Marriage

Author(s): Natubhai Shah
Publisher: UK Jain Academy

Page 23

to the fact that the spouses in marriage will be constantly complementing each other.
2) The Marriage Service
The priest reads three prayers:
In the first prayer the priest asks God to give the couple the blessing necessary for happiness in their wedded life such as long and peaceful mutual love, health, children, understanding etc. In the second prayer the priest asks God to 'preserve them to remind them and the parents who have nurtured them; the prayers of parents make firm the foundations of the home'.
In the third prayer the priest beseeches God to "Join these, thy servants, unite them in one mind and one flesh" that is to unite the bridal pair in harmony and marry them in one flesh.
The Joining of the Right Hand
At this time the couple's right hands are joined together by the priest and are kept joined throughout the service to symbolise the union coming from God and the "oneness of the couple".
The union of the couple is then completed with the Crowning, which is the climax of their wedding. The crowns are signs of the glory and honour with which God crowns them during the sacrament. The groom and the bride are crowned as the king and queen of their own little kingdom, the home, which they will rule with wisdom, justice and integrity. Some interpret the crowns to refer to the crowns of martyrdom since every true marriage involves immeasurable self-sacrifice on both sides.
The Crowning
The wreaths are tied together with a ribbon symbolising that the two are now one.
The wreaths also symbolise the bond between them and the glory and honour which the Church bestows to the man and the woman. The rite of Crowning is of such significance in the Orthodox Church that marriage is usually called 'stepsis' which means Crowning.
The priest takes the crowns and holds them above the couple's heads and says: "The servant of God, [name], is crowned to the maid of God [name], in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen". The priest does this three times and exchanges the crowns three times over the couple's heads.
The best man might also be asked to exchange the crowns over their heads as a witness to the sealing of the union.
The Crowning is then followed by the reading of St. Paul's Epistle to Ephesians (5:20-33) and St. John's Gospel (2:1-12). The Epistle refers to the mystery and holiness of Christian marriage and the duties and responsibilities of the husband and wife have to each other and the chanter usually chants it.
23