How often do we hear couples having playful or loving nicknames for each other, especially at the beginning of their relationship or marriage? Those names often reference the uniqueness of that couple’s love for each other. Perhaps the best image to have for a better understanding of the sacrament of marriage is to look upon your spouse as an ox.

Some married couples may wholeheartedly agree with calling their spouse an ox, but I’m not referring to those reasons. The Lord perhaps can give reason why a spouse is an ox and invites us to reflect on the profound mystery and sanctity of marriage.

In the Book of Genesis, we hear the words, “It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him” (2:18). This divine declaration underscores the importance of companionship and mutual support. God created Eve as a partner for Adam, not to serve him but to share in the fullness of life together. The unity between Adam and Eve is so profound that they become “one flesh” (2:24). This unity is not merely physical but deeply spiritual and emotional. It is a bond that God Himself establishes.

Jesus reaffirms this sacred bond in Mark’s Gospel, quoting Genesis, “‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, no human being must separate” (10:7–9). In this memorable statement, Christ appeals to the divine institution of marriage (Gn. 2:24) to point out that marriage is the strongest human bond that transforms two people into “one flesh.” Moreover, Jesus affirms that God Himself is the one who actually joins a couple in marriage.

The Greek word used for joined together (synezeuxen) literally means yoked together. To understand the nature of the marital bond better, let us consider the image of the yoke, which was a wooden bar used to connect two oxen or other draft animals, allowing them to work together in pulling a plow or cart. Just as a yoke is custom-made to fit each pair of oxen, so too is marriage uniquely suited to each couple. The yoke ensures that both oxen pull equally and support each other. If one oxen falls or becomes tired, the other helps to carry the load or helps lift the fallen one. Similarly, in marriage, spouses are called to support and lift each other through life’s challenges. When one partner is weak, the other must provide strength; when one stumbles, the other should offer a hand.

In our contemporary society, we might sometimes forget that the primary purpose of marriage is not just companionship but holiness. Marriage is a vocation, a call to grow in sanctity and to support each other on the journey to eternal life. The Letter to the Hebrews reminds us, “He who consecrates and those who are being consecrated all have one origin” (2:11). Marriage is not merely a human arrangement but a sacrament that consecrates the couple and unites them in their common origin in Christ.

Marriage, like the yoke, demands a commitment to working together in both joy and hardship. It requires that spouses be willing to bear each other’s burdens and share each other’s joys. The physical and spiritual life can be tiring, but each has to wait for the other. If one spouse leaves the other behind, inevitably there will be a fracture in the bond. Selfishness cracks the yoke. What was I, me, and mine had become through marriage we, us, and ours. When spouses forget that the two are yoked as one flesh, they fail to realize that what benefits one will benefit the other and what will harm one will harm the other in return.

The sacramental nature of marriage transforms the natural bond between husband and wife into something divine. By Christ’s own sacrifice and His union with the Church, He models the perfect love that spouses are called to emulate. Just as Christ gave Himself entirely for the Church, so too are spouses called to a self-giving, sacrificial love. The rings exchanged are the external sign of being yoked together through their internal giving and receiving of the sacred vows. The couple’s confidence in Christ’s loving presence in their marriage allows the psalmist’s response to be the couple’s daily petition, “May the Lord bless us all the days of our life.” This blessing is not just for individual happiness but for the flourishing of the family and the broader community. When couples live out their marriage in faithfulness, they become witnesses of God’s love and grace.

Just as the sacrament of marriage calls a couple to be yoked together in love and faithfulness, each Christian is called to walk side by side with Christ, to be supported by Him in our vocation, and to be disposed to receive the grace to grow in holiness each day. The challenges and burdens of life are easier to bear when we are united in Christ, pulling together in the yoke of love that He has blessed. May we always strive to live out our vocations with the grace and strength that comes from God, knowing that He has blessed us and will be with us all the days of our lives.

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