"It's always a beautiful reality in our world when two people love each other. It gives everyone joy and hope and is always a reason to celebrate. It is truly beautiful. Love in this world is always a miracle and it is always something that fills everyone with great joy since love always comes from God. Even sometimes in imperfect ways but still love is always from God.
This is why your particular wedding was a great joy for all of us. For yes, you love one another, as one would hope and everybody to see, but we also witness something else. We witness that your love for one another was embraced and embraced Christ, as your father reminded you and as you have reminded us over and over again what you said. This is a witness to all of us.
Love needs to open itself to God in order to be fulfilled. There is a sacrifice. The crowns that you wear are the crowns of love that say, "Our love is not sufficient. We will not keep this love for ourselves but we will live it in a martyric way, in a way that witnesses, that love comes from God and we give up our love to God so that he will give it back to us every instant, every day, in a new way." This is what will keep the crowns unfading.
We're going to remove these crowns as a sign that your wedding is celebrated and sealed at the end of time.It takes place outside of time but now you need to return to the ordinary, to the every day, to the humble ways in which love expresses itself but we keep these crowns. These crowns are kept in heaven and they await you for the end. I pray that each day you will always, always, taste how good the Lord is and that you will always be united by the love that you have in common, the first love of your life which is Christ."
+ P.R., Orthodox Priest in Toronto during the removal of Wedding Crowns, May 11, 2013
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| Sts. Joachim and Anna, The Meeting English, Egg tempera with 24kt. gold leaf, 25 x 32 cm. September 2012, Queensborough, ON, Canada by Debbie Falk at Transfiguration Icons http://www.behance.net/gallery/6198307/Icons-Saints-and-Angels |
Prayers for the Removal of the Crowns
Priest: Be magnified, O Bridegroom, as Abraham, and be blessed like Isaac, and multiply like Jacob, walking in peace, fulfilling in righteousness the commandments of God.
And you, O Bride, be glorified like Sarah, and be glad like Rebecca, and multiply like Rachel, rejoicing in your own husband and observe in your requirements of the Law, so that God is well pleased.
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.
Congregation: Lord have mercy.
Priest: O God our God, who went to Cana of Galilee and blessed the wedding there, bless also these your servants, who, by Your Providence, have been joined together in the community of matrimony. Bless their goings‑out and their comings‑in. Grant them a life full of all good things. Take off their crowns into Your Kingdom and preserve them undefiled, blameless and beyond reproach to the ages of ages.
Congregation: Amen
Priest: Peace with be with you
Congregation: And with your spirit
Deacon: Let us bow ourselves to the Lord.
Priest: May the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; the All‑Holy, Consubstantial and Life-giving Trinity; the one Godhead and Kingdom bless you and grant to you long life, beautiful children, progress in life and growth in faith; enrich you with all the good things of the earth, and make you worthy to enjoy the blessings promised to us, through the intercessions of the holy Theotokos and of all the Saints.
Congregation: Amen.
[Crowns are removed]
Priest: Glory to You, O Christ, Our sure hope, Glory to You.
