How Orthodox Christians are baptized. Orthodox Cross and Eternal Life

Unfortunately, many today still do not know how to be baptized correctly, despite the fact that more and more people began to turn their eyes to God again, go to Orthodox churches and monasteries, thereby returning to the faith.

Very often we see that believers who have been attending divine services for many years are baptized completely incorrectly ... One waves his hand around him, as if driving away flies; the other folded his fingers into a pinch, and it seems that he does not cross himself, but sprinkles himself with salt; the third - with a full swing drives his fingers into his forehead, like nails. What can we say about the most common mistake when the hand does not reach the shoulders, dropping somewhere near the neck. Trifle? Trivia? Formalities? No way. You need to know how to properly be baptized in the church for Orthodox believers.

Even St. Basil the Great wrote: "In the Church, everything is good and according to the order, let it be." The sign of the cross is a visible evidence of our faith. To find out whether the Orthodox is in front of you or not, you just need to ask him to cross himself, and by how he will do it and whether he will do it at all, everything will become clear. And let us remember the Gospel: "Faithful in little and in many respects faithful" (Luke 16, 10). The power of the sign of the cross is extraordinarily great... Many times in the Lives of Saints there are stories about how demonic spells dissipated after a single image of the Cross on a man. Therefore, those who carelessly, fussy and inattentively baptized themselves simply delight the demons.

Sign of the cross- this is a small sacred rite, in which a Christian, depicting a sign on himself (a sign - a sign Church Slavyansk.) Of the Cross of the Lord with the invocation of the Name of God, attracts to himself (or to the one whom he overshadows, for example, his child) the Divine Grace of the Holy Spirit.

The blessed power is given to the sign of the cross because Christ, by His death on the Cross, which is an act of the greatest Divine Self-sacrifice out of love for His perishing creation, defeated Satan with his pride, freed man from the slavery of sin, sanctified the Cross as a victorious weapon, and bestowed this Weapon on us for fight against the enemy of the human race - the devil.

We, Orthodox Christians, should know that the sign of the cross only then has a grace-filled power when it is performed reverently and correctly.

So how can one be baptized, and baptized correctly, how are Orthodox Christians baptized?

"Demons rejoice at disorderly waving",- the experience of the holy fathers tells us. So, in order not to rejoice, but to drive away unclean spirits with the sign of the cross and receive grace-filled sanctification from God, it is supposed to be performed like this:

We fold the fingers of the right hand like this: put the first three fingers (thumb, index and middle) together with the ends smooth, and the last two (ring and little fingers) bend to the palm.

The first three fingers folded together express our faith in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit as a consubstantial and indivisible Trinity, and two fingers bent to the palm mean that the Son of God after His incarnation, being God, became a man, that is, they mean His two natures are Divine and Human.

It is necessary to overshadow yourself with the sign of the cross slowly:

(1) put it on your forehead- to sanctify our mind,

(2) on the belly(just above the navel (2cm) - in the solar plexus region) - to sanctify our inner feelings,

(3) on the right shoulder

(4) and then to the left- to sanctify our bodily powers.

When we are baptized not during prayer, then mentally, to ourselves, we say: "In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen." expressing by this our faith in the Holy Trinity and our desire to live and work for the glory of God.

The word "amen" means: truly, truly, so be it.

Omitting right hand, you can bow.

About those who signify themselves with all fives, or bow before finishing the cross, or wave their hand in the air or across their chest, St. John Chrysostom said: "The demons rejoice at this frantic waving." On the contrary, the sign of the cross, performed correctly and slowly, with faith and reverence, frightens demons, consoles sinful passions and attracts divine grace.

Aware of our sinfulness and lack of dignity before God, we, as a sign of our humility, accompany our prayer with bows. They are waist when we bend down to the waist, and earthly, when, bowing and kneeling, we touch the ground with our head.

"The custom of making the sign of the cross originates from the times of the apostles" (Complete. Orthodoxy. Theological encycloped. Dictionary, St. Petersburg. Publishing house P.P. Soikin, b.g., p. 1485). During Tertullian's time, the sign of the cross had already deeply entered into the life of contemporary Christians. In the treatise "On the Crown of a Warrior" (about 211), he writes that we protect our foreheads with the sign of the cross under all circumstances of life: entering and leaving the house, getting dressed, lighting the lamps, going to bed, sitting down for some activity.

The sign of the cross is not only part of a religious ceremony. First of all, it is - great weapon ... The motherlands, fathers and the lives of the saints contain many examples that testify to the real spiritual power that the image possesses. Of the cross.

Why do people get baptized when they pass by a temple or monastery? Is it necessary to be baptized?

An Orthodox Christian, according to the rules of piety, passing by the temple, must stop, reverently cross himself with the sign of the cross and worship the temple of God, thereby giving glory to God our Lord Jesus Christ, who for our sake and for our salvation descended from heaven, incarnated from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became human. Was Crucified on the Cross for our sins. Buried, Resurrected, and Ascended into Heaven and Settled at the right hand of the Heavenly Father, so that after His second coming in glory with all the Saints and Angels, everyone would be judged according to his deeds. That is, by his worship, a Christian publicly confesses the faith of the Orthodox Church in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And about those who are ashamed of such a confession, the Lord said: “whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of His Father with the holy Angels” (Mark 8:38).

We are called Christians, because we believe in God as the Son of God Himself taught us to believe, our Lord Jesus Christ... Jesus Christ not only taught us to believe in God correctly, but also saved us from the power of sin and eternal death.

The Son of God, Jesus Christ, out of the love of sinners for us, descended from heaven and, like a common man, suffered in our place for our sins, was crucified, died on the cross and on the third day resurrected.

So the sinless Son of God by his cross(that is, by suffering and death on the cross for the sins of all people, the whole world), not only sin won, but death itself - rose from the dead, and made the cross an instrument of His victory over sin and death.

As the conqueror of death - resurrected on the third day - He also saved us from eternal death. He will resurrect all of us who have died when the last day of the world comes, resurrect us for a joyful, eternal life with God.

The cross is an instrument or a banner of Christ's victory over sin and death.

That is why, in order to express our faith in Jesus Christ, our Savior, we wear a cross on our bodies, and during prayer we depict the sign of the cross on ourselves with our right hand, or we overshadow ourselves with the sign of the cross (we are baptized).

The sign of the cross gives us great power to drive away and overcome evil and do good, but only we must remember that the cross must be placed right and leisurely, otherwise there will be no image of the cross, but a simple waving of the hand, which only demons rejoice at. By negligently performing the sign of the cross, we show our disrespect to God - we sin, this sin is called blasphemy.

It is necessary to overshadow oneself with the sign of the cross, or be baptized: at the beginning of prayer, during prayer and at the end of prayer, as well as when approaching all that is holy: when we enter the temple, when we kiss the cross, to the icon, etc. and in all important cases of our life: in danger, in sorrow, in joy, etc.

Every Christian should know how to be baptized properly. The sign of the Cross has great power, and therefore it must be performed with reverence and prayer. You need to be baptized with three fingers. This means that the tips of the three fingers of the right hand - the thumb, index, and middle - are folded together. The other two fingers are pressed against the palm. Three fingers put together mean three Persons of the Holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. And two fingers pressed to the palm symbolize the two natures of the Lord Jesus Christ - divine and human. The sign of the Cross is applied to oneself as follows: first, they touch the forehead with three folded fingers, then the abdomen, then the right shoulder and finally the left. At the same time, they say the words: “In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen". Thus, it turns out that when applying the sign of the cross on ourselves, we cross ourselves with our right hand and apply it from right to left. How Orthodox Christians are baptized differs from how Catholics apply the sign of the cross. One of the differences is the hand that the Orthodox are baptized with: they are baptized with their right hand. Another difference is that Orthodox Christians are baptized from right to left, while Catholics are baptized from left to right. How to be baptized correctly should be explained to children from early childhood. In addition to the necessary external memorization of the correct application of the sign of the cross, children need to be explained the meaning of the actions performed. Believers sign the sign of the cross very often and at different moments in their lives: both in joy and in sorrow, before the beginning of any good deed and at its completion, before going to sleep and after awakening, at the moment of danger and after the danger passed, during prayer and worship. It is not for nothing that there is such a saying among the people: when it seems, it is necessary to be baptized. It is connected with the fact that there are situations when a person sees something, but is not sure of his correct understanding of what he saw. He then says that it seems to him, since he is not sure. In Christian spiritual texts, there are many cases describing the action of evil forces on the vision and imagination of a person. If a person overshadows himself with the sign of the cross, then these obsessions pass, and he sees the correct state of things.

What is the right way to be baptized in the church?

The correct way to be baptized in the church corresponds to the way Christians should be baptized. In the church, one must carefully observe at what moments all believers put the sign of the cross on themselves. At certain moments and the words spoken by the priest during the divine service, those praying make the sign of the cross. Of course, at this moment they do not utter the words: “In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen". They do this mentally or pray with the words of the prayer that they hear at the moment. The church has its own customs, rules and regulations. The proverb that refers to the monastery - one does not climb into another's monastery with its own charter - we can say that it also applies to the church. When we enter the temple, we must fulfill the requirements for the sake of respect for other believers. This applies not only to the correct application of the sign of the cross and at the right times, but also in the form of clothing. Women need to enter church with their heads covered, in closed, non-defiant clothing, not in trousers, but in a skirt or dress. In the summertime, even if it is very hot, you should try to choose closed clothing made of lightweight fabrics. In summer, men should not go to the temple in shorts, but rather wear trousers and a long-sleeved shirt. How to be baptized properly, a Christian must get used to it from the moment of his Baptism. In the prayer "Symbol of Faith" there are these words: I confess one Baptism for the remission of sins. This means that a person once in a lifetime receives the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, during which the priest baptizes him in the name of the Most Holy Trinity, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. From this moment and throughout his life, he must do good deeds for the glory of God, and not to satisfy his own pride and pride. When applying the sign of the cross, we must each time remember the purpose of our actions, deeds, thoughts and the entire direction of life.

The Difference in the Application of the Sign of the Cross by Different Denominations /

Religion - in this word each person puts his own meaning and understands it in different ways. Today, there are a huge number of religions that are similar or different from each other.

The most widespread and professed, perhaps, are Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Despite the fact that in the age of information technology, everyone has access to almost any information, many people do not know what the essence of each religion is, what is in common between them and how they actually differ from each other. Today we propose to talk about the difference between the imposition of the sign of the cross in different religions.

How Catholics are baptized, with which hand, how they fold their fingers: a diagram of how to be baptized correctly

Before we talk about the question of placing the sign of the cross, let's talk a little about religion itself.

• Catholicism or Catholicism is a Christian denomination, which today has a huge number of adherents.
• The very word "Catholicism" means nothing more than "universal", "all-encompassing."
• It is also worth saying that it was the Catholic Church, which was formed during the 1st millennium BC. in the Western Roman Empire had a huge impact on the development of Western civilization.
• Concerning the sign of the cross. Most people do not know what it is, but all because we are used to calling this process a little differently - "baptized", "cross".
• The sign of the cross is nothing more than a prayer gesture, during which people make movements with their hands and, as it were, draw out the cross with them.
• It should also be noted that the sign of the cross is present in almost all areas of Christianity.

So, how does the imposition of the sign of the cross take place among Catholics?

• It must be said right away that Catholicism does not have a single correct version of this action. There are many options for how to cross and they are all considered correct. This is because Catholics pay more attention not to the way in which this is done, but to the goal. By crossing themselves, they seem to prove once again that they believe in Christ.
• Catholics are baptized with the same hand as the Orthodox, that is, with the right. The difference lies elsewhere - in the direction of movement of the hands, and even then not always.
• Initially, both Catholics of the West and Catholics of the East performed the application of the cross on themselves in almost the same way. Crossing from the right shoulder to the left, while using 3 fingers of the right hand. A little later, the procedure changed, and they began to cross from the left shoulder to the right, while using the entire hand.
• The so-called "Byzantine Catholics" act in the traditional way. To do this, the first 3 fingers of the hand are connected together, and the remaining 2 are pressed against the palm. In this case, baptism is carried out with the right hand, from right to left. 3 fingers, which are connected together, is nothing but a Trinity, and 2 other fingers signify the double origin of Christ. By dual origin, we mean his divine and human nature.

If we show the general classification of the options that Catholics use when making the sign of the cross, then it looks like this:

1. The first and fourth fingers of the right hand are connected in a bundle, while the index and middle fingers are also held together. The index and middle fingers in this case mean the double essence of Christ, which was mentioned a little earlier. This option is typical for Western Catholics.
2. Another folding option is to connect the 1st and 2nd fingers.
3. Eastern Catholics most often use this option. The thumb, index and middle fingers are joined together, and the last 2 are pressed to the hand. In this case, 3 connected fingers mean the Holy Trinity, and 2 pressed ones - the double nature of Christ.
4. Also, Catholics very often cross themselves with the whole palm. To do this, you need to keep your right hand completely open, all fingers except the 1st are straightened. You can bend your arm slightly, and press your thumb a little against your palm. This version of baptism means the wounds of Christ, of which there were 5.

Why do Catholics cross from left to right, with two fingers, or with the palm of their hand?

To answer the question, let's go a little deeper into history:

• In ancient times, the left and the right most often carried associations of different kinds of gods, who were on opposite sides.
• If we talk about Christianity, then here the understanding of the left and the right is slightly different. At the same time, left and right are something completely different, something that has a clearly opposite meaning. For example, as a struggle between good and evil, light and darkness, sinful and righteous. In Christianity, it is generally accepted that the right side is the territory of God, and the left is Evil.
• Another fact is that the Orthodox apply a cross from the right shoulder to the left, but when they baptize someone, they do it the other way around. In any of these cases, initially the hand of the one who baptizes is on the right side. Why is that? The overshadowing of the cross, which is carried out from left to right, means something emanating from man to God, but from right to left is exactly the opposite, from God to man.
• Catholics, regardless of whether they baptize themselves or someone else, always do it only from left to right.
• In both the first and second cases, believers turn to God, however, they put different meanings in their conversion and communication with him.
• That is, the question: "Why are Catholics baptized from left to right?" can be considered closed. They are baptized in this way, due to the fact that when imposing the sign of the cross, it is important for them to communicate with Christ, and they themselves cry out to him. This is the meaning that is put into this action.
• It is also not superfluous to say that the movement of the hand from left to right can mean the path from darkness to light, from evil to good, from hatred to the world, from sin to repentance.
• Moving from right to left can be interpreted as a victory over all sinful people, in particular the Devil. For a long time, it is believed that it is on the left side that the unclean "sits" with us. Therefore, such movements from right to left speak of neutralizing the evil force.

Now a few words as to why Catholics cross with two fingers or with the whole palm:

• As mentioned earlier, Catholics do not have a single correct option for folding their fingers or hands when crossing. That is why sometimes you can see the imposition of the sign of the cross with two fingers, and even with the whole palm.
• When Catholics cross themselves with 2 fingers, they once again confirm that they believe in the double essence of Christ. That is, they realize and acknowledge the fact that Christ had both divine and human principles in him.
• The open palm symbolizes the wounds of Christ. To be more precise, it is not the palm itself, but the fingers of the hand, which, with this version of the application of the cross, are in a straightened position.

How are Greek Catholics and Jews baptized?

Speaking about Catholics, it should be noted that there are Roman Catholics and Greek Catholics. Both those and others have something in common and different.

• Greek Catholics recognize the Pope as the visible head of the Church and identify themselves as part of the Roman Catholic Church.
• It should be said that the Greek Catholics have much in common with the Orthodox, including the method of applying the cross.
• They cross with their right hand, while with the hand they draw the cross in this way: from top to bottom, from right to left.
• Also, the Greek Catholics and the Orthodox have a common addition of fingers. When baptized, the fingers are folded in this way: the first 3 fingers are connected together, and the little and ring fingers are pressed to the palm of the hand.
• Representatives of this movement, living in the West of Ukraine, often make other movements during baptism. For example, a hand movement is made that marks the pierced rib of Christ.
• If, for comparison, we take the Roman Catholics, then they apply the sign of the cross differently. Movements are derived from the head to the womb, and then from the left shoulder to the right. In this case, the fingers are folded in different ways. This is both two-finger and three-finger addition.

Now let's talk about the Jews:

• To begin with, the traditional religion of this people is Judaism.
• The words "Jew" and "Jew" are very similar and today in many languages ​​of the world have the same meaning. However, in our country it is generally accepted that “Jew” is still a nationality, and “Jew” is a professed religion.
• Before answering the question "How are Jews baptized?" let's talk a little about what the "cross" symbol itself means to them. By the way, it would be more expedient to ask the question "Are Jews baptized at all?"
• So, in ancient times, the Jews associated the cross with fear, punishment and death itself. While for Christians, the cross is the main symbol that can protect and protect from misfortune and misfortune.
• Today, Jews recognize the sacred cross, but they attach a slightly different meaning to it. For them, it is a symbol of the Savior's rebirth. By and large, the cross does not carry such importance (as with Christians), therefore, accordingly, there is no need to impose a sign on yourself. This suggests that the Jews are not baptized at all.

Why are Orthodox Christians and Catholics baptized differently: Orthodox from right to left, and Catholics from left to right?

Earlier we touched on this issue a little. The thing is that Catholics and Orthodox Christians put a slightly different meaning in the sign of the cross, respectively, and the implementation of the procedure is different.

• We also clarify that for a long time Catholics could be baptized in different ways, that is, from left to right and from right to left. However, in 1570 such freedom of choice was suppressed. Since then, Catholics have been banned from using one of the options. The left-to-right option remained allowed.
• Moving their hand while drawing the cross from right to left, the Orthodox ask for God's blessing. Movements in this direction always mean something that comes from the Savior. Since the right side of a person is taken for the side of God, then movements from this side are considered victorious over evil and unclean.
• Catholics, however, making movements from left to right, as if expressing their appeal to God. Moreover, their application of the cross according to such a scheme means nothing more than a movement from everything sinful, dark and evil to light, good and moral.
• Both versions of the procedure carry only a positive message, but they are interpreted slightly differently.

What is the difference between how Catholics and Orthodox are baptized?

Based on the information presented earlier, the answer to this question can be quite simple.

• Both are Christians. Despite this, there are many things in common and different between them. One of the things that is different for the two beliefs is the way the sign of the cross is applied.
• Orthodox Christians always do it only from the right shoulder to the left during the raising of the cross, while representatives of other beliefs do it the other way around. Why it happens this way, we figured out a little earlier.
• Further, if the Orthodox fold their fingers in basically one way - three fingers are connected by a bundle and two are pressed to the inside of the palm, then Catholics can do it in completely different ways. Variants of such folds of fingers and hands were also discussed earlier.
• That is, the difference lies only in the trajectory along which the hand moves and in what way the fingers are folded.

This topic is very relevant and interesting, you can talk about the differences in the imposition of the cross for a very long time, just as you can argue about the correctness of this process. However, we would like to draw attention to a slightly different point, which in our opinion is no less important: remember, it is important not only how you are baptized, but also what meaning you put into this action.

Video: Why Are Orthodox Christians and Catholics Baptized Differently?

The sign of the Cross has a deep symbolic meaning and is capable of working miracles, protecting the believer and attracting the Lord's Grace to him. The sign should be made with deep and sincere faith in the heart, firmly knowing how to be baptized in Orthodoxy correctly, so as not to violate the canons of the church that have evolved over many centuries.

At the dawn of Christianity, it was customary to cross with the right hand, alternately touching with one finger first to the middle of the forehead, then to the left and right side of the chest and finally to the lips... The sign of the Cross was performed at every Mass, before the reading of the Holy Scriptures. Subsequently, several interconnected fingers began to be used, and sometimes the entire palm.

With the emergence and development of Orthodoxy, the laws that determine how to be baptized have changed. At first, it was believed that when applying the cross, one should touch the forehead, left, right shoulder and the navel with the middle and forefingers, but in 1551 it was decided to move the fourth point to the chest, since it is in this part of the human body that the heart is located.

In the middle of the 17th century, for the first time, crossing, they began to use three fingers, which were applied alternately to the forehead, shoulders, and stomach. All who violated this law and did not want to be baptized correctly were considered apostates, and only a few decades later the church allowed believers to be baptized with two or three fingers.

The canons of the modern church clearly define how Orthodox Christians can be baptized correctly. For this, the index, thumb and middle fingers of the right hand are used, which are touched by:

When Orthodox Christians are baptized, the ring finger and little finger of their right hand should be tightly pressed against the palm. When the sign of the cross is imposed and the hand is lowered, a deep bow follows, accompanied by the word "Amen," and gratitude to the Lord for the blessings sent down is offered up. You cannot bow during the imposition of the cross, because at this time the cross, mentally drawn on the human body, breaks.

It is important to monitor your own posture: the person should stand upright, the back is straight, the shoulders are straightened, the head is held high. The eyes look straight ahead, all movements are performed solemnly, without fussiness and haste.

Orthodox Christians should not only know how to be baptized correctly, but also understand the deep symbolic meaning of this ritual. Three fingers folded into a pinch are the personification of faith in the Holy Trinity, and the remaining fingers pressed to the palm mean the unity of the divine and human nature of Christ. The sign of the cross itself is a symbol of the Cross of the Lord and the believer's involvement in his Resurrection.

How to baptize another person

The sign of the cross has sacred power even when a believer puts it on someone else. You need to know how the Orthodox are baptized in this case.

In families of believers, it is customary that parents bless their child by placing a cross on him to protect the child from harm. A blessing is invested not only with faith in the Lord, but also with parental love, so it has tremendous spiritual power. If the ritual is performed correctly:

• The child turns to face the mother or father.
• With his right hand, with three fingers clasped together, the believer touches his forehead, then belly and shoulders, from right to left.
• Fulfilling the sign, a short prayer is said, then the child bows.

If a believer wants to baptize someone with his back to him, the actions are performed in the same order as the person himself would perform them.

How to bless food

Before a meal, a prayer of thanks is always said and the food on the table is consecrated by the imposition of a cross. To avoid mistakes when performing the ritual, you should:

• Put on the table all the dishes that make up the meal.
• Stand facing the icon that is hung near the table and say a prayer.
• Looking straight ahead, cross the table and everything on it with your right hand, directing your fingers alternately to the farthest point of the table, to the nearest, to its left and right sides.

The knowledge of how to properly be baptized by the Orthodox in the church, so as not to commit sacrilegious mistakes, is necessary for every believer. At the same time, it is important not only to correctly perform the sign, but also to have a good idea of ​​when to do it, and when it is necessary and can be limited to a bow:

Anyone who has firmly grasped the rules of conduct in the church knows what to say at the entrance to the church, when and how to be baptized, when and what prayers to say, at what moments to bow, will never get into an awkward position. New converts who have entered the church for the first time are encouraged to move with dignity, without fuss and haste, observe other parishioners, adopting their behavior and listening to what and how they say.

An attentive person will quickly understand how to be baptized by the Orthodox in the church, since there are strict canons, violation of which is considered sacrilege, and every believer obeys them. In particular:

It is important to understand the deep meaning of the sign, to realize the importance of this short procedure. It should be done without haste, with faith in the Lord.

Blasphemous is considered negligence when applying the cross, haste, performing it with the palm of your hand or without touching the body. It is believed that in this way a person demonstrates a lack of respect for the Holy Trinity, and with his behavior pleases the forces of Evil.

You need to know not only how to be baptized in the church, but also when and how to do it at home. The believer must sign himself with the cross every day, openly declaring his faith in the Savior:

It is not necessary to accompany each time the application of the cross with a long and detailed prayer, it is enough just to thank God. The main thing is to know firmly how Orthodox Christians need to be baptized, and also to remember that the words of prayer should come from the heart, and not be a simple convention and a tribute to traditions: only then will the life-giving cross gain strength and be able to protect the believer from troubles and misfortunes.

Passing near the church, we see people who stop, cross themselves, bow, whisper something and move on. We are witnessing a religious action that has deep meaning. The man was baptized - he sanctified his soul, mind and body, attracted God's Grace to himself.

To be baptized correctly is a whole science, you need to learn it and try not to make mistakes. So, how to baptize Orthodox Christians correctly: from right to left or left to right, what rules exist and much more - further.

It is interesting! In Christian history, several ways of the sign of the cross are known: two (Old Believers), three and five fingers.

After the reforms carried out in the distant 17th century by Patriarch Nikon, Orthodox believers began to use three fingers instead of two fingers, that is, they use 3 fingers for baptism. If, due to illness, a person's right hand does not work (paralyzed, amputated), then it is not forbidden to be baptized with the left.

Before being baptized, you must fold your fingers correctly. Even here it makes sense. Three fingers - middle, index and thumb - are the undivided Trinity - God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. Therefore, they are folded together with pillows, and to emphasize that they are equal, all fingers are located at the same level. The little finger and ring finger, bent towards the palm, symbolize the two natures of Christ - the Divine and the human.

There are several basic rules on how to properly be baptized by the Orthodox (from right to left or left to right) and how to perform this action:

• all Orthodox Christians are baptized from right to left;
• a person who has made a cross over himself should not be in a hurry;
• first, he touches the forehead with three joined fingers, which means sanctification of the mind and says "In the name of the Father";
• then he moves his hand to the womb, sanctifies the heart and feelings and says “and the Son”;
• then - to the right and left shoulder, sanctifies bodily powers and says "and the Holy Spirit."

So, a person depicts the Calvary Cross on himself and testifies to his readiness to get rid of sins, sinful thoughts and asks for God's mercy. How to paint for Easter.

Important! The lower end of the cross should not be placed on the chest, otherwise an inverted cross will result.

After the sign of the cross, bows are usually made. Many believers at this stage make the mistake of not finishing being baptized and immediately begin to bow. Thus, they break the cross that has just been imposed on themselves and commit sacrilege.

Important! Only after the right hand is lowered down can bows be made.

When and where to be baptized

Where and how Orthodox Christians can be baptized correctly (from right to left or left to right), there is only one answer - of course, in the church. If there is a service, look at the priest and start baptizing with him. If at the beginning and at the end of the prayer every believer understands that it is necessary to be baptized, then during it not everyone knows where it is necessary to overshadow themselves with the sign of the cross. They are also required to be baptized at the entrance to the temple and when they approach the shrine, before being attached to the cross, icon, holy relics.

Important! On the threshold of the church, an Orthodox person must cross himself three times and bow three times in the belt.

An Orthodox person is baptized in various life situations: in the morning after waking up and at night before going to bed, before the start of a meal and at the end of a meal, with joyful and sad events, at the beginning and end of a new business, passing near a temple or church. After the sign of the cross, having said “In the Name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit,” they bow down to thank God for his favor.

Important! When you cross, your hands should be without gloves or mittens. for Easter.

Why Orthodox Christians are baptized from right to left

It is believed that paradise is located to the right of a person. The guardian angel, which guards a person all his life, is on the right shoulder. On the left side is hell, with devils sitting on the shoulder. That is why, since ancient times, in order not to jinx, we spit three times over our left shoulder.

This is precisely the answer to the question of how to properly baptize Orthodox Christians from right to left or left to right (the video can be seen in the article). When a person makes a gesture from right to left, then he asks the Almighty to protect his soul from temptations and save it from hell, reckon it with the fate of the saved and deliver from the fate of the perishing.

Interesting! Catholic Christians cross from left to right with the palm of their hand. Five fingers symbolize the five wounds of Christ. we offer the most delicious.

It is believed that the sign of the cross reminds a person:

• about the immeasurable love of God for all mankind. But a person himself should not forget about his duty of love not only to God, but also to other people;
• about the insignificance of everything earthly - this is all vanity, temporary and transitory, in comparison with what is prepared for the believer in the Kingdom of Heaven by the Savior;
• that God is everywhere. His presence is gracious, and His Power is Almighty.

It must be remembered that the sign of the cross is not just a ritual, it is a small sacred act that must be performed reverently, with meaningfulness and sincere gratitude to God.