Hello to all parents! A few months after the birth of a child, parents face the question of how to properly organize the baby's baptism . Orthodox people consider baptism to be the spiritual birth of a person. He, as it were, undergoes purification for earthly life and receives a kind of ticket to the Kingdom of God, to paradise. As a Christian sacrament, baptism is a priority and obligatory for people who seek heavenly salvation and the protection of heavenly powers.

According to church traditions, babies are baptized on the eighth or fortieth day of life. Before a child is baptized, godparents must be chosen. And since infancy does not make it possible to demand repentance and faith from the child, as the basic rules of baptism, this function is performed for him by godparents. They become Orthodox and spiritual mentors for the child. Therefore, their choice should be approached especially responsibly.

Choice of godparents.

First of all, these should be close people (relatives, friends), with whom warm relations are maintained and complete trust reigns. Indeed, in the event of the loss of parents, it is the godparents who should replace them for the child. According to church tradition, only the godfather baptizes the boy, and the godmother baptizes the girl. But it so happened that for a child for baptism, both the godfather and the godmother are chosen.

According to Orthodox canons, godparents cannot be:

1. child's genetic parents
2. a married couple cannot baptize one baby together,
3. people of a different faith, not Orthodox,
4. immoral and insane people, because they will not be responsible in their appointment.

There are also age restrictions: the godfather is over 15 years old, the godmother is over 13 years old. An earlier age is associated with frivolity and an incomplete understanding of all the responsibility entrusted to them.

What are the main responsibilities of godparents?

Not all godparents understand the full responsibility of the obligations entrusted to them. Giving gifts and visiting your godson is important, but not the most important. The task of each godparent is to teach his godson the main prayer of all Orthodox (“Our Father”), turning to the Lord God every day before bed. It is also necessary to teach the godson to attend church on great church holidays, to take communion. You can keep him company and go to church together. Give the godson a children's Bible and tell him who God is, teach him goodness and mercy. All these are the main tasks of godparents.

Baptism of a baby. How to choose a day for the christening of a child?

There are no specific requirements for baptizing a baby on day 40. This is due to the weakness of the mother after childbirth, so it is not recommended to attend church earlier. You can baptize the baby later or earlier than this date. Some parents try to baptize the child as early as possible if there is any threat to his health. In this case, the baptism of the baby will be a talisman, performing an invisible protective function.

In ancient times, the sacrament of baptism was timed to coincide with the great Christian holidays. But over time, it became more of a family holiday, and there are no special requirements for choosing the day of baptism. There is an opinion that the day of baptism should be the day of the saint in whose honor the child is named. That is, by choosing a name for the baby, you can see the day of this saint in the Orthodox calendar. On this date or close to it, and appoint a rite of baptism.

• Often there are no queues in the temple on the day of baptism. But it is better to visit the church in advance, find out the cost of christening, the necessary attributes, as well as the day and time of the planned baptism.
• An important factor will be the choice of the day for the godmother. On this day, she should not have "critical days", otherwise she is forbidden to attend church. Therefore, discuss this point in advance.
• The baby can be baptized together with other children. There is nothing wrong with that. If you are not comfortable with this situation, then discuss it in advance with the priest.
• In the event of a child's illness, the rite of baptism can be performed at home or in a specially designated room.

How to choose a church for baptism?

To do this, you need to visit nearby churches in advance, listen to your feelings, talk with the novices of the church, etc. Some people like magnificent christenings, others consider it a sacrament and prefer a modest ceremony somewhere in a secluded corner. Often, a special room is assigned for baptism, which is intended only for this ceremony.

How do godparents prepare for baptism?

Ideal option: before baptism, confess and take communion. Keep fast for 3-4 days. On the day of baptism, you can’t make love and eat (the sacrament takes place on an empty stomach).

Godparents should study such prayers: “Our Father”, “Symbol of Faith” and “Virgin Mother of God”. The second prayer will have to be read during baptism (at the baptism of a boy - to the godfather, at the baptism of the girl - to the godmother).

Unofficially, godparents pay all baptism expenses. However, under certain circumstances, this can be done by the parents of the baby.

The godmother must purchase a kryzhma (rizka) for baptism - a wide towel / diaper, in which the child is wrapped, taking it out of the font. She must also buy a white suit for the christening of the baby (shirt and cap), decorated with lace and church attributes. Both the kryzhma and the costume should be preserved by the mother as a talisman, without washing. In case of illness, it is enough to cover the child with these sacred tissues.

The godfather gives the godson a cross and a chain. They can be gold or silver. While the child is small, you can wear a cross on a string, and then replace it with a chain.

What should be the appearance of godparents?

Mandatory for all is the presence of pectoral crosses.

For women - a covered head and a dress / skirt below the knees. Shoulders should be covered. It is better to pick up shoes at low speed, as the ceremony will be long. In addition, you will have to hold the child for a long time.

For men - trousers and a shirt. The presence of shorts and T-shirts is undesirable.

How is the sacrament of baptism performed?

The main participants in the sacrament are: the priest, the child and the godparents. Today, the church is more loyal to the parents of the child and allows the father, and sometimes even the mother, to be present.

During the ceremony, the godparents are near the priest, one of whom holds the baby in his arms. Before the beginning of the ceremony, the priest walks around the room, reading prayers. Then the godparents turn their faces to the west (it is considered the abode of evil spirits) and, holding the baby in their arms, answer the questions of the priest three times.

Next, the prayer “Symbol of Faith” is read and chrismation is carried out. The clergyman dips the brush into a vessel of ointment and smears the baby's forehead, mouth, nostrils, chest, ears, eyes, arms and legs crosswise. During each anointing, the priest says the words: “The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Amen". In response, the godparents answer "Amen." After anointing, a strand of hair is cut from the child's head. She remains in the church as a testament to the symbol of sacrifice and faith in God.

In the cold season, if the room is cool enough, the child is not completely undressed, but the neck, arms and legs are freed from clothing. It does not completely submerge in the font. But if the temperature in the room is high enough, the baby is undressed and naked is dipped into the font. Then one of the godparents takes the baby in his arms. Therefore, godparents are called godparents. It is believed that when a baby is taken from the hands of a priest, they undertake to raise the godson in Orthodoxy and bear responsibility for him, including at the Last Judgment.

In the absence of the opportunity to see the godson often, the godparents should pray for him. The baptism of a baby is one of the main sacraments of the Orthodox faith.

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