SCHEDULE for Holy Week and Easter 2024
at St Lazarus Serbian Orthodox Church - Alexandria
Wedding Ceremony
The Ceremony of Marriage
According to the Rites of The Serbian Orthodox Church
Marriage is a Sacrament, a Mystery of the Orthodox Church, through which the union of man and woman is sanctified by God. The Orthodox marriage ceremony, an ancient Christian wedding rite, is steeped in ritual and symbolism, reflecting the theology of the Church.
The Ceremony comprises Two Parts:
-
The Betrothal Service with the official Blessing of the Rings
-
The Marriage Service - Crowning of the Bride and Groom
The Betrothal Service
The couple stands facing the Priest at the Royal Door of the Holy Altar, the Groom on the right, the Bride on the left. Two Betrothal Rings are placed at the Holy Altar.
The Groom and the Bride each hold a lit candle in their left hand as a reminder that Christ is “the Light of the world” Who offers Himself as illumination for the couple that they “will not walk in darkness but will have the Light of life”.
The Priest begins the Service intoning: “Blessed is our God always, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen”. He then recites the Litany in which he beseeches the Lord for the salvation of the Bride and Groom; to send down upon them perfect and peaceful love; to preserve them in steadfastness of faith; to bless them with a blameless life; to grant them an honorable marriage. He concludes the Litany glorifying God: “For to You belong all glory, honor and worship, to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit”.
Two more prayers are recited asking God to set a unity upon the Couple which cannot be broken; a blessing of peace; oneness of mind; a spirit of truth and love.
The Priest takes the Bride’s Ring and saying three times: “The servant of God … (groom) is betrothed to the servant of God … (bride) in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”, making the sign of the Cross upon them (each time), and (after third time) places the ring on the tip of ring finger of the Groom’s right hand.
The same procedure is repeated again (three times) with the Groom’s Ring, making the sign of the Cross upon couple, and (after third time) placing it on the Bride’s right hand’s ring finger tip, signifying the equality of man and woman in the eyes of God. The Bride’s Ring is placed on the Groom’s finger and Groom’s Ring on the Bride’s finger.
The First Witness or the Best Man (Kum) steps in front of the couple and exchanges the rings in the following manner: with his hands crossed (right upon left) he simultaneously takes the Rings off the fingers and places them simultaneously on (on ring fingers’ tips of couple’s right hands) without crossing his hands and leaves the rings placed there. He repeats that three times. After three exchanges the Groom’s and Bride’s Rings are fittingly placed where they belong, so the Best Man fits them appropriately and resumes his places behind the groom.
During the exchange of rings the Priest recites a prayer beseeching God to … “bless this putting on of rings with a heavenly blessing” and “that an Angel of the Lord goes before these Your servants, all the days of their life”.
Here ends the Betrothal Service and the Bridal Couple follow the priest (walking behind him) to the middle of church, followed by two witnesses, keeping the same position order as when they were standing before (Groom on the right-hand side of the Bride and the Bride on the left-hand side of the Groom). During the walk the choir repeatedly sings, “Glory to You, our God, glory to You”, between the verses from Psalm 127, recited by the priest who walks in front of the Bridal Couple “incensing” them.
The Crowning Service
The rite is performed by a Priest who stands before a ceremonial table which is placed in the middle of the church. Upon the table are placed the Holy Gospel, the Wedding Crowns, a sash for tying the hands together, and a cup of wine.
The Marriage Service is called “Vencanje” in Serbian, meaning crowning (“venac” = crown). The Priest commences the Service by intoning: “Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages”. He then recites a series of petitions and prayers beseeching the Lord to “bless this marriage, granting to Your servants, long life, purity, mutual love in the bond of peace, enduring prosperity, the blessing of children and the unfading crown of glory.”
The Joining of Hands
The Priest then beseeches God “to unite the bridal couple in concord and crown them in one flesh”. At this point the right hands of the Bride and Groom are joined by the Priest and tied with a white sash (usually a piece of silk, long enough to be tied in a double knot). They remain joined throughout the remainder of the Service symbolizing the “oneness” of the couple.
Crowning
The Crowning Ceremony is the climax of the Marriage Service. In the Orthodox Church each wedding is a form of Coronation Service. Since the Bride and Groom are regarded as part of the “royal family” of God, they are crowned king and queen of their own dominion – their new fellowship and family. Crowns are a symbol of victory for those who “have fought the good fight” of the Christian life and “have kept the faith.” In short, both they and the actual office of marriage are given great honor.
The Crowns were usually plaited of lemon blossoms or flowers. Today they are often made of silver or gold. They are a sign of the bond between the Bride and Groom and represent the glory and honor which God bestows upon the couple who have observed His Commandments.
The beautiful and significant symbolism of the crown is expressed in the words of the priest before placing them on couple. Making the sign of the Cross, he exclaims: “The servant of God … (groom) is crowned for the servant of God … (bride) in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen” (three times).
Similarly, signifying equality once again and making the sign of the Cross, the Priest exclaims: “the servant of God … (bride) is crowned for servant of God … (groom) in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen” (three times).
These words indicate that one’s great glory in marriage is the one that he/she has chosen to join to for the rest of life.
The Priest then exclaims: “Lord our God, crown them in glory and honor.”
The Bible Reading
With the Crowns now placed on the heads of the Bride and Groom, uniting them as Husband and Wife, the Epistle is read from St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians 5:20-33. The Gospel is then read from John 2:1-11.
The Common Cup
That Jesus chose a wedding to enact his first miracle is the most profound indication of the dignity attributed to the union of man and woman by God. Since the changing of water into wine at Cana, Jesus continues to change the ‘water’ of ordinary relationships into the ‘wine’ of Sacramental marriage. In remembrance of Christ’s first miracle, therefore, a cup of wine is shared by the Bride and Groom as a sign of unity with each other and with Christ.
This is not Holy Communion. Rather, it is a symbol of the “common cup of life,” a sign denoting the mutual sharing of joy and sorrow, a token of harmony. The Priest offers the cup, firstly to the Groom then to the Bride.
The Dance of Isaiah
The procession, a symbolic dance for the joy of God’s presence, is conducted in a circular fashion with the Holy Gospel in the hands of the priest (or placed in the middle of a circle) who leads the couple holding their united hands. This highlights the Church’s prayerful desire that the life of the couple will walk through life inspired by the Church, led by the infallible and secure Word of God and having Christ the Word of God as the center of their life.
During the Procession, the Priest and the choir sing the Hymn “Rejoice, Isaiah, the Virgin has conceived and has brought forth a son, the Emmanuel, both God and Man: Dayspring is His name. As we magnify Him, we call the Virgin Blessed.” The second and third Hymns remind the newlyweds of the virtuous lives of the Saints and Martyrs whose faith and sacrifice they are called to emulate.
Removal of Crowns
Following the procession, the Priest places his hand on the Groom’s head saying, “May you be magnified, o Bridegroom, like Abraham, and be blessed like Isaac and be fruitful like Jacob as you go in peace, fulfilling in righteousness the Commandments of God.”
Likewise, placing his hand on the Bride’s head, the Priest says: “And you, o Bride, may you be magnified like Sarah and rejoice like Rebecca and be fruitful like Rachel, rejoicing in your own husband and observing the limits of the law, for so God is well pleased.”
During the ensuing prayer, the priest removes the Crowns from the newlyweds’ heads praying: “O God, our God, Who when You were present in Cana of Galilee blessed the marriage there, bless also these Your servants who have been joined together by Your providence in the fellowship of Marriage; bless their comings in and their goings out; make their lives fruitful for good; take their Crowns unto Your kingdom and preserve them blameless, guileless and unstained unto the ages of ages. Amen.”