When an adult is baptized. How the rite of baptism of an adult is carried out by the Orthodox

Baptism is the first and one of the most important Christian rites.

If a person, for some reason, was not baptized in infancy, then at a conscious age he may face questions: how is the baptism of an adult person going, what needs to be done for this, what are the rules.

What is baptism

First you need to figure out what kind of ceremony it is. This is a sacred sacrament in which a believer with a call addressed to the name of the Holy Trinity - to the Lord, the Son and the Holy Spirit, after three times immersion in water is washed from all sins that he committed before Baptism, as well as from the original sin (the sin of his ancestors ). The meaning of the Sacrament is that through this sacred action a person dies for a sinful and carnal life and is reborn for a spiritual one.

It is important to remember that the reason for baptism must be a pure intent to live a Christian life, not an attempt to find good fortune, solve personal problems, or find any earthly benefits. To accept the Sacrament, a person must have the right faith, the desire to voluntarily and consciously live in a Christian way, and also sincerely repent of his sins.

Baptism of an adult in a church

It is worth saying that a person is considered an adult from the age of 14, and a person can be baptized at any age. In ancient times, people who wanted to be baptized were given a period of catechumens, and they were declared catechumens. Before being baptized, an adult had to diligently prepare for the ceremony: study the basics of Christianity, read a lot and, before passing a kind of exam in knowledge of religion, attend services without fail. Thus, the catechumens were introduced to the life of the church, and only the priests decided whether the catechuchman was ready for baptism. Today, the rules for conducting the Sacrament are different from those that were before.

Godparents are not needed when baptizing an adult... Since an adult makes a choice to embark on the path of Orthodoxy independently and consciously, he must, of his own free will, expand his knowledge of Orthodoxy. And also during the Sacrament of Baptism, a person himself is able to answer the questions of the priest and read prayers. However, if the baptized person has the opportunity and desire to invite experienced mentors to the Sacrament who will help him in the churching, in the form of godparents, this is not prohibited.

The ceremony can take place on any day, including during fasting.... But from a technical point of view, baptism into fasting is not always possible. Due to the fact that on weekdays the Lent services are rather long in time, in some churches during Lent they are baptized only on Saturdays and Sundays. In any case, when planning a baptism, it is worth discussing whether it is possible to baptize in fasting, it is in the temple where the ceremony will be performed.

All close families, including unbaptized ones, can attend the ceremony. Only the question arises: why? If unbaptized people themselves did not accept Christ into their hearts, how can they help and inspire those who enter the Orthodox faith?

The whole the baptismal ceremony takes 1-1.5 hours on average... The time may differ depending on the specific temple and the priest who will conduct the sacrament, therefore, how long the baptism lasts in a particular temple, again, can be clarified when planning the sacrament.

The ceremony can take place both in the church and at home. There are no special canons in the Orthodox Church that would prohibit baptism at home. A few centuries ago, the Sacrament took place much more often at home. This had its own reasons: peasant families were mainly large, families had 9-15 children, and the mother's body simply did not have time to recover after childbirth. This led to the fact that younger children were born weak and often unviable. In such cases, when the road to the temple could lead to a deterioration in the condition or death of a child, the priest was invited home.

Preparing for the ceremony

First of all, you need to talk to the priest in the church... It is best to wait until the end of the service and ask the clergyman to speak with you. It is necessary to prepare for the meeting: read the Gospel in order to learn about the life of Christ, be sure to memorize the main prayers ("Our Father", "Virgin Mary, rejoice" and "Symbol of Faith"), study Christian teaching and understand its essence.

Most likely, there will be several meetings with the priest. The priest must make sure that you are serious about your intentions and that you are ready to be baptized. There are no rules governing how many meetings there should be. But, as a real psychologist, the priest understands that it is difficult to see a person the first time, therefore, as a rule, at least three audiences take place. During the audience, you can ask all your questions about Christianity, talk about God and his role in life, find out how baptism is going on. It is important to be sincere and honest in answering questions.

How much is baptism worth asking only after the priest has made a decision. You can ask either the priest himself, or in the church shop, also in some churches there is a price list. In most churches this service is free, and only donations are accepted, in other cases the cost is on average (in Moscow) 2-4 thousand rubles.

Before baptism, fasting is required, which involves the rejection of meat and dairy products, eggs, alcoholic and tobacco products for three days to a month. And also during the fast, it is necessary to abstain from fun and intimate relationships, make peace with everyone with whom you were in a quarrel, and confess. On the eve of baptism, from midnight you must not eat and drink water.

Both men and women need to have for Baptism:

• A baptismal gown (it should be white, a baptismal gown for men resembles a long shirt, for women - a dress). The shirt after the ceremony cannot be washed and worn in everyday life. It is believed to be worn during a severe illness to aid recovery.
• Towel (it should also be new, white and preferably large).
• Slides or open slippers (it is necessary that the feet are open).
• Pectoral cross on a chain or string. It is important to remember that after the sacrament of baptism it cannot be removed, only on the basis of medical indications.

The baptism of women also takes place according to the following rules:

The practice of baptizing adults may differ from one temple to another. In some churches, the baptismal font is fenced off with a screen, and in this case the immersion takes place without clothes, and the priest sees only the head of the person being baptized. During the planning of baptism, you can find out all the details of the ceremony in the church shop.

How the Sacrament takes place

The adult baptism process is as follows:

After the Sacrament of Baptism, the Christian's habitual life must change. This means that a person must begin to fulfill the commandments of the Lord, live correctly, give up certain habits, think about his actions, change his attitude towards others.

Rebaptism

Baptism can be carried out on a person only once in a lifetime, since it was already mentioned above, baptism is related to birth, and a person can be born only once. People wonder if it is possible to be baptized a second time, because they believe in completely absurd and occult things, for example, that the second baptism will help remove damage, curse, evil eye. With the help of a repeated rite, they want to solve family or life problems. Sometimes people think that if they cross themselves in another name, then ill-wishers will not be able to damage them. These terrible superstitions are instilled in people by sorcerers and psychics who cover up their evil deeds with Orthodoxy.

The desire or action to be baptized a second time is a great sin and blasphemy, and from the standpoint of church canons it is unacceptable. In addition, it will not save a person from problems, will not protect from ill-wishers and will not bring good luck, but rather the opposite, since a sinful action never adds happiness.

The baptism of an adult has a number of features, both spiritual and organizational.

The most important thing is that there should be an understanding of why Baptism is being accepted. Before the Sacrament, the passage of catechumens is obligatory. Moreover, it is not so much the godparents who should listen to them, but the baptized himself.

By the way, it is not necessary for an adult to look for godparents, because he does not need to vouch for him before the Lord, he himself understands the full responsibility that the life of a Christian implies. However, if there are church-going friends who will help to take the first steps in Orthodoxy, no one will object.

An adult must definitely prepare for the Sacrament of Baptism: observe fasting for at least three days. This means, do not eat meat, dairy food, do not drink alcohol, do not smoke. It is necessary to make peace with those with whom you were in a quarrel. Try to refrain from recreational activities, married also from marital relations.

The baptized person needs to know the basic prayers: "Our Father", "Symbol of Faith", "Virgin Mary". The order of the Sacrament is also desirable in order to understand the meaning of what is happening.

Christening clothes for adults

If we talk about the "outer" part of Baptism, then for an adult you will need:

• christening clothes (for men it is a long white shirt, for women a long white shirt and a scarf)
• large (if Baptism by immersion) and / or small towel (for hair or if Baptism by douche)
• spare underwear for Epiphany through immersion in the baptismal font
• slippers, clean or new
• cross on a long string

Let us draw your attention to the fact that in different churches there are different traditions of conducting the very rite of Baptism. For example, there is a practice when the baptized person is immersed in the baptismal font immediately in the baptismal clothes. Then he can wipe himself off with a towel, throw a small sheet over his shoulders. Until the end of the Sacrament, a person does not change into ordinary clothes. (Alternatively, in this case, it is allowed to take another set of baptismal clothes with you in order to take off the wet and change into dry clothes. As a result, the person keeps both baptismal gowns as a "shrine" in which he was baptized).

In other churches, the baptized person plunges into the font in linen, a screen obscures him. After a person leaves the font, he wipes himself off with a towel and puts on baptismal clothes. There are parishes in which baptism takes place through head-pouring. Therefore, you need to know in advance how the Baptism will be carried out in your church.

In any case, you will need baptismal clothing. It must be absolutely white. This is a symbol of purity, coming to the Lord and faith.

A large towel will also come in handy to dry off after the hot tub. And also small. It can be used by women with long hair to put it neatly over their shoulders without getting their clothes wet.

Do not forget that during Baptism a person must have “freely available” legs so that the priest can anoint them with holy oil, so the option with slippers is very convenient.

As for the pectoral cross, you can purchase it in advance. Not necessarily in this temple. You can go to any church shop or store. The main thing is that the cross is Orthodox. If it is not consecrated, inform the priest about it before Baptism. He will be able to consecrate him before the ceremony.

And yet the most important thing in preparing for the Baptism of an adult is the understanding that the Christian life after Baptism is just beginning for you!

Baptism Shirts for Women

A woman in the temple should be with her head covered and without makeup: kissing a cross with lipstick on her lips is prohibited. Clothes should be modest, clean, tidy. After the font, you will need a baptismal shirt - an ankle-length shirt with sleeves below the elbow. In many temples, the immersion itself is carried out in it, so it is important to choose products from non-translucent fabric.

The shirts presented in our online store "Baptism" and the showroom in Moscow are always available in sizes from 38 to 56. For the font, we recommend choosing models from softened blended linen, which has a good density, does not shine through, is pleasant to the body, allows the skin breathe freely.

The "Lily" shirt stands out among linen products. Inserts with floral lace on the sleeves and hem. The cutout on the chest is decorated with a white-peach ornament with lilies, and a cross with curly lily flowers is embroidered on the back. You can choose a linen headscarf with lilies embroidered in the same range for the shirt.

A budget model made of coarse calico (100% servants) - shirt "Lyudmila". The design of the shirt is completely done in white: on the chest with an equilateral cross and floral ornaments. The hem of the sleeve and hem is decorated with openwork cotton lace. The color of the embroidery can be any, except for gold and silver, which must additionally be covered with a lining. When wet, the fabric shines through, so we recommend prying on underwear or a long T-shirt.

Men's Christening Shirts

In the temple, a man should dress modestly, adhering to a calm color scheme. T-shirts, shorts, tracksuits are not allowed. Traditionally, after the holy font, a man dresses in a long, loose-fitting white baptismal shirt.

We offer models from natural linen and coarse calico (100% cotton). The fabrics absorb moisture well, are pleasant to the body, do not irritate the skin. Shirts are presented in sizes from 46 to 56. The service of tailoring products to order is also available, according to your individual parameters.

The Vladimir shirt is popular among linen models. It is decorated with a grapevine pattern on the chest, a flourishing cross-vine is embroidered on the back. Colored embroidery with a smooth viscose thread looks expressive and harmonious on a white canvas. In the set you can pick up a flourishing cross terry towel.

An economical version of coarse calico - a shirt "George". At the neck, it is decorated with Orthodox embroidery with a curling vine in beige and green tones. A cross entwined with a vine is embroidered on the back. Combines with the Twisted Cross Terry Towel. On the towel under the cross, you can additionally embroider the name or date of the christening.

Baptism- this is a new birth for the spiritual life in which a person can attain the Kingdom of Heaven. It is called a sacrament because through it, in an incomprehensible way for us, the invisible saving power of God - grace - acts on the baptized person.

Some people ask, is it not better to postpone Baptism until the time when the child can consciously say that he believes in God? Not better. Indeed, in the Sacrament of Baptism, the child receives a special grace that will help him in life. He becomes a member of the Church and can therefore be a participant in the Holy Sacraments. Including the Sacraments of the Eucharist - to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

Each person, if possible, should have godparents. Moreover, children should have godparents, because they are baptized according to the faith of their parents and recipients.

Godparents (Orthodox, baptized) should not be husband and wife or young people wishing to marry each other. The spiritual relationship established between recipients in the sacrament of baptism is higher than any other union, even marriage. Therefore, spouses cannot become godparents of one child. By doing so, they will question the possibility of the continued existence of their marriage. But alone, they may well be godparents of different children from the same family. Those who intend to marry cannot become godparents. becoming recipients, they will have a spiritual degree of kinship that is higher than the bodily one. They will have to end their relationship and limit themselves only to spiritual kinship.

Grandfathers, grandmothers, uncles and aunts may well become godparents with their little relatives. There are no contradictions to this in the church canons. But they shouldn't be married to each other.

Church rules prescribe for a child to have a recipient of the same sex as the person being baptized. That is, for a boy - a man, and for a girl - 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 will have a recipient of a different sex than the person being baptized. The main thing is that this is a truly religious person who subsequently conscientiously fulfills his duties to bring up a child in the Orthodox faith. Thus, the baptized person can have one or, at most, two recipients.

If necessary, an adult can be baptized without godparents since he has a conscious faith in God and is quite capable of independently uttering 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 young children. The godparents do it all for them. But in case of extreme need, you can baptize a child without recipients. Such a need, undoubtedly, can be the complete absence of worthy godparents.

The shrine of God requires special purity from a person. One must appear for Baptism as clean and tidy as possible. Women in monthly uncleanness do not approach the baptismal font and cannot be godparents until the end of these days. In addition, women come to baptism without cosmetics and jewelry, in headscarves, and preferably not in trousers. All Orthodox Christians who come for baptism must wear crosses.

Before baptism, preparatory (clerical) conversations are held, which are mandatory, and without them Baptism is not performed.

You must come on time to the beginning of the sacrament.

In our church the sacrament of Baptism is performed on Saturday and v Sundayat 11.00, entry at the icon shop at 10.30.

An adult being baptized must have a passport with him, and for the baptism of a child, a baptismal certificate

You will also need to baptize your child:

Cross with white tape,

The baptismal white shirt, in which the child will be dressed during baptism,

Towel or diaper,

Spare clothes for babies.

It is advisable for children from three years not to drink or eat.

To baptize an adult you will need:

Cross with white braid or chain

For men - a white shirt, for women a white shirt. During baptism, the baptized person puts on new white clothes, a cross is put on him.

Towel and sheet

Spare underwear,

Slippers.

Adults who are baptized on the eve of Epiphany after 12 o'clock at night do not drink or eat, if possible, observe fasting before baptism for 2-3 days. On the very day of Epiphany, in the morning, do not eat, drink or smoke; those living in marriage on the night before should refrain from conjugal intercourse.

On the days before accepting the Sacrament, you need to read the Gospel and books that explain Christian dogmas, for example, the Law of God. Know that these days are special, so you should not scatter your attention to other, even very important issues. Avoid vanity, empty conversations, watching TV, do not participate in various amusements, for what you will receive is great and holy, and everything that is holy of God is received with the greatest awe and reverence.

This sacrament consists of the Announcement (reading of special prayers - "prohibitions" over those who are preparing for baptism), renunciation of Satan and unification with Christ, that is, union with Him, and the confession of the Orthodox faith. Here, for the baby, the corresponding words should be pronounced by the godparents.

Immediately after the end of the Proclamation, the Baptism begins. The most noticeable and important moment is the three-time immersion of the baby in the font with the uttering of the words: “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 new white clothes, a cross is put on him.

Immediately after this, another Sacrament is performed - Confirmation, in which the baptized one, when the body parts are sanctified by the World, are anointed in the name of the Holy Spirit, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are given, strengthening him in spiritual life. After that, the priest and godparents walk around the font three times with the newly baptized as a sign of the spiritual joy of union with Christ for eternal life in the Heavenly Kingdom. Then an excerpt from the Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Romans is read, dedicated to the theme of baptism, and an excerpt from the Gospel of Matthew - about the message of the Lord Jesus Christ of the apostles for the worldwide preaching of faith with the command to baptize all nations in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Then the priest is washed from the body of the baptized with a special sponge dipped in holy water, with the uttering of the words: “Thou art justified. Thou art enlightened. Thou art sanctified. You have washed yourself in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. Thou art baptized. Thou art enlightened. Thou art anointed. Thou art 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 crosswise (on four sides) with the words: "The servant (a) of God (name) is tonsured in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen", folds his hair on a wax cake and lowers it into the font. The tonsure symbolizes obedience to God and at the same time marks the small sacrifice that the newly baptized one brings to God in thanksgiving for the beginning of a new, spiritual life. After the petition for the godparents and the newly baptized one has been pronounced, the Sacrament of Baptism ends.

Usually, this is immediately followed by churching, marking the first offering to the temple. The baby, taken by the priest in his arms, sweeps through the temple, is brought to the Royal Doors and brought into the altar (only boys), after which it is given to the parents. Churching symbolizes the dedication of an infant to God according to the Old Testament model.

After baptism, the infant should be given the Holy Communion.

And God grant us to walk the path of our Christian life with dignity.
But do not forget that baptism is just the beginning.
We know that the birth of a child is only the beginning of his life. He can "take place" as a person, or he can skip and waste his life uselessly.
That's how baptism is. It opens new horizons, calls for a new life, but this new life must be lived. One must "realize" oneself, one must be spiritually fulfilled.
God help you!

Baptism is one of the seven ordinances of the Christian church. This solemn act plays a huge role in the life of a believer. It has a cleansing meaning, as a result of which a person seems to die 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 from the sin given to him at birth. Any sins committed before baptism are forgiven for an adult.

A tribute to fashion or a dictate 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, why.

Often in conversations at the everyday level one can hear the 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 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 obey 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 heavy suffering on the cross, died, rose again and ascended to God. With his life, he showed people the way of salvation, the way by which they can come to God. But for this you need to die and be resurrected with Jesus. The sacrament of baptism just symbolizes these actions.

To be baptized or not 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”, having no desire in his soul to subordinate his life to the service of God.

The priests claim that it is possible to perform the ceremony without the faith of the person being baptized in God, but it will cost nothing. If after baptism a person does not begin to 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 subject themselves to the rite of baptism in order to acquire, in their opinion, certain benefits for themselves. For example: improve your health, improve your financial situation, protect yourself from damage, the evil eye. This is absolutely unacceptable. After all, the essence of baptism is to give oneself to God completely and infinitely, and not to wait for "manna from heaven" from him.

Preparation period

Adults turn to the Russian Orthodox Church with a request for baptism. Therefore, preparation for baptism is significantly different from the ritual for infants, because an important decision is made for the child by his parents, and the formed personality is responsible for his actions. Priests are not indifferent to knowing what is behind a person's desire to be baptized.

In the old days, people who applied to the church for baptism were declared catechumens. Their preparation for the day of baptism took more than one day.... During this period, they read a lot, attended church, studied the basics of Christianity. And only the clergy decided whether a person was ready to perform the ceremony. In fact, the catechumens were gradually introduced to the life of the church.

Today, priests are also doing preparatory work with those who have expressed a desire to undergo the sacrament of baptism. When people ask the questions: "How to carry out Baptism?", "What is needed for the Baptismal ceremony of an adult?"

Steps to achieve what you want

There is no need to expect that the priest will be gentle and affectionate, his goal is to understand a person's readiness to be baptized. ... The main thing is to stand your ground, answer sincerely and without concealment.... The first meeting may be unsuccessful, and he will schedule several more audiences. As a true psychologist, the priest understands that at the first meeting it is impossible to understand the human essence. To establish the truth, follow-up conversations are needed. How many of them there will be - the priest will decide.

In conversations with the priest, those who wish to be baptized will receive answers to incomprehensible questions regarding the Christian religion. With him, you can clarify 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.

Rewarding Receiving God's Grace

Temples do not charge a fee for conducting rituals. There is only a donation to the needs of the church, which is collected in special boxes. Its value depends on the desire and capabilities of people, it can be pennies or thousands. Check with the candle shop or church workers for details.

But this is not the case everywhere. Some churches have a fixed price list for various services. In them you can find out how much the required procedure costs. Trade in temples is not encouraged by the Bible, but in order to survive in difficult times, clergy have to turn a blind eye to this disagreeable business. Although the funds raised are mainly used to help the poor, the repair of church buildings, the construction of new churches.

Required information

There are nuances that you need to pay attention to:

Preparing for the sacrament

Before the ceremony must comply at least for the last three days. It involves giving up meat, dairy products, eggs, alcoholic beverages, and smoking.

This time would not hurt to spend reading the Gospel, the Law of God, Psalms, prayers. It is worth giving up a fun pastime, watching TV, spouses need to refrain from intimate relationships.

Before being baptized, must make peace with all enemies, confess.

On the eve of baptism, starting from midnight, there should be no poppy dewdrops in your mouth.

Important attributes

Adult men and women need to have baptismal gown, towel, open slippers, pectoral cross on a chain or string.

Clothes and towel should be white. For men, it is a long shirt, and for women, a long, night-like, long-sleeved shirt or dress. These clothes are not worn in everyday life or washed. It is believed that she has the ability to help in times of serious illness, if you dress her 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 puts it on the neck of the baptized person, it is impossible to remove the symbol of faith, unless there is a medical indication for this.

Instead of slippers, flip-flops are suitable so that the feet are open during the sacrament.

Features of baptism of women

Women and girls are in the temple with their heads covered... This speaks of humility before God and men. Clothes should be modest, clean, tidy. Cosmetics and jewelry are prohibited.

The ceremony is not performed if the woman has periods. This question is discussed with the priest in advance in order to choose the right day.

When immersed in water, the baptismal gown will get wet and, most likely, will show through. To avoid an embarrassing moment, you can wear a swimsuit under it..

Baptism of an adult

After the completion of all actions, the rite of chrismation takes place, when on the body of the baptized the priest makes signs in the form of crosses with the words "Seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit." Then the priest, together with the baptized one, go around the baptismal font three times, this symbolizes eternity.

Finally, the hair is cut- this means that the new Christian is given to God's will.

After baptism, the life of a new member of the Holy Church changes dramatically. The person has made a commitment to keep the commandments of the Lord. This will bring certain changes to the usual life. You will have to give up many habits, control your actions, change, if necessary, the attitude towards others. But don't be intimidated by the changes. There is a lot of light and joyful things in the Christian faith.

Not so long ago, some 15 years ago, in many churches, especially large city ones, almost every Sunday one could observe an amazing picture: the rite of mass Baptism. Sometimes up to 100 people were baptized at a time. Whole families came to the temple. This could only be seen in the first centuries of Christianity, with only one "small" difference: then people understood well what they were doing. In our time, as it usually happens, people took the decision to be baptized spontaneously, for the company, and simply paying tribute to fashion.

Although today you probably will not see a mass Baptism, however, unfortunately, little has changed in the very attitude to the Sacrament. Not everyone knows what it really is. For many, it is still just a ceremony that supposedly has some kind of magical effect or simply identifies it by nationality: baptized means Russian. But it is gratifying that not everyone approaches this vital issue so lightly. This is evidenced by the incessant stream of questions coming to our diocesan website. It only remains to remind you that it already contains answers to many questions, and before asking your own, you need to look, perhaps someone has already asked about something similar.

Why be baptized?

The Sacrament of Baptism is one of the main Sacraments of the Orthodox Church. The Christian life of a person begins with him. The Sacrament of Baptism was established by the Lord Himself: Who is not born of water and the Spirit cannot enter the Kingdom of God(John. 3 , 5). The importance of this event is also evidenced by the fact that in Russia spiritual birth was considered more important than bodily, therefore many did not even remember when they were born, and celebrated not the birthday, but the day of the angel, or name day, - the day of remembrance of the saint whose name the person received at Baptism.

By accepting the Sacrament of Baptism, a person is freed from original sin and becomes a full member of the Church, that is, receives her prayer help. This is especially necessary, of course, for babies, since they are the least protected in our unstable time. But the main thing in this Sacrament is that a person is born for eternity, it becomes possible for him to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven in the future life. For a believer, bodily death is no longer death, but a dream (therefore, those who have died in Christ are called departed).

When is the Sacrament of Baptism performed?

The charter of the Orthodox Church permits the Sacrament of Baptism to be performed on any day of the year. However, each church has its own schedule of services, in which a strictly defined time can be allotted for Baptism. Therefore, a few days before the expected date of Baptism, you should contact the temple where you are going to perform this Sacrament, in order to find out everything that is necessary for this.

How can an adult be baptized and what is needed for this?

For an adult, the basis for receiving Baptism is faith. It is necessary to prepare for Baptism, to decide for yourself even before its adoption, very important, in fact, the most important questions in life: do you personally need it, are you ready? Anyone who comes to the baptismal font should not seek here exclusively earthly blessings: health, success, or solutions to family problems. The purpose of Baptism is union with God.

However, Baptism is only a generous pledge of our salvation. After performing the Sacrament, a person must begin a full-fledged church life: regularly visit the church, learn about divine services, pray and study the path of drawing closer to God with the help of the creations of those who have passed this path - the holy fathers. That is, to learn life in God. If this does not happen, then Baptism will not make any sense.

In ancient times, Epiphany was preceded by a rather long period (from forty days to several months, or even years) of catechumens - instructions in the faith. The person was gradually prepared to make a decision. Now in most churches for those who are preparing for the Sacrament of Baptism, preparatory talks are held, during which one can find out what the doctrine of the Orthodox Church consists of. If this practice is not adhered to in the church, you can and should talk with the priest about your decision, and he will be able to at least briefly talk about the essence of the Sacrament, answer questions, and advise what to read on this topic.

Before Epiphany, it is advisable to start attending the church (but not staying at the liturgy after the words “catechumens, go out” have been pronounced): there you can not only see how the services are held, but also get acquainted with believers who will help in acquiring the necessary knowledge. We must try to learn as much as possible about this Sacrament, start reading Orthodox literature. But first of all, you need to read the Gospel, best of all - from Matthew, since the Gospel is the very law that is vowed to be fulfilled during Baptism. Read Symbol of faith- this prayer is in any prayer book, try to study it, as it contains the confession of faith of an Orthodox Christian.

And one more thing: it is necessary to bring repentance for the whole life lived. Such a confession is essentially not a Sacrament, but it is an ancient practice that makes it possible to comprehend, understand your mistakes and try not to repeat them.

To carry out the Sacrament of Baptism, you need to have a consecrated cross on a chain (it is better to consecrate it in advance), a baptismal shirt (a new long white shirt, which must later be kept as a home shrine) and a towel, which will be needed after leaving the water.

When is the best time to baptize a newborn baby? And how is the newborn received the communion?

The rite of giving the name, which begins the Sacrament of Baptism, is usually performed on the 8th day after the birth of the baby. However, the Charter does not prohibit doing this on any of the previous days. Since the time for the cleansing of the child's mother lasts until the fortieth day, and she can enter the temple only after this period (subject to reading a special, so-called "fortieth" prayer), usually the Sacrament is performed on the fortieth day or a little later. Baptism should not be postponed until a later date, because the sooner a newborn baby becomes a member of the Church, the more he will be protected from the sin surrounding him and the evil that comes from sin.

The Orthodox Church believes that a newborn can and should be given communion, and as often as possible. The Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ is not food in the usual sense of the word. A person takes communion not to feed his flesh, but exclusively to establish an essential connection with the Lord. The Rule provides for the communion of infants only with the Blood of Christ, which is why they can be communed only at the full Divine Liturgy, but not at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, which is served on Wednesdays and Fridays during Great Lent.

The reality of communion does not depend on the number of the Holy Gifts offered to the communion. Therefore, all the fullness of Divine grace becomes the property of the child, who is communed with the Blood of Christ, given under the guise of such an insignificant amount of wine that it will not harm his health in any way.

How to choose a name for a child?

The name of a Christian is sacred. The naming of a name establishes a special connection between the baptized, that is, the person who has joined the Church, and the saint whose name has been chosen. This saint becomes the heavenly patron of the baptized. To him, after the Lord Jesus Christ and the Mother of God, is most often addressed with a prayer by a believer. The Orthodox Church does not impose any restrictions on the choice of a name for a child, as long as it is the name of a saint revered by the Church. Lists of saints, which are called saints, will help you to choose a name. They are usually printed at the end of church calendars.

It may happen that several saints bore the name of your choice. In this case, it is useful to read their lives and choose the name of the saint whose life touched you the most.

In the past, there was a tradition according to which a child was named after a saint whose memory is commemorated on the child's birthday or on one of the days closest to him. This tradition is good because rare, sometimes almost forgotten names again became alive and loved.

If the child has already received a name that is not in the calendar, at Baptism he will be given another, most often consonant with the secular.

Is it possible to baptize a child at home and how much does it cost?

In churches there is no price for the sacrament of Baptism, there is a recommended donation amount. And if people who want to receive Baptism do not have the necessary means, then this Sacrament, of course, must be performed free of charge. As for Baptism at home, it is justified and possible only when it comes to a seriously ill person who cannot get to the church himself. Children are brought to church by their relatives, and if the child does not have any diseases that threaten his life, then he must be baptized in the church.

How to prepare a preschool child for the Sacrament of Baptism?

At the age of 5–6 years, a child can easily learn what the meaning of the Sacrament of Baptism is. Before performing Baptism, the child should be introduced to the main content of the Gospel, at least in the volume of the children's Bible, to tell him about the earthly life of Christ, about His Divine-human dignity, about His commandments.

It is desirable that, before the sacrament of Baptism, the child repeatedly visited an Orthodox church, including during a divine service. The kid must be gradually accustomed to the life of an Orthodox Christian so that he falls in love with the church, understands the purpose of the icons, knows who is depicted on them, what means a candle placed in front of the icon. The child must learn to pray for himself, for his parents, for his friends and relatives, for deceased relatives. Immediately before performing the Sacrament of Baptism, you must learn a few simple prayers with him: Jesus Prayer, Our Father, Virgin Mary, rejoice ...

It is said that parents should not be present at their child's christening. Is it so?

There are no rules prohibiting the presence of parents at the christening of their child. The opinion that parents should not be present at the Baptism of an infant probably developed for the following reasons: Baptism is a spiritual birth, and since during this spiritual birth there are recipients who become the child's spiritual parents, there is no need to be fleshly parents here. In addition, before the child was baptized almost immediately after birth, so the mother could not attend the christening "according to the ordinary law of cleansing."

Marina Novakova

From ancient times in the Orthodox Church there has been a custom dating back to the Apostolic times to have receivers at Baptism. They became the spiritual parents of the child and the spiritual relatives of his parents. More recently, godfather and godfather were practically a member of the family, their presence was mandatory during all significant family events. It is gratifying that nepotism in the good sense of the word is actively reviving today.

Why does a child need godparents and who can become godparents?

A child, especially a newborn baby, cannot say anything about his faith, cannot answer the priest's question whether he renounces Satan and is united with Christ, cannot understand the meaning of the Sacrament that is taking place. However, it is impossible to leave him outside the Church until he becomes an adult, since only in the Church there is the grace necessary for his proper growth, for the preservation of his physical and spiritual health. Therefore, the Church celebrates the Sacrament of Baptism over the infant and herself undertakes the obligation to educate him in the Orthodox faith. The church is made up of people. She carries out her obligation to properly educate a baptized child through those whom she calls recipients or godparents.

The main criterion for choosing a godfather or godmother should be whether this person will subsequently be able to help in a good, Christian upbringing perceived from the font, and not only in practical circumstances, as well as the degree of acquaintance and simply affection of the relationship.

Concern about expanding the circle of people who would seriously help the born child made it undesirable to invite the closest physical relatives as godfather and godfather. It was believed that they, and so, due to their natural relationship, will help the child. For the same reason, they tried to prevent brothers and sisters from having the same godfather. Therefore, native grandparents, brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts became receivers only as a last resort.

Now, when they are going to baptize a child, young parents often do not think about whom to choose godparents. They do not expect their child's godparents to take a serious part in his upbringing and invite them to be supporters of people who, due to their lack of rootedness in church life, cannot fulfill the duties of godparents. It also happens that people become godparents who are completely unaware that they are truly honored. Most often, the honorable right to be godparents is given to close friends or relatives, who, having performed simple actions during the performance of the Sacrament and having eaten all kinds of dishes at the festive table, rarely remember their duties, sometimes completely forgetting about the godchildren themselves.

However, when inviting godparents, you need to know that Baptism, according to the teaching of the Church, is a second birth, that is, “birth of water and the Spirit” (John 3: 5), which Jesus Christ spoke of as a necessary condition for salvation. If physical birth is a person's entry into the world, then Baptism becomes an entry into the Church. And the child in his spiritual birth is accepted by the recipients - new parents, guarantors before God for the faith of the new member of the Church they have accepted. Thus, only Orthodox, sincerely believing adults who are able to teach the godson the basics of faith can be the recipients (minors and mentally ill people cannot be godparents). But do not be afraid if, agreeing to become a godfather, you do not fully meet these high requirements. This event can be a wonderful occasion for self-education.

The Church considers spiritual kinship as real as natural kinship. Therefore, in the relationship of spiritual relatives, there are the same features as in relation to natural relatives. At present, the Russian Orthodox Church in the issue of marriages of spiritual relatives adheres only to the 63rd rule of the VI Ecumenical Council: marriages between the recipients and their godchildren, the recipients and the physical parents of the godson and the recipients among themselves are impossible. At the same time, the husband and wife are allowed to be the recipients of different children in the same family. Brother and sister, father and daughter, mother and son can be godparents of the same child.

The pregnancy of the godmother is a perfectly acceptable condition for participation in the Sacrament of Baptism.

What are the duties of godparents?

The obligations that recipients make before God are very serious. Therefore, godparents should understand what responsibility they are taking on. The godparents are obliged to teach their godchildren to resort to the saving Sacraments of the Church, mainly Confession and Communion, to give them knowledge about the meaning of worship, the peculiarities of the church calendar, about the blessed power of miraculous icons and other shrines. Godfathers should teach those they have received from the font to attend church services, fast and observe other provisions of the Church charter. But the main thing is that godparents should always pray for their godson.

Their duties also include taking care of protecting their godchildren from all kinds of temptations and temptations, which are especially dangerous in childhood and adolescence. Godmothers, knowing the abilities and character traits perceived by them from the font, can help them determine their path in life, give advice in choosing an education and a suitable profession. Advice in choosing a spouse is also important; according to the custom of the Russian Church, it is the godparents who prepare the wedding for their godson. And in general, in cases where physical parents do not have the opportunity to financially provide for their children, this responsibility is assumed primarily not by grandparents or other relatives, but by godparents.

A frivolous attitude to the duties of the godfather is a grave sin, since the fate of the godson depends on it. Therefore, you should not mindlessly agree to an invitation to become a recipient, especially if you already have one godson. Refusal to become godfather should also not be taken as an insult or disdain.

Is it worth agreeing to be a godfather if the child's parents are unchurched?

In this case, the need for a godfather increases, and his responsibility only increases. After all, otherwise how can a child come to the Church?

However, fulfilling the duty of the recipient, one should not reproach the parents for their frivolity and lack of faith. Patience, indulgence, love and continuous labor of spiritual education of a child can turn out to be irrefutable proof of the truth of Orthodoxy for his parents as well.

How many godfathers and mothers can a person have?

Church rules provide for the presence of one recipient (godfather) when performing the Sacrament of Baptism. For a boy to be baptized, this is a recipient (godfather), for a girl, a recipient (godmother).

But since the duties of the godparents are numerous (for example, in special cases the godparents replace the physical parents of their godson), and the responsibility before God for the fate of the godson is very great, the Russian Orthodox Church has developed a tradition to invite two receivers - the godfather and the godmother. There can be no other godparents besides these two.

How should future godparents prepare for the Sacrament of Baptism?

Preparation for the Sacrament of Baptism involves the study of the Gospel, the foundations of the Orthodox faith, the basic rules of Christian piety. Fasting, confession and Communion before Baptism for godparents are not formally required. A believer must adhere to these rules at all times. It would be nice if during baptism at least one of the godparents could read the Creed.

Which of the things should you bring with you to Baptism and which of the godparents should do this?

You can find out what you need to purchase in advance in the church where you will baptize the child. For baptism, you will need a baptismal set (they will recommend it to you in the candle shop). These are mainly a baptismal cross and a baptismal shirt (you do not need to bring a cap). Then you will need a towel or a sheet to wrap the child after the font. According to the established tradition, the godfather buys the cross for the boy, and the godmother for the girl. It is customary to bring a sheet and a towel to the godmother. But it will not be a mistake if only one person buys everything you need.

Is it possible to become a godfather in absentia without participating in Baby Baptism?

Church tradition does not know godparents who are “appointed in absentia”. The very meaning of acceptance shows that the godparents must be present at the Baptism of the child and, of course, give their consent to this honorary title. Baptism in general without recipients is performed only in special circumstances, for example, when a child's life is in serious danger.

Can representatives of other Christian denominations, in particular Catholics, become godparents?

The Sacrament of Baptism makes a person a part of the Mysterious Body of Christ, a member of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. Only the Orthodox Church is such a Church, founded by the Apostles and keeping intact the dogmatic teaching of the Ecumenical Councils. The Roman Catholic Church, which separated from the fullness of the Universal Church in 1054, lost and distorted many doctrinal principles; therefore it cannot be considered the true Church. In the Sacrament of Baptism, the recipients act as guarantors of the faith of their godson and accept before God the obligation to educate him in the Orthodox faith.

Of course, a person who does not belong to the Orthodox Church cannot fulfill such duties.

Can parents, including those who have adopted a child, be godparents for him?

At Baptism, the baptized person enters into a spiritual relationship with his recipient, who becomes his godfather or godmother. This spiritual kinship (1st degree) is recognized by the canons as more important than kinship in the flesh (rule 53 of the VI Ecumenical Council), and is fundamentally incompatible with it.

Parents, including those who have adopted a child, in no case can be the recipients of their own children: neither both together, nor each separately, otherwise such a close degree of kinship would form between the parents, which would make the continuation of their marital cohabitation inadmissible.

Marina Novakova

Baptism of infants up to 7 years old.

For infants, the Sacrament of Baptism is performed:

Saturdays at 12.30

Sundays at 14.00

Compulsory 2 catechumens are held with the godparents. Saturday at 12.00 and Sunday at 13.30. Without these conversations, the Sacrament of Baptism will not be performed

Consecrated cross (in the church shop all crosses are consecrated)

Two large bath towels

Baptismal gown (available at the church store)

Birth certificate

Baptism certificate issued

On holidays, changes in the schedule of the Sacrament are possible.

For inquiries by phone: 421-71-41

Baptism of adults and children after 7 years.

Interviews are held on Fridays at 19.00 in the temple. There are 5 public talks in total. After that, with the blessing of the priest, the Sacrament of Baptism is performed.

The time is appointed by the priest

For Baptism, you must have:

Consecrated cross

Baptismal gown

Birth certificate

Towel or sheet

Slippers

After performing the Sacrament, a Baptismal Certificate is issued.

For filming the Sacrament of Baptism, a blessing is taken from the priest performing the Sacrament.