_|_ | C O P | N E T Acknowledgment: -------------- This translation of the sacrament of Holy Matrimony was made available to Copt-Net through the efforts of Kathryn Welter, from the congregation of St Mark Coptic Orthodox Church in Boston. This translation is based on a rather preliminary translation from the Arabic Coptic Book of Prayer for Deacons (khedmet el-shammas). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Sacrament of Holy Matrimony Throughout the service rubrics, P is used to indicate the priest, D indicates the deacon, and C indicates the congregation. Also, the symbol [Groom] should be replace with the first name of the groom and [Bride] should be replace with the first name of the bride. Please notice that in many cases, several parts of the service could be ommitted or are said in secret. If you plan to use the following text to produce a formatted booklet for a wedding, it may be a good idea to coordinate with the presiding priest to find out what sections should be included in the booklet. INVOCATION ---------- P In the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we declare the marriage of the blessed Orthodox son [Groom] to the blessed Orthodox daughter [Bride]. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Blessed be God, the Father Almighty. D Amen. C The Lord's Prayer P In the name of our Lord and our God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, we declare the marriage of the blessed Orthodox daughter [Bride] to the blessed Orthodox son [Groom]. Blessed be the Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ our Lord. D Amen. C The Lord's Prayer P In the name of our Lord and our God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, we complete the marriage of the blessed Orthodox son [Groom] to the blessed Orthodox daughter [Bride]. Blessed be the Holy Spirit the Comforter. D Amen. C The Lord's Prayer. (Prayer) D Stand up to pray. The priest, bowing towards his fellow priests, faces the west and signs the Cross over the people. P Peace be with you all. C And with your spirit. The PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING -------------------------- P Let us give thanks unto the Beneficient and Merciful God, the Father of our Lord God and Savior, Jesus Christ. For He has covered us, supported us, preserved us, accepted us unto Him, had compassion on us, sustained us and brought us unto this hour. Let us then ask Him, The Almighty Lord our God, to keep us in all peace this holy day and all the days of our life. D Pray C Lord, have mercy (Kyrie eleison) P O Master, Lord, God Almighty, Father of our Lord, our God, our Savior, Jesus Christ, We thank you upon every condition, for any condition, and in whatever condition. For you have covered us, supported us, preserved us, accepted us unto you, had compassion on us, sustained us and brought us unto this hour. D Pray that God have mercy upon us, pity us, hear us, help us, accept the prayers and supplications of His Saints for our good at all times and forgive our sins. C Lord have mercy. (Kyrie eleison) P Wherefore we pray and entreat your goodness, O Lover-of- mankind. Grant us to complete this holy day and all the days of our life in all peace with your fear. All envy, all temptation, all the working of Satan, the intrique of wicked people, the rising up of enemies, hidden and manifest, (He bows himself eastward and crosses himself) Do cast away from us, (He turns westward and crosses the people) And from all your people, (He faces the east and crosses the Altar.) And from your holy place, And from this bride and the groom, Whereas of things that are good and useful do grant unto us. For you are He who gave us the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions and every power of the enemy. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Through the grace and mercies and love-of-man of your only- Begotten Son, Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ. Through whom is due unto you glory and honor and power together with Him and the Holy Spirit the Life-giving who is consubstantial with you now and ever, and to the ages of all ages, Amen. D "This is the censer of pure gold, holding sweet aroma, in the hands of Aaron the Priest, offering up incense upon the altar." Numbers 16:17-18 (sung in Coptic) We worship Thee, O Christ, with Thy good Father and Thy Holy Spirit, for Thou didst come and didst save us. INTRODUCTION AND FIRST EPISTLE ------------------------------ D The first Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians. Let his blessings be with us all. Amen. Paul, called to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, into the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ: that in every thing you are enriched by Him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge: even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: so that you come behind in no gift: waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Who shall also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called to the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you: but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgement. The Grace of God the Father be with us all. Amen. SANCTUS (sung in Coptic) ------- C Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, Who was born of the Virgin, have mercy upon us. Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, Who was crucified for us, have mercy upon us. Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, Who rose from the dead and ascended to heaven, have mercy upon us. Glory be to the Father, the Son and the Holy spirit. Now, and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen. O Holy Trinity, have mercy upon us. GOSPEL LITANY ------------- P Pray D Stand up to pray. P Peace be with you all. C And with your spirit. P O Master, the Lord Jesus Christ our God, who said to His saintly disciples and honored Apostles, Many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which you see, but they did not, and to hear the things which you hear, but they did not. But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears for they hear. May we be made worthy to hear and act by Your holy Gospels, through the prayers of your saints. D Pray concerning the Holy Gospel C Lord have mercy. (Kyrie eleison) P Remember also, O Lord all those who have asked us to remember them in our prayers and supplications which we lift up to You, O Lord our God. Those who have preceded and slept, repose their souls, and heal the sick. For You are the life of us all, our salvation, our hope, our healing and the resurrection of us all. And to You we send up to the highest the glory, honor and worship, with Your good Father, and the Holy Spirit, Lifegiving and Consubstantial with You now and forever, Amen. INTRODUCTION TO GOSPEL ---------------------- D Stand ye in fear of God, and listen to the Holy Gospel. A reading from the Gospel according to St. John the Evangelist and the saintly disciple. May his blessings be with us all. From the Psalms of our father, David, the king and the prophet, May his blessings be with us all. Psalm 85: 10-11: Mercy and truth are met together: righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring out of the earth and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Alleluia. Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord of Powers, our Lord and our God and our Savior, the King of us all, our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God, who is glorified forever and ever. Amen. GOSPEL ------ John 1:1-18: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him: and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life: and the life was the light of men. And the light shined in the darkness: and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lights every man that comes to the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came to his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him to them he gave his power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe onhis name: Which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and he beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness to him, and cried, saying, "this was he of whom I spoke he that comes after me is preferred before me." For he was before me, And of his fulness have we all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses by grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Glory be to God forever and ever. GOSPEL RESPONSE (in Coptic) may be omitted --------------- C He who is not incarnate became incarnate, and the LOGOS [words of God] took flesh, He who has no beginning has begun. He who is not temporal became time-bound. For blessed is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Perfect Trinity. We worship and glorify Thee. PRAYERS ------- P Pray D Stand up to pray. P Peace be with you all. C And with your spirit. P Again let us pray God Almighty, the Father of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ. We pray and entreat Your goodness, O lover of man. (Intercession of Peace) Remember, O Lord, the peace of Thine One Only Holy Universal, and Apostolic Church. D Pray for the peace of the One Only Universal and Apostolic Orthodox Church of God. C Lord have mercy. (Kyrie eleison) P This which exists from the ends of the world to the uttermost ends thereof. (Intercession for the Fathers) Pray for our Pontiff, the pope Abba Shenouda, Pope and Patriarch, Lord Archbishop of the great city of Alexandria and for our Orthodox bishops. C Lord have mercy. P In keeping keep him unto us for many years and peaceful times. (Intercession for the Congregation) Remember, O Lord, our congregations. Bless them. D Pray for this holy Church and our gatherings. P Grant that they be unto us without prevention nor hindrance, that we may hold them according to Thy holy and blessed will. Houses of prayer, houses of purity, houses of blessing. Grant them unto us, O Lord, and unto Thy servants coming after us forever. Arise, O Lord God, let all that hate Thine Holy Name flee from before Thy face. As for Thy people, let them be through blessing, a thousand-thousandfold and ten-thousand-ten-thousand-fold; fulfilling Thy will. CREED ----- C Truly we believe in One God, God The Father Amighty, who has created heaven and earth, the things which are seen and the things which are not seen. We believe in One Lord Jesus Christ, The Only-begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. Light from light, True God from True God, begotten not made, consubstantial with the Father, through whom all things were made. Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, He was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and of the Virgin Mary. And He became man, and He was crucified for us before Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day He rose again from the dead, according to the Scriptures. He ascended up into the heavens, He sat at the Right Hand of His Father, and He is coming again in His Glory to judge the living and the dead, of Whose Kingdom there shall be no end. Yes, we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord Giver of life, Who proceeds from the Father. We worship and glorify Him with the Father and the Son, who spoke by the prophets, And in One Holy Universal Church. We confess one baptism for the remission of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen. MARRIAGE PRAYERS ---------------- P O God who created man by His own Hands, and gave him [man] the woman for his help and strength, Now our Master, be in the midst of the groom and his helpmate, adjoin them through the pledge of companionship, so they may be united with love, and say unto them "My peace I give you both." "My peace I leave with you." For You are our Peace. And unto You do we offer the glory and honor with Your ONly Begotten Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. D response C O Christ the word of the Father, the only Begotten God, give us Your peace, that is filled with all happiness. For blessed is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Perfect Trinity. We worship and glorify. P O Master lover of mankind who through You completed the adjoinment of man and woman. We ask You to bless this ceremony for Your servants. Make them worthy for the blessing, and complete their unity without blemish, and may it please Your Living Will, for You are our God who created man from earth, and gave him an helpmate whom You created from him to be his wife, compaion and help, and to give birth to boys and girls so mankind could multiply. Now O lord bless Your servants [Groom] and [Bride] to grow and multiply through your compassion. Give them a blessed fruit, and adjoin the faith with wisdom, purity, piety; so they may unite through their bodies and their souls. Make them worthy for Your blessings. Through Christ Jesus our Lord . . . C My peace that I have received from My Father, I leave unto you, now and forever. For blessed is The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit, The perfect Trinity. We worship and glorify you. P O Master, Lord, our God, who accompanied the boy of Abraham the Patriarch, when he (Abraham) sent him to take a wife for his son Isaac. And at the waters he chose Rebecca. Now our Master lover of mankind, accompany Your servants [Groom] and [Bride]. Bless them and protect their agreement between them for each other. Strengthen them with Your Perfection. Solidify their covenant. Assist them in their youth, for since the beginning You created male and female. Through You, You gave the woman to man, for his help and to give birth to mankind. Purify Your servants, our fathers and brethren who gathered and participated with us in the prayer. Protect them through the intercesssion of our Lady Mother of God the Saint Mary and all the ranks of Your saints. Amen. C May God bless us; we shall give praise to His holy Name at all times; His song of praise is always on our lips. Blessed is The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. VESTMENT LITANY --------------- P O Master, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, who ornamented the sky with the stars and manifested the earth with the magnificence of the many different kinds of fruitful plants, and who granted humanity heavenly and divine things. Now also, O Righteous One, Lover of Mankind, we ask you to bless these vestments, so that they become for your two servants who are wearing them, through Your goodness, vestments of glory and salvation, vestments of joy and happiness. Preserve them both pure in soul, body, and spirit, that their life be healthy, peaceful, and chaste through the act of righteousness. Grant them both heavenly and earthly comfort that they become rich through charitable deeds; fill their houses and storage places with all blessings, and that they become worthy of doing your will at all times, for you are merciful and righteous. Glory by to You, with Your good Father and the Holy Spirit, the Giver of Life, now and forever. Amen. C The spiritual raiment that envelops Michael, and the girdle of pearls you have dooned on, O bridegroom. Kyrie Eleison, Kyrie Eleison, Kyrie Eleison PRAYER FOR THANKSGIVING ----------------------- We thank You Our Lord God, the Almighty Being before all ages. Master of all, who ornamented the heavens by His Word, and founded the earth and its inhabitants. You gathered the dispersed to one, and made one from two. Now our Master, we ask You for Your servants, to be worthy for Your word through pledge. Make them have the undispersed love for each other, through their unity. Establish them on the foundation of Your Holy Church, so they may lead the way according to the bond of agreement, for You are the bond of Love, and made their harmony through Your Word and perfect for them Your Will through Your Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ our Lord. This is for whom is worthy and the Holy Spirit, the glory, honor, and worship, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. C We worship You O Christ With Your Good Father and the Holy Spirit, for You came and saved us. SECOND EPISTLE -------------- D The Epistle of St. Paul to the Ephesians, May his blessings be with us all, Amen. Ephesians 5:22-6:3 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands, as to the Lord, for the husband is the head of the wife, even as christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body. Therefore, as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it. That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loves his wife loves himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord the church: for we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless, let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself: and the wife, see that she reverences her husband. Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right, Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise, that it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth. The grace of God The Father be with us all. Amen. INTRODUCTION TO SANCTUS (COPTIC HYMN) ----------------------- The Good Spirit, The Paraclete, that dwelt upon the apostles on Pentecost Sunday, and spoke in many tongues. When the fifty days were over, the twelve apostles were gathered together. And the Good Spirit, the Paraclete descended from heaven, and spread over each one, so they spoke in many tongues. SANCTUS (HOLY, HOLY, HOLY) ------- C Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, Who was born of the Virgin, have mercy upon us. Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, Who was crucified for us, have mercy upon us. Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, Who rose from the dead and ascended to heaven, have mercy upon us. Glory be to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Now, and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen. O Holy Trinity, have mercy upon us. GOSPEL LITANY FOR MARRIAGE -------------------------- P Pray D Stand up to pray. P Peace be with you all C And with your spirit. P O master, the Lord Jesus Christ our God, who said unto His saintly disciples and honored Apostles, Many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which you see, and did not see, and to hear the things which you hear, and heard them not. But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears for they hear. May we be made worthy to hear and do your holy Gospels, through the prayers of your saints. D Pray concerning the Holy Gospel C Lord have mercy (Kyrie Eleison) P Rememeber also, O Lord, all those who have asked us to remember them in our prayers and supplications which we lift up onto You, O Lord our God. Those who have preceded and slept, repose their souls, Thesick heal. For You are the life of us all, our salvation, our hope, our healing and the resurrection of us all. And unto You do we send up to the highest the glory, honor, and worship, with Your good Father, and the Holy spirit, Life-giving and Consubstantial with You Now and forever. Amen. D Stand you in the fear of God, let us hear the Holy Gospel. A chapter according to St. Matthew the evangelist and the saintly disciple let his blesings be with us all. From the Psalms of our father David the king and the prophet let his blessings be with us all. Amen. Psalm 19: 5-6--Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoices as a strong man to run a race. Your wife shall be a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: your children like olive plants round about your table. Alleluia. Psalm 128: 3-4--Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord of powers, our Lord and our God and our Savior, the King of us all, Our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God, for whom is Glory forever and ever. Amen. D Matthew 19:1-6--And it came to pass that, when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came to the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan, And great multitudes followed him, and he healed them there. The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him: "Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?" And He answered and said to them: "Have you not read that he which made them at the beginning, made them male and female?" And he said: "For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh." Wherefore, they are no more two, but one flesh, What, therefore, God has joined together, let no man put asunder. Those that have been united together in harmony by The Holy Spirit, like a harp, are praising God continuously. With Psalms and Praises and spiritual songs, day and night, from the heart, without interruption. RESPONSORIAL WEDDING PRAYERS ---------------------------- P O Lord God Almighty, Who are in heaven, the Lord of our forefathers; we beseech You to hear us and have mercy on us. Lord have mercy. (Kyrie Eleison) O God who created the heaven, the earth, and the sea, and everything therein, and ornamented them with Your wisdom. We ask You, O Lord, to hear us and have mercy on us. Lord have mercy. O God who made man in His image, after His likeness, and put him in Paradise, we ask You O Lord to hear us and have mercy on us. Lord have mercy. O God who created woman from Adam's rib and did grant him that she should be his helpmate; we beseech You to hear us and have mercy on us. Lord have mercy. O God who blessed Abraham and Sarah and granted him the title of Head of all Patriachs; we beseech You to hear us and have mercy on us. Lord have mercy. O God who preserved Isaac and gave him Rebecca and saved him from his enemies, we ask You O lord to hear us and have mercy on us. Lord have mercy. O God who blessed Jacob and didst grant him to be heir of the promise; we beseech You to hear us and have mercy on us. Lord have mercy. O God who raised up Joseph as a leader and granted him Asenath and through him saved Egypt from hunger; we beseech You to hear us and have mercy on us. Lord have mercy. O God who was pleased to be born of a woman in the fulness of time to enlighten mankind; we beseech You to hear us and have mercy on us. Lord have mercy. O God who were at the wedding of Cana of Galilee and blessed that marriage; bless this marriage as you blessed that marriage. We beseech You to hear us and have mercy on us. Lord have mercy. O God who transformed water into genuine wine by Your divine power, bless Your two servants and purify them with Your love for mankind, we ask You O Lord to hear us and have mercy on us. Lord have mercy. O God who attended the wedding of Cana of Galilee, and blessed that wedding, and transformed the water into wine by Your divine power, bless and protect this wedding of Your servants [Bride] and [Groom] in peace, harmony and love and protect them. We ask You O Lord to hear us and have mercy on us. Lord have mercy. O God who are beneficient and compassionate and full of goodness and affection, O God make us glorify Your goodness O Lover of mankind. We ask You O Lord to hear us and have mercy on us. Lord have mercy. C O Christ the LOGOS of the Father, the Only Begotten Son, grant us your peace that is full of every joy. For blessed is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the perfect Trinity. We worship and glorify You. PRAYERS ------- P Pray D Stand up to pray. P Peace be with you all. C And with your spirit. P Again let us pray God Almighty, the Father of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ. We pray and entreat Your goodness, O lover of man. (Intercession of Peace) Remember, O Lord, the peace of Thine One Only Holy Universal, and Apostolic Church. D Pray for the peace of the One Only Universal and Apostolic Orthodox Church of God. C Lord have mercy. (Kyrie eleison) P This which exists from the ends of the world to the uttermost ends thereof. (Intercession for the Fathers) Pray for our Pontiff, the pope Abba Shenouda, Pope and Patriarch, Lord Archbishop of the great city of Alexandria and for our Orthodox bishops. C Lord have mercy. P In keeping keep him unto us for many years and peaceful times. (Intercession for the Congregation) Remember, O Lord, our congregations. Bless them. D Pray for this holy Church and our gatherings. P Grant that they be unto us without prevention nor hindrance, that we may hold them according to Thy holy and blessed will. Houses of prayer, houses of purity, houses of blessing. Grant them unto us, O Lord, and unto Thy servants coming after us forever. Arise, O Lord God, let all that hate Thine Holy Name flee from before Thy face. As for Thy people, let them be through blessing, a thousand-thousandfold and ten-thousand-ten-thousand-fold; fulfilling Thy will. CREED ----- C Truly we believe in One God, God The Father Amighty, who has created heaven and earth, the things which are seen and the things which are not seen. We believe in One Lord Jesus Christ, The Only-begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. Light from light, True God from True God, begotten not made, consubstantial with the Father, through whom all things were made. Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, He was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and of the Virgin Mary. And He became man, and He was crucified for us before Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day He rose again from the dead, according to the Scriptures. He ascended up into the heavens, He sat at the Right Hand of His Father, and He is coming again in His Glory to judge the living and the dead, of Whose Kingdom there shall be no end. Yes, we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord Giver of life, Who proceeds from the Father. We worship and glorify Him with the Father and the Son, who spoke by the prophets, And in One Holy Universal Church. We confess one baptism for the remission of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen. FIRST MATRIMONIAL PRAYER ------------------------ P O God who is eternal and everlasting, who has no beginning, whose wisdom has no limit and whose power has no end, who created man from the earth, and gave him a woman out of his side, and accommodated her for him as his helpmate, as it pleases Your Lordship and goodness, because it is not suitable for a man to be alone. We ask You now our King to join Your two servants [Groom] and [Bride] to be united in harmony in one body, so let them enter into the law of happiness, and abide in Your truthful teachings. Grant them a living fruit out of the womb so that they rejoice in the birth of their children and have a peaceful life. Prepare them for every good work through Christ Jesus our Lord. C As You granted peace to your saintly disciples, tell us as You told them, "My peace I give to you." The gate of the east is Mary the Virgin, the chaste bridal chamber for the pure bridegroom. SECOND MATRIMONIAL PRAYER ------------------------- P O Father our God who formed all nature, who formed man from earth and made for him a helpmate from the rib You have taken from him and joined them together in marriage for life and continuous growth of mankind, and told them to grow and multiply and fill the earth and rule it. We ask You also O Lover of mankind, bless the union of Your servants [Groom] and [Bride] that were united together according to Your will. Bless them as you blessed our forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Bless them as You blessed Abraham with Sarah, elevate them as Isaac and Rebecca, and multiply them as You multiplied Jacob and his offspring. Glorify them as You have glorified Joseph in Egypt. Grant them purity. Multiply them as Alkana and Anna, whom You blessed and gave Samuel, the faithful prophet. Make them worthy of the good tidings of the pure Archangel like Zacharias and Elizabeth, whom You gave John the Baptist, the greatest among the offspring of women, that became a forerunner before Your only Begotten Son. You also, O Master Lord, blessed Youakim and Anna and made from them the metaphysical ark, the Mother of God, Saint Mary, of whom Your Only Begotten Son was incarnate and came into the world, and blessed the wedding of Cana of Galilee; bless Your servants [Groom] and [Bride] that were united at this hour. Grant them prosperity, wisdom, and salvation's blessings, so that they may be in all goodliness and all purity united in their bodies and souls and be worthy of Your blessing and glorify Your Holy Name together with Your Only Begotten Son and the Holy Spirit now and forever. Amen. C My peace that I have received from My Father, I leave unto you, now and forever. For blessed is The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit, The perfect Trinity. We worship and glorify you. THIRD MATRIMONIAL PRAYER ------------------------ P O Lord, our great and eternal God,that made life of the void and created the universe by Your Logos, and formed man with Your immaculate Hands, in Your image and according to Your likeness, and from one created the other, for You said that it is not good that the man should be alone, so You caused a great sleep to fall upon Adam and took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh instead therof. Because of this a man leaves his father and mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one body, and what God has joined together let no man put asunder. O You who blessed Abraham with Sarah, Isaac with Rebecca, and Jacob with Leah and Rachel, and purified all who were joined in blessing, now O Master Lord look upon Your servants [Groom] and [Bride] his helpmate. Confirm their union, guard their bed in purity. Shield them and their home with Your inconquerable Right Hand. Save them from all envy and intriques. Preserve them in harmony to reveal unto You O Living God the fruit of life from the womb. Bless them, O God, as You blessed Abraham with Sarah, and Isaac with Rebecca, and Jacob with Leah and Rachel. As for the men and women who are here with us, bless them in The Name of our Lord and our God and Savior Jesus Christ, for Glory is Your due with Him and the Holy Spirit now and forever and unto the ages of all ages. Amen. C Do not forget Your covenant, that You have established with our forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, your saints. O Angels of this day, who are flying up to heaven with this song of praise, remember us before the Lord that He may forgive us our sins. Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison A PRAYER FOR SUBMISSION ----------------------- P Listen O God to us, we unworthy sinners, and establish the union of Your servants [Groom] and [Bride] his helpmate. Save them from all evil, and lengthen their lives in meekness calmness, endurance and obedience, and keep them blameless and without fall. Englighten their hearts and minds so that they may always do Your will, because You are all-merciful to all who cry out to You, and we send unto You glory, honor and worship with Your Good Father and The Holy Spirit, now and forever and unto the age of ages. Amen. C May God bless us; we shall give praise to His Holy Name at all times; His song of praise is always on our lips. For blessed is The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit, The perfect Trinity. We worship and glorify You. (The Priest recites this prayer over the Oil before anointing the couple. The People respond each time: Amen.) PRAYER OVER THE OIL ------------------- P O Lord, God Almighty, The Father of our Lord, our God and our Savior Jesus Christ, who anointed, out of the fruit of the rich Olive tree, priests, kings, and prophets. We pray and entreat You, O Good Lord, Lover of Mankind, to bless this oil so that it becomes an oil to sanctify Your servants [Groom] and [Bride]. AMEN The weapon of righteousness and justice. AMEN The anointment of purity and incorruption. AMEN Light and unfading beauty. AMEN Joy, ornament and true comfort. AMEN Power, salvation and victory over all the deeds of the adversary. AMEN Renewal and salvation for their souls, their bodies and their spirits. AMEN Wealth with the fruit of good deeds. AMEN Glory and honor to Your Holy Name with Your Only Begotten Son and The Holy Spirit, the life-giver, who is consubstantial with You now and forever and ever. AMEN (The Priest anoints the bridegroom with the Oil, while the People chant:) C May this oil destroy the demons; this oil is against the evil spirits; this is the oil of holy spirits; this oil is against the impure spirits, through Jesus Christ the King of Glory. For blessed is The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit, The perfect Trinity. We worship and glorify You. (While the Priest anoints the bride, the People chant:) You have anointed my head with oil, and your cup made me drunk as if with pure wine; your mercy will follow me all the days of my life. For blessed is The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. The perfect Trinity. We sorship and glorify You. P O God, the Lord of hosts, whose mercies are countless, whose goodness is beyond comprehension, we ask You to accept our supplications. Guard Your servants [Groom] and [Bride]. Protect their bed in purity. Fortify them by Your pure angels, and send upon us from Your ever ready abode a multitude of Your compassions. Disperse our many faults by Your goodness, and grant us to be in the places of rest of Your saints in the Heavenly Kingdom, through Your only Begotten Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who is glorified. (The Priest holds the crowns and prays over them. Each time, the PEOPLE respond: Amen.) P O Holy God, who crowned the saints with unfading crowns and reconciled and united heavenly and earthly beings; O Master, bless now these crowns which we are going to set upon Your servants' heads. Make these crowns for them: Crowns of glory and honor, Amen Crowns of blessing and salvation, Amen Crowns of joy and happiness, Amen Crowns of jubilation and delight Amen Crowns of comfort and strength, Amen Grant Your servants, who are wearing them, the protection of the Angel of Safety and the bond of love. Guard them against all evil thoughts and desires; let your mercy be upon them. Provide them with everything they need without delay all thoughout their life. Give them joy through their sons and daughters. Make their children good and true members of Your one universal orthodox church. Guide their way in righteousness through the good will of Your Good Father and the Holy Spirit. Amen. C Place the crowns O priest of Emmanuel, place the crowns O Shepherd of Israel, place the crowns in glory and joy, crown [Groom] the bridegroom to [Bride] the bride. Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison P O Lord, crown Your servants with Crowns of unvanquished grace. Amen. Crowns of elevated and everlasting glory, Amen. Crowns of unopposed good faith, Amen And bless all their actions. Amen Because, Christ our God, You are the giver of all good things, Glory be to You with the Father and the Holy Spirit; now and forever. Amen. (The Priest puts the vestments on the groom and makes the sign of the Cross over them:) Crown them with glory and honor, O Father, Amen. Bless them, O Only-Begotten Son, Amen. Sanctify them, O Holy Spirit, Amen. (At this point in the service, the rings are exchanged and the wedding document is signed) BLESSING OF BRIDE AND GROOM C In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit the perfect Trinity, AXIOS [Blessed], AXIOS, AXIOS. P May the peace of our Lord, God, and Savior, Jesus Christ, which He has given to his pure disciples in the Upper Room of Zion, be with you both, may it always stay with you and dwell in your house. May the Lord grant you a long and prosperous life together, for this great joy that He has sanctioned for you. And may God protect you, my brother, with his mighty arm and establish the orthodox faith in you. Through His great power and benevolence may He bring all your efforts to a good and successful end. Know that God Almighty, after creating everything, looked at His creation and saw that it was good. Then He said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." God, blessed be His name, has no parallel or counterpart, but what He said meant that man has three attributes: reason, speech, and spirit. So, God created Adam and made him priest, prophet, and king. He said in the Torah, through Moses, after creating Adam: "It is not good that [Adam] should be alone: I will make him a helpmate for him:" for God so loved and cared for him. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh instead thereof. And He made the rib a woman and called her Eve. When Adam woke up and looked at the woman, he liked her and he said: "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh." Woman was created from man's rib so that she may belong to him and be submissive to him while he, too, may be gentle and kind to her and not neglect her. She may not deem herself above him, but should be obedient to him. They should both be in harmony through good reasoning and love. Neither of them should make decisions separately without consulting with the other. In this way their offspring may be blessed. God has sanctioned marriage in both the Old and the New Testament. He further confirmed that in the holy gospels by saying: "Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave unto his wife." He also said in the Holy gospels: He commanded that a man love his wife, even as our Lord, Jesus Christ, loves His Church, for whom He has sacrificed Himself on the Cross. Now since you have been present at this blessed time before the sanctuary of the Lord of Hosts and His Holy Altar and in the midst of this congregation, you have been joined together and united in the blessedness of matrimony. We remind both of you that our forefather who were believers in Christ and were married, were joined in blessed matrimony following the rule of monogamy. They sought to marry for procreation and to fulfill the divine command. So you too, follow in the steps of our forefathers and submit yourselves to one another in love and purity. C Take unto you, O bridegroom, Your bride, Jesus Christ Has given her to you, and at the hand of the priest he has given her to you, and blessed you both with His Holy Name. Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison P My blessed son, may the grace of the Holy Spirit strengthen you to take unto yourself your wife, in purity of heart and in sincerity. Do all that is good for her. Have compassion on her and always hasten to do that which will gladden her heart. Take care of her as her parents did in love and in humility remembering that you have been crowned with heavenly crowns and confirmed by the grace of God. Remember that if you fulfill the divine commandments which urge you to look after your wife, the Lord will bless you in all you do, because His blessing is enjoyed by those who live in harmony: He will grant you blessed children and a long peaceful life; He will bless You in this life and the hereafter. Listen O bride and lend your ear, forsake your people and your father's home, for your chastity has appealed in the bridegroom, and he is your husband and to him you will submit. Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison P And you, blessed daughter, and happy bride, you have heard what was commanded of your husband. So you must honor and respect him, do not disagree with him but increase your obedience to him over what was commanded many times. For you are now alone with him and he is responsible for you instead of your parents. So you must receive him with joy and cheer, do not frown in his face, observe all your obligations to him, and fear God in all you do. Because God the most high instructed you to submit to him and commanded you to obey him as you obey your parents. So obey him as our mother Sarah was obedient to our father Abraham, and used to address him "my lord." Thus God looked upon her obedience to him, blessed her, gave her Isaac in her old age, and made her offspring as the stars of heaven and the sand on the sea shore. So if you observed what we instructed you to do, and followed all commandments, the Lord will support you and provide for your livelihood, the blessings will descend upon your house, and He will grant you blessed children who will fill your heart with joy. C A pure marriage and a revered crown, bless it, Our God Emmanuel, as You blessed the wedding of Cana of Galilee, for [Groom] the bridegroom and [Bride] the bride. Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison. May God bless both of you as He blessed Noah and his wife when they came out of the ark to start a new life. May He bless you as He blessed Abraham with Sarah, and Isaac with Rebecca, and Jacob with Leah and Rachel. May the Lord who began His divine miracles at the wedding of Cana of Galilee, bless you inyour new life and bless your house and transform things that create division into means of blessing, and fill your hearts with spiritual love. May He continue His support to you and grant you long happy life with the blessed children. May He accept our prayers for this blessed ceremony, reward us and grant them the incorruptible in place of the corruptible, the heavenly for the earthly, and forgive us our sins and save us from the ways of the devil. May He also bless all those who attended, with his Mighty Right, and grant them Heavenly rejoice free from trouble. Through the intercession of our Holy Mother then blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of Salvation whom is preferred over all mankind, and the honored martyr Saint Mark the Evangelist and all the martyrs and holy saints. Amen THE LORD'S PRAYER CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION P O Master, Lord, Jesus Christ the Only-Begotten Son of the Father, who broke all the chains of our sings by His life- giving and redeeming sufferings, who breathed into the face of His holy disciples and His pure apostles saying unto them, Receive you the Holy Spirit, whose sings you remit they are remitted unto them, and whose sings you retain, they are retained. Now, also, O Lord, through Your Holy Apostles, You have given grace unto them who work as priests, at all times in Your Holy Church to forgive the sins upon earth, to bind and unbind all the chains of injustice. Now also, we ask of Your goodness, O Love-of-man for your servants, my fathers, my brothers and my humble self, those who are bowing down their heads before our sacred glory, Grant us Your mercy, and break all the chains of our sins. And if we have sinned against You knowingly or unknowingly, through anxiety of heart, or in deed, or in word, or pettiness of heart. O Lord, You who knows man's frailty, as good Love-of-man, grant us the forgiveness of our sins. (crossing himself) Bless us, (crossing the ministers) make us pure; absolve us (crossing the congregations) and all your people (Here he privately mentions any whom he pleases Fill us with Your fear, guide us to do Your good and Holy will. For You are our God, and unto You is due all glory, honor, majesty and worship, with Your Good Father and the Holy Spirit, Life-giving and Consubstantial with You. Now, and at all times and unto the ages of all ages. Amen. BENEDICTION ----------- C Amen, Alleluia, glory be to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Now and forever and unto the ages of ages Amen. We cry out and say: O our Lord Jesus Christ, bless the waters of the rivers, bless the plants and the herbs. bless the winds of the heaven. May Your mercy and Your peace be a fortress to Your people. Save us and have mercy upon us. Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord bless, amen. Bless me. Behold the penance. P Christ our Lord C Amen. Let it be. HYMN (optional) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- _|_ This article is one of many more articles about the Coptic Orthodox | Church, the Christian Apostolic Church of Egypt. These articles can be | retrieved from Copt-Net archives at http://pharos.bu.edu/cn/Menu.html COP|NET For more information, contact Copt-Net server at CN-request@cs.bu.edu -------------------------------------------------------------------------------