Godmother. Responsibilities during baptism, what you should know, do, preparation, prayer, congratulations

Baptism is one of the most important sacred rites at the birth of a baby. According to tradition, it is carried out after the 40th day of the baby’s life. It is believed that after a child is dedicated to higher powers, a guardian angel is assigned to him, and from that moment on he receives God's protection.

After the ritual is completed, the child acquires a godmother and godfather, who bear enormous responsibility before the godson and before God. Since ancient times, it has been believed that the duties of godparents at baptism include not only reading prayers for the health of the child, but in the event of the death of the father and mother, they become the direct guardians of their godson.

It is sometimes believed that bathing babies in water protects them from illness, the “evil eye,” bad luck, or allows them to acquire their Guardian Angel, who will accompany them throughout their lives. This is partly true, but in fact the first task of the sacrament is to join the church, begin the spiritual path, and acquire faith.

Only after christening in the name of the baby can one perform other church rites that allow one to receive God's grace and the help of higher powers.

Baptism is the birth of a person’s spiritual essence; it, like the physical birth of the body, can only happen once in a lifetime.

The role of the godmother

Baptism is a ritual of washing a person in water, literally translated from Greek as “immersion in water.” Moreover, this sacrament is found among many ancient peoples who are in no way connected with Christianity, since water is a symbol of purity, a source of vital energy that frees the body and soul from depravity, sin, and negative thoughts. People believe that Epiphany water protects children from troubles and misfortunes.

The history of the sacrament begins with the Jordan River, flowing in Bethabara, where John the Baptist baptized the 30-year-old Jesus Christ. As the Gospel says, during the ritual, “the sky was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in bodily form, and a voice came from heaven saying: You are My Beloved Son! My Blessing is in You!”

And after Jesus was baptized, many came to the river and were baptized. Immediately after baptism, the Savior went into the desert to retire and spend time in prayer and fasting in order to prepare for the fulfillment of his holy mission given to him by heaven.

The godmother (the responsibilities for the baptism of a boy or a girl are different for her, they are discussed later in the article) is chosen by the parents not for material benefits, but for spiritual values. She must be kind, get along well with all family members, and not lead an immoral lifestyle.

When choosing a godmother, parents must understand that her responsibilities do not only include buying a cross and a kryzhma (a white shirt in which the baptism ceremony is performed), as well as other expensive gifts, she must participate in the spiritual education of her godson/goddaughter. And all this should accompany her throughout her life.

The duties of a godmother are as follows:

• throughout your life, give your love to your godson/goddaughter, help in difficult life situations;
• talk about God, teach your child to pray, and visit church together;
• congratulate you on your birthday and on your angel’s day, and no matter how expensive the gift is, the main thing is to wish health and happiness to your godchild;
• accustom the child to communion and prayers;
• regularly pray for the health of your godson/goddaughter.

If the main task of the parents is to instill in the child the basic rules of hygiene and behavior in society, then the role of the godmother is to teach her pupil the basics of the Christian faith and righteous deeds.

At the same time, she must be a friend and advisor, be able to provide help and support in any situation, thereby helping to correct the difficult situations in which her pupil finds himself.

What responsibilities do the godmother have?

When I was baptized, my mother didn’t even think about a godmother, since this all happened in adulthood. And my godmother turned out to be a random person who simply brought me to church. But when I came home from another city, she always visited me, brought prosphora, holy water, and asked me about my affairs. And I, in turn, always brought her something to please her. She has been gone for a long time. But I always remember her with warmth.

And yet, what responsibilities lie on the godmother:

• Based on the church charter, she must pray for the spiritual development of the baby and for his health
• Introduce your godson or goddaughter to Orthodox traditions and introduce them to church life
• Give the child communion and take him to church on all major holidays
• Provide all possible assistance and support
• Show a good and positive example of what an Orthodox believer should be
• Introduce your child to the Bible and read other Orthodox books

And if the godmother herself has any questions, I recommend that you contact them on the website of the Orthodox magazine Thomas. An interesting and useful publication for both adults and children.

How to prepare for the ceremony

The godmother (baptismal responsibilities involve many points, including preparation for the ceremony) must prepare for the ritual in advance. First of all, this is the purchase of a cross, a kryzhma and a towel. This is also knowledge of the basic prayers: “Our Father” and “Creed”.

The preparation procedure includes the following aspects:

• interview with a priest;
• fasting, confession and communion;
• knowledge of basic prayers.

In addition, the godmother must be of the Orthodox faith and be baptized, only in this case the sacrament of baptism will be completely correct.

Choosing a name for a child in the preparatory stage is also very important. In ancient Rus', it was customary to name children after the saint on whose memory day he was born or the day of baptism was appointed. But this is no longer relevant now and the church does not give any recommendations in this regard. The main thing is that the parents like the name, and it belongs to a saint.

It is also possible to baptize under a different name if the child’s own name is not included in the church list of names.

To perform the sacrament of baptism you will need the following things:

• an illuminated pectoral cross (bought by the godfather), preferably silver;
• christening clothes (white shirt), allowing you to freely expose the baby’s arms, legs and chest;
• kryzhma (white cotton towel or diaper) is required for wiping and wrapping the baby after washing with water;
• an icon of a saint with the child’s name (can be purchased at the church on the day of baptism);
• birth certificate (based on it, a record is made and a baptismal document is issued).

Responsibilities of a godmother
Godmothers must have passports and crosses with them. Their clothes should be light-colored and cover all private parts (shoulders, legs, arms); women cover their heads with scarves.

Interview

After the parents decide on the date of baptism and agree on it with the clergyman, the godmother must undergo an interview with the priest. After the conversation, he will bless her for a sacred mission. As a rule, 1-2 such interviews are scheduled, sometimes the priest can schedule from 3 to 5 interviews.

In some churches, after preparatory conversations, they schedule exams, based on the results of which they issue a certificate or certificate and listen to an Orthodox course.

During such interviews, the priest explains to the godparents how the baptismal ceremony takes place, substantiates its meaning and the essence of the religion as a whole. Godparents must familiarize themselves (if this has not been done previously) with the text of the New Testament, and also memorize the main prayers - these are “Our Father”, “Hail the Virgin Mary”, “Creed”.

Fasting, Confession and Communion

Before the baptismal ceremony, godparents need to visit the temple, listen to the church service, confess and receive communion. Confession and communion means repentance of one's sins. The rules for conducting sacraments are discussed in detail at the interview.

Before confession and communion, a three-day fast is observed. Also, fasting should be observed three days before the baptism ceremony itself.

Fasting consists of limiting ourselves from some of our usual ways of life, that is:

• do not eat food of animal origin;
• abstain from marital relations;
• do not use foul language, do not drink alcoholic beverages and do not go to various entertainment events.

People come to the baptismal ceremony on an empty stomach, which will allow the godmother to take part in the first communion in the child’s life and take communion with him.

What prayers you need to know

For a godmother, like for any other Christian, it is important to know and understand the essence of the “Creed” prayer. It is a description of the main dogmas of Orthodox teaching. By saying this prayer at baptism, godparents, instead of their spiritual pupil, recognize faith in the Creator of our Lord, his son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

In addition to this prayer, you need to learn the following:

• "Our Father";
• "King of Heaven";
• "Virgin Mother of God, rejoice."

It is important not only to know and read these prayers, but also to understand their main essence and the spiritual meaning that they carry. Only in this way will the baptismal ceremony be completed correctly.

Cloth

The godmother (duties during baptism also include proper appearance) should be at the sacrament in modest clothes in light colors, because this is a bright holiday, especially since such tones look better in photographs and convey a light sacred image. The head must be covered, all intimate parts of the body are covered with clothing (shoulders, legs, décolleté).

Important tips on the appearance of the godmother:

• the head is covered with a scarf, shawl or stole; a headdress combined with a goddaughter’s headdress will look great (if a girl is being baptized);
• the length of the skirt or dress must be below the knees; you cannot choose tight-fitting or low-cut clothing;
• arms up to the elbows should be covered; priests strongly recommend outfits with collars and sleeves below the elbow;
• shoes must be chosen with closed soles, without heels, which will not only avoid leg fatigue, but also correctly perform all the steps with handing over the child (if a girl is baptized, then after the baptismal font and throughout the entire ceremony, her godmother holds her in her arms);
• Make-up should be modest, no bright lipsticks or eye shadows are allowed.

Child's age

There is no specific framework for determining the age of a baby, but the church gives some recommendations on this matter. Ministers say that it is better to baptize a baby on the 8th day after his physical birth or after 40 days, when the mother is allowed to be in the temple.

It is believed that for 40 days after giving birth, a woman is in physiological impurity and is not allowed to enter the temple.

There are also certain events that require the sacrament to be performed immediately after birth. This is usually a threat to the life or health of the baby. At the same time, even restrictions such as periods of fasting or church holidays are excluded.

From my own experience, I can say that it is better to choose a period when the weather is warm outside, this will eliminate the risk of possible development of colds. It is also worth waiting for some time so that the child grows up a little and is more ready for such “stress”. Many people schedule christenings when the child is between 2 and 6 months old.

The meaning of godparents

Godparents (spiritual) parents are needed primarily for those baptized who have not yet reached the age of 14. Children cannot fully understand the meaning of the Sacrament, renounce evil and declare devotion to Christ. Therefore, babies are baptized according to the faith of their physical parents and godparents - adult Christians who do all of the above in place of their godchildren. During the Sacrament, it is the spiritual parents who receive the child from the hands of the priest. Therefore, godparents are also called godparents.

Thus, godparents seem to vouch for the child before the Lord. They take upon themselves the obligation to pray for the godson and raise him in the spirit of Christianity. That is, to do everything so that in the future he can independently continue his path to God in the bosom of the Holy Church. Receivers should try to involve the child in personal prayer, as well as participation in divine services and the Sacraments. It is necessary to instill in your child a love of God and virtues by your own example.

So, godparents are not just “honored guests of the celebration,” but the most important participants in the Sacrament and the further spiritual development of the child. Therefore, it is necessary to invite Orthodox churchgoers who are aware of the upcoming responsibility to take on the role of successors. According to the canons of the Church, it is enough for a child to have one godfather of the same sex. Inviting two people of different sexes is just an established tradition. The physical parents of the person being baptized are not allowed to be adopted (other relatives are allowed). According to established tradition, spouses cannot be godparents of the same child.

Responsibilities during the sacrament

The sacrament of baptism implies the renunciation of Satan and his actions by the baby, but instead of him, these actions are performed by his godparents. They make vows to the Lord, thereby vouching for the faith of the baptized person. That is why the duties of godparents include teaching the godson/goddaughter to a spiritual and righteous life.

Before the ritual begins, the godmother prepares a towel, kryzhma and baptismal clothes purchased in advance:

• for the godson it is a baptismal shirt;
• for the goddaughter - a cap (or scarf) and a baptismal dress.

Today you can purchase the entire baptismal set, which contains all the components, and decorated in one color composition. They can be simple, or trimmed with ruffles, lace or embroidery. Purchasing a ready-made set is much more convenient than choosing all the elements separately.

Responsibilities of the godmother at the baptism of a girl and at the baptism of a boy:

To avoid possible hysterics and whims of children, it is advisable to spend as much time as possible with your godchildren in advance. This way they will gradually get used to the hands of others, and at the same time feel the care of their second parents.

What rule do you need to know?

The morphemes under consideration are subject to the Russian language rule regarding the spelling of roots with unpronounceable consonants. The most common letter combinations found in words are -stn-, -zdn-, -lnts-, -rdts-, -stl-, which are pronounced without middle sounds. To check the spelling of voiceless and voiced unpronounceable consonants, you need to change or select a related word so that the unpronounceable consonant becomes pronounced, for example cross-cross, local-place, sun-solar.

Example sentences

• I don’t remember all the details of that last meeting, only the bright picture before my eyes when my godmother gave me a shawl scarf.
• Having settled down by the fire, we talked for a long time with my godfather and I did not notice how I fell asleep under his monotonous story.
• At dusk, my excited godmother approached me and asked the reason for my late walk.
• I often remember the early dawns spent fishing with my godfather on the lake and our intimate conversations.

An example with the meaning of an adjective, in this case the spelling is similar, but pronounced with the sound -e-.

• On the occasion of the opening of the Church of St. John Chrysostom, a religious procession took place along the main street of the village.
• At the beginning of the sermon, Father announced that he saw the Sign of the Cross, which came down to them as a harbinger of trouble.

Spelled incorrectly

It is incorrect to write the words kresnaya, kresny without the letter -t-.

Responsibilities after baptism

The godmother (duties during baptism consist of observing all established church rules during the sacrament) after the ceremony assumes a number of functions:

• constant prayers for your pupil;
• submitting notes for church services regarding the child’s health;
• mention in morning and evening prayers;
• teaching an already grown child to piety, mercy and kindness;
• visiting temples together and reading prayers.

Also, the godmother should tell the pupil about the importance of Christian rituals, fasting, confession and communion.

After christening, the godmother becomes a second mother, she helps with kind words, support, advice, thereby guiding you on the true path and helping you cope with difficult situations in life.

Also, every year on his birthday, angel’s day and christening day, she congratulates the pupil, gives him some gifts, and it doesn’t matter whether they are expensive or not, the main thing is that love and attention are given along with them.

Spelled correctly

That's right - “godmother”

When pronouncing these terms, the sound -t- is lost; people who do not think about spelling norms express the words in writing as they hear them. Let's analyze the word according to its composition: cross-on-ya, a noun, animate, feminine, changes in numbers and cases. The morpheme is divided into three syllables, with the emphasis on the first, the basis of the lexeme is cross-, which is divided into the root cross-, the suffix -n-, the ending in the nominative case, the singular -aya.

godmother

To transfer, you cannot separate the last syllable, correctly divide the cross into two parts, a syllable with one vowel cannot be transferred to the next line and left in the previous one. Remember how to write godmother correctly and how to avoid mistakes when hyphenating a word. The morpheme cross-ny is also written with the letter -t-, masculine, but can appear in a sentence as either a noun or an adjective.

Is it possible to baptize on critical days?

The date of christening is agreed upon by the parents not only with the priest, but also with the godmother, because this date cannot coincide with the period of the woman’s monthly purification. On critical days, women are prohibited from entering the temple; they are not allowed to participate in any sacraments or rituals.

If suddenly these days come unexpectedly, then you cannot hide this fact; it is better to explain the situation to the parents and reschedule the christening date.

In the event that it is not possible to reschedule the date of the sacrament, this issue is discussed with the priest. Sometimes the godmother is allowed to be present at the ceremony and simply observe it, but it is strictly forbidden to receive the child after the font and kiss the icons.

Prayers and traditional vows may be said. Such a rite is considered completed, and the woman at baptism is included in the certificate as a godmother, while she is also assigned all the responsibilities provided for by the sacrament and church charter.

What is needed to baptize an adult?

An adult needs serious, unhurried preparation for baptism. Those who wish to be baptized should attend public conversations and talk with the priest. He will set a day on which you will need to come to confession, and will also tell you how to prepare for baptism, what to read—of course, the Gospel is obligatory. Also, it is advisable for a person who decides to be baptized to begin attending services, because a baptized person becomes part of the Orthodox Church of Christ and a part of the parish that he chooses, in which he will live spiritually.

By observing a person before baptism, one can conclude whether after baptism he will truly live a Christian life. Unfortunately, sad suspicions are often justified - after baptism, a person’s spirit of joy very quickly disappears, everyday worries, work take over, and there is neither the opportunity nor the desire to come to church.

Before baptism, an adult needs to prepare very well and answer to himself all the questions that confuse him. Will he turn his left cheek when hit on his right? Why do priests drive expensive cars? Why are priests fat? Why are people angry in the temple? And for all the other “whys”. If a person does not find the answer to these questions before baptism with the help of temple catechists, priests or other parishioners, internal obstruction may subsequently occur. You should answer all uncomfortable, doubtful questions for yourself.

In our world, when we open the Internet, watch TV or listen to the radio, we may encounter a lot of dirt, which sometimes comes even from Orthodox priests and very authoritative people. Such people really lead people away from Christ. Here it is important to enter the Church of Christ with a sober understanding and remember that only Christ is the ship of salvation that will lead us to the eternal Kingdom.

Debunking common superstitions associated with the ritual

Baptism has an ancient, centuries-old tradition. A number of superstitions are associated with this ritual. For example, some people believe that if you give a child a small cross for christening, his life will be easy, since he will have to carry a small cross. In fact, the life and fate of a child is in God’s hands and it does not depend on the size of the cross. For christenings, it is advisable to buy a new cross that no one has used before.

If a child is given a cross from another person who has worn it for a long time, then there is nothing wrong with that. Someone else's fate is not passed on through the cross; everyone builds their own life and receives from it what they deserve.