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Our Faith
Souvlaki & Mezes Takeout |
GETTING MARRIED?  THE SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE We
as a parish rejoice in the love that you, as a couple, share for one
another and the commitment that has been made to bring you to this day
in preparation for your marriage. Your decision to be married in
the Church is an indication that the Christian faith and the
sacramental life of the Church are important to you. In the eyes
of the Church, marriage is the sacramental union between a man and a
woman that is used in the Bible as the image of God’s faithful love for
ancient Israel (Isaiah 54; Jeremiah 3; Ezekiel 16) and Christ’s
sacrificial relationship to the Church (Ephesians 5:22-33). Jesus
Himself, together with His mother the Theotokos and the disciples
attended and blessed a wedding in Cana of Galilee, performing His first
miracle, which assisted in the celebration of that event (John
2:1-11). When we say that Christian marriage is a sacrament, we
use that word to convey the depths of the bond you are about to enter
into: a sacramentum in the ancient Roman Empire was the oath of loyalty
unto death that a Roman solider took to the emperor when entering the
military. As Christians, the sacrament of marriage is your oath
of loyalty unto death to each other and - as a couple - your oath of
loyalty unto death to our Lord Jesus Christ. Christian marriage
is intended to be a sign of God’s presence and love in this fallen and
broken world. COORDINATING YOUR WEDDING Fr. Kosta will
assist you with the necessary forms, and will work with you in all
matters pertaining to your wedding, including: setting the date,
scheduling meetings him, preparing the necessary church documents and
collecting all fees. Please feel free to ask him any questions
you may have regarding your marriage here at Holy Trinity Greek
Orthodox Church. SETTING THE DATE A couple desiring to be
married should first contact Fr. Kosta to schedule a meeting with
him. It is preferable to schedule both your wedding date and meetings
with Fr. Kosta at least six months prior to the desired date so that
scheduling conflicts can be avoided. According to the official
policies of our Metropolis, weddings may not be celebrated during the
fasting seasons or the major feast days of our Church:
This
is in keeping with our ancient way of celebrating the Christian mystery
in worship and exceptions can be made only rarely, in extreme
circumstances, with the permission of the Metropolitan. THE COUPLE TO BE MARRIED: SACRAMENTAL PRESUPPOSITIONS
Because marriage is a sacrament, weddings cannot be celebrated in
a spiritual vacuum. This, therefore, presupposes that: at least one of the couple to be married is an Orthodox Christian, baptized and /or chrismated in the Church, committed to Christ and His Church and an active steward for at least a year prior to the date of the wedding; and the intended spouse, if not Orthodox, be a Christian baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as commanded by the Lord ( Matthew 28:19). Because of the sacramental nature of the marriage bond (in which a couple not only pledge their love for each other but also their love for Christ) a wedding between an Orthodox Christian and a non-Christian may not be celebrated in the Church. NECESSARY PAPERS AND DOCUMENTS The
following documentation is needed to insure that your wedding will meet
the criteria established by the Church and local civil authorities:
verification of the baptism and stewardship/membership commitment of
the Orthodox spouse (s); verification of the baptism of the
non-Orthodox spouse in a Christian community that baptizes in the name
of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (for example, the Roman Catholic and
mainline Protestant churches such as the Lutheran and Episcopalian
communities); an ecclesiastical marriage license; and a civil marriage license. Please note that because of the separation of Church and state, two marriage licenses are necessary, one for the Church and one for the state. Also, please note that because a civil license carries a time limit of 90 days in Ontario, your civil license should be secured less than three months prior to the desired date of the wedding. IN CASE OF PRIOR MARRIAGES If
either of the parties has been previously married, the death
certificate of the deceased spouse or the civil divorce decree issued
by the state must be presented to the parish priest. If the prior
marriage was celebrated in the Orthodox Church and ended in divorce,
then an ecclesiastical divorce decree must also be presented. THE WEDDING PARTY The
“koumbaro” or “koumbara” - the sponsor who will participate
sacramentally in the service by exchanging the rings and the crowns
that form an integral part of the marriage rite - must be an Orthodox
Christian must be an Orthodox Christian "In Good Standing" and a
steward/member of his/her parish. "In Good Standing" means that they
may not have gotten married outside the church or participated in any
foreign sacraments, as this would excommunicate them from the Orthodox
Church. The “koumbaro” or koumbara”, if from another
Orthodox parish, must provide proof from his/her parish priest
certifying his/her active stewardship/membership in the Church.
Other members of the wedding party need not be Orthodox. THE BRIDAL DRESS AND ATTENDANTS’ GOWNS Care
should be taken in selecting the bride’s dress. The bridal gown
and attendant’s dresses should also exercise a decorum befitting a
Church ceremony. ITEMS NEEDED FOR THE WEDDING For Orthodox
Christian betrothal and crowning services, several items are used
liturgically: 2 decorated candles; rings for both the bride and groom,
for the betrothal; crowns—The crowns may be either Greek-style flower
or pearl wreaths linked by a long, white ribbon (called stefana), or
Russian-style jeweled metal crowns. Flower wreaths may be ordered from
the florist with the other flowers (bouquets, corsages, reception-table
centerpieces) or from a specialty supplier, and may be live or silk. If
you are using metal crowns, make sure your parish has a set, and that
they are in good condition; If your wedding is on a Sunday or on a
weekday when a Divine Liturgy is served, don’t forget to pack some
snacks in the box of items going to the church building, especially if
you have very little time between Divine Liturgy and the betrothal and
crowning services. Don’t let a rumbling stomach or light head disrupt
your wedding because you fasted for Communion and didn’t have time to
eat. MUSIC Although it is not essential to the celebration
of this sacrament, organ music has become a customary part of the
wedding service in Canada. The organist may play as guests enter
the Church, a processional for the wedding party and the bride and a
recessional at the conclusion of the service. The music played
must honor the Christian faith and be drawn from either the hymns of
the Church and/or from that tradition of classical music composed for
the Roman Catholic and Protestant communities. Please consult Fr.
Kosta if you have any questions concerning the organist or
particular music selections. Fees for the services of the organist are your responsibility. The fee for the chanter is your responsibility as well. PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEOTAPING Photographs
of your wedding are permitted but should not in any way impede or
distract from the celebration of the sacrament. Photographers
should be quiet and respectful; the use of a flash is allowed. If
you are planning on professional photography and videography, please
ask that your photographer arrive early at the Church so that
guidelines can be laid out. Also, please ask guests to be
respectful of the professional’s space, for your benefit. VISITING CLERGY Guest
clergy, in Communion with the Orthodox Church, may participate in a
wedding at Holy Trinity. Canonically, it is the responsibility of the
priest where the wedding is taking place to extend an invitation to any
and all visiting clergy. Orthodox Christian clergymen in communion with
the Metropolis are welcome to participate in the celebration of
sacraments at Holy Trinity with the blessings of our priest. Non-Orthodox
clergymen from other Christian communities may not take part in the
celebration of the sacrament of marriage per se. It is the official
policy of our Metropolis that clergy from other Christian confessions
may be acknowledged at the conclusion of the wedding service and
invited forward to the solea where they may offer a prayer and briefly
address the couple. PREPARATION FOR MARRIAGE In your
meetings with the priest, he will discuss the sacramental nature of the
marriage bond, the Christian understanding of marriage as it is
expressed in the Scriptures and the marriage service itself. In
cases where one of the spouses is not Orthodox, the couple should plan
to meet with Fr. Kosta, to have any questions answered.
Further, the couple should make an effort to attend bible study. A NOTE TO THE BRIDE AND GROOM To
those spouses who are Orthodox: there is no substitute for Jesus Christ
in maintaining the dignity and sanctity of the marriage bond. For
the celebration of your marriage in the Church to be real, you must
live out, in subsequent years, the Christian commitment that you will
make on the day of your wedding. To those spouses who are not
Orthodox: you are always welcome here at Holy Trinity. Please
note that your marriage in the Church does not automatically grant you
membership in the Orthodox Church. If you desire to become an
Orthodox Christian this must be your decision, made after much prayer
and thought, in consultation with the parish priest, and never for the
sake of convenience. To both of you: the Lord and this parish are
here to help, support and sustain you in your marriage bond and the
life of faith to which we are called as Christians. May the Lord
grant you both many years together in peace and oneness of mind and
heart. |
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