?”

“Stop being so inconsiderate!” I told the boy, “He's not divorced, and you can't assume anything but the straightness of a line!” I was beyond furious at him. How dare he talk to Andrew like that?!

“No,” Andrew said calmly, settling me down with his voice, “I'm not divorced. My wife died.”

“Oh, I take what I said back, sorry,” the boy said.

“It's okay, it's just a little misunderstanding,” Andrew said. I wondered how he could forgive the boy so easily. He then continued with his lecture, “Anyway, as I was saying, this sacrament can be called either Marriage or Matrimony. The CCC says this, 'The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament.'1

“Other religions and cultures are beginning to accept and legalize marriages between two men or two women. The Catholic Church had always taught that marriage was to be between a man and a woman. Saint Paul said, 'Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church.'2

“'The marriage covenant, by which a man and a woman form with each other an intimate communion of life and love, has been founded and endowed with its own special laws by the Creator. By its very nature it is ordered to the good of the couple, as well as to the generation and education of children. Christ the Lord raised marriage between the baptized to the dignity of a sacrament.'3

“Some other notes can be found in number 1664, 'Unity, indissolubility, and openness to fertility are essential to marriage. Polygamy is incompatible with the unity of marriage; divorce separates what God has joined together; the refusal of fertility turns married life away from its “supreme gift,” the child.'4

“And, if anyone was wondering, but was too scared to ask, which is foolish because you should feel free to ask any question, I do have a child: a little boy named Oliver.

“Marriage is one of the most beautiful sacraments we have, not that the others aren't beautiful too. It brings two together to be one and signifies the union of Christ and the Church.

“The matter of Matrimony is the man and the woman. The form is their consent to be married,” he concluded as we were dismissed.

I waited patiently. “'You can't assume anything but the straightness of a line'?”

I shrugged, “My geometry teacher from sophomore year taught us that.”

He laughed, “It's just great.”

“I know,” I laughed with him.

1CCC no. 1601

2Ephesians, 5:25

3CCC no. 1660

4CCC no. 1664