Not so long ago, some 15 years ago, in many churches, especially large city ones, almost every Sunday one could observe amazing picture: a rite of mass baptism. Up to 100 people were baptized at a time. People came to the temple with their whole families. 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 is usually the case, people made the decision to be baptized spontaneously, for company, and simply paying tribute to fashion.

Although today you probably won’t see mass Baptism, however, unfortunately, little has changed in the very attitude towards the Sacrament. Not everyone knows what it really is. For many, as before, this is just a rite that allegedly has some kind of magical effect or simply identifies by nationality: baptized means Russian. But it is gratifying that not everyone approaches this important issue so lightly. This is evidenced by the incessant stream of questions coming to our diocesan website. It remains only to recall that answers to many questions have already been posted on it, and before asking your own, you need to see if someone has already asked about something similar.

Why is it necessary to be baptized?

The Sacrament of Baptism is one of the main Sacraments of the Orthodox Church. This is where the Christian life begins. The Sacrament of Baptism was established by the Lord Himself: Whoever is not born of water and the Spirit cannot enter the Kingdom of God(In. 3 , 5). The importance of this event is also evidenced by the fact that in Russia spiritual birth was considered more important than bodily, so many did not even remember when they were born, and celebrated not their birthday, but the day of an angel, or name day - the day of memory of the saint whose name a 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 prayerful 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 sleep (therefore, those who died in Christ are called the reposed).

When is the Sacrament of Baptism performed?

The Charter of the Orthodox Church allows the Sacrament of Baptism to be performed on any day of the year. However, each temple has its own schedule of services, in which a strictly defined time can be set aside 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 baptism is faith. You need to prepare for Baptism, decide for yourself even before accepting it, very important, in fact, the most important questions in life: do you personally need this, are you ready? Those who come to the Baptismal font should not look here exclusively for earthly goods: health, success, or solutions. 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 divine services, pray and study the path of approaching God with the help of the creations of those who have traveled 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, Baptism was preceded by a rather long period (from forty days to several months, or even years) of categorical conversations - instructions in 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 conversations are held, during which you can find out what the doctrine of the Orthodox Church is. If such a practice is not followed in the temple, 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 Baptism, it is advisable to start attending the temple (but not stay at the liturgy after the words “catechumens, go out”): there you can not only see how the services are held, but also meet believers who will help in acquiring the necessary knowledge. You need to 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 law, which they promise to fulfill during Baptism. Read Symbol of faith- this prayer is in any prayer book, try to study it, since it contains the confession of faith of an Orthodox Christian.

And one more thing: you need to bring repentance for your entire life. Such a confession, in fact, is not a Sacrament, but it is an ancient practice that makes it possible to comprehend, understand one's mistakes and try not to repeat them.

To conduct 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 later needs to be kept as a home shrine) and a towel that will be needed after leaving the water.

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

The ceremony of naming, with which the Sacrament of Baptism begins, 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 of purification of the mother of the child continues 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 for more late deadline for the sooner a newborn infant becomes a member of the Church, the more he will be protected from the sin that surrounds him and the evil that springs from sin.

The Orthodox Church believes that a newborn can and should be communed, 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 satiate his flesh, but solely to establish an essential connection with the Lord. The Charter 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 Holy Gifts offered to the communicant. Therefore, the fullness of Divine grace becomes the property of a child who is communed with the Blood of Christ, served 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 holy. The naming establishes a special connection between the baptized, that is, the person who has joined the Church, and the saint whose name is chosen. This saint becomes the heavenly patron of the baptized. To him, after the Lord Jesus Christ and the Mother of God, most often a believer turns to him with a prayer. 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 choose a name. They are usually printed at the end of church calendars.

It may happen that the name you have chosen was borne by several saints. 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 the child was named after a saint whose memory is celebrated on the child's birthday or one of the days closest to it. This tradition is good because rare, sometimes almost forgotten names become alive and loved again.

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 performing the Sacrament of Baptism, there is a recommended donation amount. And if people who wish 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 we are talking about a seriously ill person who himself cannot get to the temple. Relatives bring children to church, and if the child does not have any life-threatening diseases, then he must be baptized in the church.

How to prepare a child preschool age to 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 the 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 celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism, the child has repeatedly visited an Orthodox church, including during worship. The kid must be gradually accustomed to the life of an Orthodox Christian, so that he falls in love with the temple, understands the purpose of the icons, knows who is depicted on them, what the candle placed in front of the icon means. The child must learn to pray for himself, for his parents, for his friends and loved ones, for deceased relatives. Immediately before performing the Sacrament of Baptism, you need to learn a few simple prayers with him: Jesus Prayer, Our Father, Virgin Mother of God, 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 at this spiritual birth there are recipients who become spiritual parents to the child, there is no need for carnal parents to be here. Besides before a child baptized almost immediately after birth, so the mother could not be present at the christening "according to the ordinary law of purification."

Marina Novakova

Since ancient times, in the Orthodox Church, there has been a custom dating back to apostolic times to have godparents at Baptism. They became the spiritual parents of the child and the spiritual relatives of his parents. Until relatively recently, godfather and godfather were practically a family member, their presence was mandatory during all significant family events. It is encouraging that nepotism in good sense of this word is being actively revived 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 unites with Christ, cannot understand the meaning of the ongoing Sacrament. However, it is impossible to leave him outside the Church before he becomes an adult, since only in the Church is the grace necessary for his proper growth, for the preservation of his bodily and spiritual health. Therefore, the Church performs the Sacrament of Baptism over the infant and itself assumes the obligation to educate him in the Orthodox faith. The church is made up of people. She fulfills her obligation to properly raise a baptized child through those whom she calls godparents or godparents.

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

Concern about expanding the circle of people who would seriously help the newborn child made it undesirable to invite the closest physical relatives as godfather and godfather. It was believed that, by virtue of natural kinship, they would help the child anyway. For the same reason, they tried not to allow brothers and sisters to have the same godfather. Therefore, relatives of grandparents, brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts became godparents only as a last resort.

Now, having gathered to baptize a child, young parents often do not think about who to choose as godparents. They do not expect their child's godparents to take a serious part in his upbringing and invite people who, due to their lack of roots in church life, cannot fulfill the duties of godparents to be godparents. It also happens that people who become godparents are completely unaware that they really have a great honor. Most often, the honorary right to be godparents is granted to close friends or relatives who, having performed simple actions during the performance of the Sacrament and having eaten all kinds of dishes for 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 teachings of the Church, is a second birth, that is, “birth from water and the Spirit” (John 3, 5), which Jesus Christ spoke of as a necessary condition for salvation. If physical birth is the entry of a person into the world, then Baptism becomes the entry into the Church. And the child is accepted in his spiritual birth by the godparents - 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 godparents (minor 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, on the issue of marriages of spiritual relatives, adheres only to the 63rd canon of the VI Ecumenical Council: marriages between godchildren and their godchildren, godchildren and physical parents of the godson and godchildren are impossible between themselves. At the same time, the husband and wife are allowed to be godparents of different children in the same family. Brother and sister, father and daughter, mother and son may be godparents of the same child.

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

What are the duties of godparents?

The obligations that recipients take on before God are very serious. Therefore, godparents must understand the responsibility they take on. 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 features church calendar, about the grace-giving power of miraculous icons and other shrines. The godparents must accustom those taken 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 sorts of temptations and temptations, which are especially dangerous in childhood and adolescence. Godparents, knowing the abilities and character traits they received from the font, can help them determine their life path, 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 are unable 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 a godfather is a grave sin, since the fate of the godson depends on it. Therefore, you should not thoughtlessly agree to an invitation to become a successor, especially if you already have one godson. Refusal to go to the godfather should also not be taken as an insult or neglect.

Is it worth it to agree to be a godfather if the child's parents are not churched?

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

However, while fulfilling the duty of a beneficiary, parents should not be reproached for their frivolity and lack of faith. Patience, condescension, love and continuous labor of spiritual upbringing of a child can prove 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 godfather (godfather) when performing the Sacrament of Baptism. For a baptized boy, this is a godfather (godfather), for a girl - a godfather ( godmother).

But since the duties of godparents are numerous (so, in special occasions 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 a tradition of inviting two godparents - 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 are not formally obligatory for godparents. A believer must adhere to these rules constantly. It would be good if at least one of the godparents could read the Creed during baptism.

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

You can find out what you need to purchase in advance at the church where you will baptize the child. For baptism, you will need a baptismal kit (it will be recommended to you in a candle shop). This is mainly a baptismal cross and a baptismal shirt (you do not need to bring a bonnet). Then you will need a towel or a sheet - to wrap the child after the font. According to the established tradition, a godfather buys a cross for a boy, and a godmother for a girl. It is customary to bring a sheet and a towel to the godmother. But it will not be a mistake if someone alone 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 "appointed in absentia" godparents. The very meaning of the reception 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 the life of a child is in serious danger.

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

The Sacrament of Baptism makes a person a particle of the Mysterious Body of Christ, a member of the One Holy Cathedral and Apostolic Church. Such a Church, founded by the Apostles and preserving intact the dogmatic teaching of the Ecumenical Councils, is only the Orthodox Church. The Roman Catholic Church, 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 godchild 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 person being baptized enters into a spiritual kinship with his godfather, who becomes his godfather or godmother. This spiritual kinship (of the 1st degree) is recognized by the canons as more important than kinship according to the flesh (canon 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 godparents 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 it inadmissible to continue their marital cohabitation.

Marina Novakova

Baptism of infants up to 7 years.

For babies, the Sacrament of Baptism is performed:

Saturdays at 12.30

Sundays at 14.00

Mandatory 2 public speaking conversations are held with 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 shirt (can be bought at the church store)

Birth certificate

Baptism certificate issued

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

Inquiries by phone: 421-71-41

Baptism of adults and children after 7 years.

The interview is held on Fridays at 19.00 in the temple. There are 5 interviews 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

christening shirt

Birth certificate

Towel or sheet

Slippers

After the Sacrament is performed, a Baptismal Certificate is issued.

To film the sacrament of Baptism, a blessing is taken from the priest who performs the Sacrament.

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

Some have asked whether it would not be 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 - partaking of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

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

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

Grandfathers, grandmothers, uncles and aunts may well become godparents to their little relatives. There is no contradiction to this in church canons. But they should not be married to each other.

Church rules prescribe to have a godparent for the child 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 has a godfather of a different sex than the baptized person himself. The main thing is that it should be a truly believing person who would subsequently conscientiously fulfill his duties of raising a child in the Orthodox faith. Thus, a baptized person can have one or, at most, two godparents.

If necessary, an adult can be baptized without godparents , because he has a conscious faith in God and is quite capable of independently pronouncing 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 small children. All this is done for them by their godparents. But in case of extreme need, you can baptize a child without godparents. Such a need, of course, can be the complete absence of worthy godparents.

The holiness of God requires special purity from a person. You need to appear at Baptism extremely clean and tidy. 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 makeup and jewelry, in handkerchiefs and preferably not in trousers. All Orthodox who came to baptism must be with crosses.

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

You must arrive on time for the beginning of the sacrament..

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

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

Also for the baptism of a child you will need:

Cross with white ribbon

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

Towel or diaper

Spare clothes for babies.

Children from the age of three are advised 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 is dressed in new white clothes, a cross is put on him.

Towel and sheet

spare underwear,

Slippers.

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

On the days before receiving the Sacrament, one should 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 attention to other, even very important problems. Avoid fuss, empty talk, watching TV, do not participate in various amusements, for what you will receive is great and holy, and everything holy of God is accepted with the greatest awe and reverence.

This sacrament consists of the Announcement (reading special prayers - “prohibitions” over those preparing for baptism), renunciation of Satan and union with Christ, that is, union with Him, and confession of the Orthodox faith. Here, for the baby, the godparents should pronounce the appropriate words.

Immediately after the end of the Announcement, the Baptism begins. most notable and important point- three times immersion of the baby in the font with the pronunciation 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, is preparing to receive his godfather from the font. After that, the one who has received Baptism is dressed in new white clothes, a cross is put on him.

Immediately after this, another Sacrament is performed - Confirmation, in which the baptized person, when the parts of the body are anointed by the Holy World in the name of the Holy Spirit, are given the gifts of the Holy Spirit, strengthening him in spiritual life. After that, the priest and the godparents with the newly baptized go around the font three times as a sign of the spiritual joy of union with Christ for eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven. Then an excerpt from the Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Romans is read, dedicated to the topic of baptism, and an excerpt from the Gospel of Matthew - about the Lord Jesus Christ sending the apostles to 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.

After the myrrh, the priest is washed from the body of the baptized person with a special sponge dipped in holy water, with the words: “Thou hast been justified. Thou hast been enlightened. Thou hast been sanctified. Thou hast been washed in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. You were baptized. Thou hast been enlightened. Thou hast been anointed. Thou art sanctified, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, amen."

Then the priest cuts the hair of the newly baptized cross-shaped (on four sides) with the words: “The servant (a) of God (name) is cut in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen,” folds the 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 brings to God in thanksgiving for the beginning of a new, spiritual life. After making requests for godparents and the newly baptized The Sacrament of Baptism is completed.

This is usually immediately followed by churching, which marks the first bringing to the temple. The baby, taken by the priest in his arms, is carried by him through the temple, brought to the Royal Doors and brought into the altar (only boys), after which he is given to his parents. Churching symbolizes the dedication of the baby to God according to the Old Testament model.

After baptism, the infant should be given communion.

And God grant us to walk the path of our Christian life with dignity.
But do not forget that baptism is only 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 take a walk and spend his life uselessly.
That's how baptism is. It opens up new horizons, calls to a new life, but this new life have to live. It is necessary to “realize” oneself, one must spiritually take place.
God help you!

People are accustomed to the fact that the Sacrament of Baptism in modern world pass in infancy. But there are those who, for whatever reason, have not joined the Orthodox Church and the Lord through this spiritually cleansing rite. Wanting to accept Orthodoxy, many at first do not know what is needed for adult baptism and how to prepare for this. The main thing is a conscious desire to follow the Savior, and organizational issues won't take that much time and effort.

spiritual cleansing

Baptism is not only entry into the Orthodox Church, but also a symbol of the fact that a person is ready to become a faithful ally and servant of God. It entails mutual obligations. For his part, he who wishes to receive the rite of Baptism must be fully aware that he is doing this of his own free will. With such a step, a person renounces worldly petty fuss, evil and serving Satan. Heresy, superstition and the occult are the strictest prohibitions for a believing Christian.

When preparing to be baptized, adults must be aware of their actions, because from the moment they take the rank, they must be ready to reconsider their life principles in favor of the Laws of God.

It is impossible to perform the Sacrament of Baptism because of third-party considerations: the desire to improve health, financial situation, or hopes for a change in fate for the better. Coming to the Lord and faith in Him is not a guide to a simple and carefree existence. It is always a struggle with one's physical and base needs in favor of a righteous, God-pleasing existence.

To fully understand the significance of such a decision and enter the true faith, it is very good to read the New Testament, the dogmatic teachings about the Holy Trinity, the Lives of the Saints. You need to know the basic prayers that are the stronghold of faith Orthodox person, namely: “Our Father”, “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice”, “Symbol of Faith”, “Living in help”. A positive influence is exerted by communication with church-going people, that is, with those who have long come to God through the Christian faith and hold fasts, attend church, pray and repent of their sins.

Before Baptism, so-called church catechumens are always held - mandatory visits to the temple 3-4 times a month to talk about the dogmatic essence of the Creed. In the process, moral and moral aspects may also be affected. human life. Everything depends on the people who gathered at the conversation, their answers to the questions asked by the priest, and the interests of those who came to him. This is a kind of introductory course into the spiritual life of a person who follows the Lord, and into the basis of Orthodox dogma.

Without going through categorical conversations, a person who wants to be baptized will not be admitted to the Sacrament, because their omission testifies to the frivolity and fragile conviction of a person to follow God and live according to His commandments. Usually clergy keep a strict record of attendance at such events.

But all this helps more precisely to spiritually tune in to accepting the rite of Baptism. And what needs to be done for physical cleansing, and what stages are to be passed?

Physical cleansing and practical training

Usually, before performing this Sacrament, a person keeps a strict fast for three days. It is forbidden to eat animal food, drink pleasure drinks, smoke, use foul language (this is a taboo for a believer at any time) and have marital relations, and even more so engage in fornication. It is advisable to stop watching TV and using the Internet. If there were quarrels with someone, you must definitely forgive these people with all your heart and, if possible, make peace. All this time a person should pray.

On the eve of Baptism or on the same day, it is advisable to confess and take communion, although today this item is not considered mandatory, since the Sacrament itself washes away all sins from a person, both original and committed already in conscious life. If a decision is made to confess, then nothing can be concealed from the priest. Of course, first of all, the person being baptized must admit all sins to himself and realize that in the subsequent righteous life they cannot be committed. A frank conversation helps to look deeper inside yourself.

For an adult over the age of 18, there is no need to have godparents, since he himself is ready to bear responsibility for himself and his decisions, and he makes a conscious choice of the path of following the Lord.

For the Sacrament itself, you will need new light-colored clothes and shoes, a white baptismal shirt (shirt with sleeves), a pectoral cross and a large towel. Also, the person being baptized should know that the procedure itself is still paid. If you have any doubts about the cross or what kind of towel you need for baptism, it is better to consult with the priest. The most detailed recommendations are in special church brochures that tell about the step-by-step preparation for any Sacrament of all existing ones. Questions can be answered by the priest with whom the person is going to be baptized.

You can not come to the ceremony with cosmetics or jewelry. A woman can receive the Sacrament only after the end of the natural monthly cycle of cleansing the body. It is worth remembering that Baptism is performed only once in a lifetime, since this is the birth of the human soul, and it occurs only once.

The sacrament of Baptism: the sequence and features of the process

The process begins with the naming of the baptized according to the holy calendar. If, for example, the girl's name is Victoria, then during the ceremony she receives a Christian Nike. After that, the renunciation of Satan and the combination with the Lord begins. The priest says exorcisms against the devil and asks the person if he is ready to serve God. As a sign of his consent to follow the Savior, the person being baptized reads the Creed (it is advisable to know by heart) and bows three times towards the altar. Thus ends the first stage - the "rite of announcement".

Then begins the Sacrament of Baptism itself. The priest sanctifies the water, first shaking it, and then adding oil to it and smearing it on the person being baptized. This stage is called "anointing with holy oil." It has long been believed that he gives strength to free himself from the shackles of Satan and his troops.

By this time, the person remains in his underwear. Women are allowed to wear a white one-piece swimsuit if there is a three-time immersion in the font. But in most cases, adults are not completely dipped in holy water, but only poured over their heads from a ladle. Such a process endows the baptized person with the power of the Holy Spirit for the subsequent struggle with temptations. dark side. After leaving the water, they put on a cross and a baptismal shirt (for a man) or a shirt with long sleeves (for a woman), and give a lit candle in his hands.

Next comes Chrismation with fragrant oils, through which the priest conveys to the newly baptized the grace of the Holy Spirit. A person walks around the font three times against the movement of the sun as a sign of entering into an alliance with the forces of light. This is called a "cross procession".

The clergyman reads some passages from the Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Romans and the Gospel of Matthew, revealing the essence of the rite being performed. This is followed by prayers for the newly baptized, washing off the fragrant oil and cutting off a strand of hair.

The last stage is churching, which consists in the fact that a woman is brought to the iconostasis, and a man is taken to the altar. It is considered a symbol of joining the faith, the church and God.

After a few days, you need to take communion. An adult should discuss all the nuances of preparation with the priest. Communion symbolizes complete cleansing through the eating of bread and wine and union with the resurrected Jesus Christ in spirit and flesh.

The believer must every year on this day mark the date of his new spiritual birth by coming to church for confession and communion. In addition, a baptized Christian is obliged to regularly come to the temple for services and observe fasts. If it is not possible to attend church once a week, then at least once a month or on established holidays, he should do it. Fasting implies not only the rejection of food, but primarily spiritual cleansing. If health does not allow you to fast according to all the rules, then you need to limit yourself to something that you especially like to eat. You can exclude bread and sweet tea or completely abandon chocolate and muffins. Advice with a priest or church people will help clarify some unclear and controversial points.

Baptism is one of the seven sacraments christian church. This solemn action plays a huge role in the life of a believer. It has a cleansing meaning, as a result of which a person, as it were, dies and is reborn again for a new life.

The sacrament of baptism is performed with the help of water, which at the cosmic level endows a person with grace and cleanses from the sin given to him at birth. An adult is forgiven for any sins committed before baptism.

Tribute to fashion or command 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 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 severe suffering on the cross, died, rose again and ascended to God. By 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 rise with Jesus. The sacrament of baptism just symbolizes these actions.

To be baptized or not It's an adult's choice. 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”, not having in his soul the desire to subordinate his life to the service of God.

The priests say that it is possible to perform the ceremony without the faith of the person being baptized in God, but it will not cost anything. 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 health, improve 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 unlimitedly, and not to wait for "manna from heaven" from him.

Preparation period

To Russian Orthodox Church Adults apply for baptism. Therefore, the preparation for baptism is significantly different from the ceremony for babies, because the parents make an important decision for the child, and the formed personality itself is responsible for its actions. Priests are not indifferent to knowing what is behind a person's desire to be baptized.

In the old days, people who turned to the church with a request for baptism were declared catechumens. Their preparation for the day of baptism lasted more than one day. During this period, they read a lot, attended church, 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 brought into the life of the church.

Today the priests also hold preparatory work with those who expressed a desire to undergo the sacrament of baptism. When people ask questions: “How to conduct Baptism?”, “What is needed for the rite of Baptism for an adult?”, “Is it worth it to be baptized if the wife wants it?” - There can be only one answer: “Sincere and firm faith is needed.”

Steps to achieve what you want

No need to wait for the priest to be gentle and affectionate, his goal is to understand the readiness of a person 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 appoint several more audiences. Like a real psychologist, the priest understands that at the first meeting it is impossible to understand the human essence. To establish the truth, further conversations are needed. How many of them there will be - the father decides.

In conversations with the priest, those who wish to be baptized will receive answers to incomprehensible questions regarding the Christian religion. He can clarify how an adult is baptized, how many times you can be baptized. And after deciding that a person is ready for important event, find out what the cost of this action.

Reward for Receiving God's Grace

Temples do not charge fees for ceremonies. There is only a donation for the needs of the church, which is collected in special boxes. Its value depends on the desire and capabilities of people, it can be a penny or thousands. Details can be found in a candle shop or church workers.

But this is not the case everywhere. Some churches have fixed price lists for various services. In them you can find out how much the desired procedure costs. Trading in temples is not welcomed by the Bible, but in order to survive in difficult times, clergy have to turn a blind eye to this unpleasing business. Although the funds raised are mainly used to help the poor, repair church buildings, and build new churches.

Required Information

There are nuances that you need to pay attention to:

Preparation for the sacrament

Before the ceremony compliance is required for at least three last days. It involves the rejection of meat, dairy products, eggs, alcohol, smoking.

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

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

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

Important Attributes

Adult men and women must have christening gown, towel, open slippers, pectoral cross on a chain or string.

Clothing and towels must be white color. For men, this is a long shirt, and for women, a long, reminiscent of a night shirt with long sleeves or a dress. These clothes are not worn Everyday life and do not erase. It is believed that she has the ability to help during serious illnesses, if she is put on an unhealthy person.

About there is an opinion that it should not be gold. It is better to buy a silver or an ordinary inexpensive cross in the church. It is important to remember that after the priest puts it on the neck of the baptized, it is impossible to remove the symbol of faith, unless there is a medical indication for this.

Instead of slippers, slates are suitable so that the feet are open during the sacrament.

Features of the baptism of women

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

The rite is not performed if the woman is menstruating. This issue is discussed with the priest in advance in order to choose the right day.

During immersion in water, the christening gown will get wet and, most likely, will be translucent. To avoid an awkward moment, you can wear a swimsuit under it..

The rite of baptism of an adult

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

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

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

I would like to undergo the rite of Baptism. But I don't know all the details about what you need to read, go to services, or write down for confession.
In the church, they told me that men are baptized on Fridays and Wednesdays, and they said that they need to bring with them, they didn’t say anything else.

Vladislav

Dear Vladislav, I rejoice in your decision to enter the Church of God through the Sacrament of Baptism. What do you need in order to be baptized? The most important condition for Baptism is faith. You need to believe in God, be baptized not for extraneous reasons: to get married, not to get sick, so that nothing bad happens in the army, so that you can study better at the institute, but because: “I believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, God in the Glorified Trinity. I want to become an Orthodox Christian, to live within the boundaries of the Church.” If there is this desire in your soul, then come to the church closest to your home, or wherever your soul calls, go to the priest and receive the Sacrament of Baptism.

You can read about how it goes. The baptism of an adult, of course, differs in external form in that he himself enters the font, and does not plunge into it in the hands of the priest (or in the absence of a font for full immersion of adults, Baptism is performed through pouring). An adult also walks around the font himself.

Godparents are not needed for an adult, since he himself can confess his faith and take care of deepening knowledge in the field of dogma and piety. However, if there are church friends who will help you take the first steps in church life, it will be good.

It will be very good if even before Baptism you read at least one of the four Gospels, if you don’t learn it, then at least analyze the Creed in detail (brochures with its interpretation are available in most church shops and on the Internet, and this is the oath that you bring to the Lord), learn some of the first prayers ("Our Father", "Virgin Mother of God, rejoice"). It is also good if the church still has the opportunity to talk with a priest before Baptism, and talk about repentance. Confession before Baptism is not a sacrament in the full sense of the word, but it is performed in memory of the repentance preached by John the Baptist. Before Baptism, it is important for a person to name his sins before God and consciously renounce them.

It is important that you understand that the Christian life begins with Baptism. You should not be baptized if you assume that next time you will get to the temple only for your own funeral. If a person wants to enter the Church through Baptism, one should set a firm intention then go to church somewhat regularly, read the Gospel, learn to pray, confess and partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. And your aspiration to God, undoubtedly, will not remain unanswered and fruitless.