![]() The priest says a special prayer to bless the oil: "As a weapon for righteousness and justice an anointing for purity and incorruptibility radiance and beauty that will never fade, and a renewal and salvation for their souls, their bodies and their spirits." The deacons respond at the end of each section by singing a joyful 'Amen.' Then the priest anoints the couple. The priest asks for spiritual blessing and real unity for the couple, "That they may have happiness, keep the right faith, and enter into the mystery of joyfulness." He also prays that God will "Grant them prosperity, wisdom, and the blessings of salvation" and grant them godly children, "For life, O Lord, comes from You, and the fruit of life from the womb." In this, the priest and all the congregation ask God for His mercy to bless the groom and bride as He blessed Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachel, Joseph and Asenath, and as He also blessed the wedding at Cana of Galilee by His gracious presence. " What God has joined together let not man separate." (Mt. ![]() " He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female'" (Mt. Paul's letter to the Ephesians (5:22 - 6:3)in which the Apostle draws our attention to the proper foundations for the Christian home.Īfter Holy Book of Psalm 19:5,6 " Like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber" and Psalm 128:3 "Y our wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house" are read, there follows the Gospel according to St. Amen! Blessed is God the Father, blessed is the only Son, and blessed is the Holy Spirit," is done for the newly married couple and their wedding rings, as a blessing for the partners and for their partnership, and for the covenant of love between them.Ī passage is read from St. The blessing, "In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, One God. ![]() ![]() He draws the altar’s veil and starts the prayers. The priest takes the rings and ties them with a scarlet ribbon symbolizing the union of the couple with the blood of Christ. Then the priest wears his epitrachelion and deacons bring the bride and groom in a procession into the church. The priest prepares the wedding contract and the bride and groom sign it before the start of the crowning ceremony. In the old days, there was a custom, based on the Book of Tobit, that the newly married couple should spend the first three days of marriage abstaining from physical contact in order to deepen their spiritual love and thus to unite in and with the Lord. In this way, they are prepared to receive Holy Communion as the first act performed immediately after their marriage. For just as the monk becomes wed to the Lord, so do the bride and groom become wed to each other in the Lord. The Crowning ceremony used to take place between the Raising of Incense at Matins and the Eucharistic Liturgy, just as the rites of monasticism do now. Everything in the ceremony has a special meaning and significance, especially the repetition of the signing of the cross and the blessing three times to symbolize and to invoke the mystical presence of the Holy Trinity. In those prayers, we call on God's Spirit to bless the bride and groom and to sanctify their union. As a holy Sacrament, marriage requires canonical prayers. The wedding ceremony is more appropriately called 'The Crowning Ceremony', because during the ceremony the groom and bride are crowned with crowns symbolizing kingship and queenship over the new kingdom, their home.īeing a sacrament, the Crowning ceremony has to be officiated by an ordained priest, because he alone has the church authority to carry it out. What is the interpretation of the wedding ceremony, in specific, the role of the priest(s) and the key parts of the ceremony and symbolism behind it? What are the significant differences of American/western traditions versus that of the Egyptian/Coptic culture? Marriage is one of the seven sacraments of our Coptic Orthodox Church. Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States - Q&AĪ B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |