Categories: orthodox-life, friends
Date: 10 September 2006 14:14:15
To Wissam, who was my sponsor on my reception into the Orthodox Church, and his bride Olga, who were married today. Despite the damp weather here, spirits could not be dampened on this most joyous occasion.
The Sacrament of Marriage in the Orthodox Church is of a very different style to that in the Western churches: and, in fact, most services in Orthodoxy are somewhat different. There are two parts, the Service of Betrothal and the Service of Crowning. In the Betrothal Service, among the various prayers, rings are blessed and exchanged. In the Crowning Service, after a number of prayers, including the recollection of various Old Testament marriages and saving works of God, the couple are given crowns, which symbolise both the joy and dignity of the married life, but can also be seen as crowns of martyrdom, as marriage involves self-sacrifice from both parties. Reflecting this thought of martyrdrom, in the final prayers Holy and Great Martyr Procopius is invoked as, as explained on that page, his beheading while praying for the needy and the Church is an example for all, and to the couple in particular on this there marriage day, to endure to the end and receive the crown in heaven.
The reception was at the beautiful Le Montage, and fine food was had among the celebrations: and the celebrations certainly put your average 'anglo' wedding to shame. Loud music and constant dancing: dancing like there's no tomorrow and with such joy. I had one distraction though: there was a man who for all the world looked, and moved, like Leslie Jordan's character Beverley Leslie in Will and Grace: even down to his outfit: it was all I could think of!
The speeches were absolutely beautiful to hear: they showed the deep love of family, the deep love all have for God, and, of course, the love Wissam and Olga share. My congratulations to them and my prayers for a long and blessed life together: many, many years.
I'll leave you with one of the many prayers from the Marriage Service, this one from the Service of Crowning and a little while before the crowns are placed on their heads:
Bless them, O Lord our God, as you blessed Abraham and Sarah, Issac and Rebecca, Jacob and all the Patriarchs, Joseph and Asenath, Moses and Zipporah, Joachim and Anna, Zacharias and Elizabeth. Guard them, O Lord our God, as you guarded Noah in the Ark, Jonah in the belly of the whale, and the three holy youths from the fire, by sending upon them dew from heaven; and let there come upon them that great joy which the blessed Helena felt when she found the precious Cross.