T H E S A C R A M E N T O F H O LY M AT R I M O N Y UNITING
ALEXA A N N E JAC O B S
& M AT T H E W B R I A N C ATA L A N O
J A N UA RY 2 0 T H , 2 0 1 9 5 O’CLOCK IN THE EVENING H O LY T R I N I T Y G R E E K O RT H O D O X C AT H E D R A L 3 3 7 E 7 4 T H S T R E E T, N E W Y O R K , N E W Y O R K
T H E W E D D I N G PA RT Y O F F I C I AT E S His Grace Bishop Sevastianos of Zela Reverend Father John Vlahos
PA R E N T S O F T H E B R I D E Mr. And Mrs. D. Michael Jacobs PA R E N T S O F T H E G RO O M Mr. And Mrs. Brian Catalano G R A N D PA R E N T S O F T H E B R I D E Mr. & Mrs. Frank S. Jacobs G R A N D PA R E N T O F T H E G RO O M Mr. and Mrs. Jack S. Kitzmiller Mr. and Mrs. Jack Allenberg Mr. Patrick Catalano
BRIDESMAIDS Katie Jacobs Maid of Honor
Sarah Catalano Katie Lanier GROOMSMEN Andrew Catalano Best Man
Jonathan Catalano Paul Jacobs Koumbaro
THE SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE Marriage is one of the seven sacraments of the Orthodox Church. For centuries, the Church has celebrated the sacrament of marriage very much like you will witness today. The service of Holy Matrimony in the Orthodox Church is full of symbols drawn from the theology of marriage. Because of the beauty and the meaningful symbolism of the service, time has honored and preserved it for our age and for the ages to come. God created man and woman and commanded that the two “become one flesh.” Through this blessed union, God wants to help mankind in their struggle to reach holiness. Since God created woman from man, it is logical that God would be the one to join a man and woman in marriage. Thus, marriage cannot be looked at as a private affair only between two people. God’s presence and blessings must be included for a lawfully wedded life. It is God who joins together, and it is God who instructs a man not to put asunder that which he unites. The couple does not exchange vows but are united by the grace of God. The Church, following the example of the Lord, who blessed the marriage in Cana of Galilee with His first miracle, and also heeding to the words of St. Paul, who calls marriage “a great mystery,” blesses the union of a man and a woman, praying that the grace of God may visit them and help them support each other. Two services will take place this evening: The Betrothal Service and the Crowning. Each of the services has a special meaning and significance.
T H E B E T R O T H A L S E RV I C E The Betrothal Service precedes the Service of Holy Matrimony. The priest begins the service by chanting petitions (earnest requests) on behalf of Alexa and Matthew, who are being betrothed. In the past, the Betrothal Service was the official promise for marriage. This service was followed by a time of preparation of the couple. Today, the Betrothal Service is an extra prayer and blessing of the Church to the couple being married.
THE RINGS During the Betrothal Service, the rings are blessed by the priest over the Gospel Book. Then, holding the rings with his right hand, the priest makes the sign of the cross over the couple’s head saying: “The servant of God, Alexa (Matthew), is betrothed to the servant of God, Matthew (Alexa), in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” He then places the rings on the second finger on their right hands. The Koumbaro (sponsor) exchanges the rings between Alexa and Matthew three times. Rings have been used since ancient times as symbols of the promise for marriage. The exchange of rings signifies that in married life the weakness of one partner will be compensated for by the strength of the other. By themselves, the newly betrothed are incomplete; together they are made perfect. Thus, the exchange of rings gives expression to the fact that the married couple will constantly be complementing each other. Each will be enriched by the union.
T H E W E D D I N G S E RV I C E The Wedding Service begins immediately following the Betrothal Service, as the priest raises the Gospel Book invoking these words: “Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit….” The Wedding Service is also called the Sacrament of the Crowning. This is the service during which prayers are made to our Lord Jesus Christ to be present at the ceremony Himself and bless the union of the couple.
THE CANDLES Within the Orthodox tradition, the lighting of candles during prayer symbolizes the light of Jesus Christ which enlightens and sanctifies “every man who comes into the world (John 1:9). It also stands as a reminder of the flames at Pentecost. The candles are lit during the service and they lead the procession out of the Church, symbolizing the light of Christ, which the newlyweds received through the sacrament, and which will enlighten their path in their new life together.
THE JOINING OF THE RIGHT HANDS Alexa and Matthew’s right hands are joined together when the priest reads the prayer that beseeches God to “Join these, thy servants; unite them in one mind and one flesh.” The hands are kept joined together throughout the service, pointing to the eternal unity of the couple in the eyes of God. From this moment on, Alexa and Matthew are joined in harmony both in a spiritual as well as a physical way.
THE CROWNING The crowns (stefana) are royal symbols. With the sacrament of marriage a new kingdom is created. The bride and groom are crowned as the king and queen of their own kingdom, their own home and family. The union is complete with the Crowning, the climax of the wedding ceremony. The priest, after having blessed the crowns over the Gospel Book, makes the sign of the cross over their heads invoking God to crown them with glory and honor as king and queen in their new small kingdom, the home, where they should govern with prudence, wisdom, and justice. The wedding crowns also remind us of the crowns of martyrdom since every true marriage involves self-sacrifice of both partners. When the crowning takes place, the priest, taking the crowns and holding them above the couple, says: “The servants of God, Matthew and Alexa are crowned in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen”
THE READING OF THE EPISTLE The Epistle reading is from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Ephesians (5:20-33), which describes the mystery and holiness of Christian marriage and the responsibilities of husband and wife to one another. St. Paul, explains that, the man should love and protect his wife just like himself, having the love and self-sacrifice of Christ for the Church, and the woman should love and respect her husband, just like the Church responds to the love of Christ.
THE READING OF THE GOSPEL The Gospel reading is taken from the Gospel of John. It is an account of the first miracle of the Lord at the wedding at Cana in Galilee. There, Jesus converted the water into wine so that people would drink and celebrate marriage. With His presence, He blessed the institution of marriage and through His miracle, He emphasized that the human “wine” is not enough. The Lord’s blessing is also required. So, Jesus blesses where He is invited. He blesses the wine of love and happiness so that it may never run out.
THE BREAD AND THE COMMON CUP In remembrance of the wedding feast at Cana, where Christ’s glory was revealed a cup of bittersweet wine is blessed and shared by the couple. The drinking of the wine from the Common Cup serves to impress upon the couple that from that moment on they will share the same cup of life, and whatever life has in store for them, they will share equally.
T H E C E R E M O N I A L WA L K The joyful service of Holy Matrimony is completed with a ceremonial walk. The priest, holding the Gospel in his right hand, leads Alexa and Matthew around the table three times in an expression of joy. The circle symbolizes perfection and the circular walk symbolizes eternity. These are the first steps Alexa and Matthew take as husband and wife. They are led by the Gospel of Christ symbolizing the way in which they must walk as a Christian family with Christ in the center of their lives. The ceremonial walk is called the “Dance of Isaiah” for the Prophet Isaiah who prophesied the coming of the Messiah. Three hymns are sung during the procession. The first speaks of the indescribable joy that Isaiah the Prophet experienced when he envisioned the coming of the Messiah; the second hymn reminds us of the martyrs who received their crowns of glory from God; and the third praises the Holy Trinity.
T H E T R A D I T I O N O F KO U F E TA The sugar-coated almonds, or ‘koufeta’, which are placed on the tray with the crowns and given to the guests at the reception, are symbolic of an ancient tradition. The hard bitterness of the almond represents the endurance of marriage and the sweetness of the sugar symbolizes the sweetness of future life. The guests are given an odd number of almonds which are indivisible, just as the newlyweds will remain undivided.
THE PRESENCE OF OTHERS The congregation of the Church participates in the sacrament of Holy Matrimony with their presence and their prayers. We thank you all for being present for this special day. We would like to extend our deep gratitude to Father John Vlahos for his guidance and counsel in preparing us for this sacrament of marriage. We would also like to thank His Grace Sevastianos of Zela for his support and participation. To Our Family and Friends Thank you for all your love and support. You have each helped shape our lives, providing laughter, friendship, counsel and rebuke when needed. We are honored to have you in our lives and here to celebrate with us today. We are especially grateful for the many that traveled long distances to New York City. It means the world to us to have you here where we met, fell in love, and today start our lives together as husband and wife. We hope you enjoy today and we look forward to celebrating with you tonight and sharing countless more memories with you in the future. Love
Always, Matthew and Alexa
I N M E M O RY G R A N D PA R E N T S O F T H E B R I D E Mr. & Mrs. Charles S. Paulson G R A N D PA R E N T O F T H E G RO O M Mrs. Elizabeth Catalano
RECEPTION TO FOLLOW 6:30 PM The Loeb Boathouse Central Park
Park Drive North, E 72nd St, New York, NY 10021