It's me, Theist Gal. Sorry I haven't been around for a while, but I've been kinda busy.
During the past year, I had a crisis of faith and somehow wound up becoming a moderator at the IIDB (Internet Infidels Discussion Board) under the name "windsofchange" (you can look me up there if you like, I've got nothing to hide ).
They're nice people, and yeah, they are hopelessly misguided, but then, so was I for a long time, so I fit right in!
I finally came to my senses last month, went to confession and returned to faith and all that good stuff, and was about to tell my pals at IIDB. Only during the past couple of weeks, all h-e-double-toothpicks has broken loose over there and a bunch of mods and admins have resigned.
So being the charitable soul that I am, I've decided to stick around and continue my moderating duties till Thanksgiving, which should give them time to sort everything out, or completely implode, depending on whose version of the situation you're listening to.
Oh, and the other thing that happened during the past year was that I got married to another ByzCath poster. See if you can guess who.
I'm gonna go catch up on everything here and then go back to my IIDB chores, but I'll be checking in more often here, I hope. Bye for now!
I'm curious, Why were there vows in the ceremony? I thought this wasn't done in the Byzantine rite wedding.
I thought the same thing, but it is up to the priest if he will allow it or not. My priest is dead set against them.
On the other hand, a parishioner told us that she was at a wedding at our Cathedral the other day, and she thought it strange that it started with vows too.
Before the crowning in the Greek Orthodox church, the service of Betrothal is performed which includes special prayers and blessings upon the rings.
I just asked my mother if they said vows at their wedding, she said they did. They got married in 1966 in a very latinized BC parish. I thought that practice had gone by the wayside. Oh well...
Congratulations .. Unfortunately I can never get my computer to play these things. Can't hear anything, the moment the video starts to move, it stops, but at least I saw a bit. I don't know what this other moderator thing is that you're talking about but grace and blessings to you upon embracing faith in the Church once more. CS
Will those posters who have personally witnessed a purely authentic Byzantine (Ruthenian) wedding please show their hands?
If you follow the red order of marriage books, the common cup ceremony isn't done, so is that 'un'-Byzantine too?
I don't know what you mean about the "red order of marriage books", but the Byzantine rite (OCA) wedding I witnessed used the common cup. It was always used at the handful of Orthodox and Greek Catholic weddings I have seen.
Ok, to make this simpler: I am the groom in the video.
We did use the vows because they are in the book, however there were some changes we asked for(I won't go into that because it only opens a more laborious discussion). Perhaps vows aren't standard for a Byzantine Ruthenian wedding, but who has actually witnessed one done as "it's supposed to be". I know I have yet to personally attend a perfectly Ruthenian wedding. Yes we did include the common cup ceremony, and several quite Orthodox touches.
One short youtube video clip is not much to base an opinion on how "orthodox" a wedding was, but it seems that what I read here is like the three blind men describing an elephant purely by what they feel, everyone has a different idea of what they believe happened.
The books we used for reference to the basic structure of the wedding ceremony are red, hence the terminology "red Order of Marriage" book. Yes we realise that the books our church uses currently does contain a number of "Westernisms" (I hesitate to use 'Latinism' since some of the variations of the wedding ceremony are protestant or otherwise non Latin in origin). At times it seems some posters here are searching desperatly for ANY fault with the Byzantine Catholic Church (Pittsburgh Metropolia, Sui Juris, etc). While things may be far from perfect and reports of people running away from their parishes appear daily on this board, there are some of us who do take things one day at a time and hope and pray and quietly work on things getting better for our church however confused it may seem at times.
Wow, I guess I had a few things to get off my chest!
Steve I need to get some sleep so I can help at our parish luncheon tomorrow, G'nite.
Ok, to make this simpler: I am the groom in the video.
Steve,
Congratulations to you and your bride!
I agree that it was a little insensitive to bring up one of the finer points of someone's wedding day as a matter for debate, although I am interested in the topic of the use of vows personally and theologically.
No doubt the day of the parousia will have its critics as well! (But Lord! Weren't You supposed to wear red and blue vestments?!?)
The bottom line is that it was a joyful day for you and yours and that you were crowned together as husband and wife to build a wonderful family. God grant you both many years in health and happiness together!
At times it seems some posters here are searching desperatly for ANY fault with the Byzantine Catholic Church (Pittsburgh Metropolia, Sui Juris, etc). While things may be far from perfect and reports of people running away from their parishes appear daily on this board, there are some of us who do take things one day at a time and hope and pray and quietly work on things getting better for our church however confused it may seem at times.
Wow, I guess I had a few things to get off my chest!
I ask forgiveness for my curiousity. It was nothing more than that! Congratulations again on your happiness and thank you for sharing a bit of your big day with us!
It seems to me lately that women are generally misunderstood here. Just to clarify, I don't like debates, I am not looking for things which are 'wrong' with the Byzantine church, I am not a 'purer rubrics than thou' Orthodox, etc.
So, with this, I will be taking a break for a few days to cool off, because no matter what I say or do lately, it seems to be misconstrued and condemned.
God grant you many years of peace, health, and happiness. May your love grow stronger each day as the radience of God's love makes it bloom in your lives that the whole world will see Jesus more clearly through you. God bless you!
So, with this, I will be taking a break for a few days to cool off, because no matter what I say or do lately, it seems to be misconstrued and condemned.
Yes, Alice. Please do go away for a few days and ponder the gravity of your shortcomings: '70s disco? Is outrage!
Oh, yeah... "ALICE, WE LOVE YOU!" Amen!
Last edited by Penthaetria; 11/03/0703:54 PM. Reason: to add my amen!
Do any Byzantine Catholic ceremonies also have the betrothal service and blessing of the rings before the crowning?
Alice
Alice,
Yes. We did both the betrothal and blessing of the rings. Also if you look closely in the video, those are Greek style crowns which are ours.
Steve P.S. I wasn't bothered by any particular post, just the tone of some posters. My longwinded response was more toward Etnick, who projected, or at least I perceived, a subtle "one upmanship" as to how "orthodox" our wedding was. I will say that it was more orthodox than many of our own parishioners expected!
So, with this, I will be taking a break for a few days to cool off, because no matter what I say or do lately, it seems to be misconstrued and condemned.
Yes, Alice. Please do go away for a few days and ponder the gravity of your shortcomings: '70s disco? Is outrage!
Do any Byzantine Catholic ceremonies also have the betrothal service and blessing of the rings before the crowning?
Alice
Alice,
Yes. We did both the betrothal and blessing of the rings. Also if you look closely in the video, those are Greek style crowns which are ours.
Steve P.S. I wasn't bothered by any particular post, just the tone of some posters. My longwinded response was more toward Etnick, who projected, or at least I perceived, a subtle "one upmanship" as to how "orthodox" our wedding was. I will say that it was more orthodox than many of our own parishioners expected!
I guess the sight of my screen name makes some peoples blood boil!
I was just curious as to why vows were said. I didn't ask to anger anyone, I just thought it wasn't done at ANY Byzantine wedding, Catholic or Orthodox.
Steve & Christine, may you both enjoy many blessed years, as for the wedding, my wife and I were married in the sacristy(Our Lady of the Valley...I think ) with our best friends as witnesses, sorry no You Tube etc...
It was and is yours...enjoy
Alice, I don't get involved with the goings on with women and weddings...except the $ comes from the wallet
Sorry my simple post caused so much trouble. I didn't take offense at anyone's questions. Perhaps I should go back to the Infidels for a while, where things are calmer.*
(** you'll appreciate the irony of that if you're familiar with what's been happening there lately!)
May the Lord bless your marriage. May you grow together every day with Christ at the center of both your lives and your common life together. May He grant you many years and may you see your children's children's children.
Sorry my simple post caused so much trouble. I didn't take offense at anyone's questions. Perhaps I should go back to the Infidels for a while, where things are calmer.*
(** you'll appreciate the irony of that if you're familiar with what's been happening there lately!)
Hey everyone, I just want to apologize - it was me, Theist Gal who made this particular post, not my husband Steve! See, at home we're using the same computer, and I didn't realize he was logged in when I posted! Anyway, that one above is mine, not his, so don't worry, Steve's not going to the Infidels - I am!
Sorry my simple post caused so much trouble. I didn't take offense at anyone's questions. Perhaps I should go back to the Infidels for a while, where things are calmer.*
(** you'll appreciate the irony of that if you're familiar with what's been happening there lately!)
Hey everyone, I just want to apologize - it was me, Theist Gal who made this particular post, not my husband Steve! See, at home we're using the same computer, and I didn't realize he was logged in when I posted! Anyway, that one above is mine, not his, so don't worry, Steve's not going to the Infidels - I am!
I ran into the same situation with my son, who posts here from time to time. For a while we would even move from computer to computer throughout the day, posting and not realizing that we were posting under the wrong name! But then my wife's computer "fritzed" out and we are stuck with the iMac. (Not a bad computer to be "stuck" with!)
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(But Lord! Weren't You supposed to wear red and blue vestments?!?)
