During the Divine Liturgy served on July 12, the Feast of the Holy Pre-eminent Apostles Sts. Peter and Paul, and with the blessing of His Eminence, the Very Most Reverend Metropolitan Hilarion, Reader Daniel Gregoire and Elizabeth Atkins, parishioners of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, were joined in Holy Matrimony.  The Mystery was celebrated by Priest John Johnson, with the assistance of Protodeacon John Cavin. As such services are not usually done in our days, a brochure printed for the occasion allowed the faithful to follow along.

We believe that anyone with an interest in Orthodox liturgics should find of some interest becoming acquainted with the order of this service.

The betrothal of Reader Daniel and Elizabeth took place on the eve, before the All-night Vigil Service for the Feast. On Sunday morning, at the conclusion of the 6th Hour, the clergy exited the Altar, and went to meet the betrothed couple in the Narthex.  After leading them to the ambo, Priest John Johnson gave each of them a white candle, and then, after the chanting of Psalm 127 and the refrain “Glory to Thee our God, Glory to Thee,” he asked them the traditional questions: “Hast thou a good, free, and unconstrained will and a firm intention…” Then, the betrothed couple took their places at the center of the temple, and the clergy returned to the Altar for the beginning of the Divine Liturgy. After the exclamation “Blessed is the Kingdom…” the deacon in the center of the church read the Great Litany, in which he included the pertinent petitions from the Mystery of Holy Matrimony. 

After the exclamation, “For unto Thee is due…” the priest, standing at the center of the temple, read the first prayer regarding those who were being joined in marriage, “O God most pure, the Creator of every living thing…”. After the first antiphon, he pronounced the second prayer, “Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God...”, and after the second antiphon, the third prayer, “O Holy God, Who didst create man out of the dust...”. At the conclusion of the third prayer, and as the third antiphon was being chanted, the clergy brought the Holy Gospels in procession from the Altar to the center of the temple, where the couple was standing.  The Holy Gospels were placed on the analogion.  At the conclusion of the third antiphon, the priest took the Crowns, blessed the groom and bride with them cross-wise, placed the Crowns on their heads, and blessed them both with the priestly blessing, “O Lord our God, crown them with glory and honor!” The Small Entrance was completed in the usual manner. In addition to the appointed readings of Sacred Scripture for the day, the Epistle and Gospel readings from the Mystery of Holy Matrimony were done.

At the Augmented Litany following the Gospel, the newlyweds were again commemorated, and after the exclamation, “For a merciful God art Thou, and the Lover of mankind…” the priest read the prayer, “O Lord our God, Who in Thy saving providence…”. The newlyweds were first to commune of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

After the prayer before the Ambo, the clergy exited the Altar, and went to the newlyweds standing at the center of the temple.  The priest joined the right hands of the groom and bride, and, covering the joined hands with his epitrachilion, and placing his own right hand over the epitrachilion, he led the newlyweds thrice about the central Analogion, to the usual accompaniment of “Rejoice, O Isaiah...”, “O Holy Martyrs …”, and “Glory to Thee, O Christ God…”.

At the conclusion of the procession, the priest removed the crowns from the heads of the groom and bride, and congratulated them with the words, “Be thou exalted O Bridegroom, like unto Abraham; and be thou blessed like unto Isaac; and do thou multiply like unto Jacob, walking in peace, and keeping the commandments of God in righteousness.” “And thou, O Bride: Be thou exalted like unto Sarah; and exult thou, like unto Rebecca; and do thou multiply, like unto Rachel. Rejoice thou in thy husbnd, fulfilling the conditions of the law; for so is it well-pleasing unto God.” 

The nuptial Liturgy concluded in the same way as does the usual Crowning Service, with the kissing of the Icons of the Savior and the Mother of God, and with the chanting of “Many Years.”

We offer our heart-felt congratulations to the newly wedded Reader Daniel and Elizabeth who I am sure will well remember the first day of their wedded life together.

Archpriest Victor Potapov

Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese 

The order of the Nuptial Liturgy you can download here.  

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