What priests say at a wedding text

Many couples now have non-religious ceremonies or are married by friends or family members. However, the priest can help you organize the wedding ceremony according to a predetermined plan. If you are not into DIY weddings, then we want to share with you some tips on how to have an unforgettable and stunning wedding ceremony. Most wedding ceremonies consist of the following elements:

The wedding procession, the appearance of the bride and groom, and the corresponding celebration of the occasion
Music, literature and poetry, or reading passages from the Bible
Signature of marriage documents by witnesses
Marriage vows
Exchange of rings and gifts
Prayer, blessing, approval of the marriage by those present, or permission for the marriage from the priest
Newlyweds' first kiss
End of service

Some ceremonies also include a communal candlelight ceremony or some other ceremony

Example of a non-religious wedding ceremony:

PROCESSION

OPENING WORDS OF THE PRIEST

The ceremony should begin by inviting guests.

In films we often see:

Dear beloved, we have gathered here and now to witness the marriage of _____ and ______, which is revered by all; for it should not be entered into rashly, but only reverently, circumspectly and solemnly. In this divine temple, the destinies of two people are destined to unite. If anyone present knows the reasons why this cannot happen, let him speak now or remain silent forever.

Another variant:

Friends, we have been invited here today to share with ____ and ____ this important moment in their lives. For several years they howled together, their love and understanding grew stronger and ripened every day, and now they decided to link their lives as husband and wife.

MARRIAGE APPROVAL (optional)

Traditional words: “Who gives this woman in marriage to this man?” However, this is the 21st century, so in many ceremonies these words are replaced with “Who supports this couple’s decision to marry?” or “Who supports the marriage of this woman and this man?”, or are not uttered at all.

OPEN PRAYER OR READING

This is what will generally set the tone for your wedding. It can be serious, humorous, sentimental or elegant. Words usually spoken are about love, relationships and marriage.

FORMULATION OF MARRIAGE

The priest will say a few words about marriage in general.

Option I

Good afternoon, dear guests!
We are glad to welcome you all and thank you for being here to share with (name of the groom) and (name of the bride) the happy moment of their lives, the birth of their family. Before we meet the main heroes of the occasion, I want to invite the friends of the bride and groom for moral, hopefully without physical support!

Thank you all, now everything is ready to welcome those for whom we have gathered here today! Let's welcome the bride and groom!

Our dear and beloved (name of the bride) and (name of the groom)! I want to tell you that you are lucky, you met each other on the path of life and found what millions of people are looking for. Love! And this is the most important thing. Now everything depends on you, in your power to preserve and increase this feeling, not to lose it over the years amid the bustle and disorder of life. In any situation, you need to remember that you are a family, a single whole, you are the force that can cope with any difficulty as long as you are together, and, of course, you need to be able to live for the happiness of your loved one, and this, excuse me, is an entire art! Fortunately, you have a whole life ahead of you to comprehend it - indulge yourself :))

Today, standing here hand in hand, you are worried. But believe me, the people who gave you life - your parents - are worried no less than you, and perhaps even more. Years will pass, and you will stand in their place, and your children will stand here. And just as they worry and rejoice today, you will rejoice. And cry when you hear words of gratitude from your children. And be proud of them just as they are proud of you today. And, no matter how eventful your life is, we believe that you will always have time to listen to the wise advice of your parents. And then, pride and respect in the family will last for many generations of your family. Today is the most wonderful and unforgettable event in your life, which you and we, to be honest, have been so anxiously awaiting!

(name of the groom), (name of the bride)! If you have something to say to each other, please say it now.

Having exchanged vows, you announced your firm intention to live together in love and harmony throughout all the days given to you by fate. Now you can exchange rings as a sign of fidelity, which will now adorn your fingers and become a symbol of your endless love.

Well, that's all! With pleasure and a light heart, I declare you husband and wife and congratulate you from the bottom of my heart! Take care of your parents, give birth and raise children and, of course, BE HAPPY! Groom, kiss your bride quickly! Hooray! Next, the presenter: dear guests! Join us in congratulations

How to greet the priest during confession?

Some Orthodox Christians have a question about turning to a clergyman. How to greet the priest during confession? First it is important to greet and say:

“Bless me, father!”

Only someone equal in rank can shake hands with a clergyman. Other people, and even deacons, when talking with him, can only receive a blessing from him. To do this, you need to fold your palms in the form of a cross, the right one on top of the left one. One must accept the blessing hand and kiss it as a sign of honoring the sacred office. Don’t be shy, all believers do this.

You can be blessed by him if you suddenly meet on the street, and not only when he is in a church ceremony. The priest can be dressed in a regular suit. You can talk to him on the street, in a store, at a market, or in any public place. But you should not approach an uncovered priest outside the church to receive a blessing if he does not know you personally.

Option II

- Dear friends! On behalf of the Bride and Groom, I am glad to welcome you all and thank you for being here to share this happy moment with them. Here and now you will witness a real miracle - the Miracle of the Union of two wonderful young people, two hearts, two destinies, two lives! The Miracle of the Birth of a Family! When a man finds a woman, he is ready to change the world for the sake of her smile, to perform a miracle. And this is not at all difficult for him, because she becomes part of his soul and heart. Fills his life with extraordinary light and joy. And only with her can he be truly happy. here today - for the sake of one - the only girl whom he is ready to call his wife today! This is a very serious, important and masculine act. And this will happen before your eyes, here, under the wedding arch. Therefore, meet the heroes of this action: - Dear newlyweds, you have what millions are looking for, but only a select few find - this is Love! It is she who connects hearts and destinies, thoughts and aspirations on the way to achieving the great art of married life - living for the happiness of a loved one. It is Love that can work miracles and make possible what sometimes seems incredible to us. And we suddenly realize that there are no coincidences. And two different people are not strangers to each other at all, but parts of one whole, the meeting of which is destined by fate. An important moment has come in your life! Today is your family's birthday. You managed to find each other in our rather harsh world and decided to unite your destinies with sacred family ties. Family life is a responsible time when you will equally share joys and sorrows, good fortune and adversity, but there will be a person nearby who will always understand correctly, a heart that will judge correctly. And therefore, marriage cannot be concluded under duress, through thoughtlessness or recklessness, but with reverence, thoughtfully and consciously. In marriage, people should be united by mutual love, affection, respect, the desire to protect each other and the desire to live together all their lives. In the presence of your witnesses, family and friends, I ask you to answer, do you agree to take her as a wife, love, respect and care for her until the end of your days? - Yes, I agree. - Do you agree to take him as your husband, love, respect and take care of him until the end of your days? - Yes, I agree. — People say that newlyweds stand on a white wedding towel as if on a white cloud, receiving the blessing of heaven, for there the blessing of their love takes place. Please spread out the wedding towel for the newlyweds. I invite young people to stand on the towel of consent. — In cinema, you can shoot several takes if something doesn’t work out. But life is such a thing that you can only play it once. And there is no way to rewind the film and replay something in life again. Now we are ready to shoot the main shots of your destiny. Those shots when you, in the presence of your guests and family, are ready to say to each other the most important, most cherished words for which people are born into this world. And today your hands will be decorated with wedding rings - an ancient sacred symbol of love and devotion, deep and pure feelings. Let them remind you that your love is endless and forever remain a memory of today's exciting event. Exchange rings! Exchange of rings. — I ask you to seal your family union with signatures. The newlyweds sign. — They say that marriages are made in heaven. And today the will of heaven on earth is supported by your signatures. Accept your marriage certificate as the most precious and memorable document of your family, recognized by the state. (The registrar gives the marriage certificate to the newlyweds). From now on you are husband and wife! The mutual manifestation of the will of the spouses to bear a common surname is affirmed - - I sincerely congratulate you on the birth of your family! True love is tested by time - you have your whole life ahead of you. I wish you that the fire of love never fades in your hearts. - Our life consists of moments! Sometimes - cheerful and joyful, sometimes - sad and sorrowful. And sometimes you are so happy that it takes your breath away and the whole world stops! And only what happens here and now becomes important! These moments cannot be repeated or experienced again. And only in our hearts do they remain forever. Remember this joyful, solemn moment! Nothing changed. Everything is the same as always - you two, loving each other, your family and friends nearby. But today you are opening a new page - this is the family page of your life.

Which service is exemplary

The Orthodox Portal also provides recommendations for the clergy. Now is a time when it can be difficult for people to immediately join the church community.

Therefore, priests need to pay attention to ensuring that the words of the prayers are as understandable as possible - that is, they are not pronounced too quickly and with good diction. Even if only a few prayers are read, the sacred texts will be clear to those who come to the service for the first time.

The priest should not strive to quickly finish the Liturgy or the All-Night Vigil. The laity must understand his words. After all, what matters is not how many canons will be read, but how many people will sincerely repent and carry their faith throughout their lives.

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Option III

(The bride and groom exchange rings, which are handed into the “saucer” by the registrar) (music plays) From that moment on, you became even closer to each other, you became a real family. I pronounce you husband and wife. And now the groom can kiss the bride. (Kiss) Remember, your home is your fortress, and your family is the foundation on which this fortress will rest, and as long as you are together and love each other, your fortress will not be afraid of any storms and trials. Love, take care and respect each other! Today you are being presented with your first family document - a marriage certificate, I hand it over to the head of the family, take care of it and may your life never be a boring performance, but be a real holiday where joy and mutual understanding reign.

(The registrar hands over the certificate to the newlyweds, which lies on the table).

I would like to say words of gratitude to your parents and grandparents. Dear parents, you have been giving your children love and tenderness all your life, now they are ready to build their own family, in which they will take the best from you, you will always remain for them that beacon that illuminates the path of life. Please, congratulate your children first. (Parents are the first to approach and congratulate the newlyweds) (music plays) Dear guests, please join us in our congratulations (the guests present congratulate the newlyweds) (music plays).

Wedding registration text.

Most likely, he or she will talk about the seriousness of the formal vow you will take and the new life you will begin.

MARRIAGE VOWS

SECOND READING AND SONG

EXCHANGE OF RINGS AND GIFTS The bride and groom say something like “I (name) present you with (name) this ring as a sign of eternal love and affection.”

LIGHTING A CANDLE OR OTHER COMMON CEREMONY (optional) Many couples include an additional ceremony. Some do everything in silence or to music, others make speeches about uniting families.

CLOSING This could be a verse, a prayer, or an endorsement of the marriage. Basically, these are the “last thoughts” of the priest.

ANNOUNCEMENT OF MARRIAGE

Typically the priest will say something like "By the authority vested in me _______, I pronounce you man and wife" or for same-sex marriages "I pronounce you married." This is followed by the newlyweds' first kiss. Sometimes the priest will say, “You may now kiss the bride,” but again, we live in the 21st century and it seems a little strange for someone to give permission to kiss a grown woman. Therefore, now the couple either kisses immediately after the marriage is announced, or the priest says something like “now you can kiss.”

INTRODUCTION TO THE NEWLYWEDS

The priest says “I present to you Mr. and Mrs._______” if they have changed their last names or “I present to you the newlyweds Jane and John” if their last names remain the same. Guests stand and applaud as the couple leaves the church building.

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Wedding vow of the bride and groom

Wedding vows between the bride and groom have long been a traditional occurrence at many European weddings. Sometimes the most important question in the lives of young people, “Will you take this woman (this man) as your wife (husband)?” answering “yes” is not enough. The tradition of a wedding vow in our country is a new and rare phenomenon, so let's look at this issue in more detail.

Let's start with the fact that each country has its own characteristics when pronouncing wedding vows. For example, among Europeans, oaths written in one’s own hand are most often practiced. In the land of the rising sun of Japan, when the newlyweds exchange vows, not only a couple in love, but two clans stand face to face. So, keeping the promises made at the altar is not only the responsibility of the couple, but also their families. In Pakistan, wedding promises are not made before the 3rd day of the celebration. For Jews, only the groom takes the wedding vow, but the bride does not take vows. For Muslims, vows are not a tradition at all; instead, the couple listens carefully to the clergyman, he tells them about their duties in marriage and responsibility before God and people. But in Hinduism there are so-called “7 steps”. Taking one step forward, the couple makes a promise - to be faithful, to love their chosen one or chosen one, to respect each other, to give healthy children, and so on.

Beginning of confession: what are the correct words to start repenting before the priest in church, example

Confession before a priest
Don’t be late for your services, come to God’s house by 7-30 in the morning if you confess in the morning. If in the evening, then by 16-30 (but it is better to check the time with those who serve in the temple). The appearance of a Christian believer should be modest. It is forbidden to wear provocative dresses, skirts and blouses, large beads or earrings and use perfume with a strong aroma. A woman must cover her head.

IMPORTANT TO KNOW: During critical days, it is better not to visit the temple for services and, especially, for Communion.

Get in the right mood in advance. A Christian is obliged to be deeply respectful when turning to the Lord during times of need. First, the believer fully admits his sinfulness and begins to list all his misdeeds. It is necessary to mention not only committed offenses, but also bad thoughts.

What are the correct words to begin repenting before the priest in church? To begin the demands in God's house, you can use the following words - example:

Next, speak out your sins towards God, your loved ones and your personality.

THE MOST POWERFUL SPEECH OF A PRIEST #ROC

Russians get divorced more often than residents of any other country. According to a UN study for 2011, there are 4.7 divorces per thousand Russian citizens, and in total in 2011, almost 670 thousand marriages (669,421 thousand) were dissolved in the country. It is followed by Belarus (38,584 thousand), where the divorce rate (the number of divorces per 1000 population - Ed.) is 4.1.

Next are Latvia (4), Lithuania (3, 2) and Moldova (3, 1). In Ukraine (data for 2010), just over 126 thousand marriages broke up - this does not take into account those that were dissolved in court. Thus, the divorce rate in this country was 2.8. For comparison: in Germany (data for 2010) it is slightly lower - 2.3. The family is noticeably stronger, as follows from a UN study, in #Armenia (the divorce rate there is 1), Macedonia and Montenegro (0.8 each), as well as Jamaica (0.7). The world's least common breeding site is Malta (0, 1).

Double load for women

One of the reasons for frequent divorces in post-Soviet countries, experts in a conversation with DW said that women in marriage are forced to cope without the help of their husbands with a double burden - earning money, as well as taking care of the house and children.

“Many men believe that they should not help around the house,” explains Christopher Swader, an associate professor at the National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE) in Moscow. “Historically, they had virtually no role in raising children.”

What words should you use to end confession in church: what to say, example

Confession to a priest
It is very important to complete the service correctly in church. What words should I use to say what? When Confession is completed, you must repent of wrongdoings and humbly ask the Creator for forgiveness of your sins - example:

After confession, you should try to avoid repeating the mistakes you have made. Each time this is counted as an even more complex and dangerous sin for a person. The clergyman who performed the ritual will advise how to behave correctly and begin an existence worthy of a true believer.

Wedding vows for romantics

Tell the secret in the message. The spouses' addresses sound with tenderness and care.

Groom's wedding vow

“The main person in life, I’m with you! Thank you for you, for your smile and my joy. Immediately after our meeting, I realized - my future, the best future, is only with you! I want to be next to you and with you all my life. I take responsibility for you and for our family. I undertake to solve our problems, to be your support in difficult situations, to be your back, you can always rely on me in everything. I assure you, I will love only you alone, my feelings are sincere, faithful to you forever!”

Bride's wedding vow

“Now we will go the same way! You showed me true love, you showed me the meaning of my existence. My dream has come true - you are nearby, I really see you next to me. I am ready to work on myself, listen to you and become the best for you, so that step by step our relationship will only improve. I will try to support our family hearth, I want to become a good mother to our children. I want to remember this moment for the rest of our family life! I am faithful and devoted - yours forever."

In a romantic text, sentences in verse sound more beautiful; newlyweds can write them.

Registrar text

No. 1 Registrar's Speech (with an oath)

Presenter: -Dear bride and groom!

Dear guests! We are pleased to welcome YOU to the official wedding ceremony.

In accordance with the family codes of the Russian Federation, your mutual consent gives me the right to register your marriage

I ask you to sign your desire to become spouses

Marriage is a serious matter. Are you ready to easily and without hesitation take an oath of love and fidelity to each other? (here we can tie your hands with ribbon and you put them on the sword)

Presenter: I ask you to support your decision with an oath. Repeat after me.

Groom: I’ll take you, ………………. to be our lawful wives,

Bride: I take you, ………………., to be my lawful husband,

Groom: and I promise to love and protect you,

Bride: understand and respect you

Groom: help and believe you

Bride: always, no matter what the future holds for us,

Groom: I will defy any obstacles we are destined to face.

Groom: In the name of everything that we have created together,

Bride: and all that will be created,

Groom: I offer you my love and fidelity

Presenter: ………………, having exchanged vows, you announced your firm intention to live together in love and harmony throughout all the days given to you by fate.

Word at the wedding

Congratulations, dear ones, on your legal marriage. Today the greatest event in your life took place - today you received God’s blessing for life together. Today there has been triumph and joy not only in your life, but also in the life of our entire Church. Because through your marriage, eternity has come to earth, eternity has entered the realm of time. Because through your marriage the Kingdom of Heaven has come closer. For it is said that the Kingdom of Heaven has come where two are no longer two, but one. That's what marriage is.

There is no closer relationship between two people on earth than a marriage. Marriage is a union that, as it were, fulfills God’s original plan for man as a whole being, in which both masculine and feminine principles are combined. This is the Kingdom of God come in power. Now you are already in this joy of love. The Lord has granted you a meeting. The Lord gave you to each other. He revealed to each of you that incorruptible Divine beauty that only each of you can see. And so you, seeing this beauty in each other, were inflamed with love for each other, with the desire to unite your life and your destiny with the destiny of another, to become one being.

Archpriest Nikolai Vedernikov. Photo: Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate e-vestnik.ru

But this unity, which today appears as if already accomplished - unity in marriage - is given as a firstfruits so that you can cultivate this unity throughout your life. Because love is not only joy and rejoicing for each other. LOVE IS A FEAT. This is what we must not forget. And a feat that will be accomplished by you throughout your life. And here you must remember the advice of the Apostle Paul, which should be written in red letters literally in your mind: bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ (see Gal. 6:2). What are hardships? This is our sinfulness, these are our shortcomings, these are the sorrows and illnesses that may occur on your path in life. And if each of you previously cared only about yourself, now you will take care of each other as well as yourself, bearing these burdens. That is, with patience, with great reverence , serve one another.

The Lord has given you faith. We prayed that the Lord would strengthen your faith - not only in Him, but in each other. This is the basis of life - to believe in each other, trust each other TO THE END. This is the guarantee that your life will be happy.

Now a new family has formed - one family and another. It is like a small shuttle that is thrown into the water, into the sea of life, to sail on this sea. Along the sea of life... there are a lot of misfortunes, a lot of undercurrents that can be encountered along the way, which seek to crush, destroy this shuttle, destroy family life, destroy happiness and love. We must always remember this. And so each of you is now called to put the center of your life, in the first place, not on yourself, but on the other: the husband - the wife, and the wife - the husband. In first place in your life! And all your attention should now be directed not to yourself, but to another . You now need to cultivate in yourself a feeling of compassion, pity for each other, covering with love each other’s shortcomings and sinful downfalls that may occur in life. Cover with love, forgive mutually, tolerate each other mutually and show obedience each other . Such obedience means being able to listen to each other, listening to what the other is saying and, listening, empathizing . And this empathy with another person, this compassion for him, this support for him, will be bearing each other’s cross mutual bearing of the cross.

Let Christ be at the center of your life! As you walked around the lectern - the Gospel, the word of God, the cross - follow the narrow, demanding path, do not make concessions to yourself, live according to the principle - to be strict with yourself, condescending - with others. May God grant you to walk the path of life joyfully, boldly, and not be embarrassed by anything. Because everything happens in life. There are such things when it seems that the family is crushed. Well, it’s impossible to live anymore. Show courage and heroism. Be patient with each other UNTIL THE END! This is very important. Because there are circumstances that can completely change consciousness... that it is impossible to live, but you will show patience and courage. Never draw premature conclusions about what is happening in the family, but show patience and wisdom, tact, sensitivity and understanding of others. This patience brings great, great results! And it happens that the family is about to be crushed, that the family has already collapsed... no! Wisdom and patience with each other can overcome everything. Because there is no greater power than mutual love, it does not stop, love does not cease (see 1 Cor 13:8). Believe in this love that united you. Let it kindle in your hearts every day of your life! May the Lord bless you with His mercy, His love, and grant you strength and strength. Remember that the power of God is made perfect in our weaknesses (cf. 2 Cor 12:9), in our human weaknesses. Place all your trust in the Lord - and this trust will bear great fruit. You will feel that it is possible for you to overcome anything through the Lord Jesus Christ who strengthens you (cf. Phil 4:13). You called on Him to be with you today, to bless your marriage today. And He came and blessed , and you felt the celebration and joy of the beginning of this path.

May God grant that this joy, this feeling of gratitude to the Lord will always accompany you in the future. Keep the mutual human love that united you, and the Lord will grant you happiness until the end of your life. God bless you.

Source

There are days when the sacrament of wedding is not performed

In the Orthodox Church there are days when the Sacrament of Marriage is not performed. Accordingly, an Orthodox wedding cannot take place.

during all four multi-day fasts;
during Cheese Week (Maslenitsa);
on Bright (Easter) Week;
during the Christmastide period: from the Nativity of Christ (January 7, according to the current style) to the Epiphany (January 19, according to the current style);
on the eve of the twelve and great holidays;
on the eve of fasting days - Wednesday and Friday, as well as on Saturdays throughout the year;
on the eve and on the day of the feast of the Beheading of John the Baptist (September 10 and 11 according to the present day);
on the eve and on the day of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 26 and 27 according to the present day);
on the eve of the patronal feast days of the temple in which they plan to perform the Sacrament.

Photo session of the Sacrament of Wedding in the Annunciation Cathedral in Voronezh.
An Orthodox Christian can only get married in an Orthodox church, and the Sacrament itself can only be performed by a legally appointed “white” priest.

An exception to these rules can be made only with the blessing of the ruling bishop, and then in the presence of emergency circumstances. At the same time, it is also necessary to remember that the Sacrament of Wedding can only be performed by a legally appointed “white” priest.

The place where the Sacrament is performed is any Orthodox church.

Many temples have pre-registration, and the problem with it must be resolved in advance. If there is a desire for a specific priest to perform the wedding, it is necessary to discuss this issue with him, otherwise the Sacrament will be performed by the priest whose “turn” falls on that day

Notes from a priest

I had to face this question:

What do the priests read to the newlyweds during the wedding? Christians are so illiterate that they don’t even understand what the priest says to the bride during the wedding: “And you, bride, be fruitful and be exalted like Sarah, have fun like Rebecca, multiply in offspring like Rachel... " Sarah gave birth to only one child in her entire life, and that at the age of 90 (Gen. 16). Rachel was also barren. Desperate, she, like Sarah, gave her maid as a concubine to her husband. Genesis 30. Rachel herself died giving birth to her second son. Here are your wishes for the newlyweds - a kind of programming: Be fertile like Sarah, who was able to give birth to only one child, be cheerful, like Rebecca, whose one son betrayed the other, multiply like Rachel, who died in her second birth, and be exalted like Sarah, whom Abraham supported under the pharaoh, and this is a good wish for the young? Russian Christianity is nonsense. It’s the same as Russian non-Russianness.

And it was written in the best traditions of scientific atheism, whose rule was not only to distort the original text, but also, on the basis of ignorant ideas, to create fundamental conclusions about the essence of the subject being analyzed. Approximately from the same series - as the Apostle Paul taught: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we will die!” (1 Cor. 15:32). It turns out that we, so smart and educated, and before us all our ancestors were complete fools for accepting such texts and maintaining faith in God. But, you see, it would be naive to think so highly of yourself.

To begin with, the original text of the Breviary: “And you, bride, be exalted like Sarah, and rejoice like Rebecca, and multiply like Rachel. rejoicing over your husband, keeping the limits of the law, God is so pleased.”

Translated into Russian it sounds like this: “And you, bride, be exalted like Sarah, rejoice like Rebecca, multiply in offspring like Rachel. Rejoice over your husband and keep the church law, for this is what God desires.”

So, let's see, is Sarah not exalted? God announces to Abraham that He will give him a son by Sarah, “and nations will come from her, and kings of nations will come from her” (Gen. 17:16). We see from further history that this is what happened. And the faith of the forefathers Abraham and Sarah is worthy of imitation and admiration, but this is a separate issue.

And Rebekah? Didn't she rejoice at Isaac's love? Didn’t she rejoice over her children, and as we remember, despite all the misadventures, Jacob and Esau were ultimately very touchingly reconciled (Gen. 33:4)

And was Rachel really not fertile?

But let us also note that Rachel symbolizes not only a mother who devotes herself entirely to her children and for whom the birth of a child cost her life, but also a mother who fully sympathizes not only with her children, but also cares about the fate of her descendants.

This is exactly how the prophet Jeremiah describes Rachel a thousand years later, when the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar drove the Jews into exile along the same road along which Rachel and Jacob once walked to Beersheba. As the exiles walked past Bethlehem-Ephrath, they heard Rachel crying: Rachel was mourning the fate of her descendants. But then the voice of the Lord was heard: “Keep your voice from sobbing, and your eyes from tears... and they will return from a foreign land! There is hope for your future... and the children will return to their borders!” (Jer.31:16-17).

Let us also remember the babies of Bethlehem: “a voice was heard in Rama, crying and mourning and a great cry; Rachel weeps for her children and does not want to be comforted, for they are gone” (Matthew 2:18).

Let us also note that a prayer of similar content with a mention of the forefathers is present not only in the Wedding Rite of the Russian Church, but also in the Serbian, Bulgarian, Hellenic, Jerusalem and all other Local Orthodox Churches.

One can critically examine all the other statements of Mr. Viktor Bortkevich, but it is hardly worth wasting time on a person who, having barely learned to read, is trying to present his mind darkened by sin above the conciliar mind of the Church and the Holy Fathers. A very naive and arrogant judgment. Let us therefore pray for him, brethren, and wish to follow the good advice of the wise Jesus, son of Sirach: “Before you examine, do not blame; Find out first, and then reproach” (Sir.11:7).