The rite of the sacrament of Baptism
Order of announcement
If an adult wants to be baptized, he enters the temple (the baby is brought by the godparents) wearing only underwear (a long shirt), barefoot, without a belt, with his arms down, and faces the east.
The priest reads prayers:
Let's pray to the Lord.
In thy name, O Lord God of truth, and of thy only begotten Son, and of thy Holy Spirit, I lay my hand upon thy servant, [or on thy maidservant], who is deemed worthy [or worthy] to take refuge in thy holy name, and under the roof of thy wings be preserved. Leave from him [or her] this old charm, and fill him [or her] with faith, and hope, and love: that he may understand that you are the only true God, and your only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and Your Holy Spirit. Give him [or her] to walk in all the commandments, and to keep those that are pleasing to you: for if a person does these things, he will live in them. Write it in the book of your life, unite it with the flock of your inheritance, so that your holy name may be glorified in it and your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and your life-giving Spirit. Let your eyes look upon him [or her] with mercy, and let your ears hear the voice of his [or her] prayer. Let him [or her] rejoice in the deeds of his [or her] hands, and in every generation of his [or her], let him confess to you, and glorify your great and high name, and he will praise you all the days of his life.
Exclamation: For all the powers of heaven sing of you, and yours is the glory of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages, Amen.
The first prohibition.
Let's pray to the Lord.
The Lord forbids you, the devil, who came into the world and took up residence in men, so that he may destroy your torment, and may he destroy men, who on the tree of the opposing forces conquered, the sun that was darkened, and the earth that shook, and the tomb that opened, and the bodies of the saints who rose: who destroy death with death , and abolish the power of the possessing of death, the devil will eat you. I forbid you by God, who showed the tree of the belly, and set up the cherubim, and the flaming weapon that turns to crackle, you are forbidden. For these I forbid you, who walked on dry land on the lash of the sea, and who forbade the storms of the winds: whose sight dries up the abysses, and rebuke melts away the mountains: he would even now forbid you with us. Fear, go out, and retreat from this creation, and not return, hide yourself in it, hide it, or act, neither in the night, nor in the day, or in the hour, or at noon: but go away to your Tartarus, even until the great day of judgment prepared. Fear the God who sits on the cherubim, and who gazes upon the abyss, for whom the angels, archangels, thrones, dominions, principles, power, strength, the many eyes of the cherubim, and the six-winged seraphim tremble: for whom the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them tremble. Come out and depart from the sealed newly chosen warrior of Christ our God: for I forbid you, those who walk on the wing of the wind, who make their angels burn with fire: come out and depart from this creation with all your might, and your angels.
Exclamation: For glorified is the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages, Amen.
Prohibition two.
Let's pray to the Lord.
God, holy, terrible and glorious in all his deeds and strength, incomprehensible and unsearchable, who has predetermined for you, the devil, eternal torment and languor, us unworthy of his servants commands you, and with all your strength, to retreat from the newly sealed [or from the newly sealed] name of the Lord our Jesus Christ, our true God. I forbid you to the all-evil, and unclean, and foul, and abominable, and alien Spirit, by the power of Jesus Christ, who has all power in heaven and on earth, who said to the deaf and dumb demon: come out from man, and let no one enter into him: retreat , know by this vain power that has power below on pigs, remember the one who commanded you, at your request, to lead into the herd of pigs. Fear God, by whose command the earth was established on the waters, who created the sky, and set the mountains as a standard, and the abundance of abundance as a standard, and set the sand as a limit to the sea, and in the green water a firm path touching the mountains, and smoking, clothed with light like a robe, stretching out the sky like a skin, He who covers his highest waters with water, who founded the earth on the foundation thereof, will not bow down for ever and ever: he who calls for the water of the sea and pours it out on the face of all the earth. Go out and retreat from those who are preparing [or preparing] for the holy enlightenment. I forbid you by the saving suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by his honorable body and blood, and by his terrible coming: for the judge of all the earth will come and not be obdurate, and he will torment you and your mighty strength in fiery hell, delivering you into the outer darkness, where the never-ending worm, and the fire is unquenchable.
For the power of Christ our God, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages, amen.
Prohibition three.
Let's pray to the Lord.
Lord of hosts, God of Israel, healer of every ailment and every disease, look upon your servant [or your servant], seek, test, and remove from him [or from her] all the actions of the devil. Rebuke the unclean spirit, and I have cast away, and cleanse the deeds of your hand with the other, and using your sharp action, crush Satan under his [or her] nose quickly: and give him [or her] victory over him and against his unclean spirits: for yes from Having received [or having received] mercy upon you, you will be worthy of your immortal and heavenly mysteries, and glory will rise to you, to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages, amen.
Prayer four.
Let's pray to the Lord.
He who, O Master Lord, created man in your image and likeness, and gave him the power of eternal life, did not despise the fall of sin, but arranged through the incarnation of your Christ, the salvation of the world: deliver yourself and this creation of yours from the work of the enemy, accept into your kingdom heavenly. Open his [or her] mental eyes, so that the enlightenment of your gospel may shine in him [or her]. Associate with his [or her] belly an angel of light, delivering him [or you] from every opposing slander, from meeting the evil one, from the midday demon, and from evil dreams.
And the priest blows on his mouth, on his forehead, and on his chest, saying: Cast out from him [or her] every evil spirit and unclean spirit that is hidden and nesting in his [or her] heart.
Pronounced three times.
The spirit of deception, the spirit of wickedness, the spirit of idolatry, and all covetousness: the spirit of lies, and all uncleanness, acting according to the teaching of the devil. And make him [or you] the verbal sheep of the holy flock of your Christ, honorable to your church, a son and heir [or daughter and heir] of your kingdom: yes, having lived according to your commandments, and kept [or lived and kept] an indestructible seal, and having kept [or having kept] an undefiled robe, he will receive the blessedness of the saints in your kingdom.
Exclamation: By the grace and compassion and love of thy only begotten Son, with whom art thou blessed, with thy most holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages, Amen.
The priest turns the person being baptized facing west, with his hands raised, and asks : Have you denied Satan [that is, do you renounce Satan], and all his works, and all his angels, and all his ministry, and all his pride; The person being baptized or the godfather answers for him: I deny [that is: I renounce].
The priest asks again: They denied Satan, and all his works, and all his angels, and all his ministry, and all his pride; The person being baptized answers: I deny.
The priest asks for the third time: They denied Satan, and all his works, and all his angels, and all his ministry, and all his pride; The person being baptized answers: I deny.
The priest asks: Have you renounced [or have you renounced] Satan; The person being baptized answers: I renounced. [That is: did he renounce? — Renounced]
The priest asks again: Have you renounced [or have you renounced] Satan; The person being baptized answers: I have renounced.
The third time the priest asks: Have you renounced [or have you renounced] Satan; The person being baptized answers: I renounced.
The priest says: And blow and spit on him [that is, on Satan].
After this, the person being baptized turns his face to the east, the priest asks: Are you united with Christ [are you united with Christ]; The person being baptized or the godfather is responsible : I am combined.
The priest asks again: Are you united with Christ? Answers a second time: I combine.
The priest asks for the third time: Are you united with Christ? Answers for the third time: I combine.
The second time the priest says: Have you been combined [or have you been combined] with Christ? And he answers: Combined. He asks: Do you believe Him? And he answers: I believe in Him as a king and God.
After this, the person being baptized or the godfather recites the Creed
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth, visible to all and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only begotten, who was born of the Father before all ages. Light from light, true God, true from God, born, not created, consubstantial with the Father, by whom all things were. For our sake, man, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became human. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried: and rose again on the third day, according to the scriptures. And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. And again the coming one will be judged with glory by the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the life-giving Lord, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who spoke the prophets. Into one holy, catholic and apostolic church. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins. I anticipate the resurrection of the dead. And the life of the next century, amen.
After this, the priest asks : Did you combine [or were you combined] with Christ? The person being baptized answers: You are married.
And again he asks: And do you believe in Him? The person being baptized answers: I believe in Him as a king and God.
After this, the person being baptized or his godfather again pronounces the Creed for him.
And for the third time the priest asks: Are you compatible [or were you compatible] with Christ? The person being baptized answers: You are married.
And again he asks: And do you believe in Him? The person being baptized answers: I believe in Him as a king and God. And he says:
After this, the person being baptized or his godfather pronounces the Creed for the third time.
And again the priest asks: Were you compatible [or were you compatible] with Christ? The person being baptized answers: You are married.
And again the priest asks: Were you compatible [or were you compatible] with Christ? The person being baptized answers: You are married.
For the third time the priest asks: Were you compatible [or were you compatible] with Christ? The person being baptized answers for the third time: You are married.
The priest says: And bow to him. The person being baptized says: I worship the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the Trinity, consubstantial and indivisible.
Priest: Blessed be God, who desires for all man to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth, now and ever, and unto ages of ages, amen.
Then he reads the following prayer:
Let's pray to the Lord.
Sovereign Lord our God, call your servant, named, to your holy enlightenment, and grant him [or you] the great grace of your holy baptism. Put away his [or her] old age, and renew him [or her] into eternal life, and fill him [or her] with power, into the union of your Christ, so that he may not be a child of the body, but a child of your kingdom. By the good will and grace of your only begotten Son, with whom art thou blessed, with thy most holy and good and life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages, amen.
The candles required for baptism are lit, and the priest, dressed in a white robe, stole and armlets, burns incense around the font.
Deacon: Bless, Master.
The priest proclaims: Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Chorus: Amen.
GREAT LITENA
The deacon reads the litany: Let us pray to the Lord in peace.
Chorus: Lord, have mercy (for every petition).
Let us pray to the Lord for peace from above and the salvation of our souls.
Let us pray to the Lord for the peace of the whole world, the prosperity of God’s holy churches and the unity of all.
For this holy temple and for those who enter it with faith, reverence and fear of God, let us pray to the Lord.
For our Great Lord and Father, His Holiness the Patriarch of the name, and for our Lord, the Most Reverend Metropolitan [or Archbishop, or Bishop] of the name, the honorable presbyterate, the deaconate in Christ and for all the clergy and people, let us pray to the Lord.
For our God-protected country, its authorities and army, let us pray to the Lord.
Let us pray to the Lord for this water to be sanctified by the power and action and influx of the Holy Spirit.
Let us pray to the Lord for the grace of deliverance, the blessing of Jordan, to be sent down to her.
Let us pray to the Lord for this cleansing action of the all-essential Trinity to come to this water.
Let us pray to the Lord that we may be enlightened by the enlightenment of reason and piety, by the influx of the Holy Spirit.
Let us pray to the Lord for her to drive away all slander from visible and invisible enemies.
Let us pray to the Lord for the baptized [or baptized] person who is worthy of the incorruptible Kingdom to be in her.
For the hedgehog now coming [or coming] to holy Enlightenment, and for his [or her] salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
Let us pray to the Lord that he may become the son [or daughter] of light, and the heir [or heiress] of eternal blessings.
Let us pray to the Lord that he may be united and a partaker [or united and partaker] of the death and resurrection of Christ our God.
Let us pray to the Lord that he [or she] may preserve the garment of Baptism, and the betrothal of the Spirit undefiled and undefiled, on the terrible day of Christ our God.
Let us pray to the Lord for this water to be the bath of restoration, the remission of sins and the clothing of incorruption.
For the Lord God to hear the voice of our prayer, let us pray to the Lord.
Let us pray to the Lord that he [or she] and we may be delivered from all sorrow, anger and need.
Intercede, save, have mercy and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.
Having remembered our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed, Glorious Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary with all the saints, let us commend ourselves, and each other, and our whole life to Christ our God.
Choir: To you, Lord.
While the deacon reads the litany, the priest secretly reads the following prayer to himself:
Compassionate and merciful God, torturer of hearts and wombs, and the only one who knows the secrets of mankind is not that there is a thing that is not revealed before You, but everything is naked and naked before Your eyes: He who knows about me, do not detest me, turn away from me below Your face, but despise my sins at this hour, despise the sins of men in repentance, and wash away my bodily defilement and spiritual defilement, and sanctify me entirely with Your all-perfect invisible power and spiritual right hand, and do not proclaim freedom to others, and grant this with perfect faith, Your ineffable love for mankind I myself, as a slave of sin, will be unskillful. Neither, Master, the only good and humane one, let me not return humble, but send me strength from on high, and strengthen me for the service of Your present sacrament, great and heavenly: and imagine Your Christ in the one who wants [or in the one who wants] to be born again, by my damnation : And edify him on the foundation of Your Apostle and Prophet, and do not overthrow him, but plant him with the planting of the truth, in Your holy, Catholic and apostolic Church, and do not exalt him: for if he prospers in piety, glorified by this is Your all-holy name, the Father. , and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages, amen.
This prayer is read aloud:
Great art thou, O Lord, and wonderful are thy works, and not a single word will be sufficient for the singing of thy wonders. [Thrice.]
You, by the will of those who do not exist, brought everything into being, by Your power you support creation, and by Your providence you build the world: You created creation from the four elements, You crowned the circle of summer with four times. All intelligent powers tremble to you, the sun sings to you, the moon praises you, the stars are present to you, the light listens to you, the abysses tremble to you, the springs work for you. You have stretched out the sky like a skin, You have established the earth on the waters, You have protected the sea with sand, You have shed air for rest. The angelic forces serve You, the faces of the Archangel bow to You, the many-eyed Cherubim and the six-crested Seraphim, standing and flying around, are covered with the fear of Your unapproachable glory. For You are the indescribable God, without beginning and ineffable, You came to earth, taking on the form of a servant, having become in the likeness of humanity, You did not endure, O Master, mercy for the sake of Your mercy, to see the human race tormented by the devil, but You came and saved us. We confess grace, we preach mercy, we do not hide good deeds: You have freed our nature, You have sanctified the virgin womb with Your birth. All creation sings praises to You who appeared: You are our God, you appeared on earth, and you lived with men. You have sanctified the streams of the Jordan, You have sent down Your Holy Spirit from Heaven, and You have crushed the heads of the serpents nesting there.
You, O Lover of Mankind, come now through the influx of Your Holy Spirit and sanctify this water. [Thrice]
And give her the grace of deliverance, the blessing of the Jordan, create a source of incorruption, a gift of sanctification, resolution of sins, healing of ailments, destruction of demons, impregnable to resisting forces, filled with angelic fortress. Let those who slander Thy creation flee from her: for I have called upon Thy name, O Lord, wondrous and glorious, and terrible to those who oppose.
He blesses the water three times, immersing his blessing fingers into it and blowing on it, saying:
May all opposing forces be crushed under the sign of the image of Your Cross. [Thrice]
We pray to You, Lord, that all airy and unmanifest ghosts may depart from us: and may this dark demon not hide in the water: below may an evil spirit descend upon the one who is being baptized [or with the person being baptized], darkening thoughts, and bringing rebellion to thoughts: but You, Master show everyone this water, the water of deliverance, the water of sanctification, the purification of the flesh and spirit, the loosening of bonds, the forgiveness of sins, the enlightenment of souls, the bath of restoration, the renewal of the spirit, the gift of sonship, the robe of incorruptibility, the source of life. You have said, O Lord: wash yourself and be clean, take away wickedness from your souls. You have granted us from above the birth of water and the Spirit. Appear, Lord, on this water, and grant that he who is baptized in it may be transformed into a hedgehog, so that he may put off the old man, corrupted by the lusts of delusion, and put on the new man, renewed in the image of Him who created him: so that, having been united in the likeness of Your death by baptism, you will be a partaker of the resurrection: and having preserved the gift of Your Holy Spirit and increased the guarantee of grace, he will receive the honor of a high calling, and will be numbered among the firstborn written in Heaven, in You God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
For You are due glory, power, honor and worship, together with Your beginningless Father, and with Your Most Holy, and Good, and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages.
Chorus: Amen.
Priest: Peace to all.
Chorus: And to your spirit.
Deacon: Bow your heads to the Lord.
Choir: To you, Lord.
The priest blows on the oil three times in a vessel held by the deacon and blesses the oil three times.
Let's pray to the Lord.
The priest says a prayer:
Sovereign Lord God our father, who sent to those in Noah's ark a dove, an olive branch that was in their mouths, a sign of reconciliation, and the sacrament of salvation from the flood and grace, and the fruit of olives, for the fulfillment of Your holy mysteries, giving: to those also who were in the law of the Holy Spirit fulfilled, and perfect those who are in grace: Bless this oil yourself, with power and action, and the influx of Your Holy Spirit, as if it were the anointing of incorruptibility, a weapon of righteousness, renewal of soul and body, driving away every action of the devil, for the change of all evils, anointed by faith , or those who partake of it for Your glory and Your only begotten Son, and Your Most Holy, and Good, and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages.
Chorus: Amen.
Deacon: Let's take a look.
The priest, while singing “Hallelujah” three times with the people, three times depicts a cross with oil in water and exclaims:
Blessed be God, who enlightens and sanctifies every person coming into the world, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Chorus: Amen.
The priest, taking oil on two fingers, anoints the person being baptized in a cross shape:
The servant of God [or the servant of God] is anointed with the oil of gladness, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.
Anoints his chest and back with the words: For the healing of soul and body.
Ears: In the hearing of faith.
Hands: Thy hands create me and create me.
Feet: May he [or she] walk in the steps of your commandments.
After anointing the entire body, the priest, turning to the east and holding the person being crucified straight, baptizes him, immersing him three times in water and at the same time saying:
The servant of God [or the servant of God] is baptized in the name of the Father, amen. And the Son, amen. And the Holy Spirit, amen.
Each immersion is performed simultaneously with the invocation of each person of the Holy Trinity. After baptism, he washes his hands and sings with the people three times completely
Psalm 31
Blessed are those who have abandoned iniquity and those who have covered themselves with sin. Blessed is the man; the Lord will not impute sin to him; there is flattery in his mouth. As if I were silent, my bones swore, from calling me all day long. As Thy hand weighs upon me day and night, I return to passion when the thorn strikes me. I have known my iniquity and have not covered my sin, I have said: I will confess my iniquity to the Lord, and You have forsaken the wickedness of my heart. For this reason, every saint will pray to You at the right time: otherwise, in a flood of many waters, they will not come close to him. You are my refuge from the sorrow that besets me: my joy, deliver me from those who have bypassed me. I will admonish you and guide you on this path; if you go further, I will fix My eyes on you. Do not wake up like a horse and a mesk, which has no reason: with the bridle and bridle you will restrain their jaws that do not approach you. The sinner has many wounds, but he who trusts in the Lord will receive mercy. Rejoice in the Lord, and rejoice, you righteous, and rejoice, all who are upright in heart.
He places a cross on the baptized person, saying: “The Cross is placed on the servant of God (name) - the guardian of the entire universe, the Cross - the beauty of the Church, the Cross - the strength of nations, the Cross - the affirmation of believers, the Cross - the glory of Angels and the defeat of demons.”
Dresses in baptismal garments:
The servant of God, [or the servant of God] named, is clothed in the robe of righteousness, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.
And the troparion is sung in voice 8:
Give me a robe of light, / clothe yourself with light, like a robe, / most merciful Christ our God.
HISTORY OF THE FORMATION OF THE RITE OF BAPTISM (CACUTE, BAPTISM, CONFIRMATION)
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:19-20)
In Old Testament times, the rite of purification, accompanied by the obligatory immersion or washing of the body with water, was generally obligatory for every member of Israeli society. Water was used in the religious life of God's chosen people to wash the sacrifices made in the Tabernacle, as well as in other cases provided for by the Law of Moses.
The prototype of Baptism in water already existed in Old Testament times, in the post-Maccabean period, as a special church institution, symbolizing not only physical, but also moral cleansing.
But the New Testament Church, founded by Christ, who came not to break the law, but to fulfill it, adopted the Jewish rite of purification for those entering it, but filled it with new grace-filled content.
In the great sacrament of Baptism, it was established by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, who was baptized in the waters of the Jordan, depriving the power of evil of its absolute power over man and sanctifying the watery nature for all subsequent times: “... since demonic forces opposing the will of God were hidden in the waters, the Lord descended into the waters of the Jordan, to break the heads of the serpents and to bind the mighty one .”[1]
In a conversation with Nicodemus, the Lord revealed the great importance and necessity of Baptism as a means of cleansing from sins and spiritual rebirth: “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be surprised at what I said to you: you must be born again” (John 3:5-7) .
The Sacrament of Baptism symbolizes the spiritual birth of a person and in it the special grace of God is given, “...helping to live like a Christian and succeed in Spiritual life .”[2]
In apostolic times, the institution of catechumen as such did not exist; the only condition for joining the Christian community and receiving Baptism was the confession of Christ as the Son of God: “The Apostle Philip, sent by an angel, baptized the eunuch of the Queen of Candace (Acts 8:38). The Apostle Paul, after the miraculous appearance of an angel in prison, immediately baptized the prison guard who believed in the Savior and his family (Acts 16:38). The Apostle Peter urgently baptized the centurion Cornelius and his household (Acts 10:47) .”[3]
During the charismatic period of the life of the Church of Christ, in fact, there was neither a strictly composed creed, nor an order of the sacrament of Baptism. The bishop, who led a small community of believers in the risen Christ, accepted pagans into the Church, immersing them in water in the name of the Holy Trinity.
With the increase in the number of believers and the growth of communities, the emergence of numerous heresies, elements of catechumen, repentance with renunciation of previous errors and sins, and a public oral confession of faith in Christ appear in the rites of the sacrament.
Since the 2nd century, a strictly defined order has been established in preparation for Baptism. Anyone preparing to begin the sacrament of Baptism had to come to the bishop and testify to him, the successor to the apostolic ministry, of his desire to become a member of the Church. Having received information from the guarantors about the moral qualities of his soul in family and social life and the sincerity of his conversion to Christ, the bishop gave his blessing to include his name in the church “katastich” - a book containing a list of catechumens and members of the community for prayer and remembrance during the divine service.
decision was preceded by long months of announcements, and those preparing for the sacrament constituted a special class of church society. They were allowed to attend the service, but during the liturgy, after the reading of the Gospel and the sermon, they were obliged to leave the temple.
In the place of testing, the catechumens were ordered to repent, so the rite of catechumens was often performed during the days of Great Lent, as especially intended for prayer and repentance.[4] Those wishing to receive Christian Baptism spent the entire preparation period in fasting and prayer, attended divine services daily and repented of their sins. The public conversations ended on Holy Week.
In the ancient Church, baptism was not performed daily, as needed by those wishing to receive the sacrament, as is practiced today, but only on major holidays, especially Easter. To this day, the Easter service of the Orthodox Church includes elements of the ancient rite of Baptism: the night procession around the temple was once a procession of the newly baptized, dressed in white clothes and holding burning candles, into the Church, where they were greeted by the jubilant “Christ is Risen .”[5 ]
In the 2nd-3rd centuries there is a mention of the combination to Christ, which became one of the central moments of the sacrament. The pronounced vows required those baptized to be faithful until the end of their lives. Unity with Christ was expressed by reading the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed.
The rite of announcement, especially in the Jerusalem and Constantinople Churches, was performed with great solemnity, and the gracious impressions of these days allowed those newly baptized to maintain the vows they pronounced until the end of their lives, confirming and fulfilling them with their deeds.
In the 4th-5th centuries, the custom was established of confessing the faith of those approaching Baptism “in precise and definite words, in an established form, loudly, for all to hear, from an elevated place, in the presence of believers .”[6] About such a custom that existed in Rome, says St. Augustine.
In the era of Constantine the Great (IV century), it was customary to baptize mainly adults, since great importance was attached to the conscious acceptance of the sacrament. Some, knowing that according to the teachings of the Church, sins are forgiven in Baptism, postponed it until the last days of life: Emperor Constantine himself was baptized before his death, however, the practice of infant baptism is no less ancient - the Apostles baptized entire families, in which, undoubtedly, there should have been and children (Acts 10:48).
With Saint Irenaeus of Lyons (2nd century) notes: “Christ came to save those who through Him are reborn from God: infants, youths, youths, elders .”[7]
124 the rule of the Council of Carthage (IV century) contains an anathema on those who reject the need for Baptism of infants, who, although they have not sinned themselves, need liberation from original sin.[8]
In the ancient Church, starting from the end of the 2nd century, there were people specially consecrated by the bishop - exorcists, who read incantatory prayers in which, following the example of the holy Apostles, in the name of God, unclean spirits were forbidden to approach the newly enlightened Christian: “And the demons obey us in Thy name ”(Luke 10:7) . The reading of these prayers remains one of the most important moments of the sacrament to this day.
Along with prayers of prohibition, the Church demanded that a person renounce Satan and consciously join Christ, which was expressed in the ritual of performing the sacrament. Saint Dionysius the Areopagite mentions blowing and spitting on the devil. “The ancient practice of the Russian Church, which was in complete agreement with the practice of the Greek Church, was to only blow on the demon, but in the 15th century, along with the previous practice, a new one appeared, according to which it was commanded to spit on the demon. Despite its rather late origin, the custom of spitting on a demon became prevalent in the 16th century, and the ancient custom of only blowing on a demon during baptism existed as an exception .”[9]
The rejection of Satan was accompanied by raising the hands to heaven and was performed fifteen times, in contrast to three times in the modern rite. “The custom of asking separately questions about denial from Satan and also giving answers to them can be called an ancient custom of the Russian Church: we find an indication of its existence in “Questions of Kirik to Bishop Niphon of Novgorod” and then in service books of the 14th and 15th centuries .”[10 ]
Preparation for Baptism was accompanied by special church prayers for the catechumens, which have survived to this day.
In the 14th century, catechetical prayers were read ten times each, but later the custom came into practice of reading each of these prayers three times, and they were said ten times only at the baptism of old Jews.
In the 16th century, the number of catechetical prayers remained the same in composition, but everywhere they were read once.
The practice of consecrating water for the sacrament of Baptism in the Greek Church has been mentioned since the 2nd-3rd centuries: “The water of Baptism is filled with mysterious power... It is the grave of the old man, the place of his decay and the place of conception and formation of a new, spiritual organism .”[11]
After immersion in the font, the newly enlightened person was anointed with consecrated oil; mention of this is found already in the first centuries: “The Apostolic decrees (IV century) say that after the presbyter anoints the forehead, chest and back of the catechumens with oil, the deacons anoint the entire body of men preparing for Baptism , and deaconesses are women .”[12]
After the priest anointed the designated parts of the body with oil, the deacon, according to the practice that existed in the 12th-13th centuries, anointed the entire body of the person being baptized without uttering the words currently proclaimed. Late monuments of the 11th-12th centuries indicate that the water of Baptism was marked with the sign of the cross, the person being baptized was anointed with oil, and baptism was performed through three times immersion in water in the name of the Holy Trinity.
The custom of performing the sacrament of Baptism through pouring, and not through immersion, appeared very early in the Russian Church: already at the Council of Vladimir (1274) a decision was made that forbade baptism by pouring on anyone and indicating the Western origin of the tradition of baptizing by pouring.
In the 14th century, the great litany in the rite of Baptism had only two petitions for the consecration of water and two for the person being baptized, which differs significantly from the current practice.
After anointing the person being baptized with consecrated oil, the Sacrament itself followed, and if infants were baptized, then boys were immersed in one font first, and if adults were baptized, then men and women were baptized separately from each other. This practice has continued to this day.
In the 16th century, after Baptism, which was performed through immersion, the newly baptized person was dressed in light clothes without the priest uttering any words and without singing the verse: “Give me a bright robe . The vestments were followed by a litany and prayer preserved in modern breviaries.
In the 15th century, the custom of having two successors appeared in Russia, which was actively denounced by Metropolitan Photius. Before the beginning of Baptism, the clergyman censed water and blessed it with a candle three times, which is still preserved among the Old Believers today. The great litany of the ball that followed was shorter than the modern one.
In the 16th century, before the start of Baptism, the priest also censed the font, and then blessed the water three times with a lighted candle and after that said: “Blessed is the Kingdom...” , and he could also bless the water with a candle during the great litany, which was shorter than the litany included in the modern breviary, and when reading the prayer “May they be crushed under the sign of Your Cross...” . Unlike the modern missal, the words “You are more humane than the Tsar...” were pronounced once, and not three times. The Sacrament ended with the threefold immersion of the baptized person in water with the utterance of the words that have survived to this day: “The servant of God is baptized, (name) in the name of the Father - Amen (1st immersion), and of the Son - Amen (2nd), and of the Holy Spirit (3rd -e), now, and ever, and forever and ever. Amen."
The worship of the Orthodox Christian Church clearly reflected and reflects the state of the world in which it carries out its ministry, which consists in preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven. During times of severe persecution, the rites of the sacraments acquired special features that protected the Church from the penetration of people who accepted Christianity only superficially and were ready to return at any moment to their former pagan way of life.
During periods of calm existence, the Church of Christ was able to clearly formulate its doctrine and lead to relative uniformity in the order of the divinely established sacraments, which sometimes differed greatly from each other in different local Churches.
Eresi led to the introduction into the rites of the sacrament of Baptism of a clearly formulated Creed and formulas for public renunciation of errors.
Further development of the rite of the sacrament reflected, first of all, the relationship between the Church and the surrounding society. After the reform carried out by Patriarch Nikon (1605 - 1681), the rite of the sacrament of Baptism has remained virtually unchanged and remains, if possible, unchanged.
[1] Vasiliadis N. The Sacrament of Death. Holy Trinity Lavra of Sergius. 1998. P.132. [2] Saint Theophan. Outline of Christian moral teaching. M., 1891. P.52. [3] G. Nefedov. prot. A textbook on liturgics. Zagorsk 1987. P.16. [4] Dmitrievsky A.A. The science of Orthodox worship. [5] Alexander Shmeman. Prof.-Prot. Water and Spirit. Experience of liturgical study of Baptism. 1974. P. 68. [6] Confession of the blessed one. Augustine, bishop Ipponian. M., 1914. P. 187. [7] Saint Irenaeus, Bishop. Lyonsky. Against heresies. [8] The Book of Rules of the Holy Apostles, Ecumenical and Local Councils, and the Holy Fathers. [9] The succession of the sacraments in the Russian Church in the 16th century, according to manuscripts of the Novgorod-Sophia and Moscow-Synodal libraries. Wanderer. 1880. P. 557. [10] Ibid. P.555 [11] Pavel Florensky. priest From theological heritage. Theological Works. M., 1977. No. 17. P. 204. [12] G. Nefedov. Quote Op. C34.
