Questions about the sacrament of baptism. What is the Orthodox name for a baby? Protestant theology of baptism

Baptism

First, you need to attend the Public Conversation (the conversation is held every Saturday at 11.00, in our church, immediately before the sacrament of baptism).

You need to take two towels with you from home, one for yourself, and according to tradition, leave the second in the temple.
If there is no cross, then you can purchase it at icon shop.
At home you should try to learn the Creed. Children should be taught how to make the sign of the cross correctly.
Baptism takes place in our church every Saturday at 12.00, so you must make an appointment in advance at the icon shop and, if you wish, make a donation to the church.

The Sacrament of Baptism: answers to questions.

What is baptism?
Why is it called a sacrament?

Baptism is one of the seven sacraments of the Orthodox Church, in which the believer, by immersing the body three times in water with the invocation of the name of the Holy Trinity - the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, dies to a life of sin and is reborn by the Holy Spirit to Eternal Life. Of course, this action has a basis in Holy Scripture: “Whoever is not born of water and the Spirit cannot enter the Kingdom of God” (John 3:5). Christ says in the Gospel: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; and whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). So, baptism is necessary for a person to be saved. Baptism is a new birth for spiritual life in which a person can achieve the Kingdom of Heaven.

And it is called a sacrament because through it, in a mysterious, incomprehensible way for us, the invisible saving power of God - grace - acts on the person being baptized. Like other sacraments, baptism is divinely ordained. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself, sending the apostles to preach the Gospel, taught them to baptize people: “Go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).

Having been baptized, a person becomes a member of the Church of Christ and can now begin the rest of the church sacraments. Now that the reader has become familiar with the Orthodox concept of baptism, it is appropriate to consider one of the most frequently asked questions regarding the baptism of children.

Is it possible to baptize infants, because they do not have independent faith?

It’s absolutely true that young children do not have independent, conscious faith. But don’t the parents who brought their child for baptism in the temple of God have it? Won't they instill in their child faith in God from childhood? It is obvious that parents have such a belief, and, most likely, will instill it in their child. In addition, the child will also have godparents - recipients from the baptismal font, who vouch for him and undertake to raise their godchild in the Orthodox faith. Thus, infants are baptized not according to their own faith, but according to the faith of their parents and godparents who brought the child to baptism. The prototype of New Testament baptism was Old Testament circumcision. IN Old Testament On the eighth day, babies were brought to the temple for circumcision. By this, the child’s parents showed their and his faith and belonging to God’s chosen people. Christians can say the same about baptism in the words of John Chrysostom: “Baptism constitutes the most obvious difference and separation of the faithful from the infidel.” Moreover, there is a basis for this in the Holy Scriptures: “They were circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the sinful body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ; being buried with Him in baptism” (Col. 2:11-12).

That is, baptism is dying and burial to sin and resurrection to perfect life with Christ. These justifications are quite enough to realize the importance of infant baptism.

When should children be baptized?

There are no specific rules in this matter.

But usually children are baptized on the 40th day after birth, although this can be done earlier or later.

The main thing is not to postpone baptism for a long time unless absolutely necessary. It would be wrong to deprive a child of such a great sacrament to please the prevailing circumstances.

Is it possible to baptize children during fasting days?

Of course you can! But technically this does not always work out. In some churches, during the days of Lent, baptisms are performed only on Saturdays and Sundays. This practice is most likely based on the fact that weekday Lenten services are very long, and the intervals between morning and evening services may be small. On Saturdays and Sundays, services are somewhat shorter in time, and priests can devote more time to the needs.

Therefore, when planning the day of baptism, it is better to find out in advance about the rules observed in the church where the child will be baptized. Well, if we talk at all about the days on which you can be baptized, then there are no restrictions in this matter.

Children can be baptized on any day when there are no technical obstacles to this. Every person, if possible, should have godparents - recipients from the baptismal font. Moreover, children who are baptized according to the faith of their parents and successors should have them.

How many godparents should a child have?

Church rules require that the child have a recipient of the same gender as the person being baptized. That is, for a boy it is a man, and for a girl it is a woman. In tradition, both godparents are usually chosen for the child: father and mother. This does not contradict the canons in any way. It will also not be a contradiction if, if necessary, the child has a recipient of a different gender than the person being baptized. The main thing is that this is a truly religious person who would subsequently conscientiously fulfill his duties in raising a child in the Orthodox faith. Thus, the baptized person can have one or, at most, two recipients.

What are the requirements for godparents?

The first and main requirement is the undoubted Orthodox faith of the recipients. Godparents must be churchgoers, living a church life, because they will have to teach their godson or goddaughter the basics of the Orthodox faith and give spiritual instructions. If they themselves are ignorant of these issues, then what can they teach the child? Godparents are entrusted with the enormous responsibility of spiritual education of their godchildren, for they, together with their parents, are responsible for it before God. This responsibility begins with renouncing “Satan and all his works, and all his angels, and all his service, and all his pride.” Thus, the godparents, being responsible for their godson, make a promise that their godchild will be a Christian. If the godson is already an adult and himself utters the words of renunciation, then the godparents present at the same time become guarantors before the Church of the fidelity of his words. Godparents are obliged to teach their godchildren to resort to the saving Sacraments of the Church, mainly confession and communion, they must give them knowledge about the meaning of worship, the peculiarities church calendar, about the power of grace miraculous icons and other shrines.

Godparents should teach those they received from the font to visit church services, fast, pray and observe other provisions of the church charter.

But the main thing is that godparents should always pray for their godson. Obviously, strangers cannot be godparents, for example, some compassionate grandmother from the church, whom the parents persuaded to “hold” the baby at baptism. But you should also not take simply close people or relatives as godparents who do not meet the spiritual requirements that were set out above.

Godparents should not become an object of personal gain for the parents of the person being baptized. The desire to become related to a “profitable” person, for example, a boss, often guides parents when choosing godparents for a child. At the same time, forgetting about the true purpose of baptism, parents can deprive the child of a real godfather, and impose on him one who subsequently will not care at all about the spiritual education of the child, for which he himself will also answer before God.

Unrepentant sinners and people leading an immoral lifestyle cannot become godparents.

Is it possible for a woman to become a godmother during her monthly cleansing? What to do if this does happen?

On such days, women should refrain from participating in church sacraments, which include baptism. But if this did happen, then it is necessary to repent of this in confession.

How can future godparents prepare for baptism?

There are no special rules for preparing recipients for baptism. At some churches, special conversations are held, the purpose of which is usually to explain to a person all the provisions of the Orthodox faith regarding baptism and succession. If it is possible to attend such conversations, then it is necessary to do so, because... this is very useful for future godparents. If future godparents are sufficiently churched, constantly confess and receive communion, then attending such conversations will be quite a sufficient measure of preparation for them. If potential recipients themselves are not yet sufficiently churched, then good preparation for them will be not only the acquisition of the necessary knowledge about church life, but also the study of the Holy Scriptures, the basic rules of Christian piety, as well as three days of fasting, confession and communion before the sacrament of baptism.

There are several other traditions regarding recipients.

Usually the godfather takes upon himself the cost (if any) of the baptism itself and the purchase of a pectoral cross for his godson.

The godmother buys a baptismal cross for the girl and also brings things necessary for baptism. Typically, a baptismal set includes a baptismal shirt, a sheet and a towel. But these traditions are not mandatory. Often, different regions and even individual churches have their own traditions, the implementation of which is strictly monitored by parishioners and even priests, although they do not have any dogmatic or canonical basis. Therefore, it is better to learn more about them in the temple in which the baptism will take place.

What should godparents give for baptism (to the godson, to the godson's parents, to the priest)?

This question does not lie in the spiritual realm, regulated by canonical rules and traditions. But I think that the gift should be useful and remind of the day of baptism. Useful gifts on the day of baptism could be icons, the Gospel, spiritual literature, prayer books, etc. In general, in church shops you can now find a lot of interesting and spiritually useful things, so purchasing a worthy gift should not be a big difficulty. Enough a common question, asked by unchurched parents, there is a question: Can non-Orthodox Christians or non-Orthodox Christians become godparents? It is quite obvious that no, because they will not be able to teach their godson the truths of the Orthodox faith. Not being members of the Orthodox Church, they cannot take part in church sacraments at all. Unfortunately, many parents do not ask about this in advance and, without any remorse, invite non-Orthodox and non-Orthodox people to be godparents to their children. At baptism, of course, no one talks about this.

What to do if this happens by mistake? Is baptism considered valid in this case? Is it necessary to baptize a child? First of all, such situations show the extreme irresponsibility of parents when choosing godparents for their child. Nevertheless, such cases are not uncommon, and they occur among unchurched people who do not live a church life. A clear answer to the question “what to do in this case?” It is impossible to give, because There is nothing like this in the church canons. This is not surprising, because canons and rules were written for members of the Orthodox Church, which cannot be said about heterodox and non-Orthodox people. Nevertheless, as an accomplished fact, baptism took place, and it cannot be called invalid. It is legal and valid, and the baptized has become full-fledged Orthodox Christian, because was baptized Orthodox priest in the name of the Holy Trinity. No rebaptism is required; there is no such concept at all in the Orthodox Church. A person is born physically once; he cannot repeat this again. Also, only once a person can be born for spiritual life, so there can be only one baptism.

In what case can a priest refuse to baptize a person??

Orthodox believe in the Trinity of God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The founder of the Christian faith was the Son - the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, a person who does not accept the Divinity of Christ and does not believe in the Holy Trinity cannot be an Orthodox Christian. Also, a person who denies the truths of the Orthodox faith cannot become an Orthodox Christian. The priest has the right to refuse baptism to a person if he is going to accept the sacrament as some kind of magical rite or has some kind of pagan belief regarding baptism itself.

When is there no need for godparents?

There is always a need for godparents, especially for children. But not every adult baptized can boast of a good knowledge of the Holy Scriptures and church canons.

If necessary, an adult can be baptized without godparents, because he has conscious faith in God and is quite capable of independently pronouncing the words of renunciation of Satan, uniting with Christ and reading the Creed. He is fully aware of his actions, which cannot be said about babies and small children. Their godparents do all this for them. But, in case of extreme need, you can baptize a child without godparents. Such a need can undoubtedly become complete absence worthy godparents. Godless times have left their mark on the destinies of many people. The result of this was that some people after many years those of unbelief finally gained faith in God, but when they came to church, they did not know whether they had been baptized in childhood by believing relatives.

Is it necessary to baptize a person who does not know for sure whether he was baptized as a child?

According to Rule 84 of the VI Ecumenical Council, such people must be baptized if there are no witnesses who could confirm or refute the fact of their baptism. In this case, a person is baptized, pronouncing the formula: “If he is not baptized, the servant of God is baptized...”. I'm all about children and children. Among the readers, perhaps, there are people who have not yet received the saving sacrament of baptism, but who strive for it with all their souls.

What does a person who is preparing to become an Orthodox Christian need to know? How should he prepare for the sacrament of baptism?

A person’s knowledge of faith begins with reading the Holy Scriptures. Therefore, a person who wants to be baptized must first read the Gospel. After reading the Gospel, a person may have a number of questions that require a competent answer. Such answers can be obtained at so-called public conversations, which are held in many churches. At such conversations, the basics of the Orthodox faith are explained to those wishing to be baptized. If the church in which a person is going to be baptized does not have such conversations, then you can ask all your questions to the priest in the church.

It will also be useful to read some books that explain Christian dogmas, for example, The Law of God. It will be good if, before receiving the sacrament of baptism, a person memorizes the Creed, which briefly sets out the Orthodox doctrine of God and the Church. This prayer will be read at baptism, and it would be wonderful if the person being baptized himself confessed his faith. Direct preparation begins a few days before baptism. These days are special, so you should not divert attention to other, even very important problems.

It is worth devoting this time to spiritual and moral reflection, avoiding fuss, empty talk, and participation in various amusements. We must remember that baptism, like other sacraments, is great and holy. It must be approached with the greatest awe and reverence. It is advisable to fast for 2-3 days; married people should abstain from marital relations the night before.

You need to show up for baptism extremely clean and tidy. You can wear new smart clothes. Women should not use cosmetics, or if they use it, then in moderation, as indeed always when visiting a temple.

There are many superstitions associated with the sacrament of baptism, which I would also like to touch upon in this article.

Can a girl be the first to baptize a girl? They say that if you baptize a girl first, and not a boy, then the godmother will give her her happiness... This statement is also a superstition that has no basis either in the Holy Scriptures or in church canons and traditions. And happiness, if it is deserved before God, will not escape a person.

Another strange thought that I have heard more than once: Is it possible for a pregnant woman to become a godmother? Would this somehow affect her own child or godson? Of course you can. Such a misconception has nothing to do with church canons and traditions and is also superstition. Participation in church sacraments can only be for the benefit of the expectant mother. I also had to baptize pregnant women. The babies were born strong and healthy.

A lot of superstitions are associated with the so-called crossing. Moreover, the reasons for such an insane action are sometimes very bizarre and even funny. But most of these justifications are of pagan and occult origin.

Here, for example, is one of the most common superstitions of occult origin: is it true that in order to remove the damage caused to a person, it is necessary to cross himself again, and keep the new name secret, so that new attempts at witchcraft do not work, because... do they cast spells specifically on the name? To be honest, hearing such statements makes me want to laugh heartily. But, unfortunately, this is no laughing matter. What kind of pagan obscurity must an Orthodox person reach in order to decide that baptism is a kind of magic ritual, a kind of antidote to damage. An antidote to some vague substance, the definition of which no one even knows. What is this ghostly corruption? It is unlikely that any of those who are so afraid of her will be able to clearly answer this question. This is not surprising. Instead of looking for God in life and fulfilling His commandments, the “church” people with enviable zeal look for the mother of all evils in everything - corruption. And where does it come from?

For example, a man is walking down the street and stumbles. Everything is jinxed! We urgently need to run to the temple to light a candle so that everything is fine and the evil eye passes. While walking to the temple, he stumbled again. Apparently, they not only jinxed it, but also caused damage! Wow, infidels! Well, it’s okay, now I’ll come to the temple, pray, buy candles, stick all the candlesticks, and fight the damage with all my might. The man ran to the temple, stumbled again on the porch and fell. That's it - lie down and die!

Damage to death, a family curse, and there’s also some nasty stuff there, I forgot the name, but it’s also something very scary. Three-in-one cocktail! Candles and prayer will not help against this, this is a serious matter, an ancient voodoo spell! There is only one way out - to be baptized again, and only with a new name, so that when these same voodoo whispers in the old name and stick needles into the dolls, all their spells fly by. They won't know the new name. And all witchcraft is done in the name, didn’t you know? What fun it will be when they whisper and conjure intensely, and everything flies by! Bam, bam and - by! Oh, it’s good when there is baptism - a cure for all diseases!

This is approximately how superstitions associated with rebaptism appear. But much more often the sources of these superstitions are figures in the occult sciences, i.e. fortune tellers, psychics, healers and other “God-gifted” individuals. These tireless “generators” of newfangled occult terminology go to all sorts of tricks to seduce people. They also come into play generational curses, and crowns of celibacy, and karmic knots of destinies, transfers, love spells with lapels and other occult nonsense. And all you need to do to get rid of all this is to cross yourself. And the damage was gone. Both laughter and sin! But many fall for these parachurch tricks of “Mothers Glafir” and “Fathers Tikhon” and run to church for re-baptism.

It would be good if they told them where they had such an ardent desire to cross themselves, and they would be denied this blasphemy, having previously explained what the consequences of going to the occultists would be. And some do not even say that they have already been baptized and are being baptized again. There are also those who are baptized several times, because... previous baptisms “didn’t help.” And they won't help! It is difficult to imagine a greater blasphemy against the sacrament. After all, the Lord knows the heart of a person, knows about all his thoughts.

It’s worth saying a few words about the name, which is so advised to change “ good people" A person is given a name on the eighth day from birth, but since many do not know about this, basically the prayer for naming a name is read by the priest immediately before baptism. Surely everyone knows that a person is given a name in honor of one of the saints. And it is this saint who is our patron and intercessor for us before God. And, of course, I think that every Christian should call on his saint as often as possible and ask for his prayers before the throne of the Almighty. But what actually happens? Not only does a person neglect his name, but he also neglects his saint, after whom he is named. And instead of calling on his heavenly patron - his saint - for help in a moment of trouble or danger, he visits fortune tellers and psychics. An appropriate “reward” will follow for this. There is another superstition related directly to the sacrament of baptism itself. Almost immediately after baptism, the ceremony of cutting hair follows. In this case, the recipient is given a piece of wax in which to roll the cut hair. The receiver must throw this wax into the water. This is where the fun begins.

Is it true that if at baptism the wax with cut hair sinks, then the life of the person being baptized will be short?

No, it's superstition. According to the laws of physics, wax cannot sink in water at all. But if you throw it from a height with sufficient force, then at the first moment it will actually go under water. It is good if the superstitious receiver does not see this moment, and “fortune telling with baptismal wax” will give a positive result. But as soon as the godfather notices the moment the wax is immersed in water, lamentations immediately begin, and the newly-made Christian is almost buried alive. After this, it is sometimes difficult to bring the child’s parents out of their state of terrible depression, who are told about the “sign of God” seen at baptism. Of course, this superstition has no basis in church canons and traditions. Baptism is a great sacrament and should be approached reverently and thoughtfully. It is sad to see people who have received the sacrament of baptism and continue to live their former sinful life.

After being baptized, a person must remember
that now he is an Orthodox Christian, a warrior of Christ, a member of the Church.
This requires a lot. First of all, to love. Love for God and neighbors.
So let each of us, regardless of when he was baptized, fulfill these commandments.
Then we can hope that the Lord will lead us into the Kingdom of Heaven. That Kingdom, the path to which the sacrament of Baptism opens for us.

Who needs to be baptized and why?...

Video....

Baptism is the first of the seven Sacraments of the Russian Orthodox Church. It symbolizes the spiritual birth of a person and is a “pass” to all other church Sacraments (Communion, Confession, Unction).
One must prepare for Baptism, as for other Sacraments, no matter at what age a person decided to accept faith.
If this happened in adulthood, then this is done with him first. The priest explains the meaning of Baptism, talks about how to further build your life and follow Christ, keeping His commandments.
If a baby is baptized, then the responsibility to help the parents raise the child as an Orthodox Christian falls on the shoulders of the godparents (godfather and mother). In this case, public conversations are carried out with future godparents, and one must pay very close attention to them. During such meetings, they must explain everything so that the godparents understand the essence of what is happening.
Recipients must know the basic Christian prayers: "", "Rejoice to the Virgin Mary" and "". After renouncing Satan three times and confessing fidelity (“combination”) to Christ during the Sacrament of Baptism, the godparents will have to recite this prayer by heart. It is significant for all Orthodox Christians, because it contains the dogmas of the Russian Orthodox Church, so it is important not only to learn it, but also to understand its essence.
During the Baptism of adolescents or, in Orthodox terminology, adolescents (children from 7-14 years old), the rites are the same as for adults and infants. True, there are some small peculiarities in preparing for the Sacrament, which the priest will tell you about.
After the Sacrament of Baptism has been performed, godparents are given the responsibility to pray for their godchildren. They must teach the child the first prayers so that he himself can communicate with God in this way.
Godparents can submit notes to Divine Liturgy, order prayer services, magpies. You can read about how to do this correctly in. This is especially important on birthdays, baptisms, and on the Day of the Angel of Godchildren. You can turn to God for your godchildren at home during morning and evening prayer readings.
Participating in the spiritual life of their godson is the main task of godparents, because they promise God to help the godson learn the Law of God and become a Christian. That is why it is necessary to bring your godchildren to Communion and talk about the basics Christian teaching and, of course, first of all, to show by your own example what it means to live according to the commandments of Christ.

When to celebrate the holiday of Epiphany 2018, a little history and tradition of this celebration, we will talk about this right now. IN church year– this is one of the most important and anticipated events. The most ancient holiday, revered by all Orthodox believers, which follows the New Year holidays.

Epiphany of the Lord - Christmastide, popularly often called Epiphany (the appearance of God on earth), is celebrated annually on the nineteenth of January. These holidays are not considered non-working days in Russia, but this event is honored and celebrated at the official level.

Celebrated and observed, yet.

Believers have their own signs regarding the celebration of Epiphany.

— It is considered a bad sign to dilute the collected sacred water with other water or something else. This may lead to tears.

- You cannot swear and quarrel, shout, utter bad words, wish someone harm while holding holy water in your hands.

- Under no circumstances, from Christmas Eve until January 20, should you lend money, or take anything out of the house and give it to other people for use. It is believed that in this case you may become poor or begin to lack money.

- You cannot clean the house, wash, sew up or iron something on Christmas Eve, these days should be perceived as a great holiday, then there will be more joy and happiness, more pleasant days, and in the body more power and health.

— It’s good to solve some serious matters and conclude contracts on this day. It is believed that on this day any agreement usually ends in success.

— Good action there will be a marriage proposal on Epiphany Day 2018, such a proposal will definitely end in a wedding and a happy family life.

— In Rus', it was considered an excellent sign to draw a cross on the door on a holiday. This allows, believers are convinced, to save the home and family hearth from all evil spirits.

Natural signs for Epiphany

— Epiphany night strong barking of dogs is heard - this indicates that good news should be expected.

— If during Christmas Eve there appears in the sky full moon, you should expect heavy floods in the spring.

And finally, I would like to add, believe in God, honor church holidays and canons, try to observe the established traditions of your people, your ancestors, do not be rude to your loved ones, live in peace and harmony and you will definitely be a happy person!

Happy holiday to everyone - Epiphany 2018!

Good luck and all the best!

What is Baptism as a Sacrament? How does it happen?

Baptism is a Sacrament in which a believer, by immersing his body three times in water with the invocation of God the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, dies to a carnal, sinful life and is reborn from the Holy Spirit into a spiritual life. In Baptism, a person is cleansed from original sin - the sin of his forefathers, communicated to him through birth. The sacrament of Baptism can be performed on a person only once (just as a person is born only once).

The baptism of an infant is performed according to the faith of the recipients, who have the sacred duty to teach children the true faith and help them become worthy members of the Church of Christ.

The baptismal kit for your baby should be the one that is recommended to you in the church where you will be baptizing him. They can easily tell you what you need. Mainly it is a baptismal cross and a baptismal shirt. The baptism of one baby lasts about forty minutes.

This sacrament consists of Announcements(reading special prayers over those preparing for baptism - “prohibitions”), renunciation of Satan and union with Christ, that is, union with Him, and confession of the Orthodox faith. Here the godparents must pronounce the appropriate words for the baby.

Immediately after the end of the Announcement, the follow-up begins Baptism. The most noticeable and important point- immersing the baby three times in the font with the words pronounced: “The servant of God (servant of God) (name) is baptized in the name of the Father, amen. And the Son, amen. And the Holy Spirit, amen." At this time, the godfather (of the same sex as the person being baptized), taking a towel in his hands, prepares to receive his godfather from the font. The one who has received Baptism then puts on a new white clothes, a cross is put on it.

Immediately after this another Sacrament is performed - Confirmation, in which the person being baptized, when the parts of the body are anointed with the consecrated Myrrh, in the name of the Holy Spirit, is given the gifts of the Holy Spirit, strengthening him in spiritual life. After this, the priest and godparents with the newly baptized person walk around the font three times as a sign of the spiritual joy of union with Christ for eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven. Then an excerpt from the letter of the Apostle Paul to the Romans is read, dedicated to the topic of baptism, and an excerpt from the Gospel of Matthew - about the sending of the Apostles by the Lord Jesus Christ to the worldwide preaching of the faith with the command to baptize all nations in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Afterwards, the priest washes the myrrh from the body of the baptized person with a special sponge dipped in holy water, saying the words: “Thou art justified. You have become enlightened. You are sanctified. You have washed yourself in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. You were baptized. You have become enlightened. You have been anointed with chrism. You have been sanctified in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.”

Next, the priest cuts the hair of the newly baptized in a cross shape (on four sides) with the words: “The servant of God (name) is tonsured in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen,” puts the hair on a wax cake and lowers it into the font. tonsure symbolizes submission to God and at the same time marks the small sacrifice that the newly baptized person brings to God in thanksgiving for the beginning of a new, spiritual life. After making petitions for godparents and the newly baptized, the Sacrament of Baptism ends.

This is usually immediately followed by churching, denoting the first offering to the temple. The baby, taken by the priest in his arms, is carried through the temple, brought to the Royal Doors and brought into the altar (boys only), after which he is given to his parents. Churching symbolizes the dedication of the baby to God according to the Old Testament model. After baptism, the baby should be given communion.

Why are only boys brought into the altar?

In principle, boys should not be included there either, this is just a tradition.
The Sixth Ecumenical Council determined: Let no one belonging to the ranks of the laity be allowed to enter the sacred altar... (rule 69). The famous canonist Bishop. gives the following comment to this resolution: “In view of the mystery of the bloodless sacrifice offered at the altar, it was forbidden, from the earliest times of the church, to enter the altar to anyone who did not belong to the clergy. “The altar is reserved for sacred persons only.”

They say that before baptizing your child, you should confess and receive communion.

Even without regard to the Baptism of a child, Orthodox Christians are called by the Church to regularly begin the Sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion. If you have not done this before, then it would be good to take the first step towards a full church life before the Baptism of your own baby.

This is not a formal requirement, but a natural internal norm - because, introducing a child to church life through the sacrament of Baptism, introducing him into the fence of the Church - why should we ourselves remain outside it? For an adult who has not repented for many years, or has never in his life, and has not begun to accept the Holy Mysteries of Christ, is at this moment a very conditional Christian. Only by motivating himself to life in the sacraments of the Church does he actualize his Christianity.

What is the Orthodox name for a baby?

The right to choose a child's name belongs to his parents. Lists of names of saints - calendars - can help you in choosing a name. In the calendar, names are arranged in calendar order.

There is no unambiguous church tradition for choosing names - often parents choose a name for the baby from the list of those saints who are glorified on the very day of the child’s birth, or on the eighth day, when the rite of naming is performed, or during the period of forty days (when the Sacrament of Baptism is usually performed). It is wise to choose a name from the church calendar list of names that are fairly close to the child's birthday. But, however, this is not some kind of obligatory church institution, and if there is some deep desire to name a child in honor of this or that saint, or some kind of vow on the part of the parents, or something else, then this is not an obstacle at all .

When choosing a name, you can get acquainted not only with what this or that name means, but also with the life of the saint in whose honor you want to name your baby: what kind of saint he is, where and when he lived, what was his way of life, on what days is his memory celebrated?
Cm. .

Why do some churches close the church during the sacrament of Baptism (without doing this during other sacraments) or ask people who call themselves Orthodox not to enter it?

Because during the Baptism of an adult, it is not very pleasant for the person being baptized or the one being baptized if strangers look at him, sufficiently exposed physically, and observe the greatest sacrament, with a curious look from those who have no prayerful relationship to this. I think he is also prudent Orthodox man he won’t just go as a spectator to someone else’s Baptism if he wasn’t invited there. And if he lacks tact, then the church ministers act prudently by removing the curious from the church while the sacrament of Baptism is being performed.

What should come first - faith or Baptism? Can you be baptized to believe?

Baptism is a Sacrament, that is special action God, in which, with the response of the desire of the person himself (certainly the person himself), he dies to a sinful and passionate life and is born into a new one - life in Christ Jesus.

On the other hand, deep faith is what a baptized and churched person should strive for throughout his life. All people are sinners, and one must strive to acquire faith in such a way that it is combined with deeds. Faith, among other things, is an effort of will. In the Gospel, one person who met the Savior exclaimed: “I believe, Lord! Help my unbelief." () This man already believed in the Lord, but he wanted to believe even more, stronger, more decisively.

It will be easier to strengthen your faith if you live the church life and not look at it from the outside.

Why do we baptize babies? They still can’t choose their own religion and consciously follow Christ?

A person is saved not on his own, not as an individual who unilaterally decides how to be and act in this life, but as a member of the Church, a community in which everyone is responsible for each other. Therefore, an adult can vouch for the baby and say: I will try to make sure that he grows up to be a good Orthodox Christian. And while he cannot answer for himself, his godfather and godmother pledge their faith for him.

Does a person have the right to be baptized at any age?

Baptism is possible for a person of any age on any day of the year.

At what age is it better to baptize a child?

A person can be baptized at any time from his first breath to his very last breath. In ancient times, there was a custom to baptize a child on the eighth day of birth, but this was not a mandatory rule.
It is most convenient to baptize a child during the first months of birth. At this time, the baby still does not distinguish his mother from the “strange aunt” who will hold him in her arms during Baptism, and the “bearded uncle” who will always come up to him and “do something with him” is not scary for him.
Older children already perceive reality quite consciously, they see that they are surrounded by people unfamiliar to them, and that their mother is either not there at all or for some reason she does not come to them, and may experience anxiety about this.

Is it necessary to be baptized again if a person was “baptized by his grandmother at home”?

Baptism is the only Sacrament of the Church that, in case of emergency, can be performed by a layman. During the years of persecution, cases of such baptism were not uncommon - there were few churches and priests.
In addition, in earlier times, midwives sometimes baptized newborn babies if their lives were in danger: for example, if the child received a birth injury. This baptism is usually called "immersion." If a child died after such baptism, he was buried as a Christian; if he survived, he was brought to the temple and the priest supplemented the baptism performed by the layman with the necessary prayers and sacred rites.
Thus, in any case, a person baptized by a layman must “complete” his baptism in the temple. However, in earlier times, midwives were specially trained in how to perform baptism correctly; in the Soviet years, it is often completely unknown who baptized and how, whether this person was trained, whether he knew what and how to do. Therefore, for the sake of confidence in the actual performance of the Sacrament, priests most often baptize such “immersed” as if there was a doubt about whether they were baptized or not.

Can parents attend Baptism?

They may well not just be present, but pray together with the priest and godparents for their baby. There are no obstacles to this.

When is Baptism performed?

Baptism can take place at any time. However, in churches the procedure for performing Baptism is established differently depending on internal regulations, opportunities and circumstances. Therefore, you should worry in advance about finding out about the procedure for performing Baptism in the church in which you want to baptize your child.

What does an adult who wants to receive the Sacrament of Baptism need?

For an adult, the basis for Baptism is the presence of a sincere Orthodox faith.
The purpose of Baptism is union with God. Therefore, the one who comes to the baptismal font needs to decide for himself very important questions: does he need it and is he ready for it? Baptism is inappropriate if a person uses it to seek some earthly blessings, success, or hopes to solve his own problems. family problems. Therefore, another important condition for Baptism is a strong desire to live as a Christian.
After the Sacrament has been performed, a person must begin a full-fledged church life: regularly go to church, learn about divine services, pray, that is, learn to live in God. If this does not happen, Baptism will have no meaning.
It is necessary to prepare for Baptism: at a minimum, carefully read these public conversations, read at least one of the Gospels, know by heart or close to the text the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer.
It would be simply wonderful to prepare for confession: to remember your sins, wrongs and bad inclinations. Many priests do very correctly by confessing the catechumens before Baptism.

Is it possible to baptize during Lent?

Yes, you can. Moreover, in earlier times, fasts served as preparation not only for a specific holiday, but also for joining new members, i.e. to the Baptism of the Catechumens. Thus in ancient Church baptized mainly on the eve of big Church holidays, including during fasting. Traces of this are still preserved in the peculiarities of the services of the feasts of the Nativity of Christ, Easter and Pentecost.

In what case can a priest refuse Baptism to a person?

A priest not only can, but must refuse Baptism to a person if he does not believe in God as he teaches to believe Orthodox Church, since faith is an indispensable condition for Baptism.
Among the reasons for refusal of Baptism may be a person’s unpreparedness and a magical attitude towards Baptism. The magical attitude towards Baptism is the desire to use it to protect yourself from the forces of evil, to get rid of “damage” or the “evil eye”, and to receive all kinds of spiritual or material “bonuses”.
People who are drunk or leading an immoral lifestyle will not be baptized until they repent and reform.

What to do if it is known for sure that a person has been baptized, but no one remembers the name with which he was baptized? Baptize a second time?

This situation occurs quite often. There is no need to baptize a person a second time - you can only baptize once. But you can give a person a new name. Any priest has the right to do this simply by confessing a person and giving him communion with a new name.

How many times can you be baptized?

Definitely - once. Baptism is a spiritual birth, and a person can only be born once. The Orthodox Creed says: “I confess one baptism for the remission of sins.” Secondary baptism is unacceptable.

What to do if you don’t know whether you are baptized or not, and there is no one to ask?

You need to be baptized, but at the same time warn the priest that you may be baptized, but you don’t know for sure. The priest will perform Baptism according to a special rite for such cases.

About godparents (successors)

What responsibilities do godfathers and mothers have towards their godchildren?

Godparents have three main responsibilities towards their godchildren:
1. Prayer room. The godfather is obliged to pray for his godson, and also, as he grows up, to teach prayer, so that the godson himself can communicate with God and ask Him for help in all his life circumstances.
2. Doctrinal. Teach the godson the basics of the Christian religion.
3. Moral. Using your own example, show your godson human virtues - love, kindness, mercy, and others, so that he grows into a truly good Christian.

How should future godparents prepare for the Sacrament of Baptism?

Godparents are guarantors for their godson. They are entrusted with the responsibility of taking care of the spiritual and moral education of their godson. His godparents teach him the basics of the Orthodox faith, prayer and the way of life of a true Christian. Consequently, the godparents themselves must know both the Gospel and church life well, have good prayer practice, and regularly participate in divine services and Church Sacraments.
Have you decided to become a godfather, but do not meet the requirements? Make it a reason to start moving in that direction.
First, listen to public conversations in the temple or on.
Then read either the Gospel of Mark or Luke. Choose for yourself - the first is shorter, the second is clearer. You can also find them in; more precisely, in the New Testament.
Read the text carefully - during Baptism, one of the godparents reads it by heart or from sight. It would also be good if by the time of Baptism you knew it by heart.
After Baptism, deepen and expand your knowledge of Biblical history, pray at home and participate in church services - this way you will gradually acquire the practical skills of a Christian.

Is it possible to become a godfather in absentia without participating in the Baptism of an infant?

The original name for godparents is godparents. They received this name because they “received” the person being baptized from the font; at the same time, the Church, as it were, delegates to them part of its care for the new Christian and teaching him Christian life and morality, therefore, not only is the presence of godparents required during Baptism and their active participation, but also their conscious desire to take on such responsibility.

Can representatives of other religions become godparents?

Definitely not.
In Baptism, the recipients testify to Orthodox faith, and according to their faith the baby receives the Sacrament. This alone makes it impossible for representatives of other religions to become recipients of Baptism.
In addition, godparents take on the responsibility of raising their godson in Orthodoxy. Representatives of other religions cannot fulfill these duties because for us Christianity is not a theory, but life itself in Christ. This life can only be taught by those who live this way themselves.
The question arises: can representatives of other Christian denominations, for example Catholics or Lutherans, then become godparents? The answer is negative - they cannot for the same reasons. Only Orthodox Christians can become recipients of Baptism.

What things should you bring with you to Baptism and which godparent should do it?

For Baptism you will need baptism set. Typically this pectoral cross with a chain or ribbon, several candles, a baptismal shirt. A cross can also be purchased in regular stores, but then you should ask a priest to bless it.
You will need a towel or diaper to wrap and dry your baby after the bath.
According to an unwritten tradition, a godfather buys a cross for a boy, and a godmother for a girl. Although this rule does not have to be followed.

How many godfathers and mothers should a person have?

One. As a rule, the same sex as the child, that is, for a boy - godfather, and for a girl - godmother.
The opportunity for a child to have both godfather and godmother is a pious custom.
It is not customary to have more than two receivers.

How to choose godparents for a child?

The main criterion for choosing a godfather or godmother should be whether this person will subsequently be able to help in the Christian education of the person received from the font. The degree of acquaintance and simply the friendliness of the relationship are also important, but this is not the main thing.
In former times, concern for expanding the circle of people who would seriously help the newborn child made it undesirable to invite close relatives as godparents. It was believed that they, due to natural kinship, would help the child. For this reason, natural grandparents, brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts rarely became recipients. However, this is not prohibited, and is now becoming more and more common.

Can a pregnant woman become a godmother?

Maybe. Pregnancy is not an obstacle to adoption. In addition, if a pregnant woman herself wants to receive the Sacrament of Baptism, then she can do so.

Who can't be a godfather?

Minors; Gentiles; mentally ill; completely ignorant of the faith; persons in a state of intoxication; A married couple cannot be godparents for the same child.

What should godparents give to their godson?

This question lies in the realm of human customs and does not concern spiritual life, regulated Church rules and canons. In other words, this is a personal matter for the godparents. You don't have to give anything at all.
However, it seems that the gift, if it does take place, should be useful and remind of Baptism. It could be the Bible or New Testament, a pectoral cross or an icon of the saint after whom the child is named. There are many options.

If godparents do not fulfill their duties, is it possible to take other godparents and what needs to be done for this?

In the literal sense of the word - it is impossible. Only the one who received the child from the font will be the godfather. However, in a sense, this can be done.
Let's draw a parallel with an ordinary birth: let's say a father and mother, having given birth to their baby, abandon him, do not fulfill their parental responsibilities and do not care for him. In this case, someone can adopt the child and raise him as his own. This person will become, although adopted, a parent in the true sense of the word.
The same is true in spiritual birth. If the real godparents do not fulfill their duties, and there is a person who can and wants to take on their function, then he should receive a blessing for this from the priest and after that begin to take full care of the child. And you can also call him “godfather”.
In this case, the child cannot be baptized a second time.

Can a young man become godfather to his bride?

Definitely not. Between godparent and a godson, a spiritual relationship arises, which excludes the possibility of marriage.

How many times can a person become a godfather?

As many as he deems possible.
Being a godparent is a lot of responsibility. Some may dare to take on such responsibility once or twice, some five or six, and some perhaps ten. Everyone determines this measure for themselves.

Can a person refuse to become a godfather? Wouldn't that be a sin?

Maybe. If he feels that he is not ready to bear responsibility for the child, then it will be more honest to the parents and to the child and to himself to say so directly than to formally become a godfather and not fulfill his duties.

Is it possible to become a godfather to two or three children from the same family?

Yes, you can. There are no canonical obstacles to this.

WHAT IS BAPTISM

So, Christianity is following Christ, a personal relationship between Him and me. And a Christian is not the one who does something outwardly noticeable, but the one who has this relationship with Him.

Since the concept of “Holy Tradition” does not have clearly defined boundaries, we are convinced that the only reliable source from which we can reliably know about Christ is the Holy Scripture. According to it, we can verify other knowledge that we receive through the traditions of the Church, common sense, direct spiritual experience, or in some other way. Christ, the incarnate Word of God, is depicted in the written Word of God - the Holy Scriptures. Christians do not seek to seek truth in any tradition or follow human opinions, because human knowledge is limited and man can be mistaken. They follow the Word of God.

We also said that a person who has learned about the possibility of salvation in Christ must renounce his old life- life without God. He must admit that his defeated will prompts him to act according to at will and prevents him from being with God. The Bible calls it sin and commands to repent, that is, to accept firm decision to commit one's will to God's care on the basis of Christ's sacrifice. The Bible calls making such a decision a conversion—a radical turn in one’s worldview.

We now have the starting points needed to ask the fundamental question: what should we do?

Holy Scripture says: "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God"(Romans 10:17). We understand that the Bible is our guide to following Christ. We know that main topic, running like a red thread throughout Scripture - sinful humanity received salvation by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. But the difficulty is that nowadays faith is an elastic concept, and the further you go, the more and more it is stretched, and often it is no longer clear what it is about. we're talking about. Therefore, it is necessary to distinguish between the faith that the Holy Scripture speaks of and the everyday understanding of this word.

We are familiar with many things in this life by hearsay. We can read the Bible or about the Bible, hear a couple of sermons, and, having taken all this into account, consider ourselves a believer. But if our knowledge of God’s will stopped there, if in His word we did not hear God’s call to myself personally , this is not the faith that the Holy Scripture speaks of, but rather awareness or, worse, superstition. Listening is not enough - you need to hear.

When I begin to listen to the authority of God's word, I begin to recognize the truth of what I hear, I have faith at the level of conviction. Conviction is no longer just awareness, but firm confidence in something, and most of us, as a rule, understand this by saving faith. But here is what the Bible says about such faith: "You believe that there is one God: you do well; and the demons believe and tremble"(James 2:19). Demons know that God exists, for sure. They are absolutely convinced of this and still shudder, remembering how, like lightning, they were thrown along with Satan from heaven to earth. They know the power and glory of God and stand in awe of it. But does it change their lives? No way!

True faith begins when we not only listen and hear, but also obey. We understand that we need to change our lives, and we are faced with this very question: what should we do? After all, to obey means to follow the will of the One who gives us the truth. It is not for nothing that this very question arose among those who first heard the apostolic sermon: “When they heard this, they were touched in their hearts and said to Peter and the other Apostles: What should we do, men and brethren? Peter said to them: Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”(Acts 2:37, 38).

Having heard Peter’s sermon, they were convinced that he was right, and “they were touched in their hearts” (it would be more correct to translate: their hearts trembled). And absolutely naturally the question arises: what should we do? How can we live now? How can we restore our relationship with God, how can we follow His will? Peter's answer contains two commands: first, repent; and second, let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

In his answer, Peter follows the commandment left by the Lord in His last conversation with the disciples: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”(Matthew 28:19). Jesus commanded not “tell all nations about this,” but “teach,” make all nations My disciples.” They should not only be heard - everything is in order with this among our people, and a certain near-Christian background has long been created, which at Christmas includes a tree, Santa Claus and gifts; and at Easter - Easter cakes and colored eggs, although this has nothing to do with the Word of God, and awareness has almost universally grown into superstition. Jesus says: “teach”, that is, convince them. in the truth and importance of the Good News. And the resulting command is “baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

The Holy Scripture says that baptism is the very beginning, the ABC of the teachings of Christ, something without which you cannot read His textbook. Having learned to read, there is no need to return to the basics again: “Therefore, having left the first principles of the teaching of Christ, let us hasten to perfection; and let us not again lay the foundation of conversion from dead works and faith in God, the doctrine of baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.”(Hebrews 6:1,2). But, sad as it may be, this elementary question is the cause of constant controversy: what does it mean to be baptized? how to be baptized? where to be baptized? What is needed for this? We stumble before we even set foot on this path. And Satan uses this so that the Body of Christ does not grow and develop, but is fragmented and divided. Let's try to figure out what the Holy Scripture says about baptism.

However, anyone who wants to know anything specific about technical side baptism directly from the Holy Scriptures, disappointment will occur. The Bible says virtually nothing about this. The importance of this act is constantly emphasized, but no explanation is given on how to perform it. Why?

Imagine this situation: a mother wrote in a letter to her missionary son in Africa - do not forget to tie your shoe laces well, this is extremely important so as not to fall. A plane carrying mail crashes, and the letter reaches the Bushmen, who have never seen shoes in their lives. Having read the letter and imbued with the importance of the issue, they will rightly be indignant: why is it not explained here what laces are and what shoes are; What is tying, and what is it like to tie well? But no direct explanations are given in the text of the letter, because the meanings of the words used were perfectly familiar to both the writer and the addressee. The same is true with baptism: at the dawn of Christianity, the meaning of this concept was absolutely clear to the people of that time, and no explanation was required. In order to determine its meaning, we have to consider the etymology (origin) and semantics (meaning) of the words used in Scripture; study cultural background; consider indirect information about baptism in the Bible.

As far as linguistic analysis is concerned, it often prevents us from grasping original meaning this concept itself Russian word"baptism", which is an interpretation or application of it rather than a direct equivalent. We are among a people who received the Good News almost 1,000 years after it began to spread. We received it in a language specially created by foreign missionaries for this purpose. And where there was no corresponding concept in the Proto-Slavic language, they either used the corresponding foreign word(angel, Christ, Eucharist, apostle, presbyter, etc.), or previously non-existent words were created, one of which is “baptism”. It is etymologically connected with Christ and the Cross, and we no longer see any other meaning in it other than dedication to Christ or, at a minimum, joining a group of people called Christians. Separation from the original semantic meaning often turns baptism into a kind of initiation rite. But nothing like this was originally put into this word. Its meaning is not explained anywhere - the first listeners understood perfectly well what was being said. What did this word mean to them?

In the original texts of the Holy Scriptures, baptism is designated by the Greek word baptizo: to dip, to dip, to immerse. But it’s worth mentioning right away that in the Greek language there is another word that has the same root and has the same meaning - bapto. It also appears in the Bible, for example, when Jesus dipped (bapto) bread into sauce at a dinner with his disciples. What is the difference between these two words? The difference is as great as, say, between the same Russian words listen and obey. It seems that the words are similar and their meanings are similar, but the meaning is completely different. To understand the difference more clearly, you can turn to other literary sources from the same time period.

Thus, in the works of the Greek poet and healer of the 2nd century. BC Nikandera, we find a recipe for making pickled cucumbers, which uses both verbs: first you bapto the cucumber in boiling water, and then bapto it in a vinegar solution. It seems that both of them mean dipping, but the second action, unlike the first, implies a qualitative change: the cucumber was not just immersed in the liquid, but as a result of this, a change in its properties occurred. In ancient literature you can also find a description of the technology of dyeing fabrics. When we dip fabric in water, the verb bapto is used, but when we dip it in dye, baptizo, because its properties change.

This means that during baptism it is not just about washing, about making a person clean or just wet, but about changing qualitative properties. This is exactly what the Bible says: baptism is not the washing away of fleshly uncleanness, but the promise to God of a good conscience (1 Peter 3:21).

So, already from the very word baptizo people understood what was going on. In addition, they were familiar with the normal practice of baptism for their time. Baptism was not invented with the advent of John the Baptist - long before that it already existed as a rite of ritual washing. AND special meaning this ritual begins to take place in the last century before the Nativity of Christ, when prophecies about the imminent coming of the Messiah begin to be consistently fulfilled, and the desire for righteousness is revived in Israel: the Israelis wanted to be ready for the coming of Christ.