The godfather is able to make an invaluable contribution to the spiritual education of the godson / goddaughter by helping parents instill in their child love for God, explain the meaning of divine services, and teach the basics of the Orthodox faith. After all, it is spiritual guidance that is the main task of the recipient.

How to prepare the godfather for the rite of baptism in the Orthodox Church Do not rush to give up this honorable mission if you feel a lack of knowledge about Christianity and church rules. You have an amazing opportunity to fix everything. Inspired by this important role, you can fill knowledge gaps through religious literature, temple visits, conversations with a priest, and become an example of virtue and obedience to the Lord for your godchild. It is with the aim of conveying to future recipients of their importance in the life of godchildren that most churches practice obligatory public talks for godparents, who are preparing at the stage of preparation for the sacrament.

How to get an interview

The number of classes is determined by the level of church-going of the recipients. After the first conversation, the priest decides how many lessons are needed.

• If future godparents regularly attend church, confess, receive communion, then one or two meetings can be enough.
• If knowledge and understanding is not enough, then there can be three to five conversations.

During the interview, the recipients are not only told the order of the ceremony and voiced their responsibilities. The priest conveys the main meaning of the adoption of the Christian faith. After the first meeting, the godparents are given the task of learning the basic Orthodox prayers(if they do not know such), and also begin to study the text of the Gospel.

Fasting, confession and communion

At the stage of preparation, it is also necessary to visit the temple, confess and commune a few days before the sacrament. Before baptism itself, it is supposed to observe a three-day fast, which implies the exclusion of animal products from the diet. In addition, it is necessary to refrain from recreational activities, intimacy and foul language. On the day of the baptism of the godfather, like the godmother, it is forbidden to eat food until the end of the rite, since sometimes after the sacrament, the priest holds the communion of the newly baptized and the recipients.

What prayers do the godfather need to know The godparents must learn the main prayer of the rite. It is pronounced immediately after the words of renunciation of the devil and combination with Christ. Recipients must read and understand the meaning of prayer, which is a set of basic provisions of the Orthodox faith. The list of significant prayers also includes: "Theotokos, Virgin, rejoice", "Heavenly King." How to dress your godfather for a christening At the rite of baptism, the godfather, like the godmother, must wear a consecrated pectoral cross. Appearance supposed to be modest, not attracting much attention. It is not recommended to enter the temple in sportswear, shorts, and a T-shirt. On a hot summer day, it is better to choose light trousers and a short-sleeved shirt.

What you need to buy for baptism

The duties of the godfather include the purchase of a one-piece and or gaitan for him. He also needs to purchase an icon of the Guardian Angel and a nominal icon with the image of the saint, whose name the godson will be named after.

The godfather should visit the church where the ceremony will take place in advance, and clarify the moments of the organization:

• Is it possible to take photographs;
• There will be a mass or individual baptism, for how long;
• Will the sacrament be on the day of baptism or will it be necessary to commune the godson in a week;
• What should be brought to the church in addition to the baptismal clothes, icons and a cross;
• When can a purchased cross be consecrated?

It is also the responsibility of the godfather to donate to the temple. The amount of payment for the ceremony can be found in advance. Candles are purchased on the day of the sacrament according to the number of invited guests.

Functions and Responsibilities of the Godfather During the Sacrament Godparents renounce the devil and combine with Christ instead of the godson, then the main stage of baptism begins - immersion in the font, symbolizing death and rebirth from water and the Holy Spirit. Baptized boy When the boy is baptized, the godfather receives the godson from the font. Together with the godmother, he wipes the baby and helps to put it in white, the color of which denotes the purity and sinlessness of the newly baptized soul. The godfather holds the baby under one year old in his arms. Children over two years of age can stand in front of the recipient.

At the christening girls

The godmother accepts the girl from the font. The task of the godfather at this time is to constantly be near, to help undress / dress the baby, to say prayers.

What are the duties of a godfather after baptism

Turning to God in daily prayer, the godfather should mention the name of his godson and ask for health and prosperity for him. When visiting the temple, you need to write notes with the name of the child, order a magpie about health.

The godfather is of particular importance for the boy. He should become for him an example of masculinity, piety, mercy. It is very important to take a grown up baby with you to church, to teach him to pray, to honor Orthodox laws. It is good when the godfather will bring the child to the first confession and communion. It is necessary to visit the temple together on big church holidays, as well as on Angel's Day, to light candles for health, to say a prayer to the heavenly patron.

For baptism or during the first year of life, the godfather needs to give the godson a children's Bible, so that as he grows up, the baby gets acquainted with the life of Christ. For birthday, Angel's Day, Christmas and other holidays, it will be right to purchase gifts with a spiritual meaning. Communication between the godson / goddaughter and the godfather should not be interrupted throughout life. Relationships built on trust will allow an adult child to turn to the recipient for advice or support in a difficult life situation... The godfather, in turn, must be ready to come to the aid of his godson or daughter.

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Unfortunately, often an Orthodox Christian or his parents after the Sacrament of Baptism put a fat point.

Yu. Volkov. Baptism

Baptized, thank God! We have completed the required minimum. They fulfilled their duty to the Lord and the soul of the child. Then only the earthly: education, health, study, work, army, marriage. Well, you can also go to church twice a year: to dedicate Easter cakes, meat and eggs, and to the Baptism of the Lord - to collect holy water. The one who has stronger faith (if, of course, there is time!) For another Palm Sunday devote to the willow, on honey Spas honey and apple Spas apples and grapes. Well, now that's definitely enough.

Everything. Enough.

In the minds of such a person, Orthodoxy is just a good old grandmother's tradition. No more. And the whole mysterious saving life of the Church passes by and completely unnoticed by him.

But you need to understand that the Sacrament of Baptism is not the end, but the BEGINNING. This is the door to the enormous and deepest world of the Church - the world of Orthodoxy. I was baptized, and I stood on the first rung of the staircase to heaven. Christ Himself took me by the hand, and instead of pulling it out of His paternal hand and leaving again as if nothing had happened to the world with its haste, emptiness and passions, the grace of the Holy Spirit received in the baptismal font calls me up - into the Kingdom of Heaven, step by step, step by step, second by second. Everything is up and up, not down and down.

The sacrament of Baptism is not only a tremendous grace, but also a colossal responsibility. In Baptism and Confirmation I received a gift, grafted myself into the vine of Christ, united through Him with God the Father and received the grace-filled gifts of the Holy Spirit for a firm and decisive life in Christianity. I am a new creature, not an old man, but a renewed earthly angel, a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven. All sins have been washed away from me, the miracle of my personal resurrection happened to me here - in the Epiphany font. A new godlike being was born - a son or daughter of God - a god with a small letter. This is what the Sacrament of Baptism is.

But instead of trembling with reverent and sacred horror at the immeasurable depth of the Sacrament, I perceive it as a pure formality - like a stamp in my passport and go on living and sinning ...

This, my dear brothers and sisters, is the same as putting a holy icon in the dirt and trampling it underfoot. After all, what is the Sacrament of Baptism if not the image of God in the heart and soul of man ?! And the one who does not cleanse, does not embellish him, does not place him on the throne of his inner heart altar - commits a terrible blasphemous sin.
Because the Lord gave me an enormous gift, and it will be demanded from me and asked: "HOW and FOR WHAT did I use this gift?"

Now, from the point of view of the divine ecclesiastical economy (indulgence), we receive the great gift of the Sacrament of Baptism just like that. But it was not always so. Once upon a time, many Orthodox Christians died for him, and in order to become a Christian, it was necessary to undergo an art-censure, so that, in full consciousness of the shrine of Baptism, enter the water and leave it as a NEW person.

The same can be said about the recipients (among the people "godfathers"). You take responsibility for the soul of the child. From now on and forever, you will be connected to him by parental ties - a spiritual invisible connection. Before the Holy See, you take an oath that you will bring up your child in the Orthodox faith. Figuratively speaking, you and your child are like climbers walking in a bunch on the mountain of life. The baby will grow up, become a bad person and after death it will break off, fly down - to hell, it is quite possible that you will go after him too. Because that is your omission. Or, on the contrary, he will become a good Orthodox Christian and after death he will go to heaven, perhaps you will follow him, because that is your merit.

Excuses like “I’m already old and live in Ukraine, and my godson is sixty, and, according to rumors, he is in Australia” are not accepted. You took an oath for him before God. As a spiritual parent, you should at least pray for him.

Therefore, parents, both biological and spiritual, should not think after the Sacrament of Baptism: “Ugh! Finally it is over, now to the table and home. " But you have to think: “What next? How to live now? How to warm up the gift received in Baptism? "

The answer is simple. Enter under the high vaults of the temple more often. And live the church life. And then the Lord will tell you.

After Baptism, a mother and a child need to come to the temple and carry out the churching ceremony. The parents themselves should learn the main prayers "Our Father" and "The Symbol of Faith", teach these prayers to the child. Give him an icon of his heavenly patron. Of course, one should pray for the child. It must be remembered that the main shrine of Orthodoxy is the Body and Blood of Christ. And, according to the Savior, “unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you will not have life in you” (John 6:53). An adult needs to prepare for a long time in order to receive communion, but a baptized infant can simply be brought under the Chalice so that he can receive the greatest relic of the Eucharist. It is very important. The Body and Blood of Christ, received by a child, will cleanse and enlighten him in every possible way, giving him spiritual and physical health. Of course, after that you need to read the thanksgiving prayers for Holy Communion.

And in general, we must strive to visit the church every Sunday with the child, so that the church becomes for him not a frightening unusual place, but his home. And so gradually, step by step, ascend from measure to measure, discovering the amazing and deep world of Orthodoxy. Indeed, in essence, the Sacrament of Baptism is only the beginning of the journey. A long shining road awaits you further. Stepping on it, we will receive such gifts of the Holy Spirit, before which all the treasures of the world will fade.

The main thing is that we ourselves cannot pass by her ...

Priest Andrey Chizhenko

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Can an adult be baptized without godparents?

To answer the question of whether it is possible to baptize a child without godparents, it is enough to read the sequence of the sacrament of Baptism, then a lot will become clear to us. The sequence is designed for adults, that is, it contains places where the baptized person says prayers, answers the priest's questions. In the case when we baptize a child, the godparents are responsible for him and read prayers. Therefore, it is obvious that the sacrament of Baptism of a child cannot take place without adults. But an adult is able to profess his faith himself.

Can a child be baptized without one of the godparents?

The question whether it is possible to baptize a child without a godmother can be answered in the same way as the question whether it is possible to baptize a child without a godfather. In the event that it was not possible to find a person capable of taking on the duties of a godmother or father, it is possible to perform the sacrament of baptism without one of the parents. For a girl in this case it will be more important if she has a godmother, for a boy - a godfather.

Can a child be baptized without godparents?

In this case, baptism is possible only under the following circumstances:
The child's life is in danger, he is in serious condition. At such a moment, baptism can be performed by a priest or any layman, pouring holy water three times on the baby's head and saying the words: “The servant (a) of God (I) (name) is baptized in the name of the Father. Amen. And the Son. Amen. And the Holy Spirit. Amen". If, after baptism by a layman, the baby survives and recovers, then you need to turn to the Church and complete the Sacrament of Baptism with Chrismation.
If not a single godfather was found for the child, the priest can take on the duties of godparents and say prayers for the child on his own. If the priest knows the baby, then he will be able to take care of him and instruct in the faith, if not, then he will remember the godson in prayer at every service. Not all priests take on such responsibility, therefore, in different churches, when asked whether it is possible to baptize a child without godparents, they answer differently.
However, it is best to try to ensure that your child has two godparents, as well as two siblings (see How to choose godparents). Indeed, in later life he will need to see not only the example of the life of his parents, but also other people who visit the temple and try to live according to God's commandments.

Can a Kuma child be baptized?

You can become a godmother or godfather for any child, if, of course, he is not your own. There is even a pious tradition in Orthodox families to baptize each other's children: this makes it easier to maintain contacts and communicate with godchildren.

Is it possible to baptize a child with godfathers?

Of course, people who have become godparents for one child can become godparents for another, there are no obstacles for this.

Can a child be baptized at home?

It is advisable that the baby be baptized in the church, because after baptism, a prayer for churching still follows: the boy is brought into the altar, the girl is put on salt, from where her mother receives her.
There are times when a child is sick or there is no temple nearby, and there is no way to carry the child. You can invite the priest to your home, then the priest will read the prayers for churching when the baby is already brought to the church. After baptism, it is the duty of the godparents to bring the child to church and receive communion.

Can two children be baptized?

Yes, if a family baptizes two or more children at the same time, you can ask the same people to become their godparents. It will be even better this way, because two children have the same natural parents, and there will be one godparent.

Can spouses baptize a child?

This question cannot be answered in the affirmative. There is such a concept as the spiritual kinship of godparents with each other, it is impossible if there is matrimonial relations... Therefore, husband and wife cannot baptize a child.

Can a couple baptize a child?

Godparents must have a spiritual relationship with each other, so even if a couple lives in civil marriage and they are not registered as husband and wife, they cannot be godparents of the child.
If young people are not married, but intend to get married in the future, they will also not be able to become godparents of one child.

Can relatives baptize a child?

A child can be baptized by any relative, except for the mother's, father's, and spouse's relatives, since spouses cannot be godparents.

Can you refuse to baptize a child?

If you have many godchildren and you know that you will not be able to properly take care of your new godchild, you are in another city or another country, you don’t know much about the child’s family, it is better to refuse to baptize the baby. But if there is a possibility that the child will not be baptized at all because of your refusal, it is better to agree and ask God for help.

Can multiple children be baptized?

If parents baptize several of their children, then it will be highly desirable that the same people were godparents. Then the children will have the same godparents, just like their relatives. It will be easier for the godparents to take care of the upbringing of all children together. It is possible to baptize several children at the same time - not siblings.

Can a child be baptized twice? Can a child be baptized a second time?

Such questions are rarely asked, but they are still asked in the Church. The Sacrament of Baptism itself is performed on a person only once. After all, the meaning of this sacrament is the acceptance of the Orthodox faith by a person and his recognition as a member of the Church. But there are several cases where such a question may arise:
If the children do not know whether they were baptized or not. This happens if the child has lost his parents, or there is a possibility that the child was secretly christened by one of the relatives. In this case, it is imperative to inform the priest about this, then the sacrament of Baptism is performed according to a different order. The priest pronounces the words: “Baptized (if not baptized (a)) is the servant (a) of God (I) (name) in the name of the Father. Amen. And the Son. Amen. And the Holy Spirit. Amen".
If the child was urgently baptized by a layman. Such a baptism is performed if there was a danger to the child's life, but later he recovered. Then you need to come to the Church and complete the sacrament of Baptism with Chrismation.
If the child has been baptized in a different faith. The Orthodox Church recognizes the sacrament of Baptism in other confessions as valid in cases where the sacrament of Baptism is performed according to a similar order and if the institution of the priesthood and apostolic succession in the ordination of priests has been preserved in the given confession. These confessions include only Catholicism and the Old Believers (but only the direction where the priesthood was preserved). After baptism in the Catholic faith, it is necessary to complete the sacrament of Baptism with chrismation, since chrismation is performed in the Catholic Church separately from baptism at a later age (about 15 years).

Can a sick child be baptized?

If the child is seriously ill, then his baptism is necessary, it can be performed even in the hospital or at home. If the life of the baby is in danger, then, as a last resort, he may even be christened by a layman.

Is it possible to baptize a child in absentia?

Baptism, like any sacrament, is a sacrament in which the invisible grace of God is communicated to the believer under a visible image. The celebration of the sacrament of Baptism presupposes the physical presence of the baptized person, the priest and godparents. The sacrament is not just a prayer; it is impossible to perform the sacrament in absentia.

Can a child be baptized during fasting?

V Orthodox Church there are no days when the baptism of a child cannot be performed. Baptism of a child can be performed on any day agreed with the priest and godparents. Usually, the question of whether it is possible to baptize a child during fasting arises in connection with the fact that the sacrament of a wedding in the Church during fasting is not performed. Fasting is a time for repentance and abstinence from fast food and conjugal intimacy, therefore, there are restrictions on weddings, but not baptism. Can a child be baptized during fasting? Of course, yes, and on any day of fasting, and on holidays, and on the eve of fasting days and holidays.

Can a child be baptized on Saturday?

In all churches, urban and rural, Sunday services are performed. Therefore, most often baptism is performed on Saturday: after baptism, you can participate in divine services and give the child the Holy Communion the next day on Sunday.

Can a child be baptized for Baptism?

V Ancient Church due to the spread a large number Heresies for baptism was preceded by a long period of instruction in the faith, which lasted up to 3 years. And the catechumens (taught) were baptized at the Baptism of the Lord (then this holiday was called the Enlightenment) and on Great Saturday before Easter. Baptism on these days was a great holiday in the Church. If you decide to baptize a child for Epiphany (Baptism of the Lord), then not only will you not violate the canons of the Church, but you will also follow the ancient Christian tradition.

Is it possible to baptize a baby with a period?

The days of the purification of a woman in the Church are called uncleanness; many restrictions for women in the Old Testament are associated with these days. Today, it is not proper for a woman in uncleanness to touch relics (icons, cross), to receive sacraments. Therefore, when choosing a day for the baptism of a child, it is advisable to take this circumstance into account. Nevertheless, baptism is performed on a child, and not on his godmother or his own mother; a woman in uncleanness, if necessary, can attend the sacrament, but should not touch the shrines.

Can a child be baptized under a different name?

There is a belief that a baby should be baptized under a different name, and no one should know his name in baptism, otherwise the child's energy will be spoiled. All these are rumors that have nothing to do with Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition. The child can be christened with a different name, but most often this is done if the child's real name is not in the list of names of Orthodox saints (see Choosing a name according to the calendar).

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 is there the grace necessary for his correct 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 can subsequently 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.
The concern about expanding the circle of people who would seriously help the child who was born 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, having gathered to baptize a child, young parents often do not think about whom to choose godfathers. 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 food 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. In this case, 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.
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. Godfathers, 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 being baptized, this is a recipient (godfather), for a girl - a recipient (godmother).
But since the duties of godparents are numerous (for example, in special cases godparents replace the physical parents of their godson), and the responsibility before God for the fate of the godson is very great, in the Russian Orthodox Church a tradition has developed to invite two recipients - 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?

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 the Baptism of an infant ?

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 without any recipients at all 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. 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.

Name day. How to determine the day of the name day

How to determine the day of the name day- this question is asked by every person who has thought about the meaning of his name at least once.

Name day- this is not a holiday of the name - this is the day of remembrance of the saint in whose honor the person was named. As you know, in Russia the name of the child was given according to the holy calendar - the church calendar - and the parents prayerfully hoped that the child would live life worthy of the name of that saint who became the patron saint of the baby. Over the years of atheism in Russia, the meaning of the tradition has been forgotten - now a person is first given a name, and then, already growing up, he seeks church calendar to find out when is the day of his memory, when to celebrate the name day... The word name day comes from the word “Name days”, “Namesome saint” - from the same word comes the modern “namesake”. That is, the name day is the holiday of the saint bearing the same name.

Often, parents choose a name for the child in advance, having a special love for this or that saint, then the day of the Angel is no longer associated with the birthday.

How to determine your name day if there are several saints with this name?

The name of the saint whose memory follows your birthday is determined by the holy calendar, for example, according to the Orthodox calendar. As a rule, the name day is the day following the birthday of the saint whose name the Christian bears. For example, Anna, who was born on November 20, will have Angel's Day on December 3 - the day following her birthday when St. Anna, and her saint will be St. mts. Anna Persian.

You should remember this nuance: in 2000, at the Council of Bishops, the new martyrs and confessors of Russia were glorified: if you were baptized before 2000, then your saint is chosen from among the saints glorified before 2000. For example, if your name is Catherine, and you were baptized before the glorification of the new martyrs, then your saint is St. Great Martyr Catherine, if you were baptized after the Council, then you can choose St. Catherine, whose commemoration date is closer to your birthday.

If the name by which you were named is not in the calendar, then at baptism, the name that is closest in sound is chosen. For example, Dina - Evdokia, Lilia - Leah, Angelica - Angelina, Jeanne - John, Milana - Militsa. According to tradition, Alice receives the name Alexandra in baptism, in honor of St. passion-bearer Alexandra Feodorovna Romanova, who before the adoption of Orthodoxy was named Alice. Some names in the church tradition have a different sound, for example, Svetlana is Fotinia (from the Greek photos - light), and Victoria is Nika, both names in Latin and Greek mean "victory".

How to celebrate a name day?

On the day of the Angel, the Orthodox try to confess and partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. If the day of the angel falls on a fast day or fasting, then the celebration and feasts are usually transferred to non-fast days. On non-fast days, many invite guests to share the bright joy of the holiday with relatives and friends.

How to baptize a child? What are the rules for the rite of baptism? How much is it? The editorial staff of the Orthodoxy and Peace portal will answer these and other questions.

Baby baptism

When to baptize - different families decide this issue in different ways.

Most often they are baptized on +/- the 40th day after childbirth. The 40th day is also significant from a religious point of view (in the Old Testament church, on the 40th day, the child was brought to the temple, on the 40th day, a prayer is read over the woman who gave birth). 40 days after childbirth, a woman does not participate in the sacraments of the Church: this is connected with the physiology of the postpartum period, and in general it is very reasonable - at this time all the woman's attention and strength should be focused on the child and her health.

After the expiration of this period, it is necessary to read a special prayer over it, which the priest will do before or after baptism. Very young children behave much more calmly at baptism and are not afraid when someone else (godparents or a priest) takes them in their arms. Well, do not forget that up to three months, children can more easily tolerate dipping with their heads, because they retain intrauterine reflexes that help to hold their breath.

In any case, the choice of the moment remains with the parents and depends on the circumstances and state of the child's health. If the baby is in intensive care and there are health problems, you can baptize the baby in intensive care. To do this, you can invite a priest or MOTHER CAN BAPTIZE THE CHILD HIMSELF.

You can baptize after 40 days.

If a child's life is in danger

If the baby is in intensive care, then you can invite the priest to baptize the baby. From the hospital church or from any church - no one will refuse. Only first you need to find out what the order of baptism is in this hospital.

If there is no admission of strangers to the intensive care unit, or if the situation is different - an accident, for example - the mother or father (and even the resuscitation nurse at the request of the parents and in general anyone else) the child can be christened by YOURSELF. A few drops of water are needed. With these drops, the child must be crossed three times with the words:

Baptized servant (s) of God (s) (NAME)
In the name of the Father. Amen. (for the first time we cross and spray with water)
And the Son. Amen. (second time)
And the Holy Spirit. Amen. (third time).

The child is baptized. When he is discharged, the second part of baptism will have to be performed in the church - Confirmation - joining the Church. Explain in advance to the priest that they baptized themselves in intensive care. You can also baptize the baby at home, having agreed about this with the priest in the church.

Whether to baptize in winter

Of course, they drown in churches, the water is warm in the font.

The only thing is that if there is only one door in the temple and the temple itself is small, one of the relatives can be on duty at the entrance so that suddenly the door does not open completely wide open.

How much to pay? And why pay?

Officially, there is no payment for the sacraments and services in the temples.

Christ also said: “Freely you received, freely give” (Matt, 10: 8). But only now the believers fed and watered the apostles, let them stay for the night, and in modern realities The baptismal donation is one of the main sources of income for churches, from which they pay for light, electricity, repairs, fire-fighting and the priest, who most often has many children. The price tag in the temple is an approximate amount of the donation. If there is really no money, MUST baptize for free. If they refuse, it is a reason to turn to the dean.

Do I have to be called according to the calendar

Whoever wants it. Someone calls it according to the calendar, someone in honor of a beloved saint or someone else. Of course, if the girl was born on January 25, then the name Tatiana is very asking for her, but the parents choose the name of the child themselves - there are no "must" here.

Where to baptize?

It is unlikely that this question will arise before you if you are already parishioners of a temple. If not, choose a temple to your liking. There is nothing wrong with visiting several temples. If the employees are unfriendly and rude (it happens, yes), you can look for a temple where you will be treated kindly from the very beginning. Yes. we come to God in the temple, but there is no sin in choosing a church according to our liking. It's good if the temple has a separate baptismal. In it, as a rule, it is warm, there are no drafts and there are no strangers.
If there are few churches in your city and they are all with large parishes, then be sure to find out in advance how many children usually attend baptism. It may turn out that a dozen babies will be baptized at the same time, each of whom will be accompanied by a whole brigade of relatives. If you don't like this kind of mass, you can agree on an individual baptism.

Baptism photography

If you decide to hire a photographer for the christening, be sure to find out in advance whether he will be allowed to shoot, use a flash. Some priests have a very negative attitude to the filming of the Sacraments and an unpleasant surprise may await you.
As a rule, photography and video filming is not prohibited anywhere. Photos from baptism are a great joy for long years for the whole family, so if you can't take pictures in a church, then you need to look for a church where you can take pictures (but even in Old Believer churches it is allowed to take pictures at christenings)
In some cases, the child can be baptized at home. The main thing is to agree on this with the priest.

Godparents

Who can and cannot be godfather is the most frequent question... Can a pregnant / unmarried / unbeliever / childless girl baptize a girl, etc. - the number of variations is infinite.

The answer is simple: the godfather must be human.

- Orthodox and Church (HE is responsible for raising a child in the faith);

- not the child's parent (godparents must replace the parents in case of something);

- it is impossible for a husband and wife to be godparents of one baby (or those who are going to get married);

- a monk cannot be a godfather.

Contrary to popular belief, it is not at all necessary that there be two godparents. One thing is enough: women for girls and men for boys. ...

Conversation before baptism

Now it is a must. For what? In order to baptize those who believe in Christ, and not those who come, so that "the child_ is ill_must_baptized_and_that_signed_and_we_the_Russian_and_ Orthodox".

You have to come to the conversation, this is not an exam. usually the priest talks about Christ, the Gospel, reminds that the Gospel must be read independently. Looks like this.

Often, the need for a conversation causes indignation among relatives and many try to "get around" them. Someone, complaining about the lack of time, or even just desires, is looking for priests who can neglect this rule. But first of all, this information is needed by the godparents themselves, because by inviting them to become godparents of your child, you impose a great responsibility on them and it would be nice for them to find out about this. If the godparents do not want to waste time on this, then this is a reason for you to think about whether the child needs supporters who cannot sacrifice just a couple of their evenings for him.

If the godparents live in another city and can come only on the day of the sacrament, then they can have conversations in any temple in which it is convenient. Upon completion, they will be given a certificate with which they can participate in the sacrament anywhere.

It is very good for the godparents, if they do not yet know, to learn - this prayer is read three times during baptism and it is likely that the godparents will be asked to read it.

What to buy?

For baptism, a child needs a new baptismal shirt, a cross and a towel. All this can be bought in any church shop and, as a rule, this is the task of the godparents. The baptismal shirt is then kept along with the baby's other memorabilia. Overseas stores have a whole line of stunningly beautiful christening clothes, you can also use some beautiful set for discharge.

Baptismal name

Find out in advance what name the child will be baptized with. If the child's name is not in the calendar, select in advance a sound that is close (Alina - Elena, Zhanna - Anna, Alice - Alexandra) and tell the priest about it. And sometimes the names are given strangely. One of my acquaintances, Jeanne, was baptized by Eugenia. By the way, sometimes there are unexpected names in the calendar, for example. Edward is such an Orthodox British saint (though later all the church employees will not believe that there is such an Orthodox name). In church notes and when performing other Sacraments, you will need to use the name given at baptism. Based on it, it will be determined when the child has an Angel day and who is his heavenly patron.

We arrived at the temple, what next?

At the church shop, you will be asked to pay the baptismal donation. Before the sacrament, it is better to feed the baby so that he is more comfortable and calmer.

Feed in the temple It MAY be good for this to be in nursing clothes or have an apron with you. If you need privacy, you can ask someone from the staff of the temple to find a secluded place.
The only thing is that if the baby is feeding for a long time, it is better to have a bottle-syringe with food, so that it does not happen that the baby is hungry in the middle of the service and you have to either wait half an hour until he eats or he will cry from hunger.

During the sacrament, the godparents hold the child in their arms, the parents can only observe. The duration of the Epiphany is usually about an hour.

It is useful to familiarize yourself in advance with what will happen at the service in order to understand the meaning of what is happening. Here .

But mothers are not allowed to be baptized everywhere - it is better then to clarify this issue in advance.

Cold water?

The water is WARM in the font. First, it is usually poured there hot water, before the Sacrament, it is diluted with cold. But the water in the font is warm :)

The servants of the temple, who collect it, will make sure that the water is warm - they do not want the baby to freeze as much as you do. After dipping, the child will not be able to dress immediately, and here again it is worth mentioning that it is good to baptize very little ones in separate rooms and not in the church itself, where it is cool even in summer. In any case, do not worry, everything happens quickly and the child will not have time to freeze.

Does the child have to wear a cross all the time?

Often parents are concerned about the safety of the child wearing a cross. Someone is afraid that the child may suffer from the rope or ribbon on which the cross hangs. Many are worried that the child may lose the cross or it may be stolen, for example, in the garden. As a rule, the cross is worn on a short string that cannot get tangled anywhere. And for kindergarten you can prepare a special inexpensive cross.

And they say that….

Baptism, like many other things in our life, is surrounded by many stupid superstitions and prejudices. Older relatives can add worries and excitement with stories of bad omens and inhibitions. It is better to clarify any questionable questions with the priest, not trusting, even very experienced, grandmothers.

Can baptism be celebrated?

It is quite logical that relatives who gather for Epiphany will want to continue the holiday at home or in a restaurant. The main thing is that during the holiday they do not forget the reason for which everyone gathered.

After baptism

When the Sacrament is over, you will be given a certificate of baptism, where it will be indicated when the baptism was performed, by whom, and also the day when the child has a name day will be written. After the baptism, you will definitely need to go to the temple again to give the infant communion. In general, babies should be given communion on a regular basis.

In the Orthodox Church, the question of whether children can be baptized has never been raised. Children can be baptized! The Sacrament of Baptism is not a legal reconciliation with God, not a dedication that introduces some kind of secret knowledge. The Sacrament of Baptism is the grafting of a twig to the Tree of Life, to Christ. To be born again, from above, to enter into close grace-filled union with the Lord.

Is this possible only for an adult? ..

The eligibility of infant baptism, writes Protopresbyter John Meyendorff, “does not rest on the idea of“ sin, ”which can make infants guilty in the sight of God and need to be baptized for justification, but on the fact that at all stages of life, including infancy, a person needs to be “born again” —that is, to begin a new and eternal life in Christ. After all, even the "conscious adult" is not able to fully comprehend the ultimate eschatological goal of the new life. "

This is not the opinion of a modern Orthodox theologian, but the general statement of the holy fathers: “If the only meaning of Baptism was the forgiveness of sins, why then baptize newborns who have not yet had time to taste sin? But the Sacrament of Baptism is not limited to this; Baptism is the promise of great and most perfect gifts. It is the essence of the promise of the joys to come; it is the image of the future resurrection, communion with the Passion of the Lord, participation in His Resurrection, the robe of salvation, the garment of joy, the vestment [woven] of light, or, rather, the light itself ”(Blessed Theodorite of Cyrus).

So, Baptism introduces a person into communion with God. To turn to face God, to believe - everyone can, and not a baptized person. But the baptized one is completely different. This is a person who wants not just to believe in God, or something higher, who respects religious ideas ... This is a person who wished connect with the Lord, graft to the Lord ... Wanting to start perfectly new life, he goes through the rite of Baptism as through the rite of dying ... Die as Christ died, and immediately rise as He rose from the dead. And henceforth, having united with the Lord, to live with Him in unity.

That is why we baptize children too.

Many texts of Holy Scripture speak of the importance of Baptism. For us, the truth and truth of Christ's words is beyond doubt: unless one is born of water and the Spirit, cannot enter the Kingdom of God(). Why, even formally speaking, should we ignore this text and deny Infant Baptism? The Savior Himself convinced His disciples not prevent children from coming to Him,« for such is the kingdom of God ().

Children are not atheists, they would like to live with God, why are we going to hinder them in this?

This should be especially mentioned, since here and there voices are heard about the meaninglessness of the baptism of young children. But will it not turn out that Jewish babies were happier than Christian ones, because over them the rite of joining the People of God (through circumcision) was performed on the eighth day after birth?

Does the baby have no conscious faith? Well, because of this, it is impossible to reduce all mental and spiritual activities of a person to the work of the mind.

And following what intellectual movements did John the Baptist, while still in the womb, feel the approach of the Savior of the world, also still in an embryonic state?

When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting,leaped the baby in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit ().

God sanctifies children even before birth, which He Himself says to the prophet Jeremiah ():

Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you left the womb, I sanctified you.…

And later the apostle Paul will say about this ():

…God, who chose me from my mother's womb and called me by His grace ....

We do not know if babies were baptized in the 1st century, but we do not have evidence to the contrary, on the contrary, we find evidence of the Baptism of entire families:

Cornelius ();

Lydia ( she and her household were baptized - );

The jailer ( and all that were in his house - );

Crisp ( Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house.— );

Stefan ( I also baptized Stefan's house - ).

It is unlikely that all of these newly baptized families would not have young children.

We can also recall several Old Testament prototypes of Baptism, which will convince us that children, just like adults, are not rejected by God from the People of God. The first such prototype is the passage through the Red Sea. He went through all Israel with babies, and for the Apostle Paul this is a sign of future Baptism:

“I don’t want to leave you, brothers, in the dark that our fathers were all under a cloud, and they all went through the sea; and they were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea ”().

If all the Israelites were delivered by God from the Egyptian captivity and all were baptized in Moses why should one reject Baptism into Christ and the mystery of deliverance from sinful captivity? .. If we remember that in the mind of a Jew, the Jewish people are the “Congregation of God”, “Community of God”, “People of God”, that any circumcised baby was a partaker of this People -Israelite, and Christians as successors of these promises - the new People of God; then it is easy to conclude from this: Christian babies are also involved in this to the new People, the Church.

“And on the pages of the Gospel we see that Christ concludes New Testament not with Peter or John, but with the new people of God; to the Chalice of the Covenant, poured out "for you and for many," Christ invites "all." God gives his grace and protection not just to one individual, but to a community of people - the Church. "

"Christ is not only the bearer of the eternal Message, which He repeats one after the other to every astonished person, but He is also the One in Whom humanity finds an unexpected solution to the problem of its organic unity."

How a Jew became a member Of the people of God through circumcision, so the Christian baby becomes a member People of the New Testament through Baptism.

We know that in the second century, babies were baptized in both the West and the East, as evidenced by the fathers and teachers of the Church. St. Irenaeus read:

"Christ came to save everyone through Himself — all, I say, who are reborn from Him for God — babies, adolescents, youths and elders."

Origen wrote:

"The church has accepted the tradition from the apostles to teach baptism to babies."

In the Apostolic Tradition, St. Hippolytus of Rome (about 215) says:

“Put on your clothes and baptize the children first. All those who can talk about themselves, let them talk. For those who cannot speak about themselves, let their parents or one of the relatives speak. "

From this fragment it follows that even very small children who could not speak were allowed to Baptism. But if from the words of St. Hippolytus, we still cannot find out how old the children were baptized, then from the words of St. Cyprian of Carthage, it becomes clear that they were baptized, without even delaying before the eighth day after birth, namely on the second and third day.

At the Local Council of Carthage in 252, presided over by St. Cyprian, it was said:

“... not to forbid [Baptism] a baby who, as soon as he was born, did not sin in anything, except that, having come from the flesh of Adam, he received the taint of ancient death through the very birth, and who begins to accept the forgiveness of sins all the more conveniently, because he is forgiven not his own, but someone else's sins ”.

St. Cyprian writes to the addressee about the last Council:

“At our Council such a determination was made: we should not remove anyone from Baptism and the grace of God, merciful, good and condescending to all. If this must be adhered to in relation to everyone, then especially, as we think, it is necessary to observe this in relation to newborn babies, who already deserve primarily our help and God's mercy, that from the very beginning of their birth they express one prayer with their weeps and tears ".

At a later time, the practice did not change. And St. John Chrysostom (in the East), and St. Ambrose of Mediolansky, blessed. Augustine (in the West) confirm that child baptism was a common practice, and trace this practice back to the days of the apostles. And here is the 124th Rule of the Council of Carthage (year 418):

“Whoever rejects the need for the Baptism of little ones, newborns from the womb of children, or says that, although they are baptized for the remission of sins, they don’t borrow anything from the ancestral Adam’s sin that should have been washed in the bath of communion, then let them be anathema ... And babies, those who are not yet able to commit any sins by themselves, are truly baptized for the forgiveness of sins, and through the pacification that which they have taken from the old birth will be cleansed in them. "

If there were at that time controversy, it was not about whether it was worth generally baptize babies, but as to at what age to baptize children.

About the 5th century, almost only children were baptized in the Church. However, the timing of Baptism fluctuates. At one time, they baptized at both 8 days and 40, but the more popular practice was to baptize a child several years after birth. Saint Gregory the Theologian wrote:

“What can we say about babies who do not understand what grace is or what punishment is? Should we baptize them? Definitely, if there is a danger. As for the others, I give advice to wait three years, or a little more, or less, so that at least they can hear and repeat the necessary words of the sacrament and, if not perfectly, at least, figuratively understand it. "

In Late Byzantium and in Ancient Rus they were also baptized usually several years after birth. In the 11th century, Metropolitan John of Kiev (d. 1080) to the question: "Is it possible to baptize a newborn child if it hurts? .." answers:

“… A relatively healthy [child] the Fathers commanded to wait three or more years. But for sudden cases of death, the period is needed shorter, but if it is completely painful, let it be 8 days, even less so that he does not die unbaptized. To baptize such babies, no matter what day and hour the danger of death insists.

Bishop Niphont of Novgorod (XII century), when asked how long the baptism of children can be postponed, answered:

"There is no sin in this for the male sex even up to ten years, but do not ask about girls, for they can quickly sin with you even in their youth."

The attention in this text is drawn not by discrimination against girls, but by the fact that the term of Baptism is gradually being postponed: from infancy to conscious (more and more) age.

It is important to remind here that, according to the Orthodox understanding, baptism is not children in general, a children of only Christian parents.

“According to the main Jewish consciousness, descendants are included in the ancestors, and the ancestors are contained in their descendants. The circumcision performed by Moses was related not only to those who were circumcised, but also to all their descendants. Because of this, Abraham became the father of many nations(). Being born to Christian parents is a testimony to the Church that God calls children born of them to the Church. Therefore, we cannot say that the Baptism of infants violates their free will, since children do not have this free will at all, just as we do not say that physical birth violates the free will of children born. "

“He who is born of believing parents enters the world as being called by God into the Church. Through the Baptism performed by the Church, he becomes a member of the Body of Christ. His active life in the Church depends on his subsequent faith. The latter is the personal response of the baptized child in childhood to the call of God. At the same time, this faith is also his response to the Church, which, on the basis of God's call, performed his Baptism. This answer can be positive or negative, but in either case he remains a member of the Church. Just as the fact of physical birth cannot be blotted out, so the fact of spiritual birth cannot be blotted out. By virtue of his birth, he turns out to be simultaneously in the present eon, but belonging to the future eon. It depends on the baptized to realize his membership in the Church. The responsibility for this realization lies not only with him, but also with the Church, which, on the basis of the faith of his parents, performed his Baptism, and, consequently, with his parents. "

However, the comprehension of the practice of Baptism of children has undergone a catastrophic change over a thousand years.

“At the Baptism of adults, personal and free faith ... remained necessary condition admission to the Church. For young children and babies, their personal faith was replaced by the faith of their parents ... In the formula faith - Baptism the first part, which is missing in children and babies, is replaced by the faith of their parents at the time of Baptism. The replacement of the personal faith of baptized children with the faith of their parents opened up the possibility of an improper transfer of personal faith to others, if the parents' faith was insufficient or did not exist at all. This, in turn, opened that breakthrough in the teaching of the Sacrament of Baptism, which opened wide access to coercion and violence, incompatible with the nature of the Sacrament. The baptism of children from unknown parents ... from non-Christian parents ... from mixed marriages indicates how widespread compulsion has taken in performing the Sacrament of Baptism.

One should only be surprised that in Byzantium and in the West in the Middle Ages, the state and ecclesiastical authorities did not extend the compulsion to Baptism of all infants, regardless of whether they were born of Christian or non-Christian parents. "

There is another paradoxical situation today. Children are brought to Baptism by unbelievers, and they choose their unbelieving friends as receivers for the children. And they baptize not in order to join the Church, but to be healthy; so it should be; the nanny otherwise refuses to sit with the child and so on.

It is not superfluous to recall that the duty of the pastor is not to profane the Sacrament, but, having found out the reasons that prompted the baptism of the infant, and the conditions for his further upbringing, having talked with the recipients and having received an idea of ​​the extent of their churchliness, form an opinion: is it worth baptizing such a baby or not.

In the Orthodox Church, children are baptized in the same way as adults, immersed in water three times. The same prayers are read over children as over adults (except that in ancient times, when a child was baptized, the catechumens prayers were sometimes omitted or shortened).

It should be noted that from the very first day of a child's life, the Church surrounds him with care and attention.

There are special ranks dedicated to mothers and babies. The first one is Prayers on the first day, after always giving birth to the child's wife.

The birth of a child is a long-awaited and happy event, especially if both the mother and the child are healthy. The natural reaction of the Christian heart is to thank God for this gift and ask Him to continue to support the mother and child and protect them from demonic obsessions and dangerous accidents. That is why the Church has established the reading of special prayers on the first day of a child's life.

“When a baby is born of a godly wife, the priest comes and praises God, thanks that man was born into the world(). Then, having signified, he blesses the newborn and prays (God) that the newborn would be alive and worthy of Baptism and anointing. Asking the mother for everything that is needed for salvation, he teaches grace and sanctification to the wives with her ... ”.

In ancient times, the priest sprinkled the house of the woman in labor with the water blessed by the priest, then he marked the baby with the sign of the cross “on the forehead, for the sake of the mind, and on the lips, for the sake of the word and breath, and on the heart, for the sake of vitality, may he remain under (grace-filled) protection until the salutary Baptism ".

On the 8th day, the child is given a name, through a special order of the Trebnik, which is called today: Prayer, in the hedgehog appoint the child, accept the name on the most birthday of your(see section Prayers for mother and child).

Then the child is baptized with us, whereas in Byzantium and in Ancient Russia the child was first churched, that is, on the 40th day they performed the rite of bringing the child of Christian parents to the Holy Church and to the temple.

In Protestant communities, the question of reality Baptism performed on infants remains controversial.

Lutherans recognize baby baptism, but, for example, Baptists reject it, on the basis of the assertion that baptism is possible only as a conscious acceptance of the atonement given by Christ.

When recognizing infant baptism, Lutherans generally refer to:

a) the unconscious faith that a baby has (Luther wrote that faith does not disappear when a person sleeps);

b) to the statement that the child is baptized according to the faith of the parents (in a broader sense, we can say that according to the faith of the Church as the Lutherans say).

Moreover, Luther wrote that we should not hesitate with the Baptism of infants, for we can be confident in their faith more than in the faith of adults: if the latter can consciously resist the grace of God, then babies cannot have conscious resistance.

1 Excerpt from my book: The Sacrament of Entry into the Church. SPb .: "Neva" - "OLMA-PRESS". 2002. Ss. 121-132.

2 Meyendorf I. Protopres. Byzantine theology. M. 2002.S. 273.

3 Cit. Quoted from: I. Meyendorf Protopres. Byzantine theology ... p. 274.

4 Protestants recall other words: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; and whoever does not believe will be condemned ”(). However, it is not difficult to see that these words do not say anything about infant baptism. They were told to the disciples when they went to preach, and they are addressed to adults who receive Christ's sermon. If such people believe, then, as a result, they will enter the Church (through Baptism) and will be saved. If they do not believe, they will be condemned. The emphasis here is not on Baptism but on faith.

5 I can confirm these words also with personal testimony. My daughter, baptized in infancy, was brought to the temple and participated in the Sacraments of the Church from the very first years of her life. And from the very conscious age she felt God in her life. At 2-3 years old, when a child learns to speak, she composed her first prayers coming from the heart. At the age of four, she knew by heart the main church prayers and, most importantly, she knew what it says there, what this or that Church Slavonic word means. From the age of five, the child began to live a completely conscious spiritual life, I mean conscious resistance to sin, repentance, if suddenly it was not up to par, fasting, attending divine services. All this without any pressure, without coercion, of our own free will.

The soul of a child is drawn to God. This means that if we direct her towards God from infancy, help her on this path, we will see both a three-year-old and a four-year-old conscientious Christian.

6 That it was circumcision that was the seal of a person's belonging to God's chosen people, it is evident at least from the fact that a pagan could become a member of it only through circumcision.

7 Kuraev A., Deacon. Can children be baptized? To Protestants about Orthodoxy. M. Ed. Moscow courtyard of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra. 1999. S. 68. This article about. Andrey Kuraev, in my opinion, is the best contemporary work on this topic.

8 Bulletin des anciens eleves de Saint-Sulpise. 11/15/31. Cit. Quoted from A. de Lubac Catholicism. Milan: Christian Russia. 1992.S. 284.

9 The fact that Baptism replaces circumcision is clearly seen, if only from the words of St. ap. Paul: "In Him you are also circumcised by circumcision not made with hands, by the removal of the sinful body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ" (). It is clearly seen here that the circumcision of Christ is Baptism.

10 Tertullian. About Baptism. 18. Tertullian himself condemns the practice of Baptism of children. In his characteristic harsh manner, he wrote: “… taking into account the peculiarities, character and even the age of each person, it is more useful to delay baptism, especially for small children. Why, if this is not so necessary, endanger godparents, who themselves may not fulfill their promises, being mortals, or may be deceived by the manifestation of bad inclinations of their recipients? Meanwhile, the Lord said: Do not forbid them to come to me! So, let them come when they grow up. Let them come when they learn, when they are taught where to go. Let them become Christians when they were able to know Christ. Why rush an innocent age for absolution? In worldly affairs they are more careful. How can you trust heavenly affairs to someone who is not yet trusted with earthly ones? Let them learn to ask for salvation, so that it can be clearly seen what You have given to the one asking. "

18 Cit. Quoted from: The Book of the Rules of St. Apostle, St. Ecumenical and Local Councils and St. father. Ed. Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra. 1992.

19 Let me remind you that the most acceptable was the age of three.

20 Migne. PG. t. 36, 400. Translation quoted from: Bp. Riga. Divine service of the Russian Church of the pre-Mongol period. M. Ed. Moscow University. 1847, p. 13.

21 See: Russian Historical Library. Vi. Metropolitan John's Rules. Rule I. SPb., 1880. S. 1-2.

22 Kirik's questions. § 49. Quoted. Quoted from: G. Kretschmar, prof. The ministry of the baptized to the world according to the testimony of the Church Fathers // Theological Works. Sat. 10. M. Ed. Moscow Patriarchate. 1973.S. 155.

23 Without giving a personal assessment of this fact, let us refer to the interesting opinion of the Lutheran pastor and theologian prof. G. Krechmara. According to this opinion, such a gradual postponement of the term for Baptism of infants is associated with changes in the understanding of the meaning of Baptism and, even more broadly, in the understanding of the Christian life itself. If initially the Baptism of the baby made him a member of the Body of Christ, the Church opposed to the world infected with sin, and the baby from the first days of life was involved in this opposition to the forces of evil and demonism, then later, in the period of late Byzantium, the idea of ​​personal salvation came to the fore. According to this idea, the human task is to sin as little as possible. And if so, then why rush to Baptism; the baby still does not commit sins ... (Krechmar G. The ministry of the baptized ... p. 155.)

31 St. Simeon of Thessaloniki. Conversation ... § 27.

32 On the Internet, I met an interesting exchange of views on the timing of Infant Baptism. Their opinion was expressed by completely ordinary, non-church people, who in one way or another came into contact with the Baptism of children (their own or others'). And so most of the participants came to the conclusion that they should be baptized either before 4 months - then the child generally understands little, holds his head, is not afraid of strangers and if approached with tenderness, he is unlikely to cry, or ... after 4-5 years. At this age, the child is already conscious, and if a certain preparatory work, he will not cry.

Experience shows that children after 5 months, and in general at any age, if the priest speaks in a soft voice, does not make sudden movements, smiles, most often behave calmly.

The problem here is that a child after six months may be nervous, because his mother is far from him and he is in the arms of someone else's aunt - godmother. In fact, there is no problem with the mother holding the baby in her arms. Let me remind you that according to the tradition coming from ancient times, until the 40th day, a woman in labor cannot visit the temple. When the baby was baptized on the 40th day in Russia, mother stood in the vestibule or to the side. And then, after Baptism, the priest read a prayer of absolution over her.

But if a child older than 40 days is baptized (and this is a common occurrence today) from the day of his birth, then the mother's prayer of permission can be read before the Sacrament of Baptism! And mom will not stand far away, but close, and if the child gets nervous, mom can take him in her arms.

33 Some Baptists may still, with a creak, as a concession to ecumenical dialogue, accept Baptism of Infants, performed according to the order of the Catholic Church: water Baptism is followed by confirmation at a conscious age associated with personal confession of faith, but “this option seems currently unacceptable for Baptist churches, because it represents more a concession to ecumenical tendencies than a convincing theological position "(Schweizer L. What kind of communication with other Christians can be recognized as Baptists? // Pages. Journal BBI. M. 1999-№ 4: 4).

34 See: M. Erickson Christian Theology. SPb .: "The Bible for everyone." St. Petersburg Christian University. 1999.S. 922-923.

35 See: Müller D.T. Christian dogmatics. World Wide Printing Duncanville, USA. Lutheran Heritage Foundation. 1998.S. 592.