Every time I visit a Sanctuary of the Syrian tradition, I get a sense of the history church practices followed during the worship time. This particular sanctuary has an alter which looks ornamental and elegant, hopefully to represent the glory and abundance of God to the worshippers. There were ringing of bells and burning of incense as in the Old Testament tradition.
During an hour long sung marriage service, the prayers took the congregation to the wider canvas of marriage according to the Biblical narration.
What struck me at the end of the service was that the newly wedded couple was committed to the oversight of the congregation for their wellness. In fact, the congregation made a prayer to that effect that the members present would remain as witnesses to their journey married life.
A man and woman would become husband and wife, father and mother, and later grand father and grandmother. That journey started for this couple today. It awakened my consciousness to a new responsibility of being a companion to them in the transitions in this journey of full actualisation of married life.
It occurred to me that marriage ceremony is not the just an occasion of celebration and festivity alone, but a call to those who are present at the service for a commitment to carry the couple in thoughts, for them to be path finders in their journey of life!
M.C.Mathew (text and photo)
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