For those who haven’t been following this blog, let me introduce it a little. I am currently blogging my 21st novel that has the working title Daemon. The novel is about Aksinya, a sorceress, who, to save her family from the Bolsheviks, called and contracted the demon, Asmodeus. Her family was murdered anyway, and she fled with the demon from Russia to Austria.
Father Dobrushin and Aksinya have decided to marry so that they can be rid of the demon. We are continuing with the Orthodox marriage ceremony...
Father Makar, “For to you belong all glory, honor and worship, to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages.”
Ekaterina, Dobrushin, and Aksinya answered, “Amen.”
Dobrushin bowed his head, “Let us pray to the Lord.”
Ekaterina replied, “Lord, have mercy.”
Father Makar prayed, “Eternal God, who brought into unity what had been separated and establish an unbreakable bond of agreement; who blessed Isaac and Rebecca, and declared them to be the heirs of your promise; bless these servants of yours also, guiding them in every good work. Because you, O God, are merciful and love mankind, and to you we give glory, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages.”
The others answered, “Amen.”
Father Makar, “Peace to all.”
Matushka Ekaterina, “And to your spirit.”
Dobrushin stated, “Bow your heads to the Lord.”
Matushka Ekaterina answered, “To you, O Lord.”
Father Makar prayed, “Lord, our God, who once betrothed yourself to the Church from the nations as a pure virgin, bless this betrothal, and unite and preserve these servants of yours in peace and concord. For to you belong all glory, honor and worship, to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages.”
They all replied, “Amen.”
Father Makar approached the altar. The rings sat beside a golden dish near the center of the Holy Table. The gold ring was on the left and the silver ring on the right. They touched one another. Also on the table were two crowns, one golden and one silver and a golden cup. Father Makar placed the rings on the dish and turned first to Dobrushin. He took the gold ring and with it made the sign of the cross three times on Dobrushin’s forehead, “The servant of God Dobrushin Sergeevich Lopuhin betroths himself to the servant of God Princess Aksinya Georgovna Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov the Countess of Golitsyna, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” Father Makar took the silver ring and with it made the sign of the cross three times on Aksinya’s forehead, “The servant of God Princess Aksinya Georgovna Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov the Countess of Golitsyna betroths herself to the servant of God Dobrushin Sergeevich Lopuhin, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” He then placed the rings on their right fingers.
With a smile, Matushka Ekaterina exchanged the rings between Aksinya and Dobrushin.
Father Makar completes the prayers. If you look carefully at them, they provide themselves a metaphor to everything that has been happening in the novel. First Rebecka and Issac then God to the church. These precede the betrothal through the giving of the rings.
The rings are symbols of perfection and eternity. They are gold and silver. The woman wears the golden ring representing the husband's dedication, and the man wears the silver ring that represents the wife's dedication. The rings are placed on the right and opposite person's fingers. They are then exchanged to the proper person's right hand ring fingers. The wedding band on the left hand is an American trait and not a European or orthodox tradition.
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