О честном законном браке

– Now let’s talk about marriage, which, by God’s condescension, takes place among people who want to live in a worldly way, solely for the purpose of procreation, and is allowed for the reason that followed Adam’s disobedience, punishable by death. It is accomplished so that earthly, corruptible life will last until life and immortality come through Christ. And so that the conception, the beginning, and the continuation of people’s lives are not without blessing, marriage must receive it from the immaculate Church and those entering into marriage should try, as far as possible, not to defile it, marrying in a legal way and without reproach or criticism, in order to preserve it, so to speak, immaculate and, as it were, virgin. 240. Why are crowns laid during marriage? Crowns are placed on those entering into marriage as if they were virgins and pure, because they were undefiled, and also as a sign that they had preserved their virginity before marriage. And nature itself testifies that this is wonderful: the groom, marrying the bride, first of all wants her to be a pure virgin and the wife of only him. In the same way, he must know that he needs to observe himself as a pure groom for the bride and to be her husband, and not another. If this is so, then the marriage is blessed, and the bed - I will say, as Paul - is immaculate and undefiled, and a perfect blessing rests on such a marriage, and Christ is present with it. If marriage is illegal and not devoid of reproach, then how will Christ, the only Purest, and Holy, and immaculate Bridegroom of souls, accompany it? So, may an honest marriage be far from all adultery and violence, may all fornication be removed from it, and with it unclean and family-defiling incest and polygamy, may the provisions of the sacred law remain inviolable, so that it will be the law of unity and not dissolution. For those who marry unlawfully are more likely to move away from God and be separated from Him, and the dissolution of marriage brings confusion to the Church. Let the second-married person fulfill the canon (penance), as the fathers commanded, and even more so the one entering into a third marriage. And the one who enters into a third marriage, let him marry only if he has no children and if he is not yet forty years old. And for those who are forty or over and who have children, a third marriage is not allowed, as the sacred law says. Thus, everything related to the marriage of these persons must be done with caution and attention on the part of the primates of the Church. But let's see how marriage is performed legally. If those getting married have parents, then they agree among themselves and express their opinions about the matter. Then, when the agreed day arrives and the marriage conditions should be written down, a meeting of honorable persons is held to witness what is being done and that an agreement on a legal marriage is being made. For this purpose, an official is also appointed, who writes the terms and seals the document with the seals of the contracting parties (each of them puts a cross), showing that this matter is from God and begins about Christ. The future spouses themselves and their parents sign the marriage contract with a pen, thereby expressing voluntary consent, free will, and what brings marriage together - Christ. Therefore, first they worship Him, and then they begin to sign: this is precisely because Christ unites the spouses, and these contracts are called godparents, and they cannot be terminated without some legal reasons - such as are required for the dissolution of an already completed marriage. Otherwise, termination will be illegal. When the time comes for the marriage, the bride and groom come to the church, as the husband receives a wife from God and His Church. The priest, having put on sacred clothes, first places on the sacred table an iron ring as a sign of the tenderness and purity of his wife, then the presanctified Holy Gifts, since this deed is performed before Christ and since He will be for them communion and unity in sanctification, and in right faith in Him, and in chastity. 241. About what should not marry an Orthodox Christian with a non-Orthodox person Since marriage takes place in Christ, it is by no means necessary to marry an Orthodox person with a non-Orthodox person. “For,” says the apostle, “what complicity does the faithful have with the unfaithful?” (2 Cor. 6:15) On some table the priest places a cup of wine, called the common cup, for it signifies like-mindedness, fellowship in life and chastity. Then, going out into the vestibule or the gates of the church, since the blessing is beginning and the matter is still just on the eve, he performs the betrothal ceremony. This is what the rings are intended for, placed before the meal and serving as a symbol of consent and sealing the matchmaking. So, the priest blesses God and after peaceful petitions, that is, the litany, which is proclaimed because peace from God is necessary for those who are getting married, and also because they are combined in peace and for peace and unity of mind, he places the husband on the right side, for he is the boss and head of the wife, and the wife on the left, as subordinate and created from his rib and as having come from the husband. After the litany, the priest prays that God, who has gathered apart and blessed Isaac and Rebekah, will bless those who are united with a spiritual blessing. He mentions Isaac and Rebekah, and not another of the ancient wives, because the other did not marry Isaac and he took her as a wife from his family, legally, by agreement, and lived chastely with her alone. And besides, he was the only legitimate son of Abraham, born according to the promise and blessed by God. Of the New Testament persons, no one is mentioned during marriage, because marriage is not the highest state of a Christian, although it is blessed by Christ for the sake of human weakness and for the sake of the continuation of the existence of the corruptible world. The highest goal of the Gospel is virginity and incorruption, to which it calls those who have the power to do so. Then, having loudly glorified the merciful God, the priest gives the wife an iron ring, since it is a husband’s, and a gold ring to the husband, since it is a woman’s, and changes them up to three times, honoring the Trinity, which accomplishes and confirms everything. Then he joins their right hands as a sign that they were united in Christ and became one, and that the husband received his wife from the hand of the Church. The priest, having exclaimed: “Peace to all,” which expresses unity and like-mindedness, and commanded us to bow our heads, prays that the tongue who has pre-betrothed the church to himself will be a pure virgin, that is, that God will bless us, the faithful, and this betrothal and preserve the betrothed in peace and like-mindedness. Then, having loudly glorified the power, the Kingdom, the power and single power of the Trinity as the one and all-effective Beginning of the Accomplisher, while singing the psalm appropriate to the occasion: “Blessed are all who fear the Lord” (Ps. 127) and so on until the end, the priest leads them as children of the Church in the presence of many witnesses, through the middle of the church to the altar and places them before the holy gates, as if before the face of God, since they are combined in Him pure. Standing before the altar, the newlyweds separate their hands, holding them in front, as if standing before God, and thereby show that they are His servants. They hold candles that symbolize their chastity and the grace of God that resides in them. All clergy also hold candles in a similar way as a sign of Divine enlightenment and joy. As soon as petitions for peace are raised (for they follow first and are said in every sacred rite, for the sake of peace from above and because it is necessary that in every sacred rite there be prayer for everyone), the priest pronounces the first prayer of marriage, begging the Holy God, incorporeal and pure, who created man and from him a wife to help him, to send His hand from above and unite them with each other. And again he clasps their hands as a sign of final union and prays to God to unite them in like-mindedness, to give them the fruit of the womb, happiness and a life without shame. After this, in an exclamation he praises the God of mercy, generosity, and love for mankind. Then, having taken the crowns from the throne and blessed them, one of them places it on the head of the husband, and the other on the head of the wife, praying to the Lord and God of all to crown them with glory and honor, since they are united in purity in Him. 244. About the successor during marriage These crowns are accepted by their recipient standing behind them, and, therefore, the recipient of chastity and like-mindedness, who replaces them with a father and mentor in like-mindedness and good marriage, therefore he must be one of the Orthodox and God-loving. Having again asked for peace, the priest adds a second prayer, as the hierarch does during ordinations. 245. About the fact that the celebration of marriage is the business of the bishop himself For this too is the work of the hierarch, and he performs the marriages of kings, nobles and other persons. However, it is also granted to priests, for in the Sacrament of Marriage grace is not transmitted, as in the Sacrament of the Priesthood, but is granted with the bishop's permission, and, moreover, for each case of marriage, since it is the job of the bishop to perform the marriage, and without his consent the marriage cannot take place. For the father of the Church is only the bishop. In the second prayer, the priest prays that Christ Himself, Who came to the marriage in Cana and with His presence showed it to be honest, will preserve those who are now married in peace and unanimity. He prays that He would create an honest marriage and keep their bed undefiled, that He would grant them the ability to maintain an immaculate residence, so that, having reached venerable old age, they would fulfill the Divine commandments. The priest then declares that everything is blessed and sanctified by Christ. Then, turning to the east, he asks that we may be worthy to call upon Heavenly God the Father without condemnation. And all together they say the Savior’s prayer as a sign of thanksgiving for the work being done, in commemoration of our service to Him as faithful servants, and also to ask for Divine blessings and communion with the Spirit - through the holy flesh of the Son of God, Who is the Heavenly bread and through Whom those who are married will live if they begin to lead a pious and chaste life. For the Lord, as the Creator, is the Father of all and those who are combined. After the prayer, the priest again makes an exclamation, glorifying the Kingdom of God, and power, and glory, and having taught peace, commands us to bow our heads before the Creator of creation. And he pronounces a prayer over the common cup, saying: “God, who created all things with Your strength and established the heavens, and the blessed crown of Your creatures - who created everything, for He is in everything and above everything - bless Himself and the common cup of Your servants with a spiritual blessing, so that they may always be blessed,” and makes the sign of the cross with his hand, and proclaims: “For blessed is the name and glorified is the Kingdom Holy Trinity”, since She blesses and sanctifies everything. 246. That those who marry must be pure, and receive a blessing in the holy church, and partake of the Holy Mysteries Following this, the priest touches the sacred Chalice of the Presanctified Gifts and exclaims: “Presanctified holy to saints.” And when everyone sings: “One is holy, one is Lord” - because He is the one sanctification, and peace, and unity of His combined servants - He communes the newlyweds, if they are worthy. They must be prepared to get married with dignity and honestly enter into marriage, because the purpose of every sacred rite and the sealing of every Divine Sacrament is sacred communion. And the Church does a wonderful job in preparing the Divine Gifts for the propitiation and blessing of those who are combined, as if the giver and One (the Abiding, the Existing) Himself were present at the marriage, and for their peaceful unity and like-mindedness. Therefore, those entering into marriage must be worthy of communion and, as children of God, must be united in the holy church - the house of God, as if before the face of God. For in the Gifts the celebrant Himself is present, He is both offered and is a mediator between those who are combined. Then the priest gives them the Gifts from the common Chalice, while they sing: “I will accept the Chalice of Salvation.” This is done for the sake of the All-Holy Gifts and as a sign of the unity of those entering into marriage in good thoughts about God, as well as the fact that their thoughts about God will be born from peace and like-mindedness. Those unworthy of communion, such as bigamists and the like, are not given the Divine Gifts, but only the common cup - for sanctification in part, for good communion and unity in the blessing of God. Then, when a long prayer (a special litany) is performed, in which both newlyweds are remembered as already constituting one whole and the recipient as an accomplice in the matter, the priest exclaims: “For he is merciful,” asking them for Divine mercy, and on the other hand, instilling in them that everything was accomplished by God’s mercy. After the priest gives instruction and admonition and asks for peace, he pronounces the apostolic words: “Brethren, rejoice in the Lord always,” etc., until: “The God of peace will be with you” (Phil. 4:1, 4–9). Immediately after this, taking them by the hands, he leads them to the altar and, making a circle, in joy about Christ sings with the choristers a song: “Holy Martyrs,” as at the ordination, and another: “Glory to you, Christ God, praise of the apostles,” because those who lived piously and chastely are fellow members of Christ and His saints, and also because they must be combined not only according to the flesh, but especially according to soul, through our right faith and God-loving works of piety, so that marriage may be true, and marriage undefiled, and so that the newlyweds may become fellow members of Christ and His saints, especially those who despised the flesh even to the point of martyrdom. Then the priest adds a prayer for the permission of the crowns, so that the One who gave the married couple crowns in commemoration of chastity and as a reward for their chastity and purity before marriage (since they entered into marriage blameless), Himself blessed the resolution of the crowns, and preserved the marriage and the union indestructible, so that they would always bless the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit in agreement. For God the Trinity, in His goodness, arranges everything for good. Finally, having called on Christ so that for the sake of His Most Pure Mother and His saints He would give mercy and salvation to everyone, the priest allows the crowns, and the newlyweds, having received a blessing from him, joyfully go home. So this is what needs to be said about marriage, and there is no need to say more. For although there are some questions regarding marriage, time does not allow us to talk about them, especially since the fathers clearly enlightened us in everything. You just need to know that God united those who were married and that they were purified by the invocation of the Pure One. Therefore, let them mutually observe an undefiled marriage, let them remain in peace and piety, and let them observe what they have received from God: unity in purity, love in chastity, living together in like-mindedness and peace - as a pledge, so that they are not required to answer for chastity and other divine deeds. And let them take care not only of the flesh, but also of their souls, since they themselves are dual and consist of body and soul, which is as much superior to the body as it is to the perishable. Therefore, let them take care of virtues, and especially of righteousness and truth, of prayers in gratitude to God and of attentive fellowship “in the teaching and instruction of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4), as the divine Paul teaches. From what they receive from God, let them give alms to their poor brothers, so that they themselves and together with their children may receive mercy for the Kingdom of God. That's all we could say about an honest and chaste marriage. You might be interested in: