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Holy Matrimony

The Sacrament of Holy Matrimony or marriage is the consecration of the union between a man and a woman for life in lawful marriage. By mutual accord of the man and the woman, they are united together with a spiritual bond to each other and to the Church.

By His attendance at the wedding of Cana in Galilee, Our Lord Jesus Christ demonstrated to us His approval of the sanctity of marriage. He gave us laws concerning marriage, which are recorded in Matthew 19:3-12. The doctrine of the sacrament of marriage is based on Ephesians 5:22-33 which is read during the service as the main lesson.

The purpose of marriage is very sacred. In Matrimony, a man and his wife are called to take part in the work of the Creator. “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4

Marriage is also instituted for the mutual support of man and woman. “Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him." Genesis 2:18

As the ceremony begins the Priest blesses the rings, and the right hands of the bride and groom are joined, symbolizing their spiritual union. The rings are a symbol of their bond and perpetual faithfulness to each other. The bride and groom are asked three times whether they will be united to one another until the end of their lives, and are instructed by the priest to be faithful to one another.

Passages from Saint Paul's letter to the Ephesians (Ephesians 5:22-33) and the Gospel of Saint Matthew (Matthew 19:3-12) are read which tell of Jesus' teaching on marriage. A short creed of the Church is recited which tells of the events in Christ's life.

Following the reading, the Priest places crowns on the bride and groom's foreheads. The crowns are symbolic of the King and Queen of Armenia, Saints Trdat and Ashkhen, who, through Saint Gregory the Illuminator, proclaimed Christianity as the state religion in 301 A.D. The couple's foreheads and right hands are joined together as a prayer is recited naming the Patriarchs of the Old Testament. The Godfather holds a Cross over the crowns, symbolizing the Christian interpretation of the reflective processes in their decision to marry and their intellectual union.

The crowns are then lifted and a cup of wine is blessed and given to the bride and groom, as well as the Godfather and maid of honor. The wine symbolizes the first miracle of Christ in Cana of Galilee where He transformed water into wine at a wedding so that it could be enjoyed by the guests.

Matthew 19

3 And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause?" 4 He answered, "Have you not read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? 6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder." 7 They said to him, "Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?" 8 He said to them, "For your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another, commits adultery." 10 The disciples said to him, "If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is not expedient to marry." 11 But he said to them, "Not all men can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. 12 For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to receive this, let him receive it."

Ephesians 5

22 Wives, be subject to your husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 As the church is subject to Christ, so let wives also be subject in everything to their husbands. 25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 28 Even so husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no man ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." 32 This mystery is a profound one, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church; 33 however, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

The Order of the Service

The Processional

The Lord's Prayer

Hymn: Aysor Yergnayinkin

(This Day the Celestials)

The Blessing of the Rings

The Exhortation

The Exchange of Vows

Hymn: Ourakh ler Soorp Yegeghetsi

(Rejoice, 0 Holy Church)

The Trisagion

The Litany of the Faithful

Reading of the Epistle to the Ephesians

The Gospel Reading

The Crowning

The Prayer of Crowning

Hymn: Ov Yeranelit

(0 Thou Blessed of All)

Removal of the Crowns

Blessing of the Common Cup of Wine

Prayer of Dismissal

The Lord's Prayer

The Recessional

The Wedding Service

Holy Matrimony is a Sacrament of the Armenian Church in which a man and a woman solemnly vow before Christ, the priest and the congregation to be true to each other for life. Their conjugal union is blessed by Christ through the Church.

The marriage ceremony of the Armenian Church is steeped in ritual and symbolism. Each of the acts performed during the ceremony has special meaning and significance.

The ceremony is in two parts. The first part consists of the exchange of rings, the joining

of right hands and the vows. The couple is now married. The second part is the "Crowning" or Blessing Ceremony; wherein, the couple receives the blessings of the Lord as well as the responsibility to serve the Lord.

The Rings

The rings are blessed by the priest who takes them to his hand and makes the sign of the cross over them. He exhorts both bride and groom by saying: "The King shall rejoice in Thy strength 0 Lord, and in Thy salvation he shall be exceedingly glad. Hear my daughter and see, the King longs for your beauty".

The rings are placed on the ring finger. The rings are the symbols of betrothal from the most ancient times. They are a sign of a never ending love.

The Exchange of Vows

The vows are exchanged wherein the couple promises God that they will remain married until death and they will always be faithful to God.

DER (LORD) HUHNAZANT (OBEDIENT)

"Lordship" and "Faithfulness"

The exhoPation at the beginning of the ceremony asks both bridegroom and bride to express their covenant to each other and to the church.

A) To be lord – means to assume the sacrificial dynamics of life that are essential in this expression of love. As Christ gave his life for the church, the bridegroom is asked if he, like Our Lord, can and is willing to accept the same "Lordship" by giving himself totally to his wife and the Christian concept of marriage..c Only by "giving up" will become truly worthy to be called "lord".

B) To be obedient – means to remain faithful to all of God's expectations in marriage. As the church is subject to Christ, so too the bride becomes both subject to and object of this same dynamic expression of sacrificial love. By "taldng on" Christ, this special covenant of love will endure unto eternity.

The Joining of Right Hands

The priest then joins the couple's right hands remembering in prayer how God "took the hands of Eve and put it into the hands of Adam" and to symbolize the `oneness" of the couple.

The Rite of Crowning

The rite of crowning is the climax of the wedding service. The crowns are the signs of the glory and the honour with which God crowns them during the Sacrament. The groom and the bride are crowned as the king and the queen of their own little kingdom, which they will rule with wisdom, justice, and integrity. The crowns also signify martyrdom, as every true marriage involves immeasurable self-sacrifice to each other and to God. The braids (narods) are red, white, and green. The red and the white symbolize the sacrifice of Christ, reminding us that marriage is a sacrifice. The green symbolizes our hope that there will be growth in the marriage. The Blessing prayer that the Lord gives the couple wisdom, integrity, oneness of mind, and that they become a "people of God".

The Blessing of the Common Cup of Wine

This part of the service is to remind us of the marriage at Cana of Galilee which was blessed by Christ's presence.

In remembrance of the blessing, wine is given to the bride and groom. This is the common Cup of life, denoting the mutual sharing of joy and sorrow, the token of a life of harmony.

Husband and wife no longer live solely for themselves, but for each other in service to Christ.

Prayer of Dismissal

At the end of the service, the priest blesses the couple, asking Christ to "protect them under the shadow of Thy holy and honourable cross in peace". Thus, God's grace is imparted to them to live together in His love, mutually fulfilling and perfecting each other.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father who art in heaven,

Hallowed be Thy name,

Thy Kingdom come,

Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

As we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the Kingdom,

And the power, and the glory,

Forever and ever.

Amen.

Hayr mer vor hergins yes,

Soorp yeghitzi anoon ko;

Yegestze arkayoutyoon ko;

Yeghitzin gamk ko; Vorbes hergins yev hergri,

Uzhatz mer hanabazort door mez aysor,

Togh mez uzbardis mer

Vorbes yev menk toghoomk merotz bardabanatz;

Yev mi danir uzmez i portzootyoon,

Ayl purgya i chare.

Zee ko i arkayoutyoon,

Yev zorootyoon,

Yev park,

Haveedianus, haveedeneetz,

Amen.

Wedding Service of the Armenian Church

Officiating Priest:

Father ----------- -----------------

----------------- Armenian Apostolic Church

Brother of the Cross (Best Man)

Name Here

Maid of Honor

Name Here

Groomsmen

Names Here

Bridesmaids

Names Here

Flower Girl

Name Here

Ring Bearer

Name Here

Deacon

Name Here

Choir Director

Name Here

Organist

Name Here

Ushers

Names Here

Wedding Service of the Armenian Church

Processional

Priest: Blessed be our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Deacon: Yev yevus khaghaghootyan uzDer aghachestsook.

<Again in peace let us beseech the Lord: Receive, save, and have mercy.>

Priest: Orhnootyoon yev parrk Hor yev Vortvo yev Hokvooyn Surpo, ayzhum yev mishd yev havidyanus havidenitz. Amen.

<Blessing and glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forevermore. Amen.>

Choir Solo: Aysor Yergnayinkn oorakhatzan unt yergravoratzus norokman, kanzi norokoghn eyitz Hokin ech i soorb vernadoonn, vorov noroketzan task arakelotzn.

<Today, the heavenly spirits rejoiced over the renewal of the earthly creatures, for the Renewer of creation descended into the upper room, and the ranks of the apostles were renewed. >

Priest: O Christ our God, bless these wedding rings with a spiritual blessing, so that the people who wear them may not be approached by the wickedness of the evil one. Instead, may they be guarded and defended by the power of Your Holy Cross, and may they be saved from all the snares of Satan. To You are due glory, dominion, and honor, now and always and forevermore. Amen.

(the groom shall put the ring on the bride's left ring finger.)

Priest: "O Lord, in Your strength the King will be glad, and in Your salvation how greatly he shall rejoice! You have given him his heart's desire, And You have not withheld the request of his lips."

(Psalm 21:1-2)

(the Bride shall put the ring on the groom's left ring finger.)

Priest: "The maiden will be led to the King in fine clothing; her virgin companions who follow her will be brought to You. They will be led with gladness and rejoicing; they will enter the King's palace."

(Psalm 45:14-15)

(the Priest shall join the right hands of the groom and the bride.)

Priest: God took Eve's hand and placed it in Adam's right hand.

"And Adam said: 'This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.' For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh." (Genesis 2:23-24)

"Therefore, what God has joined together, let man not separate." (Matthew 19:6)

Deacon: O Christ, look upon us and have mercy on us, for your compassion is plentiful.

Christ, you are a father to orphans and a righteous judge to widows, for your compassion is plentiful.

Christ, you are the crowner of saints, and you listen to us and to their prayers, for your compassion is plentiful.

Priest: Beloved children: by God's ordinance and according to the canons of the holy patriarchs, you have come to this holy church to be crowned and lawfully wedded in holy matrimony. May God keep you in mutual love and in one accord. May He make you live to a ripe old age, and make you worthy of the unfading heavenly crown.

But you should realize that this world has all kinds of troubles. There is sickness; there is poverty; and there are other afflictions and trials. We pray that God will keep you away from all such troubles. Nevertheless, it is God's commandment that you help one another until death.

(The Priest shall ask the bridegroom: )

Priest: My son <groom's name>, do you promise to be a faithful and loving husband to <bride's name> according to God's holy ordinance, as long as you both shall live?

Bridegroom: Yes, Reverend Father, I do, by the will and grace of God.

Priest: Vortiag im pesa <groom's name>, gu khosdanas polor baymanneroon mech der, sirogh yev havadarim amoosin ullal <bride's name>in, aynkan aden vor gabrik?

Bridegroom: Ayo, Hayr Soorp, gu khosdanam Asdoodzo gamkov yev shnorkov.

Priest: My son <groom's name>, do you promise to be a faithful and loving husband to <bride's name> according to God's holy ordinance, as long as you both shall live?

Bridegroom: Yes, Reverend Father, I do, by the will and grace of God.

(the Priest shall ask the bride: )

Priest: My daughter <bride's name>, do you promise to be a faithful and loving wife to <groom's name> according to God's holy ordinance, as long as you both shall live?

Bride: Yes, Reverend Father, I do, by the will and grace of God.

Priest: Tooster im hars <bride's name>, gu khosdanas polor baymanneroon mech havadarim, sirogh yev hunazant gin ullal <groom's name>in, aynkan aden vor gabrik?

Bride: Ayo, Hayr Soorp, gu khosdanam Asdoodzo gamkov yev shnorkov.

Priest: My daughter <bride's name>, do you promise to be a faithful and loving wife to <groom's name> according to God's holy ordinance, as long as you both shall live?

Bride: Yes, Reverend Father, I do, by the will and grace of God.

(The Priest shall say to both: )

Priest: God, who is invisibly seated on the Holy Altar, is witness to these your words; so are our guardian angels, this Holy Church, the Holy Cross, the Holy Gospel, the clergy, and all these people. Shall they all be witnesses to your promise?

(The bride and groom shall answer together: )

Bride and Groom: Yes, Reverend Father, let them be witnesses.

Priest: May God be in their midst, and may they not be shaken.

May God always help them from morning to morning.

(based on Psalm 46:5)

(the Bride and Groom shall turn towards the altar.)

Deacon: O Lord, grant peace to Your Holy Church, peace from war with enemies; and keep the universal Church firm in unity of faith. We confess that you are our Lord and God. Grant us life.

Choir: oorakh ler soorp Yegeghetzi kanzi Krisdos arkain yergnitz aysor busagyatz uzkez khachivn yurov yev zartaryatz zamoorus ko skancheli parok yurovk.

<Rejoice, O Holy Church, for today Christ the heavenly king has crowned you with his cross, and He has adorned your ramparts with his wonderful glory.> (The ramparts of the Church are symbolic of its believers. see Ephesians 2:20-22)

Deacon: Broskhoomeh.

<let us pay attention.>

Choir: Soorp Asdvadz, soorp yev huzor, soorp yev anmah vor marmnatzar vasun mer voghormya mez.

<Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal, who took on a body for our sake, have mercy upon us.> (repeat three times.)

Deacon: Again in peace let us beseech the Lord.

Choir: Lord have mercy.

Deacon: For the peace of the whole world and for the stability of the holy Church, let us beseech the Lord.

Choir: Lord have mercy.

Deacon: For all holy and orthodox bishops, let us beseech the Lord.

Choir: Lord have mercy.

Deacon: For the life our Catholicos Patriarch Lord Lord <Karekin>, and for the salvation of his soul, let us beseech the Lord.

Choir: Lord have mercy.

Deacon: For doctors, Priests, Deacon:s, clerks, and for all the children of the covenant in the Church, let us beseech the Lord.

Choir: Hishya Der yev voghormia. Der voghormia, kez diarnut hantzn yeghitsook. Der voghormia, Der voghormia, Der voghormia.

<O Lord, remember and have mercy. We commit ourselves to you, our Lord. Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy.>

Priest: For You, O God, are a merciful and man-loving God, and to you are due glory, dominion, and honor, now and always and forevermore. Amen.

Deacon: Alleluia, Alleluia.

"O Lord, in Your strength the King will be glad, and in Your salvation how greatly he shall rejoice!" (Psalm 21:1)

First Scripture Reading:

Lesson from the letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians 5:15-33

Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, that he might present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church-- for we are members of his body. "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."

This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church.

However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Second Scripture Reading:

Lesson from the first letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians 13:1-13

If I speak in the languages of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and I understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have such faith that I can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I have to the poor, and surrender my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient and kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful. It does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always endures. Love never fails.

As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for languages, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away: For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect, but when perfection comes, the imperfect passes away.

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I thought as a child, I reasoned as a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways. Now we see in a mirror dimly, but then we shall see face to face. Now we know in part, then we shall know in full, even as I am fully known.

So these three remain: faith, hope, and love: but the greatest of these is love.

Deacon: Alleluia, Alleluia. The Queen shall stand at your right hand, arrayed in clothing made of gold.(based on Psalm 45:9)

Deacon: Alleluia Orthi. (Congregation should stand)

Priest: Khaghaghootiun amenetzoon.

<Peace be with you all.>

Choir: Yev unt hokvooyt koom.

<And also with your spirit.>

Deacon: Yergyooghadzootiamp luvarook.

<Let us listen in holy fear.>

Priest: Surpo Avedaranis Hisoosi Krisdosi, vor usd Madteosi.

<The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Matthew.>

Choir: Parrk kez Der Asdvadz mer.

<Glory to you, O Lord our God.>

Deacon: Broskhoomeh.

<Let us pay attention.>

Choir: Ase Asdvadz.

<God speaks.>

Priest: Of our Lord Jesus Christ:

"Some Pharisees came to him and tested him by asking, 'Is it allowed by law for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?'

'Haven't you read,' He replied, 'that at the beginning the Creator `made them male and female,' and said, `For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.'

'Why then,' they asked, 'did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?'

Jesus replied, 'Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the

beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.'"

(Matthew 19:3-9)

Deacon: Let us beseech the Lord to guide our steps in the paths of peace.

Priest: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: Let us beseech the Lord to dispel from our midst all the thoughts of the evil one.

Priest: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: Let us beseech the Lord to bestow upon us healthy thoughts and virtuous conduct.

Priest: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: Let us beseech the Lord to keep us under the shelter of his Almighty hand.

Priest: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: Have mercy upon us, O Lord our God, according to your great mercy.

Priest: Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Lord, God of hosts, and creator of all, You who created man in Your own Image, and placed him in the garden of Eden, and made them male and female, and blessed them, saying:

"Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth." (Genesis 1:28)

We beseech You, O Lord, bless this marriage as You blessed the marriage of the holy patriarchs, and keep this couple spotless in spiritual love and in one accord during their lives in this world.

Bless, O Lord, and make their marriage fruitful with offspring, if it is Your will, so that they may inherit a life of virtuous conduct for the glory of Your all-Holy Name.

Grant them a peaceful life and lengthen their time in this world, and make them worthy to attain the indespoilable joys of the heavenly nuptials, together with all Your saints, by the grace and the loving kindness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, with whom You are blessed, O Father Almighty, together with the life-giving and liberating Holy Spirit, now and always and forevermore, Amen.

Peace be with you all.

Now, as you blessed the wedding of our forebears, bless, O Lord, the crowning of these Your servants into marriage. For You have given these Your children Your blessing of sweetness, and You have placed upon their heads a crown of precious gems.

You blessed the wedding in Cana of Galilee, and showed Your divine glory to Your disciples by changing the water into wine, and did not despise marriage but blessed it as a high-Priest and established it with Your word, which cannot lie, saying:

"Therefore what God has joined together, let no man separate."

(Matthew 19:6)

In the same way, You who are holy and rest in Your saints, keep the marriage of these Your servants ------ and ------- holy, and unite them under the yoke of Your dispensation in the spirit of meekness, that they may love one another with modest behavior, purity in spirit, without giving cause for shame, without impudence, but always ready for good works, so that escaping the snare of the evil one, they may be preserved in health of soul and body, under the protection of Your angels, and under the sign of Your triumphant Cross.

Our Lord and God, be the protector of these Your servants and shelter them all the days of their lives with Your mercy. Save them from evil thoughts and protect and guard them by day and by night according to Your mercy. Plant them as a fruitful olive tree in the House of God, so that living in righteousness, in purity and godliness according to the pleasure of Your beneficent will they may live to see the children of their children. May they be a people unto You and glorify Your holy Name, and bless the all-holy Trinity: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and always and forevermore, Amen.

Choir Solo: Ov yeraneleet amenetzoon diyezeragan iskhanootyamp ungalar i Krisdose uztakbardatz, ov Durtad medz takavor vasun mer barekhosya arr Takavarn yergnavor.

<O you who are blessed by all, by universal authority you have received from Christ the crowns of glory; Durtad, the great king, intercede for us to the Heavenly King.>

Deacon: May the Lord listen to the voice of our supplications, may He receive the request of our hearts. May He forgive our trespasses and have mercy upon us. May our prayers and supplications enter at all times into the presence of His great majesty. And may He grant us to do good works through a united and righteous faith, that he may send down upon us the graces of his mercy. May Almighty God grant us life and mercy.

Priest: Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

O Lord our God, You are always with us and will not take away Your guiding hand from those who profess Your holy Name in truth. According to Your ordinance we have blessed the crowning in marriage of these Your servants, in Your holy tabernacle, and before Your holy altar.

And now, O beneficent Lord, according to Your order we remove the crowns of marriage from their heads and we bless them with the sign of the Holy Cross in Your name.

O Lord, watch over them with Your loving kindness, and send down Your angel of peace to keep them holy and united in spirit and in mind.

O Lord, grant them offspring according to Your will, and sweeten the virtue of their lives with Your bountiful goodness, that they may live long and exemplary lives, and make them worthy of Your heavenly kingdom and of Your unfading crowns.

And to You, Almighty God, are due glory, dominion, and honor, now and always and forevermore. Amen.

Priest: Lord our God, You have made all things with wisdom, and established the universe, and have adorned the wedding feast in Cana of Galilee. O Lord, You Yourself bless this cup in Your mercy. We shall always thank You for Your gifts, and shall give blessings and glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forevermore. Amen.

Choir: Takavor yergnavor zegeghetzi ko ansharzh bahya yev zergurbakoos anvanut koom bahya khaghaghootyan.

<Heavenly King, preserve Your Church unshaken, and keep the worshippers of Your Name in peace.>

Deacon: By the Holy Cross let us beseech the Lord, that he may deliver us from our sins and may save us by the grace of His mercy. Lord God Almighty, save and have mercy.

Priest: O Christ our God, the guardian and the hope of believers, guard and safeguard in peace the newly crowned king and queen, the best man, their parents and all their relatives under the shadow of Your holy and precious Cross. Deliver us from visible and invisible enemies. Make us worthy to give thanks to You and to glorify You with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always and forevermore. Amen.

Priest: Orhnyal Der mer Hisoos Krisdos. Amen.

<Blessed is our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.>

(The choir and congregation shall sing the Lord’s Prayer in Armenian.)

Choir and Congregation (sung):

Hayr mer vor herginus yes,

soorp yeghitsi anoon ko.

Yegestze arkayootyoon ko,

Yeghitzin gamk ko vorbes herginus yev hergri. Uzhatz mer hanabazort

door mez aysor.

Yev togh mez uzbardis mer

vorbes yev mek toghoomk merotz bardabanatz.

Yev mi danir uzmez i portzootyoon,

ayl purgya uzmez i chare.

< Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.>

Priest: Zi ko e arkayootyoon, yev zorootyoon, yev parrk havidyanus. Amen.

< For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.>

Be blessed by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Depart in peace, and may the Lord be with you all. Amen.

Choir: Sioni vortik, zartik harsin looso dook avedik, yete pesayn ko harootsyal haghtyats mahoo ishkhanootyamp. Bsage uzkez parrok. Yel unt arach bujnyal zartook. Yerkya yerk nor harootselooyn, nunchetselotz genatz budghooyn.

September 07, 2010