The sacrament of baptism: description and preparation for the ceremony, rules for godparents

When a baby appears in the family, many parents think that it is time to baptize the child. Christening is the second holiday in the life of a family after the birth of a child, and for a little person they are of great importance.

The rite of baptism is one of the seven sacraments of the Orthodox Church, which is designed to protect a person from illness and death.

Return a person to spiritual life and help get into the Kingdom of Heaven. And this rite is called a sacrament because during the ceremony, whoever is baptized will receive the grace of God.

In order to avoid unintentionally causing harm during this ritual, you must know some customs and statutes that have been formed over many centuries.

This great action must be approached with all responsibility and a clear understanding of the purposes for which this ritual is being carried out. Remember, it is forbidden to carry out Baptism only because grandparents recommend it or it is fashionable and accepted among friends.

Choosing the time and age for a child's baptism

In the Orthodox canons there is no unambiguous rule about the age of a child for baptism and initiation into God's sacrament. All Orthodox believe that the best age to baptize a child is from 8 to 40 days from birth.

The decision to postpone the Sacrament of Baptism or not to perform it at all can only be influenced by the lack of faith of the parents, because they independently make the decision to deprive their child of the grace of God.

Many people hesitate whether this Sacrament should be postponed until the moment when the child himself can consciously make a choice in favor of God. The danger of such delay is that the baby’s soul will be open to any harmful influence of the sinful world.

Many parents only worry about how to feed and raise their child, but forget about the eternal soul; this cannot be done. At baptism, the grace of God will purify the child’s nature and give him eternal life. Simply put, this mysterious action will mean a spiritual birth. And after this, the child can be given communion.

A baby cannot talk about his faith, and this is understandable, so parents should take care of this. We do not ask his permission for vaccinations or for examination by a doctor, and we are sure that this is only for his benefit, making a decision without his consent.

Baptism, in its essence, is also healing, only spiritual, it is food for the soul, the baby himself cannot yet express or realize this.

What you need to know about the ritual

Baptism is an important event in the life of a newly born child. At such a moment he joins the Church and becomes a Christian. The sacrament of baptism cleanses a person from original sin and allows God's grace to descend.

Age

According to church rules, a child is baptized on the 40th day after birth. At this age, the baby has not yet lost the intrauterine instinct to hold his breath in water and tolerates being immersed headlong in the baptismal font well. If it was not possible to baptize the child on the 40th day, you can perform the sacrament later.

The sooner a person is baptized, the sooner he comes under the protection of God. If a child was born weak and his life hangs by a thread, he can be baptized any day. To do this, you need to invite the priest to the hospital. True, instead of immersing the baby in water, they will simply sprinkle it with holy water.

How to choose a temple

If the parents are believers, they can baptize the child in the church where they attend services. When father and mother go to church only on holidays, they can go to the nearest parish and ask the priest to perform baptism. If for some reason parents do not like the clergyman, they can turn to any other temple. The main thing is that the church belongs to the Orthodox denomination.

When not to baptize

A child can be baptized on any day and in any month. True, each temple has its own rules. Before setting the day for christening, you need to go to the church and talk to the priest.

Price

According to church canons, the sacrament of baptism should be performed free of charge. However, this rule only applies if parents or godparents are experiencing financial difficulties and cannot pay for the ceremony. Each temple has its own price list, according to which payment is made for the services of the clergy. Typically a baptism costs $15-$50 (equivalent).

Conversation with the priest

Before the christening, parents and godparents need to talk with the priest. The conversation will help strengthen your faith. There is no need to prepare in any special way for a meeting with a clergyman.

The main thing is to simply attend the conversation.

Choice of godparents

According to established traditions, a child must have a godfather and a godmother. These people should not be spouses. Godparents are chosen from among friends or relatives. It is desirable that these are believers who observe all church rules and constantly attend church services.

Godparents can be a brother and sister, a grandmother or a grandfather. Foreigners, people of other faiths, parents themselves, a married couple, immoral, inadequate individuals will not be able to become a named father and mother.

Godparents are a kind of guarantors for raising a child. They must raise him as a Christian, teach him prayers, take him to first communion. Godparents must take care of the moral education of the godson, help him along the path of life, give instructions and advice.

Preparation for the sacrament

Although there are no restrictions on the place or time for the sacrament of baptism, in some churches it is carried out according to a schedule and on separate days. Most often this may be due to the priest’s busy schedule.

Before setting a date to baptize a child, decide where you will do it, go to the temple, find out the schedule and agree on the time for the Sacrament. If the parish has a registration to perform the ceremony, do so in advance.

There are, of course, exceptions; sometimes the child may be baptized earlier. If there are reasons for this, for example: weakness or illness of the baby, which may pose a threat to life. In this case, the Orthodox Church recommends carrying out the ceremony without delay.

What can be done if the baby does not want to receive communion

When children are capricious in church and do not want to take communion, parents must convey to them that this is not torture, but a celebration of unification with God. To introduce children to the sacrament, you need to show them your own example, take communion with the baby, and focus on how other children do it.

In cases of categorical protest on the part of the child, many priests advise to wait, but under no circumstances stop trying. In any difficult situation, it is better to consult with a clergyman and strictly follow his recommendations. If you correctly introduce a child to the sacraments of the church from an early age, then in the future you can avoid the occurrence of many spiritual problems.

Girl's baptism

To carry out a christening, a girl is usually bought special christening sets, which include a dress in white tones, a cap that can be replaced with a diaper, and a scarf. It is important that all things should be white, because it is this color, inherent in the purity of the soul and sinlessness, that embroidery or ribbons are allowed.

After the sacrament of baptism is performed, neither the dress nor the kryzhma are thrown away or given away. They are listened to without washing, and left with the baptized child until the end of his days .

How not to offend a holiday?

Once there was a case when a bus with Russian tourists stopped at Epiphany on Mount Athos, who immediately hurried to swim in the pond. The local monks looked at everything that was happening with great spiritual sorrow. And all because the newcomers committed real blasphemy. The custom of bathing at Epiphany does not exist anywhere in the world except in Russia. Floating around in water will not help you get closer to the Lord. Therefore, everyone decides for themselves whether to follow this tradition or not. But if you really want to swim in ice water, you should first consult a doctor so as not to harm your health. But every Orthodox Christian is obliged to attend the liturgy, turn to the Almighty with sincere prayer and light a candle.

Finally, I would like to note whether to adhere to all traditions at Epiphany or not, everyone decides for themselves. The main thing is not to harm others and yourself.

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The sacrament of baptism for a boy

To carry out the Sacrament of baptism for a boy, you will need almost the same list as for a girl:

a christening shirt that the future godmother will buy;
a pectoral cross on a thread or chain that the godfather will buy;
Be sure to have a baptismal diaper or towel with you.

Who should not be chosen as godparents?

The church has rules according to which you cannot choose godparents:

people with mental disorders;
alcohol abusers;
leading a promiscuous sex life;
Gentiles;
atheists;
matrimonial;
novices;
the child's parents;
boys under 15 years old;
girls under 13 years old.

But you should also know that brother and sister cannot become godparents for each other. It is also prohibited to baptize twins or twins at the same time, and they can have the same godparents .

Fasting of an adult after christening

Retreat is a certain preparation for the Eucharist, consisting of reading certain prayers, fasting and repentance.

To speak correctly, you must follow the following rules:

Healthy people and non-pregnant women should eat in moderation and fast, which involves excluding meat and dairy products and eggs from the diet.
During fasting, read out the morning and evening prayer rules with attention and diligence.
Study spiritual literature that is valuable for preparing for repentance.
Refusal of entertainment and going to noisy places.
It is more correct to read the canon of repentance to the Lord Jesus Christ, the canons to the Mother of God and the Guardian Angel, and the Rule for Communion during these 3 days.
Reach agreement with the offended and offenders.
It is necessary to confess in church at an evening service - All-Night Vigil or at morning Confession.
Avoid eating and drinking after midnight and before the morning Liturgy.

Retreat is an integral part of the life of a Christian, necessarily preceding the sacrament of Communion.

Rules for godmother

At the time of the child's baptism, the future godmother should not be pregnant. If, however, this has already happened, then she definitely needs to confess, although this is mandatory for all godparents. Spiritual parents should have with them:

pectoral cross for babies;
christening shirt;
a napkin to wipe your face;
an icon of the Saint, named after the child, which will be a kind of protection;
2 towels (large for the toddler, small for the father).

According to custom, it is the godmother who buys the baby kryzhma and a baptismal set, and on the day of christening, she should be given a silk scarf to the priest.

The process of holding the Sacrament of Communion

After singing the Lord’s Prayer and closing the Royal Doors, you need to go to the altar (or stand in line that gathers at the altar). Children and parents with babies will be allowed in - they receive communion at the beginning; In some churches, men are also allowed to go ahead.

People often learn everything about preparation, but they don’t know what to do during Communion itself.

When the priest brings out the Chalice and reads two prayers (sometimes they are read by the whole church), cross yourself, fold your hands crosswise to your shoulders - right to left - and walk, without lowering your hands, until you receive communion.

Do not cross yourself at the Chalice, so as not to accidentally push it. Say your name in Baptism, open your mouth wide. The priest himself will put a spoon with the Body and Blood in your mouth. Try to swallow them right away. Kiss the bottom of the Chalice, move away and only then cross yourself. Go to the table with “warmth” (“wrinkle”) to wash it down and eat the Communion with a piece of prosphora to avoid spitting it out (so that you don’t accidentally spit it out or sneeze with a particle).

Do not leave the church until the end of the service. You can listen to prayers of thanksgiving after Communion in church or read them at home.

On the day of Communion, it is better not to spit (particles of Communion could remain in the mouth), try not to have a lot of fun right away and behave with piety. It is better to spend the day in joy, communicating with loved ones, reading spiritual books, and relaxing walks.

Dress code for godparents

A prerequisite for spiritual parents is the presence of a cross on the body. According to Orthodox traditions, a woman who comes to the temple should have her head covered with a headscarf and a dress covering her shoulders, arms and knees. The only exceptions can be little girls . You should know that it is better not to wear high-heeled shoes, because the baptism ceremony can last up to several hours and you will have to stand on your feet during this entire procedure, with the child in your arms.

For men, there are no serious prohibitions, except for the idea of wearing a T-shirt or shorts, because it will look inappropriate in church. It is not advisable to attract attention within the walls of the temple , but it is better to focus on what you came here for. You can demonstrate a fashionable haircut or stylish boots at home during the holiday.

How baptized children receive communion for the first time

On the day when communion is held, there are many parishioners in the church, so everyone who wants to receive communion will need to stand in line one after another. There are the following rules for lay people:

you need to come to church without delay, in the proper form for Christians;
children must be accompanied by adults in church;
young Christians, past infancy, stand apart;
baptized infants should be held in your arms;
everyone who comes for communion is supposed to fold their hands crosswise on their chest, placing the right one on top of the left;
Every lay person participating in the sacrament must wear a symbol of the Orthodox faith - a pectoral cross.

During the ritual, the priest and his assistants read prayers to the Lord, then place a bowl with sacred gifts in the center of the temple - red wine and bread, symbolizing the blood and flesh of Christ. A special service is performed over the chalice, which is required to obtain Divine grace.

Believers take turns approaching the church minister, saying their name given at baptism (for infants, this is done by birth parents or godparents). Before accepting the holy gifts, they ask the priest for a blessing, then give the child a drink of wine from the sacred cup (the smallest amount is provided for children) and eat bread (prosphora) lying on a separate table.

You should take communion with deep respect for the gifts offered, drink and eat everything, leaving no drops or crumbs. Having accepted the blood and flesh of the Savior, you should not immediately leave the temple; it is better to approach the holy icons with your child and read prayers of gratitude in front of them.

Sacrament in the church

All those present must have a cross.
The child must always be in the arms of his godparents, the parents simply observe the ceremony.
Baptism takes place in a very solemn atmosphere because it is the Sacrament of the birth of the human spirit.
The child is given the Symbol of Faith when the priest says a prayer and his godparents repeat it.
The godparents pronounce words of renunciation of evil and vows to remain faithful to the Lord.
The priest blesses the water in the font and anoints the child with oil.
The main stage is that the clergyman takes the child in his arms and dips him three times while saying the prayers of Baptism.
Only after this procedure will the baby be given a cross, and the priest will anoint some parts of the body with myrrh, saying the required prayers. Such prayers relate to spiritual health and physical well-being. There are known cases when, after these procedures, a child, being weak, was cured, which surprised and made his family happy.
The godparents, after completion of the anointing, walk around the font three times with the baby in their arms, thereby demonstrating the eternal existence of the spirit.
The father washes the myrrh and wipes the child with a towel.
To give communion to a baby, you must be tonsured.
If the baptized boy is a boy, then the Godfather is obliged to bring him to the altar and bow to the throne.
Application to the icon of the Mother of God and to any with the face of our Most High Lord.
Some churches issue a baptismal certificate.

All Orthodox Christians are required to know the prayers Our Father, Most Pure Theotokos, Hail and the Creed, which are recited by godparents during the sacrament of baptism.

For baptism, a birth certificate is not needed.

Since the baby is too small, his godparents prepare for the ceremony instead; this condition is met for children under 14 years of age. The future Godfather must attend conversations with the priest in the temple. The number of such conversations will be determined by the rector of the Temple, and spiritual parents must confess to the priest. In addition to conversations, future godparents, a few days before the event, should abstain from carnal pleasures and learn the Creed prayer. It will also require a week of strict fasting.

In the church where the godparents confessed and received communion, the baby will also be baptized.
The baby's godparents must be baptized; a person who has not undergone this Sacrament himself cannot take on the responsibility for the spiritual upbringing of anyone.

How are the rites of communion and baptism related to each other?

Communion, or the Eucharist, is of great importance for every believer, as it allows you to keep your spirit pure and reunite with the Lord. Communion is the most important church rite, during which the laity receive the body and blood of Jesus Christ, served by the servants of the temple in the form of bread and wine. Such a ritual is considered the crown of the spiritual life of every Christian.

When taking communion, a believer:

partakes of the holy mysteries of Christ;
cleanses your soul from any evil;
acquires Divine protection;
connects with the Lord on several levels - symbolic and factual.

The rites of baptism and communion are inextricably linked with each other. Orthodox priests claim: having received communion, a baptized child opens himself to the bright heavenly forces, receives their support, and acquires the ability to resist sinful temptations.

Having accepted the Christian faith, a young Christian embarks on the path of following God's commandments. The Gospel quotes the following words of the Creator: “Let the children come and do not hinder them from coming to Me, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven.” This means that, having been baptized and received communion, the child simultaneously becomes an heir to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Responsibilities of recipients

Spiritual parents must clearly understand their role in the life of this child. They witnessed the Baptism of a baby, who himself cannot yet understand and be responsible for everything that happens to him. The godmother and godfather, in essence, take the child’s guarantee before God, make vows, and profess the Creed.

Throughout life, they will be full-fledged mentors to their spiritual child, guiding and accompanying them on the path of true, Christian life. These duties are impossible to fulfill if the godfather himself is indifferent to the Faith, so one must constantly study the fundamentals of Orthodoxy, the meaning of the vows, and improve. Before agreeing to become a godfather, talk to the clergyman.

According to the church, it makes no sense to become a spiritual mentor in absentia, because... The concept of godparents is lost. It is with mutual participation at baptism that an invisible thread of spiritual connection is stretched, which leaves its mark. During absentee baptism, there is no connection between the participants in the Sacrament and, in fact, the baby is left without spiritual mentors. Important: Godparents must participate in the spiritual and Christian education of their godson. Believers sincerely believe that they will answer for the fulfillment of their spiritual duties at the judgment of God.

Who needs to confess

Confession before Communion is a necessary part of preparation for it. No one is allowed to receive Communion without Confession, except people in mortal danger and children under seven years of age. There are a number of testimonies of people who came to Communion without Confession - because priests, due to the crowds, sometimes cannot track this. Such an act is a great sin. The Lord punished them for their insolence with difficulties, illnesses and sorrows.

Women are not allowed to receive Communion during their period and immediately after childbirth: young mothers are allowed to receive Communion only after the priest has read a prayer for cleansing over them.

If an adult has been baptized, he must follow the rules of preparation for Communion, but there is no need to confess after Baptism, although it is possible. Baptism washes away all sins - it is in itself like Confession. If something weighs on your conscience, if you have any questions, confess.

Age at which baptism takes place

The Church does not prescribe rules for choosing the required age depending on gender or any other differences. Age for baptism of a child: parents choose a boy or a girl independently. Even an adult can be baptized if he expresses such a desire. However, it is still advisable to carry out the ceremony as early as possible. Firstly, the earlier the procedure is completed, the fewer sins need to be “washed away” from the baby, and secondly, the baby tolerates the long procedure much more calmly than an older child.

Nowadays, there is a widespread development of atheism among young people. In this regard, one can come across the opinion that the rite of baptism should be carried out at a more mature age, when a person himself can consciously choose a religion. Well, such a choice is the right of parents.