Chapter IX · THE ORDER THAT IS USED AT BETROTHALS.

After the divine liturgy, while the priest standeth in the sanctuary, they that purpose to be joined together stand before the holy doors, the man on the right side and the woman on the left. And on the right side of the holy table are laid their two rings, a golden one and a silver one, the silver one towards the right and the golden one towards the left, close to one another. And the priest signeth the heads of the bridal pair thrice, and giveth them burning tapers, and leadeth them within the temple, and censeth crosswise, and by the deacon is said,

Bless, master.

And the priest. Blessed be Our God....

Choir. Amen.

Deacon. In peace let us pray to the Lord.

For the peace that is from above, and for the salvation of their two....

For the peace of the whole world, the good estate....

For this holy temple, and for them that with faith....

For the most holy governing Synod....

For our Most Pious....

For the servant of God, name, and for the handmaid of God, name, who are now being betrothed to one another, and for their salvation, let us pray to the Lord.

That there may be vouchsafed unto them children for the succession of generation, and all desires that tend to salvation, let us pray to the Lord.

That there may be sent down upon them perfect love, peace, and assistance, let us pray to the Lord.

That they may be preserved in unanimity, and stedfast faith, let us pray to the Lord.

That they may be blessed with a blameless course of life, let us pray to the Lord.

That the Lord our God may grant unto them an honourable marriage, and a bed undefiled, let us pray to the Lord.

For our deliverance from all affliction....

Commemorating our most holy, most pure, most blessed....

Priest.

For to thee is due all glory....

Then he saith the prayer with a loud voice.

O God eternal, who bringest things that are divided unto unity, and imposest upon these an indissoluble bond of love, who didst bless Isaac and Rebecca, and declare them to be the inheritors of thy promise; do thou thyself bless these thy servants, name, name, directing them in every good work. For a merciful and man-loving God thou art, and to thee we ascribe glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, now and ever, and to ages of ages.

Choir. Amen.

Priest. Peace to all.

Choir. And to thy spirit.

Deacon. Bow your heads to the Lord.

Choir. To thee, O Lord.

Priest.

O Lord our God, who hast espoused the church as a pure virgin from among the gentiles; do thou bless these espousals, and unite and keep these thy servants in peace and unanimity.

For to thee is due all glory, honour, and worship, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, now and ever, and to ages of ages.

Choir. Amen.

Then the priest, taking the rings, giveth first the golden one to the man, then the silver one to the woman.

And he saith to the man,

The servant of God, name, is betrothed to the handmaid of God, name, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Then to the woman he saith,

The handmaid of God, name, is betrothed to the servant of God, name, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

And when he hath thus spoken to each one thrice, he maketh a cross with the rings upon their heads, and placeth them on the fingers of their right hands. Then the sponsor changeth the rings of the bridal pair.

The priest saith the prayer.

Let us pray to the Lord.

O Lord, our God, who didst accompany the servant of the patriarch Abraham to Mesopotamia, when he was sent to espouse a wife for his lord Isaac, and didst reveal to him by means of the drawing of water to betroth Rebecca; do thou thyself bless the betrothal of thy servants, this, name, and this, name, and confirm the word that hath been spoken by them, confirm them by the holy union that is from thee; for thou from the beginning hast created male and female, and by thee a woman is conjoined to a man, for assistance and for the succession of the generation of man. Therefore, O Lord our God, who hast sent forth thy truth unto thine inheritance, and thy promise unto thy servants, our fathers, even thine elect in every generation, do thou thyself regard thy servant, name, and thine handmaid, name, and confirm their betrothal in faith, and unanimity, and truth, and love. For thou, O Lord, hast declared that troth should be given and confirmed in everything. By a ring was given might unto Joseph in Egypt; by a ring Daniel was exalted in the land of Babylon; by a ring was revealed the truth of Thamar; by a ring our heavenly Father showed compassion upon his son; for, said he, Put ye a ring upon his right hand, and kill the fatted calf, and let us eat and rejoice. Thine own right hand, O Lord, armed Moses in the red sea; for, by thy true word, the heavens were established and the earth firmly founded, and the right hand of thy servants shall be blessed by thy mighty word, and by thine uplifted arm. Therefore, O Master, do thou thyself now bless this putting on of rings with thy heavenly benediction; and may thine Angel go before them all the days of their life.

For thou art he that blesseth and sanctifieth all things, and to thee we ascribe glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.

Straightway the deacon this ectenia.

Furthermore let us pray for our Most Pious, Autocratic, Great Lord, THE EMPEROR ALEXANDER ALEXANDROVITCH of all Russia.

Furthermore let us pray for His Consort, the Most Pious Lady, THE EMPRESS MARIA THEODOROVNA.

Furthermore let us pray for His Heir, the Right-believing Lord, the Cesarevitch and Grand Duke, NICOLAUS ALEXANDROVITCH.

Furthermore let us pray for the Most Holy Governing Synod.

Furthermore let us pray for all Their christ-loving army.

Furthermore let us pray for the servants of God, name, and name, who are being betrothed to one another.

Choir. Lord have mercy, thrice.

Furthermore let us pray for the whole brotherhood....

Exclamation.

For a merciful and man-loving God thou art, and to thee we ascribe glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.

Then the dismissal.