Baptism is one of the seven sacraments of the Christian Church. This solemn action plays a huge role in the life of a believer. It has a cleansing meaning, as a result of which a person, as it were, dies and is reborn again for a new life.
The sacrament of baptism is carried out with the help of water, which, on a cosmic level, endows a person with grace and cleanses him of the sin given to him at birth. An adult is forgiven any sins committed before baptism.
A tribute to fashion or the dictates of the heart
If for some reason a person was not baptized in infancy, then at a conscious age, sooner or later this problem begins to bother him. It is important to figure out whether he needs to be baptized or not. And if so, then why?.
Often in conversations at the everyday level you can hear questions: “Is baptism so important?”, “Is it really impossible to communicate with God without it?”
Returning to the origins of Christian teaching, it is worth remembering what the Lord bequeathed before ascending to heaven after the resurrection: “... go and teach the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
If people want to be Christians, they must comply with the will of the Savior. After all, it was he, the son of God, who lived among people, took upon himself the sins of the human race, suffered severe suffering on the cross, died, was resurrected and ascended to God. With his life, he showed people the path of salvation, the path along which they can come to God. But for this you need to die and rise again with Jesus. The sacrament of baptism symbolizes precisely these actions.
To be baptized or not- This is the choice of an adult. No one can force him to do this. It is important that a person does not succumb to the temptation to “be like everyone else,” without having in his soul the desire to subordinate his life to serving God.
The priests claim that it is possible to perform the ritual without the person being baptized believing in God, but it will not cost anything. If after baptism a person does not live according to Christian customs (reading spiritual literature, attending divine services, observing fasts and church holidays), the grace of God will quickly disappear, and the atheist will not be able to enter the Kingdom of Heaven after death.
It is no secret that some people undergo the rite of baptism to acquire, in their opinion, certain benefits for themselves. For example: improve your health, improve your financial situation, protect yourself from damage and the evil eye. This is absolutely unacceptable. After all, the essence of baptism is to give yourself to God completely and limitlessly, and not to wait for “manna from heaven” from him.
Preparation period
Adults apply to the Russian Orthodox Church for baptism. Therefore, preparation for baptism differs significantly from the ritual for infants, because the parents make important decisions for the child, and the formed personality itself is responsible for its actions. The clergy are not indifferent to knowing what is behind a person’s desire to be baptized.
In the old days, people who turned to the church with a request for baptism were declared catechumens. Their preparation for the day of baptism lasted more than one day. During this period, they read a lot, attended church, and studied the basics of Christianity. And only the clergy decided whether a person was ready to perform the ritual. In essence, the catechumens were gradually introduced to the life of the church.
Today, priests also carry out preparatory work with those who have expressed a desire to undergo the sacrament of baptism. When people ask questions: “How to carry out Baptism?”, “What is needed for the rite of Baptism for an adult?”, “Is it worth being baptized if the wife wants it?”, there can only be one answer: “You need sincere and firm faith.”
Steps to achieve what you want
There is no need to expect the priest to be gentle and affectionate; his goal is to understand the person’s readiness to be baptized . The main thing is to stand your ground, answer sincerely and without hiding. The first meeting may be unsuccessful, and he will schedule several more audiences. Like a real psychologist, the priest understands that at the first meeting it is impossible to understand the human essence. Subsequent conversations are needed to establish the truth. How many there will be is up to the priest to decide.
In conversations with the priest, those who wish to be baptized will receive answers to unclear questions regarding the Christian religion. You can find out from him how the baptism of an adult takes place, how many times you can be baptized. And after deciding that a person is ready for an important event, find out what the cost of this action is.
Reward for Receiving God's Grace
Temples do not charge fees for rituals. There is only a donation for the needs of the church, which is collected in special boxes. Its value depends on the desires and capabilities of people; it can be pennies or thousands. Details can be found in a candle shop or from church workers.
But this does not happen everywhere. Some churches have price lists with fixed prices for various services. You can find out how much the required procedure costs. Trading in churches is not encouraged by the Bible, but in order to survive in difficult times, clergy have to turn a blind eye to this unpleasing business. Although the funds collected mainly go to helping the poor, repairing church buildings, and building new churches.
Required information
There are nuances that you need to pay attention to:
Preparation for the sacrament
Before the ceremony compliance is required at least within the last three days. It involves giving up meat, dairy products, eggs, alcoholic beverages, and smoking.
It would not hurt to spend this time reading the Gospel, the Law of God, Psalms, and prayers. It is worth giving up having fun, watching TV, spouses need to abstain from intimate relationships.
Before being baptized, we must make peace with all our enemies, confess.
On the eve of baptism, starting from midnight, there should be no poppy dew in your mouth.
Important Attributes
Adult men and women must have a baptismal shirt, a towel, open slippers, a pectoral cross on a chain or rope.
Clothes and towels must be white. For men it is a long shirt, and for women it is a long nightgown with long sleeves or a dress. These clothes are not worn in everyday life and are not washed. It is believed that it has the ability to help during serious illnesses if it is placed on an unhealthy person.
About there is an opinion that it should not be gold. It is better to buy a silver or ordinary inexpensive cross in the church. It is important to remember that after the priest places it around the neck of the baptized person, it is impossible to remove the symbol of faith, unless there are medical indications for this.
Instead of slippers, flip flops are suitable so that the feet are open during the sacrament.
Features of women's baptism
Women and girls are in the temple with their heads covered. This speaks of humility before God and men. Clothes should be modest, clean and tidy. Cosmetics and jewelry are prohibited.
The ceremony is not performed if the woman is menstruating. This issue is discussed with the priest in advance in order to choose the right day.
During immersion in water, the baptismal shirt will get wet and, most likely, will be see-through. To avoid an awkward moment, you can wear a swimsuit underneath..
Baptism ceremony for an adult
After completion of all actions, the ritual of anointing occurs, when the priest makes signs in the form of crosses with the words “Seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit” on the body of the person being baptized. Then the priest, together with the baptized person, walk around the font three times, this symbolizes eternity.
Finally, hair is cut- this means that the new Christian is given over to God’s will.
After baptism, the life of a new member of the Holy Church changes dramatically. Man accepted the obligation to fulfill the commandments of the Lord. This will bring certain changes to your usual life. You will have to give up many habits, control your actions, and change, if necessary, your attitude towards others. But don't be afraid of changes. There is a lot of light and joy in the Christian faith.
The baptism of a child is an important event for parents. Therefore, you need to prepare for it in advance, both spiritually and materially. You have to choose a temple, godparents, attend explanatory conversations before the christening and purchase baptismal accessories.
What parents need to know
Baptism is carried out starting from the 40th day after the birth of the child
A girl must have a godmother, a boy must have a godfather
Godparents cannot be married
The godfather must be over 15 years old, and the godmother must be over 13
A pregnant woman can become a godmother if her baby is more than 40 days old
The duration of fasting before baptism is three days. On the day of baptism, no food should be eaten before the ceremony begins.
Before filming the christening, you need to get a blessing from the priest
Ideally, godparents and parents should know the “Creed” and “Our Father” prayers by heart. The Creed is read during baptism
If you wish, you can make a donation for the sacrament of baptism. In some churches the donation amount is fixed
Child baptism takes place both individually and in a group.
The baptism of a child lasts from 40 minutes
First of all, before baptism, parents need to answer the question: “Why do we want to baptize a child?” Today, the rite of baptism for many couples has lost an important spiritual component. Some baptize children at the insistence of older relatives, others pay tribute to traditions.
If you are in doubt about whether to baptize your baby, wait. Some spouses believe that the child should make the decision to be baptized independently and consciously, and therefore refuse to baptize the newborn.
Those who decide to baptize a child at an early age fast before the sacrament, read prayers, confess and receive communion. Another responsibility of parents is choosing godparents for the baby.
Advice for godmothers and fathers
Godparents are the child’s spiritual mentors. They are responsible for the religious and moral education of the child.
If godparents doubt whether they can cope with the responsibilities assigned to them, advise them to attend explanatory conversations before the christening. Conversations take place in a temple or church in the form of lectures on the topic of religion. Those present can ask questions to church ministers. In some temples and churches, at the end of the conversations they issue certificates of completion.
It’s not scary if the godparents haven’t learned the “Creed” prayer. During baptism, it can be repeated after the priest.
What to buy before christening:
Pectoral cross. Usually for a boy it is purchased by a godfather, and for a girl - by a godmother.
Christening gown, cap and towel. Both godparents and parents themselves can buy these things
Godparents can give the baby an icon depicting a saint who protects the newborn. This is a saint with the same name as the child or a saint whose memorial day falls on the child’s birthday or christening day
Sacrament of Baptism
During baptism, godparents and parents renounce sins and the devil, repeating the words indicated by the priest, and promise to keep Christian commandments. Next, the godparents hand the baby over to the priest, who dips the baby into the font three times, and then performs the ritual of anointing. Then, with the child in their arms, the godparents walk around the font three times.
After the sacrament of baptism, a home celebration is usually held with the participation of the closest family members.
Ekaterina Morozova
Reading time: 14 minutes
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Have you been chosen as godmother? This is a great honor and a great responsibility. The responsibilities of the godmother are not limited only to the sacrament of baptism and congratulating the godson on the holidays - they will continue throughout life. What are these responsibilities? What do you need to know about the sacrament of baptism? What to buy? How to prepare?
Baptism - the essence and meaning of the rite of baptism
The rite of baptism is a Sacrament in which the believer dies to a sinful carnal life in order to be reborn by the Holy Spirit into spiritual life. Baptism is cleansing man from original sin
, which is communicated to him through his birth. Just as a person is born only once, and the Sacrament is performed only once in a person’s life.
How godparents prepare for the baptism ceremony
You should prepare for the Sacrament of Baptism in advance.
- Two or three days before the ceremony, future godparents should repent of your earthly sins and take communion.
- Directly on the day of baptism It is forbidden to have sex and eat food .
- At the baptism of a girl godmother will have to read the prayer “Creed” , at the baptism of a boy he reads it Godfather .
Responsibilities of a godmother. What should a godmother do?
A child cannot choose his godmother himself; his parents make this choice for him. The exception is the older age of the child. The choice is usually determined the closeness of the future godmother to the family , a warm attitude towards the child, the principles of morality that the godmother adheres to.
What are the responsibilities godmother?
- Godmother vouches for the newly baptized child before the Lord.
- Responsible for spiritual education baby.
- Takes part in life and education the baby on a par with biological parents.
- Takes care of the child in a situation where something happens to the biological parents (the godmother can become the guardian in the event of the death of the parents).
Godmother is spiritual guide for her godson and an example of a Christian lifestyle.
The godmother must:
- Pray for the godson and to be a loving and caring godmother.
- Attend church with a child , if his parents do not have such an opportunity due to illness or absence.
- Remember your responsibilities on religious holidays, ordinary holidays and weekdays.
- Take problems in your godson's life seriously and support him during difficult stages of life .
- Be interested and promote a child's spiritual growth .
- Serve example of godly living for the godson.
Features of the baptism ritual
How is the sacrament of child baptism performed?
Requirements for a godmother at a christening
The most important requirement for godparents is be baptized Orthodox who live according to Christian laws. After the ceremony, godparents must promote the spiritual growth of the child and pray for him. If the future godmother has not yet been baptized, then she must be baptized first , and only then – the baby. Biological parents may be completely unbaptized or profess a different faith.
- Godmother must be aware of your responsibility for raising a child. Therefore, it is welcomed when relatives are chosen as godparents - family ties are broken less often than friendly ones.
- The godfather can attend the girl’s baptism in absentia, godmother - only in person . Her duties include receiving the girl from the font.
Godparents We must not forget about the day of baptism
. On the day of the Godson's Guardian Angel, you should go to church every year, light a candle and thank God for everything.
What should a godmother wear? Appearance of the godmother at the christening.
The modern church is more loyal to many things, but taking into account its traditions is certainly recommended. Basic requirements for a godmother at baptism:
- Presence of godparents pectoral crosses (consecrated in the church) necessarily.
- It is unacceptable to come to baptism in trousers. Should wear a dress , which will hide the shoulders and legs below the knee.
- On the godmother's head must have a scarf .
- High heels are unnecessary. The baby will have to be held in your arms for a long time.
- Flashy makeup and provocative clothing are prohibited.
What do godparents buy for baptism?
- White christening shirt (dress). It can be simple or with embroidery - it all depends on the choice of the godparents. The shirt (and everything else) can be purchased directly from the church. At baptism, the baby’s old clothes are removed as a sign that he appears clean before the Lord, and the baptismal shirt is put on after the ceremony. Traditionally, this shirt should be worn for eight days, after which it is removed and stored for life. Of course, you cannot baptize another baby in it.
- Pectoral cross with an image of the crucifixion. They buy it directly from the church, already consecrated. It doesn’t matter - gold, silver or simple, on a string. After baptism, many people remove the crosses from their children so that they do not accidentally harm themselves. According to church canons, the cross should not be removed. Therefore, it is better to choose a light cross and a rope (ribbon) so that the baby is comfortable.
- , in which the baby is wrapped after the Sacrament of baptism. It is not washed after the ceremony and is stored as carefully as a shirt.
- Cap(kerchief).
- The best gift from godparents would be cross, icon or silver spoon.
Also for the baptism ceremony you will need:
- Baby blanket. For a comfortable baby in the baptismal room and warming the baby after the baptismal bath.
- Small bag, where you can put a lock of the baby’s hair, cut by a priest. You can keep it with your shirt and towel.
It is advisable to make sure in advance that the items are suitable for the baby.
After the baptism ceremony
So, the baby was baptized. You have become a godmother. Of course, according to tradition, this day is a holiday. It can be celebrated in a warm family circle or crowded. But it is worth remembering that christening is, first of all, a celebration of the spiritual birth of a baby. You should prepare for it in advance and thoroughly, thinking through every detail. After all spiritual birthday, which you will now celebrate every year, is much more important than the day of your physical birth.
Being a godmother is a great honor, but also a great responsibility, because she has to become the spiritual mentor of her godson or goddaughter. If your loved ones have given you such an honor, it means they express special trust in you and hope that you will fulfill this role with dignity.
However, keep in mind that in addition to performing the duties of a godmother at baptism, you will later have to instruct your godson in matters of the Christian faith, take him to communion, and set an example of behavior for him.
As for preparing for baptism, this stage takes the godmother several days. What does the godmother do during baptism? What does she need to know about the ritual of this sacrament? We will answer these and some other questions.
According to the church charter, the godmother cannot be the child’s mother, a nun, an unbeliever or an unbaptized woman. Not only the mother’s friend, but also one of the relatives, for example, the baby’s grandmother or aunt, can act as a godmother. However, the adoptive mother cannot serve as a godmother either during or after the baptism.
How to prepare a godmother for the baptism ceremony
Preparations for baptism for the godmother begin several days before this ceremony. She, like her godfather, needs to fast for three days, and then confess and receive communion.
You also need to talk with the priest, who will tell you in detail what the godmother needs to know about this sacrament and what she will have to do during the baptismal ceremony.
As a rule, the duties of a godmother in preparation for baptism include knowing by heart some of the prayers that will need to be read during this ceremony: “Creed”, “Our Father”, “Hail to the Virgin Mary”, “Heavenly King”, etc.
They express the essence of faith, help to cleanse oneself from sin and gain strength to overcome obstacles on the path of life. Although in some parishes knowledge of these prayers is not required: during the ceremony, the godparents will only need to repeat some phrases after the priest.
The godmother's preparation for the baptismal ceremony does not end there. She will need to purchase the things necessary for this ceremony and know what actions she will have to perform during the ceremony. However, let's talk about everything in order.
What else does a godmother need to know about the rules for baptizing a child? You should dress modestly for a christening. You cannot come to the temple in trousers, and the skirt must be below the knees. Women's heads in an Orthodox church must be covered with a scarf.
What should a godmother do during a baptism? The ritual consists of the rite of catechumen (reading special prayers over the child), his renunciation of Satan and union with Christ, as well as the confession of the Orthodox faith. The godparents say the appropriate words for the baby on his behalf, renouncing the unclean spirit and promising to remain faithful to the Lord.
If a girl is being baptized, then the godmother should hold her in her arms during the baptism ceremony; if the ceremony is being performed by a boy, then the godfather. Although this can also be done by one of the godparents who is better acquainted with the baby and next to whom the child feels more comfortable.
However, in any case, the godmother must be well acquainted with the child in order to maintain emotional contact with the baby and be able to calm him down if he cries.
After this, as a child is baptized, immersing him three times in water in the font and reading prayers at the same time, the godmother must take him in her arms. To do this you will need a kryzhma - a white towel. According to superstitions, drops from a baby’s face cannot be wiped off so that his life is happy.
Then the child is put on a cross (if it was not purchased in a church, it will need to be consecrated in advance) and a baptismal outfit - a shirt to the toes for a boy and a dress for a girl. The baby will also need a cap or scarf.
Even during preparation for baptism, the godmother is obliged to choose these things for the child. In the old days, women sewed them themselves, but nowadays baptismal attire and kryzhma can be bought in a store or church shop.
These things are not washed after christening and are not used for their intended purpose. It is recommended to keep them throughout a person’s life, as they serve as amulets, helping him avoid various troubles and diseases.
What else does a godmother need to do when baptizing a child? After initiation into the font, the godparents and the priest walk around it with the baby three times as a sign of spiritual joy from the union of a new member of the Church of Christ with the Savior for eternal life.
After the ritual of anointing, when parts of the child’s body are anointed with myrrh and prayers are read, the priest washes the myrrh with a special sponge moistened with holy water.
Then the priest lightly trims the child’s hair on four sides, which is folded onto a wax cake and lowered into the font, which symbolizes submission to God and sacrifice in gratitude for the beginning of spiritual life.
(The godmother will need a small bag in which to place the baby's cut hair, which can then also be stored with the towel and shirt.)
After this, the priest reads prayers for the child and his godparents, followed by churching. The priest carries the baby around the temple. If it is a boy, then he is brought into the altar. At the end of the ritual, the child is applied to one of the icons of the Savior and to the icon of the Mother of God, and then given to the parents.
In addition to the things necessary for the ceremony, the godmother can give the baby an icon with the image of his patron saint, a “measured icon”, a children’s Bible, a prayer book or items that do not have a church focus (clothes, shoes, toys, etc.), and also assist his parents in organizing a festive feast on the occasion of the christening.
We have already told you what the godmother has to know and do during the baptism ceremony of the child. But your mission doesn't end there. As already mentioned, you will need to be involved in the life of your godson and beyond.
You will attend church with your child if his parents are unable to do so due to illness or absence. You will need to promote the spiritual growth of your godson, give him advice in difficult life situations. In a word, take care of him along with his parents, because now you are responsible for the new member of the Christian church before God.