Saints who are the patrons of a strong marriage
Parents of newlyweds traditionally give their children icons of Christ and the Virgin Mary as wedding gifts. Therefore, relatives, friends and colleagues who want to choose an icon as a wedding gift should pay attention to the image of saints who patronize a long and happy marriage.
Believers consider the martyrs Andrian and Natalia patrons of pious family life. Andrian accepted martyrdom for his faith.
Natalya, after the death of her beloved husband, began to hide so that she would not be married off against her will to a non-Christian. Despite all the hardships and difficulties, she did not betray her faith and remained faithful to her late husband.
Saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom symbolize for believers love, harmony and the ability to sacrifice everything for the sake of their other half. This is precisely what the history of the family life of the saints teaches.
The princely son Peter of Murom was healed of a serious illness by the beekeeper's daughter Fevronia. The young people fell in love with each other, and Peter took a girl from the people as his wife.
When the throne passed to him from his father, his subjects opposed Fevronia becoming a princess and demanded her expulsion. Peter loved his wife very much and renounced power.
The couple left the city together. They were given a short earthly life, but they lived it happily. After death, they were buried in the same coffin, as they had bequeathed during their lifetime.
How to give
If the icon is presented by parents in church, then before the wedding ceremony detailed instructions are given on how to behave, what to say, etc. But those guests who decided to give a holy image need to come up with words for the gift in advance.
There are no specific rules here, except one: words must come from a pure heart and express sincere feelings.
Simple wishes for family well-being, mutual respect for each other's interests, and the ability to accept your soul mate with all its advantages and disadvantages will do.
At the same time, we can add that you can address the face of the saint as a good friend, in your own words. If you have the talent, you can write a verse on this occasion mentioning the names of the Virgin Mary or the Savior.
Icons protecting the family and promoting the birth of children
In Orthodoxy there are a large number of saints who patronize married couples and promote the birth of children. In particular:
- Saints Joachim and Anna are the parents of the Mother of God. Their marriage was happy, and they were able to discover the joy of fatherhood already at a fairly mature age. Orthodox believe that they protect the family from all kinds of adversity and promote the birth of children.
- Saints Zechariah and Elizabeth help married couples cope with life's adversities that arise in their path and have children. For many years, the family of saints, despite all their efforts, did not have children, but they did not give up, but prayed and led a righteous and pious life. The Lord sent them a wonderful baby, known in Orthodoxy as John the Baptist.
- Saints Cyril and Mary of Radonezh led a godly lifestyle, observed all Orthodox commandments and helped the poor. For all the good deeds, the Lord sent them an amazing heir, whom the entire Orthodox world knows as St. Sergius of Radonezh.
It has long been customary to give newlyweds the described saints as wedding gifts, so that family life from the very beginning would take place under their protection. To protect a newly-made family, you can give an icon of Matrona of Moscow or Xenia of St. Petersburg.
Patron images of a married couple
- Holy image of the Lord Savior Jesus Christ
This icon is used to bless the groom. She will help guide her future husband on the right path, protect and preserve the family. The image of Christ has always been revered by Orthodox people. The icon fills the soul with light, conveys peace, grace and obedience.
- Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos: Vladimir, Kazan, Feodorovskaya, Icon of the Unfading Color and others.
The image of the Mother of God is used to bless the bride. Any of these miraculous icons will help save a marriage, impart wisdom and support in difficult times.
- Icon of Peter and Fevronia of Murom
Saints Peter and Fevronia are the patrons of the family and an example of Christian marriage. This couple had to go through many trials, but they coped with the troubles and preserved their love and family union. The image of the saints helps in finding one’s soul mate, for maintaining peace in a union, for those who are bearing a child and subsequently protecting the child.
- Martyrs Adrian and Natalia
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Saints patronize fidelity in marriage and eliminate the negative atmosphere between spouses. When a third person comes between close people, this icon helps clear thoughts and turn to the family.
- Holy Righteous Joachim and Anna
The righteous endow the future family with patience and hope. It is in patience
lies the key to family happiness and well-being.
- St. Matrona Moscow
Matronushka is one of the saints who protects the family and patronizes
material wealth.
Wedding icons
During the sacrament of wedding, the young spouse is blessed with an icon of the Savior, and the wife with the icon of the Mother of God. They are called the wedding couple. In some regions, it is presented to newlyweds by their parents, and in others by godparents, who are their spiritual mentors.
The wedding couple is given to the newlyweds so that, through prayer before it, they can turn to the Almighty for support and express their gratitude.
Parents can choose those icons that they like best as a wedding couple. There are many images of Christ, depicted from the waist up or to his full height. The Virgin Mary is depicted with a baby in her arms.
Images of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The image of the Most Holy Theotokos is most often addressed with prayers for marital happiness, for help in family matters and requests for the gift of children.
And on the Feast of the Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, it is customary to pray for family well-being. Any icon depicting the Virgin Mary will become a reliable family amulet. But it is to the image of the icon of the Feodorovskaya Mother of God that prayers are addressed for family happiness, the birth of children and assistance in childbirth. She is considered miraculous.
Alexander Nevsky was blessed for marriage with the miraculous icon of the Feodorovskaya Mother of God.
When choosing an icon for a wedding gift, you should take into account what wishes and instructions you would like to convey to the newly-made spouses, as well as find out what symbol is hidden in this or that image. And then, perhaps, this particular image will become the key to marital happiness and a family heirloom.
Blessing with icons before the wedding in the registry office
Not all young couples decide to get married; some limit themselves to only a secular wedding ceremony. But regardless of whether there is a wedding on the wedding day, the parents bless the newlyweds for marriage. The parents of the newlywed, sending him to the bride price ceremony, bless him with an icon of the Savior.
The bride's parents bless her with the icon of the Mother of God. In the banquet hall, parents greet the newly-made spouses with bread and salt and icons. They give their children parting words for a strong marriage and give icons as a powerful amulet of family happiness.
What icon do newlyweds meet with?
Parents greet their children with icons and a loaf of bread after the registry office and the wedding walk at the entrance to the hall where the banquet will take place. According to tradition, the first ones make a short welcoming speech, the newly-made family kisses the icons, eats bread and salt and moves into the hall to their place of honor.
As icons for blessings, as well as for weddings, images of the Mother of God and Christ the Savior are used. They can be either individually or connected together in the form of a folding one.
The icon for blessing the newlyweds can only be in the hands of the parents of the bride and groom. There are several options for which of them should hold the icons and which should hold everything else.
- The images are in the hands of mothers.
- One of the mothers holds icons, the other holds a loaf of bread, and the fathers hold glasses of festive champagne in their hands.
- The groom's father holds an icon, and the bride's mother holds a loaf; other parents are nearby.
- Mothers hold icons and a loaf of bread, fathers stand nearby.
Then the parents give these icons so that the newlyweds, after the wedding, put them in the red corner and pray to them, no matter how difficult or joyful times may come in the family. If a couple adheres to secular views on life, then simply wrap the image in a towel and put it in a separate place. Such an icon for newlyweds will still bring happiness and light to the family, over time it will acquire value and become a good dowry for the bride who will grow up in this house.
During the blessing, you need to remember that these images can only be held on towels, and in no case with bare hands. Also, Orthodox traditions require that parents first cross the newlyweds with icons three times, and after that they can kiss the icons. It is very important that when organizing a wedding, it is taken into account which of the parents at the wedding should give the icon first, so that at the celebration itself an awkward situation does not occur in front of the newlyweds.
What is the difference between Orthodox and Catholic icons?
On all Orthodox icons, the saint’s right hand lies on top of the left, and on Catholic images, on the contrary, the left hand lies on top of the right. According to Orthodox canons, inscriptions are made in Greek, and Russian icon painters use Church Slavonic letters. Catholic masters sign all works exclusively in Latin.
Catholic icon painters use brighter colors and more emotionally depict the expressions on the faces of saints, which are depicted in more detail using chiaroscuro.
There may be details that are not permissible according to Orthodox canons. For example, on a Catholic icon there may be a crown above the saint’s head instead of a halo, or a heart may be depicted on top of the robe.
Superstitions regarding the gift of icons
There are some superstitions among people regarding giving icons for weddings. Many believe that they can only be given as a gift by their relatives and godparents.
But the clergy gave an unequivocal answer on this matter. Such a gift will bring exceptional benefits to the established family and therefore can be presented by anyone who shows a desire.
When choosing such a special gift, you should take into account the practical side of the issue. Icons of the Savior and the Mother of God will be given to the newlyweds by their parents, so you should not present a second pair, but rather opt for the patron saints of a happy marriage and replenishment of the family.
As a gift from parents
The parents of the newlyweds wish only the best for their children, they want their lives to be happy, so that they live in peace, love and harmony. Blessing their children for marriage, according to ancient Russian tradition, parents give them icons for their wedding, which will be the guardians of the young family. As a rule, the blessing of the newlyweds by the bride's parents is associated with the presentation of an icon of the Mother of God to them; at this solemn moment, the mother gives instructions and parting words to her daughter. The groom's parents most often give an icon of the Savior when blessing the couple.
They are considered paired, and it is with them that during the wedding in the church the priest blesses the newlyweds for a long, prosperous and happy family life. A young couple can start creating a family iconostasis with a pair of icons donated by loving parents.
The image of the Virgin Mary has long been considered an icon of the bride. In the parting words of the mother giving her, the words should sound that the young wife, like the image of the Mother of God, must be patient and merciful, be able to forgive and understand her husband. The face of the Savior calls on the groom to be the real head of the family, wise and fair.
The presentation of wedding icons is an important wedding ritual, because it is believed that they are the ones who are able to preserve the family hearth of the newlyweds and protect them from quarrels and disagreements. Parents can present the newlyweds with other icons depicting the faces of patron saints of family and marriage, and yet wedding icons should be among the first to appear in the newly born family.
Icons for wedding gifts can be purchased as classic or gift items, skillfully inlaid with precious stones or embroidered with beads, because they are destined to become the main thing in the home of a young family.
