Wedding Cross
All crosses have deep symbolism, and the Wedding Cross is no exception. It one of several Christian Crosses with a romantic message. (See Romantic Crosses)
Wedding Cross
also known as Cana or Marriage Cross
Wedding Cross
The Wedding Cross features two interlocking wedding rings, which form a composite symbol of commitment of a couple to live, love and grow in God's grace. It is seen embroidered on the minister's stole or given as a gift to the couple.
When it is embroidered on the minister's stole or alter cloth, this is to remind us that the minister, whether he is an authoritatively appointed priest by the Catholic Church performing the Sacramental rite, or an unordained Protestant lay pastor, the fundamental meaning is the same: Both the Catholic and Protestant Churches acknowledge that the minister merely officiates the marriage ritual, and it is God who joins people together in marriage.
The rings and the cross remind us of this important point.
The term Cana Cross comes from the story in John 2:1-11 which tells of a wedding celebration in Cana, near Nazareth in Galilee. Jesus attended the wedding and what happened there has deep significance:
The wedding had many guests and it must have been a nightmare to plan, since in those days, a wedding party often went on for a week. Everything was apparently going smoothly, until a potential disaster struck; they ran out of wine. This is where Jesus comes into the story and performs the first of His recorded miracles; He turned water into wine. And not just a cup of wine, but a hundred or more litres of superior quality plonk!
Far from advocating social drinking, the importance of this miracle is profound. The miracle showed that Jesus had power over nature and was the first of seven special 'signs' that attested to the divine status of Jesus. Also, turning the water into wine at the wedding, thereby maintaining the merriment, emphasised God's approval of celebrating the state of matrimony.
