MARRY COP

HOLY MATRIMONY …….. THE MARRIAGE SERVICE 143 a

The bridegroom and the bride (on his left) with their attendants, stand before the altar rails

THE INVOCATION (after control of legal permission)

P In the Name of the 'Father + and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, our heavenly Mother

C Amen

P (turning to the people, addresses them as follow)

P Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God, and in the face of this congregation,

to join together this man and this woman in holy Matrimony, which is an honourable estate, not by any to

be enterprised or taken in hand unadvisedly, lightly or wantonly, but reverently, advisedly and soberly, in

the sight of God

Into which estate these two persons come now to be joined. Therefore if any man can show any just cause

why they may not lawfully be joined together, let him now speak or else hereafter for ever hold his peace

(No impediment being alleged, the Priest questions the man

and woman separately concerning their consent to marry.)

P (to the man ) Will thou, N., take N.

here present for thy lawful wife according to the rite of our holy Mother the Church ?

The bridegroom answers: I will

P (to the woman) Will thou, N take N.

here present for thy lawful husband according to the rite of our holy Mother the Church

The bride answers: I will

The bridegroom places the ring upon a salver held before him by an acolyte.

The Priest sprinkles the ring with holy water in the form of a cross and then blesses it, saying:

P O Lord, we bless + and + hallow this ring,

that she who shall wear it may ever keep true faith unto her husband, and so,

abiding in Thy peace and in conformity to Thy holy will, may ever live with him in

+ Love unchanging:; through Christ the innermost Lord in all

C Amen

(The ring remains upon the salver until required.)

(P Who giveth this woman to be married to this man?

(It is an old tradition that the bride is then given away by her father or friend, who places

( her right hand in that of the Priest, who in turn bestows her upon the bridegroom with the words)

P Receive the precious gift of God

(If the father be dead or unavoidably absent, and no friend can be found to take his place

(the bride herself may place her right hand in that of the Priest,

( but the older form is to be preferred when it is possible.)

(The bridegroom, taking her right hand in his, receives her,

( to keep her in God´s faith and his own

(Then shall the bridegroom plight her his troth in these words, repeated by him after the Priest

I, N, take thee, N to be my wedded wife,

to have and to hold from this day forward. For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness

and in health, to love, to cherish, and to honour; and thereunto, in the presence of God and

in the power and love of Christ our Lord and Master, I plight thee my troth.. Amen

( Then shall they loose hands and the woman, taking the man's right hand in her own,

shall repeat after the Priest)

I, N., take thee, N., to my wedded husband,

to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness

and in health, to love, to cherish, and to honour; and thereunto, in the presence of God and

in the power and love of Christ our Lord and Master, I plight thee my troth. Amen

(The salver bearing the ring is brought by an acolyte to the bridegroom

who repeats after the Priest)

Bridegroom (placing the ring on the thumb of the bride's left hand, saying)

In the Name of the Father (then on the forefinger, saying

and of the Son (then on the next finger, saying

and of the Holy Ghost (/our heavenly Mother) (lastly on the ring finger)

( as he seals his fidelity with the word

Amen (Holding the ring in its place, he repeats after the Priest

With this ring I thee wed; my truest love I thee pledge: with my body I give thee reverence,

And with all my strength I thee shield. Amen

(If it should be though well for the woman to give her intended husband a ring, it may be blessed

after the other mutatis mutandis and would now be placed upon his finger as a ledge of her

love and fidelity No words accompany this action, as in the trues symbolism of the rite the

woman fulfils her part rather by the receiving of the ring

The Priest joins their right hands and after touching the forehead of the man and women

with holy water, says

P I join you together in marriage in the Name of the Father + and the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen

(Covering their joined hands with the end of his stole, he adds)

P Those whom God hath joined together, let no man seek to put asunder

(Then shall the Priest speak unto the people)

P Forasmuch as N. and N. have consented together in holy wedlock,

and have witnessed the same before God and this company, and thereto have given and pledged their

troth either to other, and have declared the same by giving and receiving of a ring

and by joining of hands I declare to you that they be man and wife together,

in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, (our heavenly Mother)

C Amen

*******

(If a special Nuptial Eucharist is to be celebrated, the following portion in brackets,

which form part of such a Eucharistic Service, is here omittes. The newly-married pair kneel

(P O Lord, you bless Your children to be Thy good servant and Thy good handmaid

C They put their trust in Thee

P You pour forth upon them of the fullness of Thy love

C You lighten them with Thy heavenly grace

P You send them wisdom from Thy sanctuary

C You will dwell in their understanding

P O Lord, You will be unto them a tower of strength.

C Evermore You will defend them

P The Lord is with you - blessing +

C And with you is the Spirit - blessing +

P Let us pray affirming, contemplating

P O eternal God in all, Creator and Preserver of souls and bodies, Giver of all spiritual grace

You send Thy blessing upon these Thy children, this man and this woman

whom we bless in Thy Name, that they may surely perform and keep the vow and covenant

betwixt them made, and may so hold their lives in the knowledge and love of Thee that they may

dwell together in holy love and peace, through Christ our Lord

C Amen

(A hymn may be sung here if desired. The people stand, but the newly-married pair kneel,

while the hymn is sung.)

The Priest pronounces this blessing over the bride and bridegroom

P Almighty God will pour upon you the riches of grace, sanctify and + bless you,

That you may serve God both in body and soul and live together in holy love unto your

incarnations end

C Amen

(If the Nuptial Euchaist is to be celebrated, it now follows)

THE NUPTIAL EUCHARIST

CANTICLE

(Antiphone) Now abideth faith, hope, love, but the greatest of them is love

Blessed are all they that love the Lord: and walk in His ways
For thou shall eat the labour of thine hands: O well is thee and happy shalt thou be
They that put their trust in the Lord shall be even as the holy Mount of God

Which may not be removed, but standeth fast for ever

4 The hills stand about the Temple; even so standeth the Lord round about His children,

from this time forth for evermore

(Antiphone) Now abideth faith, hope, love, but the greatest of them is love

THE COLLECT

P: O GOD, who hast consecrated the state of marriage to such an excellent mystery that in it is signified

The spiritual marriage and unity betwixt Christ and His faithful people You will grant unto Thy children

that, casting aside all fear and selfishness and abiding in Thy holy love, they may so pass through things

temporal that they may continuelly increase in the knowledge of things eternal, through Christ our Lord

C Amen

THE EPISTLE

The epistle is taken from the thirteenth chapter of the First Epistle of St. Paul to the Cortinthians

beginning at the first verse

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of Angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass,

or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge;

and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing. And though I

bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profiteth

me mothing. Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believes all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Love never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail, whether there be tongues

they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall wanish away. For we know in part, and we prophecy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child , I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childich things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then I shall know even as also I am known. And now abideth faaith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

That is (part of) the Epistle

THE GRADUAL

1 The just shall shine and shall run to and fro: like sparks among the reeds

They shall judge nations, and rule over people: and their Lord shall reign for ever
They that trust in Him shall understand the truth: and they that are faithful in love shall rest in Him,

For grace and peace is to His elect

He that loveth wisdom loveth life: and they that seek her early shall be filled with joy
He that holdeth her fast shall inherit glory: and wheresoever she entereth is the blessing of the Lord
They that serve her shall minister to the Holy One: they love her as the Lord doth love all *
She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not be compared unto her
Her ways are ways of pleasantness: and all her paths are peace

THE GOSPEL

The holy Gospel is taken from the fiftenth chapter of the Gospel of St. John, beginning at the first verse

+ I am the true wine, and My Father is the husbandsman. Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are

clean through the words which I have spoken unto you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine: no more can can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the wine, ye are the branches; he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye

can do nothing. If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what

ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit, so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in My love. If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love: These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full

BEFORE THE COMMEMORATION OF THE SAINTS

(The Priest stands at the Epistle ccorner of the altar, turning towars the newly-married pair

who kneel. The following Versicles and Reponses and Prayers are then sung or said)

P O Lord, you bless bride and bridegroom, who will become your servant and your handmaid

C Who put their trust in Thee

P You pour forth upon them of the fullness of Thy love

C And ligthen them with Thy heavenly grace

P You send them wisdom from Thy sanctuary

C And You will dwell in their understanding

P O Lord, You will be to them a tower of strength

C And evermore defend them

P The Lord is with you - blessing +

C Our heavenly Mother , The Spirit is with you - blessing +

P Let us pray. contemplaying, affirming

P O eternal divine Self , who incarnates as creator and preserver of our temporal nature, and give of all

spiritual grace in our earthly and heavenly life. You send blessing upon this man and this woman whom, we + bless in 'Thy Name……….

COMMUNIO

The eye of the Lord is upon us. We love him and rest on His lovingkindness more and more

The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord. In the righteous shall it shine forth as an eternal sun

For every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from our Father of Lights

in whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning

POSTCOMMUNIO

P O LORD CHRIST Thou are the Well of infinite compassion and you look with the tender eyes of Thy love upon this bride and bridegroom. You will strengthen them that the LIGHT of Thy glory may burn brighter in their hearts To you be praise and adoration from men an from the Angel host in all nature

C Amen

Comments:

Some who study wedding-rituals may observe that the one above is monistic and affirming.. God is understood

as the innermost Self in all beings. All are making a pilgrimage from a state before creation and back to home.

Our reincarnations in higher and higher forms is accepted, as Christ says e g in the Pistis Sophia Gospel.

Interpretations of Jewish "Nomos-love, Greek Eros-love and Christian Agape-love have influenced each other until we now meet a thousand different mixtures and few who talk about their religious "love" are conscious about the differences. For Christ the divine Love is as the sunshine and rain which is given equal to all ( Matt, 5.45) In the Jewish Old Testament do we meet a "god" ( spirit? ) who "loves" the righteous and "hates" the unrighteous (Ps 146-8, Ps 26.5) Proclus says divine Eros-love comes down and turns everything upwards

All religious seekers may be free to test such different beliefs or linguistic usage. Words may be misunderstood.