Marriage Ceremony

He that made them from the beginning, made them male and female and said: "for this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh … so then they are no longer two but one flesh, therefore what God has joined together, let not man put asunder.

A man perceives no otherwise than that intelligence and wisdom are from himself, and that whatever he thinks is from his own understanding and whatever he intends is from his own will, when yet not the least thing thereof is from himself.  Man is only an vessel, a faculty for receiving from God the things which pertain to his understanding and to his will.  We read that from the book of creation that from the very beginning, man desired not to live as from self and acknowledge that the life was from God, but he desired to live from self and believe that life was his own.  And because they desired this, it is said, "it is not good that man should be alone."  Now, because from birth every man has this inclination to love himself, the Lord has provided, (lest he perish by reason of that love of self and the pride of self-intelligence), that that love should be transcribed into the wife.  He has also provided that in the woman from birth would be the inclination to love the intelligence and wisdom of her man and thus the man himself.  A wife continually draws her man's pride of self-intelligence to herself, extinguishing it in him and vivifying it in herself, and so turning it into conjugial love, a love which she fills with amenities beyond measure. [CL 353]

Offer A Prayer

In John 2:11, we read; And this beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee.  One of the first miracles Jesus performed was at a wedding; a wedding at Cana of Galilee - a heathen circle - a region of Palestine.  This miracle was more than just turning water into wine; it was a revelation of the Lord's descent into what was natural, making it a marriage from heaven.  Marriages have their origin from the celestial heaven.  In this passage in John we read that during these festivities when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus said unto Him, They have no wine.

Because so little is known in the earth today about what constitutes love truly conjugial, it is evident an absence of wine still exist – what is spiritual in marriage, when two people come together.  The festivities take place, but no marriage.  Many times the Lord is not even called.  Though the wedding may involve the words from the Scripture, these commandments are there only to serve for an external bond.  There is no wine!  All that is being drunk is water.

Civil law is enacted that both societies - religious and natural - may be satisfied, that two consenting adults, male and female, come together in what ‘they call’ a loving relationship.  Yet the two co-habit from their own self-ideas formed by their senses.  Without a revelation of love truly conjugial, the bonds of matrimony will eventually break down.  This kind of earthy union has no spiritual life.  The house built on just earthly bonds has no foundation.

Regarded from its origin, in correspondence, love truly conjugial is celestial, spiritual, holy, pure and clean, more so than any other love that exist from the Lord in angels of the heaven or people of the Church.  It is also the fundamental love of all other loves.  Into this love have been gathered all joys and all delights from the first to the last.  Yet no one comes into this love nor can be in it but those who go to the Lord, love the truths of the Church and do the good things it teaches.  So I ask you now, (Male) and (Female), do the two of you confess and acknowledge from the heart that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, and that His Human is Divine, and are you willing to be conjoined to Him by living your lives according to the precepts of the Ten Commandments.  (response)

The delights of love truly conjugial advances toward heaven into more and more blessedness and happiness, even to what is beyond number and description.  The more interiorly it advances, the more countless and inexpressive it becomes, even to the very heavenly happiness of the inmost heaven (or the heaven of innocence) and this with the greatest freedom (for all freedom comes from love).  So the greatest freedom is from love truly conjugial and is heavenly love itself.

The marriage of love truly from heaven is the union of two into thought and will, in truth and goodness, a love that breathes eternal union – when two are one flesh.  They who are in marriage of love truly from heaven, love to think and will as the other, and thus to become as one person – the image and likeness of one is in the mind of the other and they dwell together in all things of life even to the inmost.  They who so dwell together on earth, dwell together as angels after death.

(Male) and (Female), you believe with all of your hearts that the Lord provided the one for the other.  (Male), you knew when you saw (Female) she was yours, and (Female), when you saw (Male) you knew he was yours; for when love meets love, it meets itself, and causes it to recognize itself and at once conjoins souls and then the minds and from there it enters into the bosom, and thus into full love.  From day to day this love will grow into full conjunction until the two of you are no more two but one; one soul in two bodies.

The most perfect and noblest human form is that which exists when by marriage - two forms become one single form, thus when two fleshes become one flesh in accordance with creation; that the mind of the man is then elevated into superior light, and the mind of the wife into superior heat; and that they then bud and blossom and bear fruit, as do trees in the time of spring.

By betrothal you declared your undivided love for each other.

Now, you come before the Lord that your mutual consent to become husband and wife may be fixed and established in a holy marriage covenant the same to be duly witnessed and confirmed.

v  Will you therefore in the presence of the Lord pledge your love and promise faithfulness to each other, that from being two you may become one, in affection, and in thought, and in all things of life? (response)

v   Will you now be united together in this marriage covenant as husband and wife according to the laws of Divine order?  (response)

Vows

v   (Male), you have chosen (Female) for your wife; so pledge to her that you … will you love, honor, and comfort and cherish her alone … that you have forsaken all others … that you will stand against all that would come against this union … that the two of you may live together in the holy state of marriage according to the ordinance of God.

v   (Female), now I ask you, do you receive (Male) as your husband … will you love, honor, and comfort and cherish him alone … forsaking all others … standing against all that would come against this union…that you may live together in the holy state of marriage according to the ordinance of God? (response) 

Rings

May these rings be a sign and token of love truly conjugial.

v   (Male) repeats:

In giving this ring I wed you and take you to be my wife in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Bridegroom and Husband of the Church

v   (Female) repeats:

In receiving this ring, I wed you and take you to be my husband in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Bridegroom and Husband of the Church.

v

Oh Lord bless the covenant now being sealed before you and crown it in your mercy with eternal life.  In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pronounce you husband and wife.  What God has put together, let no one put asunder. 

Prayer

Our heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ, you are the creator and preserver of the human race, You are the source of all life and all love, both to angels in heaven and people on earth.  We ask you now to give your Divine blessing upon Male and Female, now united in the bond of marriage.  Grant them the knowledge to see Your way and the power to do Your will, that they may ever grow and increase in all spiritual intelligence and wisdom, that they may be joined more closely with You, that they may be inspired by You with love truly conjugial which is in heaven, that they may be prepared by a life together on earth for eternal oneness in Your everlasting kingdom.  Amen.

v  Congregation please rise 

v  Couple kneels

v

Lord’s Prayer

Our Father which art in the heavens, Hallowed be Thy Name.

Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven so upon earth.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:

For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.  Amen.   (Matt 6:9-13)
 

May the Lord bless you and keep you.  May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you.  May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.  Amen.

v  Congregation, please be seated.

v  Couple, please rise.

(Male) and (Female), we have all been privileged to witness a beautiful new beginning for both of you.  For the first time you stand before us as husband and wife.  What you can’t see is that you are also surrounded by angels and all of us rejoice together with you as you begin something brand new.  You will walk back down the isle as different people, where before you were two individuals looking toward oneness, your public promises to the Lord and to each other … through those, you are now united in a brand new way.  You have vowed your love for one another and you are committed now to each other through a sacred bond of trust.  This bond will endure for the rest of your life together on earth and for eternity in heaven.  The Lord’s gift of love and marriage is the greatest things He can give to human beings.

(Male) and (Female), if you look to each other, and together to the Lord, you will become more and more united in soul, mind and body, and after your time together on this earth has ended, you will live together as one perfect human angel in the Lord’s heavenly kingdom.

Now the Lord be with you as you begin your new life together.

A complementary article as suggested reading to this one is:  MALE AND FEMALE CREATED HE THEM