Exhortation by the Priest to the Newly Married

O pious Orthodox couple, who have been joined together in Christ the Lord—most honorable husband (name) and wife (name), who hath been given to him by God! The great field of the Church of God, the great Husbandman, is triply laden, adorned threefold with harvest and fruit. The first part of its field compriseth those who love virginity and preserve it uncorrupted to the end of their life; and it produceth the fruit of the virtues a hundredfold for the granary of the Lord. The second part of this field compriseth those who become widows through abstinence; and it produceth fruit sixtyfold. And the third compriseth those who have been united together by the cohabitation of marriage; and if they live piously in the fear of God, their portion of the field produceth fruit thirtyfold. On one and the same field there are different parts which produce divers fruits, but all are blessed and praiseworthy according to their dignity. For thus saith the divinely wise Ambrose: We preach virginity, yet we do not despise the widows. We likewise honor the widows, that marriage also might be maintained in its own honor. Therefore, honorable is marriage, by whose law ye have now been united, that, living together, ye may receive from the Lord fruit of the womb as the posterity of thy race, for the increase of humankind, and unto the glory of the Creator and Lord of all, in the unbreakable bond of love, amity, and mutual assistance, and that ye may avoid the sin of fornication. Marriage is honorable, for the Lord God Himself established it in paradise when, creating Eve from the rib of Adam, He gave her to him as a helpmate. And in the new grace, the Lord Christ Himself was pleased to impart great honor to it, and not only because He adorned the wedding in Cana of Galilee with His presence, but also because He magnified it by His first miracle, the turning of water in wine. The most blessed Lord blessed virginity, being well-pleased to be born in the flesh of the pure Virgin; and He rewarded widowhood when, as He was borne into the temple, He accepted the confession and prophecy of Hannah, a widow of eighty-four years, when she confessed the Lord and spake of Him to all who were waiting for deliverance in Jerusalem. He magnified matrimony also by His presence at a wedding, and before by His birth from the Virgin, who had been yoked to a man in betrothal. Therefore, ye have chosen an honorable and holy rank for your life; only see that ye conduct your life in it in a holy and honorable manner. It will be such if, living in the fear of God, ye abstain from every evil and strive to do good; it will be blessed if ye both desire to do what ye ought to do. Thou, honored bridegroom, ought to render thy spouse faithful cohabitation, upright love, and condescension toward her womanly weaknesses. And thou, honored bride, ought likewise to offer to thy husband thy faithfulness in cohabitation, true love, and obedience to his commands, since he is thy head; for as Christ is the Head of the Church, so is the husband the head of the wife. Ye both must care for your household by faithful labors and concern for its members. It behooveth both of you constantly to show unfeigned love one for another, and genuine love for others, that your yoking, which is a great mystery (according to the words of the Apostle to the gentiles: This is a great mystery, but I speak of Christ and the Church) may perfectly embody the union of Christ and the Church which hath already been accomplished. Your pure and fervent love doth manifest the pure and fervent love of Christ and the Church. Do thou, O wife, love thy husband as thy head, as the Church loveth Christ. Thus will Christ God, the King of peace, be with you and among you; for God is love; and he who abideth in love abideth in God, and God in him. And abiding in you, He will grant you a peaceful life together, a prosperous sojourn, an abundance of sustenance for yourselves and those of your household. And above all these things, He will give you fruit of your womb, to be seen like young olive branches round about your table, that ye may behold your children’s children. Earnestly desiring for you all these good things and others, I will conclude my words, saying: May the blessing of the Lord be upon you, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Translated from the Church Slavonic by Monk Joseph (Isaac) Lambertsen.
© 2025 Lambertsen Foundation

Icon of Saint Xenia by Saint Elisabeth Convent, Minsk