The sacrament of baptism in the Orthodox Church is carried out once in a lifetime. Before such a responsible step, a person must think carefully and weigh the pros and cons. After all, this is a purely voluntary matter. A person who is going to be baptized must know the basics of Orthodoxy and the most important prayers.
But what about babies in this case? After all, they cannot make such a decision themselves. That's right, their parents will do it for them. But the godparents must vouch for the child. They must be believers and decent people. After all, they are the ones who take responsibility for the child if suddenly some misfortune happens to his parents.
If a boy is being baptized, men must participate in the baptism; for girls, women must participate.
After baptism, the child can be applied to the icons and receive communion regularly. This is how, from birth, babies will have protection and an Orthodox upbringing.
After baptism, in honor of the little one, you can submit notes about health, order magpies and mention his name in prayers.
First you need to discuss all issues with the priest
Before the day when you are going to baptize the child, it is necessary to discuss in advance with the priest the issue of the presence of the mother in the baptismal room.
A woman is considered clean only after 40 days from the day of birth
40 days
this is how many days a woman needs to cleanse herself after childbirth
It is believed that a woman is cleansed only on the fortieth day after childbirth. That is why if you baptize a baby earlier, the mother will not be present at the ceremony.
If forty days have already passed since the birth of the baby, then the mother has the right to be present. Only she needs to inform the Priest about this so that he can read a cleansing prayer, after which she will be allowed into the baptismal room in the church.
The priest talks about the sacrament of Baptism of people and babies in this video
Ritual for adults
Before an adult is baptized, he must complete a number of mandatory actions:
– observing a three-day fast;
– establish friendly relations with all relatives;
– a married person must abstain from intimate relations during fasting.
The ceremony with an adult is no different from the baptism of a child. It consists of 3 parts:
- “Catechetical.” The priest blows into the face of the future baptized person 3 times. Putting his hand on his head, the priest blesses and says prayers to drive out evil spirits.
- Krechayuschiy turns to the west. Father asks questions, the answers must be positive. The meaning is renunciation of Satan, faith in Christ.
- Turning to the east, the future baptized person repeats the “Symbol of Faith” prayer after the priest. It must be memorized before the ceremony.
The preparations are complete. Candles are distributed to the person being baptized and his recipients (if there are any). The priest blesses the water in the font. Being baptized, the forehead, ears, legs, arms, and back are smeared. He lowers himself into the font three times. Using a towel, the baptismal shirt is put on. The person being baptized wears a cross. After the knowledge of the world, the baptized and the priest walk around the font 3 times.
The clothing of a baptized person has its own requirements:
– for women, the baptismal shirt should cover their legs and arms. On the head is a scarf;
– for men it is important that their hands are covered.
Before a child’s baptism, you need to buy the necessary things
What is needed for baptism? 7 things you can't do without:
- Small cross. The child must wear it all the time. It is advisable to purchase it in the temple, it will already be consecrated. But you can also purchase it at a jewelry store, but then consecrate the cross in the temple;
- Baptismal clothes. You need to purchase a baptismal gown or baptismal shirt. A dress is natural if you are going to baptize a girl, a shirt - for the baptism of a boy;
- Christening cloth. It is where the baby is received by the godparents;
- Icon;
- Diaper;
- Large towel;
- Candles.
A girl's baptismal set for the baptism ceremony.
Baptism of a child costs on average from 2,000 thousand rubles, depending on the temple you choose. More detailed information on the price and time of the event should be obtained from the church on the eve of the child’s baptism.
Gift for godson, goddaughter
Before baptism, godparents think about what to give their godson? More and more often, second parents are of the opinion of buying a cross and chain. It is important that the cross was purchased at a church and not at a jewelry store. This rule does not apply to the chain. Another common gift is a silver spoon for the first tooth. Before you rack your brains about what gift to buy, it’s better to discuss the issue with your future godfathers.
Editor's choice: How to protect your child from unnecessary sites - safe internet
Every parent should choose the right godparent
You need to approach the choice of a godfather for your child consciously; it is advisable that they were believers and baptized people.
Godparents should be close to your family, these could be grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles - with whom you are on good terms.
But under no circumstances should godparents be some kind of crazy person, leading an antisocial lifestyle, minors, monks or nuns.
Learn more about who can be a godparent and what responsibilities a godparent has. And also how the godfather needs to prepare, what he needs to say during the baptism of the baby - Priest Georgy Maximov tells in more detail in his video “Godparents. Practical advice"
Baptism of girls and boys
Some people believe that pregnant women cannot be godparents.
Editor's choice: Depression during pregnancy, manifestations and restructuring of the body
Unmarried girls do not agree to be godparents to girls for the first time. They believe that the first godson should be a boy. The Orthodox Church does not hold this opinion. These are fables that ladies who believe in the crown of celibacy listen to.
Mistake - the church does not prohibit it. The only reason why pregnant women are not called godparents is the need to hold the child in their arms for a long time.
The only prohibition regarding the weaker sex is the presence of “critical days”. These days, visiting the house of the Lord is prohibited. It is better to postpone baptism for a while.
For girls, the godmother plays an important role, for boys the godfather plays an important role. Unlike a godfather, everyone should have a godmother, regardless of the gender of the child.
Video clip of the baptism of a girl and a boy
You need to choose a name for your baby before the baptism ceremony takes place.
If a child is weak or sick after birth, it is advisable to baptize him as quickly as possible at home or in the hospital - this is allowed!
If the child is healthy and actively growing and developing, he should be baptized on the 40th day of birth. You just need to choose a temple and talk to the parish priest.
40 day
on this day you need to baptize a child
The ceremony can be performed on any day; there are no prohibitions on this matter. It can be carried out both during Lent and on great Orthodox holidays.
Also regarding the child's name. It must be chosen in advance before baptism. Many parents name their child as their heart tells them.
And many look according to the Orthodox calendar. On the day of the saint when the child was born, they call it that way. If you baptize a child this way, then in later life this saint will be his patron. This means that he will protect him and help him in all his difficult life situations.
Or you can simply use common sense and choose a name for your child that he will be comfortable with for the rest of his life.
Baptism (+VIDEO)
As part of the special project “Sacraments of the Church,” Archpriest Artemy Vladimirov talks about the essence and meaning of each of the seven Sacraments: baptism, confirmation, repentance, Communion, marriage, priesthood and consecration of oil.
Today we will talk about the Sacrament of Baptism. What is the meaning of this Sacrament as a whole, and what do its individual moments mean? Why is it so important to completely immerse the person being baptized in the font? How does Baptism transform a person?
There are events and milestones in a person’s earthly life that determine his future – both in a temporary and eternal perspective. And Baptism undoubtedly refers to such turning points in the world historical process.
We are talking about choosing a person who turns his gaze to God. Baptism is least of all a procedure, an abstract action, but it is a truly sacred act in which two components meet: free human will and the eternal energy of the Divine, the grace of the Holy Spirit.
This sacrament, performed over both an infant and an older person, begins with the naming of a name in the so-called prayer of the eighth day. On the eighth day, even in ancient times, babies were baptized. In this prayer we hear the name of the heavenly patron chosen by us. So from the very moment of baptism, Prince Alexander Nevsky, for example, or the martyr Tatiana, or the Archangel Michael (depending on the gender of the baby and the chosen name) become the patrons of the newly baptized person. Much is hidden in a name, like in a bud; however, according to the Russian proverb, it is not the name that baptizes a person, but the person’s name. That is, your moral qualities, your choice in favor of good determine how much you will correspond to the life of your saint and how full-blooded his invisible participation in your earthly destiny will be.
After naming a name in the ancient Church, the bishop laid his hand on the adult person being baptized and read a prayer - a special prayer with which the period of training, catechesis, and enlightenment of an adult begins. However, it was not only and not so much about some classes in the classroom, but about the entry of yesterday’s pagan into the Christian community. And, already living a completely new life in communication with other people, he sought to renounce pagan customs, struggled with himself, prepared himself for the Sacrament of Baptism, certainly underwent a confessional repentance conversation, certainly with the participation of a bishop or pastor, rethinking everything he had lived, prepared to bring An oath to God, a vow of faith and fidelity, renouncing the power of darkness, the devil, who dominated through thoughts or passions over this person before his baptism. And the special order of incantatory prayers, or prohibitions, has been preserved intact and inviolable precisely in the bosom of the Orthodox Church. Nowhere - neither among Catholics, nor in the Armenian-Gregorian confession - will you find this extensive rite, which in ancient times was even more extensive.
The testimonies of the holy fathers have been preserved, from which it follows that the catechumens listened to these prayers over and over again, in which the priest still calls on the Holy Trinity and asks the Lord God to expel from the limits of the heart the spirit of darkness, which, of course, does not leave a Christian alone even after acceptance named after Epiphany. However, Baptism radically changes things, because before we enter the Church, the evil one acts from within, and God’s grace, without forcing us, calls us to the light of the Lord. After Baptism, the grace of the Holy Spirit, implanted in the very heart, supports the Christian, and the evil one with his excuses and temptations acts from the outside.
Priests must read these incantatory prayers very carefully, because many notice: if the priest dares to miss something, then this affects the life of the person being baptized, and is very detrimental.
The incantatory prayers have been read, the evil spirit reluctantly leaves his home, the time has come for the baptismal vows themselves, which I would compare to a recruit’s oath of allegiance to the Tsar and the Fatherland. There is a big difference between a civilian and a soldier. An officer who takes an oath to serve the Motherland receives a personal combat weapon. If he deserts, he will face a military tribunal. And a baptized person is a warrior by nature. “Having called yourself a milk mushroom, climb into the back” - and it is better not to pronounce these vows than to do it frivolously, without an internal understanding of what and to whom we promise, renouncing the service of pride, malice, human lust, uniting ourselves with Christ, so that serve the King of earth and heaven with faith and truth. “Do you believe in Christ?” “I believe in Him as the Tsar and God,” answers the adult person being baptized, and, it seems to me, this answer reveals the monarchical consciousness of the Russian people.
Yes, indeed, we have a King in our heads, we stand before the almighty and all-good God, whose Kingdom will have no end. And God grant that all participants in today’s conversation, remembering their baptism, remember that they literally struck the devil, this proud fallen creature, with the spear of contempt. After all, before being united with Christ, the priest commands the Christian: “Blow and spit on the spirit of darkness.” And this symbolic action means that we receive from the Lord the grace-filled power to defeat all the snares of the evil spirit. All the forces of the world's darkness are powerless against a Christian who, by making the sign of the cross and calling on the name of Jesus Christ, is called to dominate the dark force.
Christening. Photo: E.Kovsh / edkovsh.ru
It is immersion that is the correct rite of performing Baptism
Before baptism, the priest anoints the person being baptized with oil - oil - to heal the soul and body, which already imparts a certain integrity to our psychophysical powers. And after this anointing - threefold immersion. Let us note: it is immersion that is the correct rite of performing Baptism. When, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we plunge into the holy waters, as if from the Jordan, and come out of them, we are mysteriously united with the death of Christ on the cross and with His rise from the tomb, becoming participants in the suffering of the Savior, that is, using His fruits atoning death, we emerge from the baptismal font completely cleansed from all our voluntary and involuntary sins. Moreover, through Baptism, as you know, we enter into a living union with God, and the consequences of Adam’s disobedience, which resulted in numerous illnesses of the soul: conceit, pride, resentment, a tendency to sadness, despondency, relaxation - you can’t list everything! – neutralized by Divine grace. So we emerge from the font as the silver lily of the valley appears in the spring, as the snow-white dove ascends to the sky from its nest. This is truly a revival of the Christian personality to communion with God.
Immediately after baptism, the priest performs another anointing. This is already a special Sacrament - Confirmation, through which the energy of the Holy Spirit is infused into the nature purified by the Sacrament of Baptism. The priest anoints the main sense organs with the words: “Seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.” And we no longer have to be afraid of the seal of the Antichrist, about which old women on benches talk a lot today, if the bright seal of Christ—the Life-Giving Cross—shines on our brow. Through the anointing of the world in our hearts, the Divine flame begins to shine, a spark of the Holy Spirit, which must turn into a flame, that is, leaven with itself both the intellect, and sensory abilities, and our feelings, emotions, and the volitional center, and the soul, and the body so that the Christian was completely illuminated by the action of the Holy Spirit.
Baptism is accepted in order to hide Christ Himself in your heart
After Baptism, we are called to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Baptism is accepted in order to hide Christ Himself in one’s heart. And, turning from idols to the living God, from the power of Satan to the power of truth and love of God, to live purely, honestly, nobly, glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ with active mercy so that our thoughts, and our words, and our actions - everything would be directed to the glorification of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thus, Baptism is the first impulse, the starting point. Baptism is the start, thanks to which we still receive a tailwind of God’s grace. In Baptism, a person receives wings of prayer and love for God. However, the Lord God cannot save us without us. A person who has sworn an oath of fidelity and love to the Lord is already a hundred times more responsible before the Heavenly Father than some Mowgli who lived in the jungle and knew nothing but the secrets of communicating with monkeys. That is why, dear friends, our program will make many people rethink the years they have lived. And if anything from our conversation today became incomprehensible to you, come to any church to the priest so that, having cleared your conscience through repentance, you will receive the fruits of Baptism, the gifts of the Holy Spirit: peace, joy, love, the energy of creation in all its strength, – and would be Christians not in name, but in life.
Features of the Sacrament of Baptism
When baptism takes place, the baby is held exclusively by the godparents. Parents cannot do this. They are just watching what is happening.
Baptism lasts about 60 minutes. Before the Sacrament process, we recommend reading on the Internet how it works. To understand what is happening during it. And be aware of the sequence of actions.
Keep in mind that in some churches mothers are not allowed to attend the Sacrament of Baptism. We recommend that you clarify this aspect with your church in advance. So as not to get confused while attending the event.
What to do if godparents live in another city, but they need to have a conversation with the priest?
If your friends are in another city, then they can have an interview with the priest at their place of residence. To do this, they need to go to the temple located in their locality. Pass an interview. And receive a special certificate confirming that they are ready for the Sacrament. It operates in any city in Russia.
In which church should a child be baptized?
If you have a favorite temple that you regularly visit, then perform the Sacrament of baptism there. If you don’t go to church too often, then you’ll have to look for a suitable place. You can do this by going to temples located near your area. Or by searching on the Internet.
Visit several churches. Check out the cost of baptism. Chat with the priests and church staff. Analyze their attitude towards you. If the church staff is respectful when communicating, and you like the atmosphere of the temple, then feel free to choose it.
If the employees are rude, or you simply don’t like something, then refuse a particular institution. And keep searching for the temple until you find a place you like.
Also, you can talk with your friends and acquaintances. They will recommend the temple in which they themselves baptized the child.
How to feed a child in church?
You need to feed your baby carefully while in the temple. Mom should have a special apron with her. And clothes for feeding. To avoid staining the floor and furniture.
If you want to breastfeed your child, please contact a church employee. Ask her to take you to a place where there are few people.
The main thing is to feed the baby as carefully as possible. So as not to dirty the temple. Otherwise, it will be a sign of disrespect towards the priest. And to other participants in the service.
The meaning of the ceremony
The solemn church rite was established by Jesus Christ, who appeared to John the Baptist with a request to baptize Him with the waters of the Jordan. According to tradition, the convert is dipped head-first into a consecrated cup three times, invoking the Triune God. The meaning of the sacrament is cleansing from original sins and rebirth of the soul for further life with the Lord. Divine grace descends on a person who has undergone the ritual, thereby giving him a pass to the Kingdom of Heaven.
According to tradition, the convert is dipped head-first into the consecrated cup three times.
Only the baptized person has the right to take part in other church ceremonies. By joining the Church and becoming part of the Orthodox faith, he finds the true path leading to a moral life according to the laws of God. That is why it is best to baptize a child immediately after birth in order to begin his spiritual development.
Is the water in the font cold?
In modern churches the water in the font is quite warm. The temperature is comfortable. Thanks to this, the child will feel comfortable. And it won't freeze.
Before the Sacrament of Baptism, warm water is poured into the font. And then diluted a little with cold. When the baptism itself occurs, the water is warmed up.
You don't have to worry about this aspect. It is in the interests of the temple to ensure that the child is baptized in warm water and does not get sick. Clergy are well aware of the power of online reviews. They know that if even one child catches a cold during baptism, bad word about the temple will spread throughout the city. And the number of his parishioners will decrease.
It is advisable that your temple have a separate room for baptism. It is warm at any time of the year. And in winter, and summer, and autumn.
