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Almighty - the Son of the Virgin Mary. The main celebrant, together with
any concelebrants, sings this song, raising the right hand above the couple.
After every invocation, which describes an important event in salvation
history (such as: the incarnation, the visit of the Magi, the transfiguration,
the Last Supper, the death on the cross, resurrection, and ascension), the
community or the choir repeat the first two lines which are loosely
translated as:

Let the Son of the Almighty - the Son of the Virgin
Give you forever divine blessings
Jesus - the Son of Mary - the mother of God
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Give you forever the divine blessings

3.7.7 Greeting the Parish Priest and Others

After the celebration, the couple comes to the rectory and greets the
parish priest and other priests (if any), and gives them special gifts and
offerings and receives their blessings.

3.7.7.1 Theological Significance

This is the occasion when the vicar, as head of the parish as family,
officially welcomes the newly-formed family (Domestic Church) to the
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parish. This shows how deep the church-consciousness of the Southist
Community is. It is in fact interesting to note that, for a Knānāya family, the
identity of being a “communion of persons” is essentially related to the
greater communion of the parish community.

3.7.8 Procession Returning Home

The newly-wedded couple is now led to the house of the bridegroom
in a royal procession. In the past, during the wedding ceremonies, the

60 Cf. PULLAPPALLY, JOHN P. M., “Socio-religious Customs of Knānites” (Malayalam),
in J. VELLIAN (ed.), Symposium on Knānites, The Syrian Church Series, Vol. XII,
Kottayam, 1986, p. 108.
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For the Malayalam Translation by Rev. Dr. Jacob Vellian, Cf. P. U. LUKAS,
Malayālatte Suriyāni Kristyānikalute Purātanappāttukal (Ancient songs of the Syrian
th
Christians of Malayalam, 1910), 7 Edition, Jyothi Book House, Kottayam, 1992, p. 220.
For transliteration of Syriac to Malayalam see pp. 218-219.
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Cf. PULLAPPALLY, JOHN P. M., “Socio-religious Customs of Knānites” (Malayalam),
in J. VELLIAN (ed.), Symposium on Knānites, The Syrian Church Series, Vol. XII,
Kottayam, 1986, p. 108.

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