"Let all kinds of submission to one another, become obedience to CHRIST. So, wives, to their husbands, as to the LORD.
The husband is the head of his wife, as CHRIST is the head of the church, HIS body, of whom HE is also the Savior. And as the church submits to CHRIST, so let a wife submit in everything to her husband.
As for you, husbands, love your wives as CHRIST loved the Church and gave HIMSELF up for her. HE washed her and made her holy by baptism in the Word. As HE wanted a radiant Church without stain or wrinkle or any blemish, but holy and blameless, HE HIMSELF had to prepare and present her to HIMSELF.
In the same way, husbands should love their wives as they love their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. And no one has ever hated his body; he feeds and takes care of it. That is just what CHRIST does for the Church, because we are members of HIS body.
Scripture says: Because of this a man shall leave his father and mother to be united with his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a very great mystery, and I refer to CHRIST and the Church. As for you, let each one love his wife as himself, and let the wife respect her husband." - Ephesians 5:21-33
(HE gave HIMSELF up for her. CHRIST finds us in our sins, and HE takes charge of us, even to the ultimate consequences: HE gives HIS life to purify us. This is the way to show the main quality of Christian love, which is faithfulness. The self-gift of the spouse is permanent and from that moment on, each will do his best to save the other, that is, to help the other grow and be better. The perfect couple is not the one that lives without problems and accepts mediocrity, but the two who compel each other to give their best.
HE washed her by the baptism in the Word [see James 1:18-21 and John 15:3]. If the ritual of baptism is important, what is even more important is for us to welcome the Word of GOD that gives us life.
Many young people flee marriage, partly because they fear a risk [total fidelity is indeed a way of losing one's life: Mark 8:35], partly because they consider that their love is their own business. Paul shows that CHRIST's love for us, however personal it may be, never forgets HIS love for all those who make up HIS body. It is an example: married Christians are invited to have their place in the transformation of the world through the radiation of their love and their service to others.)
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