“A man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” (Gen. 2:24)
The sacrament of Holy Matrimony is the sanctification of the union between a man and a woman for a life in marriage in Christ. As in all Orthodox Churches, the Armenian Orthodox Church refers to this sacrament as, "Սուրբ Պսակ/Sourb Psak/Holy Crowns".
The main part of this sacrament is when the bride and groom are crowned as king and queen of their small kingdom, which is their newly established family. They are called to faithfully love each other until the end of their lives and to rule their kingdom with faith and wisdom.
The rite of crowning is followed by the blessing of the common cup of wine. A cup of wine is blessed in remembrance of the Marriage at Cana of Galilee in the presence of Christ. Both the bride and groom drink from the same cup. This is the first act that the newly wed couple does together. It is also a reminder of what marriage is: something that is sweet, but takes years to become sweet. As the bride and groom drink from the cup they are called on to share everything in life from that moment on.
For the sacrament of Holy Matrimony to be performed in the Armenian Church, both the bride and the groom must have received a Christian baptism and chrismation. The major sacramental witness, or best man, should be a member of the Armenian Orthodox Church.
If you have questions or would like to perform a service, please contact Fr. Ghevond.
