Last Friday I officiated at the wedding of two friends.
It is funny how sometimes just about everything seems to conspire to prevent a ritual of love and positivity from taking place. Just as humans often appears to prefer bad news over good, so it seems the very spirits conspire on occasions to throw every obstacle possible in the way of uplifting ceremonies. There were flooding rains; many had difficulty getting to the church due to the floods, police activity, traffic jams. I myself spent over an hour sitting on the side of the I95 in the pouring rain because my Lyft driver broke down, and nearly couldn’t find a replacement driver.
But eventually it all came together, and we all enjoyed a wonderful ceremony.
The bride and groom has chosen the format, which had strong Rosicrucian overtones. The first reading was from the Chemical Wedding, and the second St. Paul’s beautiful Epistle on Faith, Hope and Love. Golden crosses and red roses abounded. In keeping with the setting I sang a Plainchant introit and gave the final blessing in Latin. We were regaled to music by Debussy and Satie. Frankincense hovered in the air, and we created a Processional Cross from old wood with a Resurrection Plant which had been revived in the rain earlier that day nailed to its center, and a red rose superposed.
All the problems of the day, the weather, and the frantic last-minute adjustments melted away, and we were left with a perfect ceremony amidst a large group of good friends.
