THE SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE
Marriage is one of the seven Sacraments of the Greek Orthodox Church.
It is the Sacrament during which the bride and groom give a solemn
promise before God and the Church to love each other and to be true to
each other. The marriage service, as performed in the Orthodox Church,
is a very beautiful service full of symbols. The service actually consists
of two parts, the Service of the Betrothal and the Service of the Crowning.
The Service Of The Betrothal
The Betrothal consists of several beautiful prayers during which the
priest asks God to grant the betrothed perfect and peaceful love, salvation,
and to bless them with fair children.
Exchange Of Rings
During the Betrothal, the rings are blessed over the heads of the bride
and groom three times, after which they are placed on the fourth finger
of the right hand. The exchanging of the rings by the Koumbaros, the
official sponsor of the marriage, symbolizes the unbreakable bond of
Christian Marriage. Marriage is not for today or tomorrow but forever.
The Betrothal ends with a prayer that the Lord might make strong their
Betrothal in faith, truth, and love, and make them of one mind; and-that
He would grant them His heavenly blessings.
The Joining Of Hands
During the Service of the Crowning, three long prayers are read, asking
God to grant the bride and groom a long and peaceful life, mutual love
and help, happiness, and health. Then the right hands of the couple are
joined by the priest who calls upon God to join them into one mind and
one flesh.
The Crowning
The priest takes up the crowns and makes the sign of the cross three
times each over the heads of the bride and groom, and then places the
crowns on their heads. The crowns are a symbol that the newly married
couple receive the grace of the Holy Spirit to be the founders of a new
generation and are crowned with virtue and holiness to serve all their
lives to the glory of Almighty God.
Bible Reading
Following The Crowning, Saint Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians (5:20-
33) concerning the mystery and holiness of Christian Marriage and the
duties and responsibilities of the husband and wife to each other is read
by the Priest; and Saint John’s Gospel on Christ’s miracle at the Marriage
of Cana (2:1-12) is read by the priest to show that our Lord Jesus
Christ blessed the sacred institution of Marriage.
The Common Cup
The drinking from “the Common Cup" is the next point in the service.
The priest gives to the husband and wife to drink from a cup of wine
three times each. This is not Holy Communion, but it symbolizes that
they now share with each other every joy and sorrow.
The Circling Of The Table
The priest takes the bride and groom by the hand and leads them around
the small table three times while three beautiful and joyous hymns are
chanted. The circle symbolizes eternity. By circling around the table,
the couple signify their oath to preserve their marriage bond forever,
until death shall break it. The triple circling is in honor of the Holy
Trinity.
Benediction
Finally, the Priest lifts the crowns from their heads with special words
of blessing to the newlyweds, thus ending the Marriage ceremony.
Lighted Candles
The bride and groom are given white lighted candles to hold. The
lighted candles symbolize the purity of their lives, which should shine
with the light of virtue.