THE ORDER OF SERVICE
The wedding ceremony at church was attended by 1700 royal guests, government representatives, family and friends of the Royal Couple. The service was held under the ecclesiastical responsibility of the Inner City (East) parish of the Amsterdam Dutch Reformed Community.
Officiating Clergyman:
C.A. Ter Linden, Minister Emeritus of the Kloosterkerk, The Hague
Elder on Duty:
Mrs A. de Zeeuw-Kroesbergen, Clerk to the Inner-city East Parish of the Dutch Reformed Church, Amsterdam
Presentation of the bible by:
S.L.S. de Vries, Chair of the Central Council of the Dutch Reformed Church, Amsterdam, Minister of the Oude Kerk
Musical Accompaniment
Bernard Winsemius, Organist of the Nieuwe Kerk
Miranda van Kralingen, Soprano
Carel Kraayenhof, Bandoneon
Nederlands Kamerkoor, Choir
Concertgebouw Kamerorkest, Orchestra
Ed Spanjaard, Conductor and Pianist
See for more information about the
Musical
Accompaniment
Readings by:
Dr Rafael Braun and H.R.H. Prince Johan Friso of the Netherlands
The Entrance
Organ Voluntary
Works by:
Georg Böhm (1661-1733) - Prelude in C
Antonio Vivaldi (1675-1741) - Concerto in A, arranged for Organ by J.S. Bach
Joseph Ximenez (1601-1667) - Batalha de 6. Tono
Arrival of the Families (all rise)
Galliarda in D by Heinrich Scheidemann (1596-1663)
Entrance of the Bride and Groom
'Entrata' by Jurriaan Andriessen (1925-1996)
Welcome by C.A. Ter Linden
Welcome, Máxima and Willem-Alexander, on this the day that you have undertaken to spend the rest of your lives together. Welcome to you both, and to your loved ones and your families, to the friends of the royal family and all those others with whom you are united by ties of friendship, and to all those here today representing our people.
Our thoughts are also with the parents of princess Máxima, who are with their daughter and son-in-law in spirit, as they are with them.
After speaking some words of welcome in English, the Minister will resume in Dutch
How extraordinary it must be for you to be at the heart of the joy and gratitude of so many people as they celebrate this day in so many ways with you, and share it with you through the medium of television. Now you have come to this church, home for many centuries to those who sought a meeting with God. May God grant us such a meeting today.
I invite you all to join in the singing of the hymns, which Máxima and Willem-Alexander have chosen with such great care.
Our help is in the name of the Lord
Who made heaven and earth,
Who keeps faith for ever and ever
And does not forsake the work of his hands. Amen.
Hymn no. 44, verses 1 & 2 (in Dutch)
Dankt, dankt nu allen God (Now thank we all our God)
Met hart en mond en handen. (With heart and hands and voices)
Die grote dingen doet (Who wondrous things hath done)
Hier en in alle landen. (In whom this world rejoices)
Die ons van kindsbeen aan (Who from our mother's arms)
Ja, van de moederschoot. (Hath blessed us on our way)
Zijn vaderlijke handen (With countless gifts of love)
trouwe liefde bood. (and still is ours today)
Die eeuwig rijke God (O may this bounteous God)
Mog' ons reeds in dit leven. (Through all our lives be near us!)
Een vrij en vrolijk hart (With ever joyful hearts)
En milde vrede geven. (And blessed peace to cheer us)
Die uit genade ons (And keep us in his grace)
Behoudt te allen tijd. (And guide us when perplexed)
Is hier en overal (And free us from all ills)
Een helper die bevrijdt. (In this world and the next)
Let us pray
O God,
Where would we be if you were not there.
The first in our existence
To whom often we turn only at the last.
You who are the breath of life.
The source of true love between people.
You who know the secret why two people
Learn to love each other, and want to stay beside each other
Through life's light and darkness.
O God, marriage, the joining of two people,
Is really too great a mystery for us to understand;
It is like a house to which you hold the key.
Teach us to live in that house, through your love and faith.
We thank you for the house from which we came,
For the love we received there
And still receive.
We thank you for the friends we have made in this life
Who have helped make us what we are.
Lord, we pray you, be with Willem-Alexander and Máxima.
Be in our lives the first and the last.
Amen.
Reading by Dr Rafael Braun (read in Spanish) from Ruth 1: 1-11, 14-17
Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem-Judah went to Sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem-Judah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there. And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years. And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband. Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the Lord had visited his people in giving them bread.
Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah. And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, go, return each to her mother's house: the Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me. The Lord grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept. And they said unto her, surely we will return with thee unto thy people. And Naomi said, turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? Are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?
And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her. And she said, behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her Gods: return thou after thy sister in law. And Ruth said, intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God. Where thou diest, will I die. And there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.
Reading by Prince Johan Friso of the Netherlands (read in Dutch) from Mark 10: 42-45
But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the gentiles exercise Lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: and whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Organ:
Interlude
Sermon by C.A. Ter Linden (in Dutch)
Perhaps you know the story of Peer Gynt, who returned to his homeland as an
old man, after many wanderings all over the world, and asked himself what use
his life had been. In a field, he found a wild onion. As he peeled it, deep in
thought, a phase of his life came to mind with each layer of the onion that he
removed. And each layer, like each phase of his life, succeeded the preceding
one. But where was the core, what was the point of it all? To his astonishment, he found that as he peeled the layers away from his life he could not find its core. Each core enclosed another, and none was the final one.
So, Máxima, Willem-Alexander, what is at the core of our lives? That is a
question everyone asks themselves at one time or another, and certainly when
they are about to link their life to another person’s and to start sharing
responsibility for the other’s happiness.
Perhaps we may find a clue to the answer in the passage father Braun read,
the lovely story of Naomi and Ruth. It is an ancient tale. Or is it also - for
the bible is a mirror of human life - a story for our time?
It is the story of a woman called Naomi, who lived with her husband and two
sons in Israel, in the land of Judah, in the village of Bethlehem. Famine forced them to take refuge in the land of Moab. Very soon after their arrival, Naomi’s husband died. She stayed on, with her sons, who each married a girl from Moab, Orpah and Ruth. For ten years they all lived there together, and then Naomi’s sons died too. Hearing that the famine in Judah was over, Naomi decided to return to her homeland. What was left for her in Moab? Her daughters-in-law travelled with her. But then, when they reached the border, Naomi had second thoughts. ‘go back,’ she said. ‘go back, each of you, to your mother’s house. May the lord show you the same love as you have shown me. May you soon find husbands of your own people.’ and she kissed them goodbye.
Naomi knew that there was no future for her daughters-in-law in Judah. The
two peoples were divided by a deep gulf. But the younger women wouldn’t listen
and burst into tears, saying, ‘No, we’ll go back with you to your people’. But
Naomi stood her ground. ‘go back, my daughters.’ the words ‘go back’ appear ten times. So ten times we are told what the story is all about: the question of where people belong. Where should we go in our lives? Where do we come from, where are we going? Indeed, what do we want from life, where is the land where we can breathe and live?
‘Go back, my daughters. ’
And Orpah gave in. She realised that Naomi was right, but at the same time,
she was grief-stricken because they would never see each other again. Orpah
kissed her mother-in-law, tore herself free and turned back. But what was Ruth
waiting for? ‘Look,’ said Naomi, ‘your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods. Go back, follow your sister.’
Then Ruth answered:
Entreat me not to leave thee,
Or to return from following after thee:
For whither thou goest, I will go;
And where thou lodgest, I will lodge:
Thy people shall be my people,
And thy God my god:
Where thou diest, will I die,
And there will I be buried:
The Lord do so unto me, and more also,
If ought but death part thee and me.
I can’t think of anything more moving. For what could Ruth possibly know
about this people and their God, that she should entrust the whole of her being to them?
You will understand why this story is central to today’s ceremony. For
despite all the differences between this ancient tale and the story of your
lives, there must have been times, Máxima, when you asked yourself: ‘should I
really do this, go with him to a country far from my own homeland, to a foreign country with a people I don’t know, who have a different history, a different identity, a different culture?’ A choice that would cause some pain, and has indeed made demands on many people. You must sometimes have heard a voice saying: ‘go back, my daughter ... go back to your people. ’
That brings us again to the story of Naomi and Ruth and what happened when
they reached Bethlehem. The bible says the whole town was in uproar, with people asking one another: ‘is that Naomi?’ You can imagine the women in the fields stopping their work, putting down their rakes for a moment to look at her. ‘No, surely it can’t be.’ you can hear people whispering: ‘haven’t you heard?’ everyone talking about her but nobody talking to her. And Ruth must have sensed what was going on.
Máxima is not the only one who must have hesitated. Willem-Alexander must
have done the same. He writes in his letter: ‘can I, do I have the right to ask Máxima to give up the greater part of her free, independent life, a life she has worked so hard for, that is so important to her? I was still very young when I realised the demands that kingship makes. I am asking my future wife to make a sacrifice, an almost inhuman sacrifice. She is marrying not just me, but an entire country.’
But at the same time it is clear from the letter that if there is someone who
can really be a support to him, she is the one: this woman with her sunny nature and her talents, her open mind and her ability to put things into perspective. As he, for his part, is a true support for her, because he so obviously believes in her and, as she herself says, surrounds her with care and consideration, so that with him she feels safe and able to be herself. Being herself: to him, that means all the spontaneity and joie de vivre characteristic of her, qualities that he fervently hopes she will retain in her new life.
Together, you two have worked things out. You, Máxima, have now met a great
many people here. You have touched many with your warmth and concern, ever since the first words could finally be said in public, words that echoed Ruth’s pledge to Naomi: ‘your people shall be my people and your God my God .’
Your people shall be my people. You have mastered our language very quickly.
Once, when we were still speaking english together, I couldn’t remember a word, and I asked someone else for the english for ‘gevolgen’. But before that person could answer, Máxima said ‘consequences’! And oh, what consequences your love has had. For instance, you have been eager to learn about protestantism, the church in which Willem-Alexander was brought up. But you already had in common faith itself, the faith in the god of Abraham, Moses and Jesus, the faith that has brought you to this church today.
And that is the second point this morning: your discovery that despite all
the differences between you - and it is fitting that there should be differences - you were both shaped, as Willem-Alexander said in his letter, by the same norms and values. Norms and values that are rooted in faith. In your letter you said that without that faith you could not live. ‘It gives me something to hold on to in difficult times and when I have to make difficult decisions. It also gives me something that I can, indeed must, ultimately answer to. That is my way of keeping my self-respect and my self-esteem, and sometimes to keep swimming against the tide, because I know I’m on the right tack.’
These are the words of someone who has been destined from birth to shoulder
an onerous task; someone who has to be the visible representation of something
that is almost impossible to represent: namely the solidarity of the Dutch
through the ages, in their struggle not only against the waters but also against all the waves of injustice and violence that threatened and sometimes inundated our country. That same solidarity that through the ages led this people to shelter others threatened by oppression and persecution. Although we know - and this city bears the scars - how badly we sometimes failed.
Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange, no one knows better than you how hard it
is to accept a mission in life that you cannot choose for yourself. Or is it
possible to make such a mission so much your own that accepting it does become a conscious choice? It may have been like that for you. A difficult road, and
sometimes a lonely battle, too. But still you were never entirely alone on that road, however lonely it seemed, because he was there, the God - as your letter put it - who gives you something to hold on to in difficult times and when making difficult decisions. And so, at some point you were able to make a
conscious decision to accept your mission in life.
Having finally accepted this very special calling, you have developed a broad
interest in everything that is going on in this country and in the world at
large. You have also developed a capacity for being close to people in all
manner of different circumstances. And so there stands before us today a man who has stood firm no matter what happened, and who has grown stronger as a result. A man who has finally found a woman willing to accompany him on the road he has to take, so that together they can give it meaning and substance.
‘Your God shall be my God,’ said Ruth, and today the bride is saying the same
to her bridegroom. She has a lot of questions. But who doesn’t? Like the
question of how this world can come from god. This world, as she said in her
letter, with all its beauty and human kindness, yet with all its pain, its sin, and its evil. And yet despite these questions one thing remains constant: ‘that there is a little corner of myself that from time to time makes me pray, makes me raise my eyes to him and believe in him, and trust that he will always be there. To me, God is love. A love that brings people together, a love that gives you strength and makes people treat others with respect.’ That is why you wanted to begin your marriage together in church, because after all, as you yourselves said, ‘it’s all about love, when two people promise to stay beside each other for the rest of their lives, bring each other happiness and strength, and work together for a better world. And where better to do this,’ said Máxima, ‘if God is love, than with his blessing in his own house of love?’
‘Your God shall be my god.’ perhaps the traditions that you grew up in, the
roman catholic and the protestant, each with its own wealth of religious
experience, will enrich and deepen your lives.
We don’t have enough time for the rest of Ruth’s story, except to say this.
Naomi would have told Ruth - it was harvest time in Israel - about the law of
her country that allowed the poor to follow the reapers and glean any ears of
grain that might fall to the ground. So Ruth went. And when the landowner
arrived in his fields he saw this stranger and asked a farmworker who she
belonged with.
Perhaps you can already guess how the story continues, for the landowner was
a kinsman of Naomi’s and in Israel a childless widow could always count on a
male relative of her husband’s to marry her to give her children and safeguard
her future. And so this landowner, Boaz by name, lived up to his family
obligations, even though it meant marrying a foreigner, a Moabitess. What’s
more, love grew between them there amid the alien corn, a love with blessed
consequences: a son was born to them. And they called him ‘Obed’, meaning the
one who serves. As if both of them wanted his name to reflect what life is all
about. And Obed, so the story goes, was the father of Jesse, who in turn was the father of David, who became king of all Israel. As if the story means that
kingship is rooted in service. And that is why a good king prays to God ‘that I may stay a pious servant of thine for aye’. (line from the Dutch national
anthem)
And lastly, when, centuries later, Matthew wrote the story of the birth of
Jesus, a distant descendant of David, he included the name of Ruth, the
Moabitess, among his ancestors. As if to say: remember, the love of god, which
was manifested so wondrously in Jesus of Nazareth, extends to all peoples. God
writes his story with and through all peoples. And when the church sings praises to Mary, the mother of Jesus, in its hymns - like the one the bride has grown so fond of, which we shall hear shortly - today you must visualise behind Mary all the foremothers of Jesus, and for a moment remember Ruth, the Moabitess. Ave Maria, hail Mary, hail Ruth of Bethlehem.
And if we think back to the story of Peer Gynt, the man peeling the onion he
found, have we come a little closer to the core, to the secret of our lives?
Willem-Alexander, Máxima, the blessing of the lord go with you in your
marriage and in your life together. And may you be a blessing to many.
Amen.
Choir and Orchestra
Kyrie from Missa Solemnis K 337 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Kyrie Eleison - Heer, ontferm U (Lord have mercy)
Christe Eleison - Christus, ontferm U (Christ have mercy)
Kyrie Eleison - Heer, ontferm U (Lord have mercy)
Introduction to the Solemnisation of the Marriage
(
By C.A. Ter Linden (in Dutch))
The time has now come to solemnise your marriage. But first let us hear what our faith teaches us about it.
It is one of life's great mysteries that God created people to love each other, to transform our solitary existence, to experience the joys of union of body and soul, to have a helpmate as our partner and to provide for the continuation of the generations.
And so we accept marriage with reverence and gratitude as a gift from God. He asks us to love each other, to live in wisdom with each other, to honour each other, to serve each other, to support each other, to give each other space, to tolerate each other. He asks us to trust each other, not to become embittered, and always to forgive each other.
Accept then, with great reverence, and in an awareness of your responsibilities, the gift and the challenge of marriage as a blessing, so that your life together will also be a blessing, for yourselves, and for those who will be entrusted to you in your life together, or whom God places in your path.
Promises of the Witnesses
(For Máxima's witnesses in Spanish by Dr Rafael Braun)
Do you accept the task of witnessing the trust that this man and this woman have already expressed to each other, and are about to reaffirm in the sight of God, and will you continue to follow and support them in their life together, in friendship and loyalty?
May you be given strength to keep this promise.
Marriage vows
Please join your right hands and answer the questions I shall now ask:
Willem-Alexander, do you receive and accept Máxima Zorreguieta into your life as your wife, and do you promise to love her and be faithful to her, to honour and support her, for better and for worse, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, in all life's seasons, in the spirit of the word of God, until death do you part? What is your answer?
Willem-Alexander: 'Ja'
(Enormous cheering from outside the church)
And you, Máxima Zorreguieta, do you receive and accept Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand van Oranje into your life as your husband, and do you promise to love him and be faithful to him, to honour and support him, for better and for worse, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, in all life's seasons, in the spirit of the word of God, until death do you part? What is your answer?
Máxima: 'Ja'
(An even louder cheering from outside the church)
Blessing of the Marriage
Your marriage is now affirmed in the sight of God and his congegration. Please kneel, to receive the blessing on your marriage.
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
Hymn no. 434, verses 2 & 4
(
All rise)
Lof zij de Heer, Hij omringt met zijn liefde uw leven; (Praise to the Lord! Who o'er all things so wondrously reigneth,)
Heeft u in't licht als op adelaarsvleuglen geheven. (Shelters thee under His wings, yea so gently sustaineth)
Hij die u leidt, zodat uw hart zich verblijdt. (Hast thou not seen how thy desires have been)
Hij heeft zijn woord u gegeven. (Granted in what He ordaineth)
Lof zij de Heer die uw huis en uw haard heeft gezegend. (Praise to the Lord! Who doth prosper thy work and defend thee)
Lof zij de hemelse liefde die over ons regent. (Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee)
Denk elke dag aan wat zijn almacht vermag. (Ponder anew - what the almighty can do)
Die u met liefde bejegent. (If with His love He befriend thee)
Exchange of rings
Bandoneon and Piano
Adios Noniño by Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992), arranged by Bob Zimmermann (1948-) for choir, orchestra, bandoneon and piano.
The text wasn't sung by the choir, but just 'hummed'. Thank you Henri M. for providing the Spanish and the English text.
'Adios noniño' (Adieu little papa)
Desde una estrella al titilar... (From a scintillating star)
Me hará señales de acudir, (he will signal me to come,)
por una luz de eternidad (by a light of eternity)
cuando me llame, voy a ir. (when he calls me I will go.)
A preguntarle, por ese niño (To ask him for that child)
que con su muerte lo perdí, (that I lost with his death,)
que con "Noniño" se me fué ... (that with Noniño he went...)
Cuando me diga, ven aquí ... (When he tells me come here...)
Renaceré ... Porque... (I'll be reborn ... because... )
Soy...! la raíz, del país que amasó con su arcilla, (I am...! the root of the country that modeled with its clay,)
Soy...! Sangre y piel, del "tano" aquel, que me dió su semilla... (I am...! blood and skin, of that Italian who gave me his seed...)
Adiós "Noniño" ... que largo sin vos, será el camino. (Adieu Noniño...)
Dolor, tristeza, la mesa y el pan...! (Pain, sadness, the table and the bread...!)
Y mi adiós... Ay...! Mi adiós, a tu amor, tu tabaco, tu vino. (and my adieu
...Ay...! My adieu, to your love, your tobacco, your wine.)
Quién...? Sin piedad, me robó la mitad, al llevarte "Noniño"... (Who, without pity, took half of me, when taking you, Noniño....?)
Tal vez un día, yo también mirando atrás... (Perhaps one day, I also looking back...)
Como vos, diga adiós... No vá más...! (will say as you, adieu... no more bets...!)
(Recitado)
Y hoy mi viejo "Noniño" es una planta. (And today my old Noniño is a part of nature.)
Es la luz, es el viento y es el río... (He is the light, the wind, and the river...)
Este torrente mío lo suplanta, (this torrent within me replaces him,)
prolongando en mi ser, su desafío. (extending in me his challenge.)
Me sucedo en su sangre, lo adivino. (I perpetuate myself in his blood, I know.)
Y presiento en mi voz, su proprio eco. (And anticipate in my voice, his own echo.)
Esta voz que una vez, me sonó a hueco (This voice that once sounded hollow to me)
cuando le dije adiós... Adiós "Noniño". (when I said adieu ... adieu Noniño.)
Soy...! la raíz, del país que amasó con su arcilla, (I am...! the root of the country that modeled with its clay,)
Soy...! Sangre y piel, del "tano" aquel, que me dió su semilla... (I am...! blood and skin, of that Italian who gave me his seed...)
Adiós "Noniño" ...! Dejaste tu sol, em mi destino. (Adieu Noniño... You left your sun in my destiny.)
Tu ardor sin miedo, tu credo de amor. (your fearless ardor, your creed of love.)
Y ese afán... Ay...! Tu afán, por sembrar de esperanza el camino. (And that eagerness...Ay!... Your eagerness for seeding the road with hope.)
Soy tu panal y esta gota de sal, que hoy te llora "Noniño". (I am your honeycomb and this drop of sunlight that today cries for you, Noniño)
Tal vez el día que se corte mi piolín, (perhaps the day when my string is cut)
te veré y sabré ... Que no hay fín. (I will see you and I will know there is no end. )
Presentation of the Bible
By Mr. S.L.S. de Vries, chair of the Central Council of the Dutch Reformed Church, Amsterdam, Minister of the Oude Kerk
It will come as no surprise to you, Máxima and Willem-Alexander, that the traditional first gift to a wedded couple is a bible. It is the visible sign of my wish that you will be a blessing to each other - a wish I express on behalf of the Reformed Church of this city, and the inner-city parish.
But it may well come as a surprise that the gift is not one, but two bibles. The first is for Máxima. You very soon understood the finer shades of meaning of the Dutch language. For you, therefore, the authorised version of the bible, published in 1637. The translation was commissioned by the States General of the United Provinces so that it could become the basis of daily life and a source of joy in every home. For centuries, this book nourished people's faith as they went about their daily lives. It also enriched our language. Many of the expressions and sayings we now use have their origins in this authorised translation of the bible. It is one of the wells at which your husband drank in learning to speak, to sing and to pray.
For Willem-Alexander: the language of love is said to be universal, but from your very first meeting it was plain that Máxima would have to master your language. But because love comes from both directions after all, my gift to you is a bible in Spanish. You have learned to speak various languages, and to sing and pray in them. Love and faith both come from the heart. These two volumes will help you understand each other as you speak from heart to heart, since you will know the wells from which you draw your words. They may be two volumes, but they are the one book that will never leave you at a loss for words to share with each other.
Many people in our churches and our country join me in praying that in all the languages you speak, the Holy spirit will grant you the ever wondrous gift of mutual understanding, the sole language of love.
Soprano and Piano
Ellens Gesang III (Ave Maria) by Franz Schubert (1797-1828), words by Adam Storck after Sir Walter Scott.
(In German) Ave Maria!
Jungfrau mild,
Erhöre einer Jungfrau flehen,
Aus diesem Felsen starr und wild
Soll mein Gebet zu Dir hin wehen.
Wir schlafen sicher bis zum Morgen,
Ob Menschen noch so grausam sind.
O Jungfrau, sieh der Jungfrau sorgen,
O Mutter, hör ein bittend Kind!
Ave Maria!
Ave Maria!
Reine Magd!
Der Erde und der Luft Dämonen,
Von deines Auges huld verjagt,
Sie können hier nicht bei uns wohnen.
Wir woll'n uns still dem Schicksal beugen,
Da uns dein heil'ger trost anweht;
Der Jungfrau wolle hold Dich neigen,
Dem Kind, das für den Vater fleht!
Ave Maria!
Let us pray
(In English) O God,
We thank you for your goodness;
That someone could enter our life and love us,
Accept us as we are,
And stay by our side for ever.
Lord, be with these two people as they travel the road ahead of them, at the heart of our people, to whom they signify so much.
Grant them the wisdom that this life will ask of them. Fill them both with the love and faith, the mystery to which you hold the key.
(In Dutch) Heavenly father,
Bless your daughter Máxima.
May she be a shining light and a source of joy
To Alexander and their children,
Loving them tenderly. Give her, we pray,
The gift of an open and compassionate heart,
Ready to give and receive love from the people
Who have adopted her as their own.
Grant your son Alexander the grace to walk humbly in your presence. Give him the power of your spirit that he may become a strong and caring husband to Máxima, and an example to his children and people.
May your son our Lord Jesus Christ
Enlighten their minds and enkindle their hearts.
May he share their daily bread with them
That they may know he is with them always.
A moment of silent prayer
Choir a capella
'Hemelsche Vader', the Lord's Prayer adapted by Constantijn Huygens (1596-1687), music by Jaap Geraedts (1924-)
(In old Dutch) Hemelsch Vader, dijns naems eere
Zij geheilight meer en meere
Naedere dijn eeuwigh rijck;
Gelde dijn gebod, gelijck
Boven, so alom beneden;
Dagelijckx voedt onse leden;
(Vader) houdt ons onser schulden vrij,
Soo wij willen wien het zij.
Laet ons verre van 't gequell zijn
Des benijders van ons welzijn,
Want het hemelsche beleid
Hoort dij in der eeuwigheid
Amen.
À toi la gloire, ô ressuscite
from Judas Maccabeus by Georg Friedrich Händel (1685-1759)
(All rise)
(In French) À toi la gloire, ô ressuscité!
À toi la victoire pour l'eternité!
Brillant de lumière, l'ange est descendu,
Il roule la pierre du tombeauvaincu.
À toi la gloire, ô ressuscité!
À toi la victoire pour l'eternité!
Vois-le paraître: C'est lui, c'est Jésus,
Ton sauveur, ton maître! Oh! Ne doute plus;
Sois dans l'allégresse, Peuple du seigneur,
Et redis sans cesseQQue Christ est vainqueur!
À toi la gloire, ô ressuscité!
À toi la victoire, pour l'eternité!
Benediction
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
The love of God
And the fellowship of the Holy spirit
Be with you all
Amen.
Hymn no. 301, verse 6
Dutch National Anthem, all remain standing
Mijn schild ende betrouwen (A shield and my reliance)
Zijt Gij, o God, mijn Heer! (O God, thou ever wert)
Op u zo wil ik bouwen, (I'll trust unto thy guidance)
Verlaat mij nimmermeer! (O leave me not ungirt)
Dat ik toch vroom mag blijven, (That I may stay a pious)
Uw dienaar t'aller stond: (Servant of thine for aye)
De tirannie verdrijven, (And drive the plagues that try us)
Die mij mijn hart doorwondt. (And tyranny away)
All remain standing as Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Máxima leave the church accompanied by the Minister and the bridesmaids, flower girls and page boys.
Choir and Orchestra
Hallelujah from the Messiah by Georg Friedrich Händel (1685-1759)
Hallelujah!
For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth
Hallelujah!
The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom
Of our Lord and of His Christ;
And He shall reign for ever and ever.
King of kings,
And Lord of Lords,
Hallelujah!
The Minister returns, the families then leave the church.
Organ (On leaving the church)
Works by:
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) - Prelude and Fugue in C, BWV 547
Friedrich W. Marpurg (1718-1795) - Fuga in A, Capriccio in C
Christian Friedrich Ruppe (1753-1826) - Air favorit "où peut-on être mieux" varié
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) - Fantasia in C, BWV 573