The christening of a child is not only an occasion to gather all relatives and friends, it is a sacrament during which the baby is recorded in the heavenly Book of Life. Many parents, especially not deeply religious people very often ask questions: “Why baptize a child? Why is this necessary? Is it even necessary?” Let's try to understand all the intricacies of the Orthodox rite, delve into its meaning and understand the effects on the newborn.

Orthodox sacrament, what is its essence?

The following words are written in the Gospel of Mark: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.” There is probably no need to explain the meaning of such a message. After all, it is clear that Orthodox baptism is a direct path to the salvation of the human soul.

The rite, called the “sacrament of baptism,” initiates spiritual rebirth for the Orthodox life, after living it worthily you will receive the Kingdom of Heaven as a reward. Why sacrament? But because through the ritual, God’s grace descends on the newborn in some way incomprehensible to us. With the name given during the sacrament, the child “receives” a guardian angel who protects him throughout life.

Even in Holy Scripture you can find that Christ, sending the apostles to preach to the people, taught them to baptize people.

We answer the question: why baptize a child? Different views!

What does the church say?

Orthodox men who have dedicated their lives to serving God, when asked why, answer that Orthodox baptism of a child is a mandatory procedure, since everyone must be born “in the faith.” Through prayer and washing, original sin is removed from the newborn, and he joins the Church, becoming a son/daughter of God. After the ritual, a person with his worldly life can earn Eternal life. A baptized child is a lamb of God and for him in church you can ask before the Lord and light a candle.

What do grandmothers say?

For a long time, christenings were mainly held in villages in order to protect the child from the evil eye. Therefore, grandmothers always strongly recommend performing this ritual and only then showing the child “in public.” The older generation explains why baptism is quite simple - they baptize so that they don’t get sick, don’t cry, sleep well, and a lot of other similar reasons. They firmly believe in this, and indeed, miraculous recoveries of children after Orthodox baptism have been recorded more than once. In ancient Rus', the name under which the baby was baptized was carefully hidden, since it was believed that only by knowing this name could a person be damaged.

What do “worldly traditions” say?

No matter how sad it may sound, there are times when a child dies unbaptized. According to Holy Scripture, those who are not baptized are not seen in the Book of Life and the gates of Paradise are closed in front of them. Of course, in the modern world, where there are a lot of atheists and not particularly religious people, this is not considered an extraordinary event. But 20 years ago (a similar tradition still exists in villages), such children were not given funeral services and were buried outside the boundaries of the cemetery (the land in the cemetery is considered Orthodox) without a cross. Just imagine how poor parents, Orthodox people, go to the hump “in the field” and do not have the right to light a candle and read a prayer for their child.

Why baptize a child and how is the ceremony performed?

I would like to immediately note that:

• up to 7 years of age, consent to a child’s baptism must come only from his parents, since only they are responsible for him before God;
• from 7 to 14 years of age, such actions require not only the consent of the parents, but also the consent of the child himself;
• After 14 years of age, a person is considered fully grown and makes decisions independently.

The sacrament of baptism is based on the Holy Scripture, which describes the baptism of the Lord performed by Jonah the Baptist in the Jordan River.

During the baptism process, a newborn is immersed in water three times, while prayers are read throughout this time. After the font, the baby will have to undergo the ritual of anointing. The holy father will anoint the child with holy myrrh in a cross pattern. For what? Such anointing represents the “Seal of the Holy Spirit” placed on the soul.

Next, the godfather/godmother puts on a pre-consecrated cross, and the holy father cuts the baby’s hair crosswise. Again, why? This action symbolizes a sacrifice to the Lord God for the beginning of spiritual life.

Afterwards, the child is carried around the font three times and the ritual of churching is performed. What is it and why do it? Such a sacrament is a symbol of bringing a child to God. For boys and girls this process takes place differently:

1. male children are brought into the altar, where they receive grace from God;
2. Female children are not allowed to enter the altar (this also applies to nuns, novices and other female church servants) because of the first sin that Eve committed. The girls are simply placed next to the icon of the Mother of God.

What does it mean to be a godfather and how are they chosen?

Why are godparents needed? Godparents are people who take responsibility for the spiritual upbringing of children and are responsible for them before God. The duty of godparents is to guide the child on the right path, explain the rules of Orthodox life, and cultivate love for the Lord. They are obliged to pray for the godson and help him in everything.

Orthodox people who have previously been baptized can become godparents of a child. You can also perform the ceremony with only one godmother or father. The main condition is that the child and godfather are of the same sex. Also, many people are concerned about whether a pregnant woman can be a godmother? The answer can be found in the article.

Usually, “trusted” people who have been known for a long time are chosen for this role. These could be relatives or friends. These people, according to church canons, become second parents for the child.

What is needed for the ceremony?

Of course, before baptizing a child, parents or godparents visit the church in advance and agree on the sacrament. The priest will definitely tell you about the necessary things, but there are attributes without which not a single baptism can be completed:

1. A pectoral cross is a mandatory attribute. It doesn’t matter what it will be made of (gold, silver, wood), the main condition is the presence of a crucifix on it. Usually the cross is purchased and given by godparents. If it was not purchased in a church store, where all goods have already been consecrated, then it must be taken to the church in advance for consecration.
2. Candles. They remain lit throughout the ceremony. It is better to buy them immediately at the church. After the sacrament is over, one of the relatives present must take all the candles home. They carry very strong energy and are lit at home while reading a prayer if a child is sick.
3. Icon. It is also bought by godparents in the church where the child is baptized. Candles are lit in front of her during baptism and then taken home. It is advisable to hang this icon over the baby’s bed so that it protects the child.
4. Bread. You can cook it yourself, the recipe is in the article. Bread must be present at the sacrament, since it symbolizes the flesh of Christ. Parents can prepare a baptismal shirt for the child, and godparents can prepare a kryzhma (a piece of fabric or a towel), in which the child is wrapped after the font.

Why to baptize a child, everyone decides for himself. For deeply religious people, this is a mandatory ritual; for those who are less converted to Christ, this is their moral choice.

Author of the publication: Evelina Belousova

Baptism. The essence of the sacrament.

Baptism is the sacrament of a person’s entry into the Church. Through baptism by God, the grace of the Holy Spirit is transmitted to a person, helping him to grow spiritually and strengthen in love for God and his neighbors.

Baptism is not a tribute to fashion or tradition, but the spiritual birth of a person for a mysterious life with God, which occurs only once. According to Orthodox teaching, a person initially, from birth, has a predisposition to sin, for it is believed that the body was given to us from the “evil one,” and after the rite of baptism, the human body becomes the Temple of God.

According to Jesus Christ (New Testament), in water baptism a person is born again (John 3:3 and 3:5).

At baptism, a “seed of faith” is placed in a child, which he must then cultivate and develop within himself. Baptism of infants in the Orthodox Church is performed according to the faith of the parents and godparents - godfathers and mothers; faith is the most necessary thing that is required at baptism. They are responsible for the Christian upbringing of children, vouch for the faith of the person being baptized and are obliged to share the work of the parents in raising him.

Who can be invited to be godfather?

Godparents cannot be: monastics, parents in relation to their own children, spouses at the baptism of one baby, but married persons are allowed to be the godparents of different children of the same parents, provided that their baptism takes place at different times; persons also cannot be godparents under 13 years old(), since they cannot be responsible for the spiritual education of anyone, not being independent themselves.

What is needed for baptism. How to prepare for it.

In those churches where it is customary to hold catechetical (that is, educational) conversations, godparents need to visit them in advance. To baptize a baby, you need to have a baptismal shirt, a cross, a towel, and several candles. All this can be prepared in advance yourself, or purchased at the church store. According to tradition, a pectoral cross and an icon of his heavenly patron are given to the baby by the godparents. Before baptizing a child, it is advisable for Orthodox Christians to confess and receive communion, since on the day of baptism, their baby will receive communion with them for the first time.

Baptism ceremony.

A sample of the baptismal rite is taken from the Gospel in the episode about the baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist. The ritual consists of either immersing a person in water three times, or dousing the person being baptized if immersion is not possible, with the priest pronouncing the established prayers.

In ancient times, babies were baptized already at the 8th day of birth. Now this is not necessary. But if, after all, an 8-day-old baby is baptized, then it is worth considering a certain “rule”: until the 40th day, even an Orthodox mother in labor is not advisable to enter the temple (following the example of the Virgin Mary) and his mother usually stands in the vestibule, and the child is in her arms godparents (in extreme cases, in the arms of his father). During churching, boys are brought into the altar through the southern sexton doors, bow with him to the throne, carried through a high place and taken out through the northern gate, but girls are not brought into the altar. Both boys and girls venerate the icons of the Savior and the Mother of God on the iconostasis and rest on the pulpit (an “elevation” is a special structure in a Christian church intended for reading the Holy Scriptures, singing or proclaiming some liturgical texts, and delivering sermons.). The father must bow to the ground 3 times in front of the pulpit and the priest and take his child in his arms.

The question of choosing a name is perhaps one of the most exciting. Despite the fact that, in principle, a child can be baptized with any name, in the Russian Orthodox Church it is customary to baptize children with the name of one of the saints, who is mentioned in the Saints (list of names of saints). If the name given at birth is not in the Saints, then, as a rule, a consonant name of one of the saints of God is given (for example, Karina - Ekaterina, Inga - Inna, Robert - Rodion), or the name of a saint whose memory falls on the date birth of a child (for example, January 14 - Basil the Great, October 8 - St. Sergius of Radonezh, July 24 - Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga). With this name a person receives Baptism and can participate in the sacraments. This name is written in memorial notes.

Until the age of 7, consent to the baptism of an infant is required only from its parents, because only they are responsible for the child before God. Until the age of 14, baptism requires the consent of both the parents and the boy or girl. For those over 14 years of age, parental permission for Baptism is no longer required.

Baptism can be performed on absolutely any day - Lenten, ordinary or holiday. But each church has its own schedule, so when choosing the day of christening, you must consult with the priest.

The question “Why baptize a child?” often pronounced in the context that a small person is not able to meaningfully approach the Sacrament of Baptism. The child still does not understand many things with his mind, and cannot consciously profess his faith. For some people, this is a reason to postpone Baptism to a later time. They doubt whether the child should be baptized. But the child is baptized according to the faith of his parents and godparents. The rules for the baptism of a child presuppose the obligatory presence of recipients who will take responsibility for raising the child in accordance with the teachings of the Orthodox Church.
One of the reasons why you need to baptize a child and why you should not postpone Baptism is also the fact that no one knows the time of the end of their earthly life. This applies not only to adults, but also to newborn children. There are many cases when a child was baptized while suffering from a serious illness, after which he immediately felt much better and was on the mend.
The Sacrament of Baptism opens a person's gates to the Heavenly abodes. It is called spiritual birth. During this Sacrament, all human sins are washed away. Little children have not yet committed conscious sins, but they are already defiled by original sin. During their Baptism, this particular sin is washed away. Here is the answer to the question: “Why baptize a child?”
After Baptism, every effort must be made to ensure that the snow-white baptismal robes of the little Christian’s soul are not stained, so that he becomes a faithful child of the Orthodox Church.
Why baptize a child? What does Scripture say about infant baptism? There is no exact narrative in Holy Scripture about why a child should be baptized. But there is indirect evidence that from the first centuries of Christianity, infants were baptized. The Savior asked that children not be prevented from coming to Him. He lovingly blessed the children and said that “to such is the Kingdom of Heaven.” Old Testament circumcision (a sign of the baby’s dedication to God) is an image of Baptism. It took place on the eighth day after birth. Why do you need to baptize a child? What differences and advantages does a baptized baby have? After Baptism, notes can be submitted for the child in the church, and he can participate in the Sacrament of Communion. This is why you need to baptize a child as early as possible. According to tradition, children approach the Sacrament of Confession from the age of seven. It is generally accepted that it is from this age that a person can realize his wrongdoings and repent of them. If a child is seriously ill, so that it is difficult to bring him to church to participate in the Eucharist, then you can invite a priest to the house to give Communion to the sick child. Often after prayer and Communion the child recovers. The desire to baptize your baby as early as possible is completely natural for Orthodox Christian parents. The answer to the question “Why baptize a child?” it is obvious to them, since they want to quickly introduce their child to the source of Divine grace and truth. Author of the article: Ksenia Orabey, theologian and religious scholar

There is an opinion that you need to be baptized when you become an adult. After all, it is age that allows you to consciously make a choice in favor of one faith and spiritual life. If an informed choice is the best choice for the person himself, then why baptize a child ?

To become a true Christian, it is not enough just to undergo the rite of baptism. Holy water washes away a person’s original sin and the sins he committed before the ritual, reviving him for a new spiritual life. From the moment of baptism, a person enters the Church, approaches God and the Savior, so that after death our immortal soul can find eternal grace in the Kingdom of Heaven.

What is the sacrament of baptism?

The sacrament of baptism is one of the important Christian rites. Through baptism a person approaches God, he accepts the faith of Christ and lives according to the Holy Scriptures in order to draw closer to God. The Church recommends baptism from infancy. But, despite the existence of a huge number of different directions of Christianity, some of them, for example, Protestantism, do not accept the baptism of children, believing that such an important life step should be taken consciously and freely.

Orthodox priests, on the contrary, believe that through the sacrament of baptism, newborn children get rid of original sin and join God, i.e. are again “born in faith” to receive God’s love, grace and Eternal life, especially in the event of sudden death.

We can say that baptism is the first step towards Christian life. Only after passing the sacrament can a person take part in other church rituals.

Symbolic meaning

The sacrament of baptism in religion has its own symbolic meaning and represents the acceptance of a person into the bosom of the Church. Baptism is one of the most important church sacraments, through which a person approaches God, and during baptism God’s grace descends on him.

In the words of the clergy, baptism is a spiritual birth, therefore it can be considered one of the main events of human life.

In the process of baptism, a person receives his Guardian Angel, who protects him throughout his life.

Many parents often have questions regarding the rite itself and, of course, the age at which to baptize. But the most important of them is “ Why baptize a child ?».

The answers to these and other questions regarding the sacrament of baptism must be decided before you enter the church.

At what age should a child be baptized?

With the birth of a child, young parents begin to think about his baptism. Many of today's fathers and mothers do not even understand the full meaning of the sacrament and baptize the baby according to the principle of herd sentiment or according to the instructions of older relatives. Why baptize a child and when is the best time to perform the ceremony? Orthodox clergy advise infants to be baptized as early as possible. The Church recommends baptizing newborns on the eighth day after birth. It was on the eighth day that the baby Christ was dedicated to the Heavenly Father. Or on the fortieth day after birth. Why exactly 40 days? After giving birth, the young mother is not allowed to visit temples for 40 days (she is considered physiologically unclean), and her presence next to the baby is simply necessary. After this time, special prayers are read over the woman, which allow her to take part in various church rites and sacraments, including the baptism of a child.

Why is it necessary to be baptized as early as possible? Those parents who baptized their child at an older age can easily answer this question. Throughout the sacrament of baptism, the baby remains asleep, which means he does not notice the unfamiliar surroundings and the large number of people. Older children will react differently to their environment.

Choosing a name

At birth, the child receives his own, worldly, name. But at baptism the child receives the name of one of the saints. It is usually customary to give the child the name of the saint on whose memorable day the baptism occurred. Automatically, this saint became the heavenly patron (Guardian Angel) of the newly-minted Christian. Today the church does not make such demands and takes into account all the wishes of relatives. If the parents cannot decide on a name, the clergyman chooses it himself, guided by the fame of the saint. This is done so that in the future the child can easily recognize both his patron and the icon with his face. When entrusting the choice to the priest, parents must clarify the name of the patron saint, so that later the child knows his Angel Day (Name Day).

Choice of godparents

The choice of receivers is as important and responsible as the answer to the question “ Why baptize a child ?. After all, the decision to carry out the sacrament lies with both the biological parents and the godparents. After all, it is the latter who receive the child after baptism from the font. It is important that the recipients themselves consciously believe in God and take spiritual life seriously - they are the ones who pronounce the vows of the cross for the child until the little Christian is able to do this on his own.

In the future, godparents are responsible for the spiritual education and development of the godson or goddaughter, monitor the child’s communion and regular visits to church. In addition, they should pray for his health and well-being, help with advice and deeds in worldly life.

Before the sacrament of baptism, future godparents must observe a three-day fast, confess and receive communion.

According to church laws, a man must become a foster child for a boy, and a woman for a girl. But traditionally, godparents of both sexes are chosen for the child.

Why baptize a child?

Baptism is an important turning point in the life of every person. To become a Christian, you need not only to change your beliefs and lifestyle, but also to be spiritually reborn. In the new life, a person lives for Christ and other people, finding himself. In other words, baptism is a transition, a door between worldly life and Christian life: by being baptized, a person dies in a worldly, sinful life and is resurrected in a spiritual one.

Baptism is a mandatory ritual for all Christians. Acceptance of the sacrament of baptism is a free, conscious choice of a person who has trusted in Christ and follows his path and lives according to Christian laws.

Many people ask " Why baptize a child ?”, because such a choice must be made by a person independently and consciously. The choice for the child is made by his parents and godparents. Besides this, according to Holy Scripture, God asks not to hinder children from coming to Him and blesses children and parents with love. With baptism, a person gets the opportunity to participate in other church sacraments - Communion, Confession, etc. From the moment of baptism, a person changes his life and lives not according to worldly laws, but God’s and follows the path that will ultimately lead him to the Almighty and Christ.

The sacrament of baptism is the gateway to the Kingdom of Heaven and the new, spiritual birth of man.

When deciding to baptize a child, it is necessary to remember that baptism is a serious and responsible step in the life of every person, which requires him to have a responsible attitude towards religion. You need to accept God and his sacred laws with sincere thoughts and a pure soul.

We don't like theology

It is with regret that we must admit that modern man does not like theology, and often considers it to have no influence on life and therefore unnecessary. The debate about the consubstantiality of the Father and the Son, which captured the broad masses of the people in the Roman Empire of the 4th century, seems simply fantastic to us. Nowadays, conversations in the market, in the bathhouse, in transport, for example, about pensions, salaries, food and gasoline prices will certainly find sympathy and support from others. But it’s hard to even imagine a conversation in the same environment about dogmas. Dogma in the minds of modern people is such an archaic thing that it is strange to even mention today.

It is sad that indifference to theological issues is largely characteristic of church people. Once I had to substitute for a teacher on the history of the Russian Church at a catechetical course. One of the students subsequently complained “on the sidelines”: “Andrei Aleksandrovich will find dogma everywhere!” Of course, the reason for dissatisfaction here was also my insufficient preparation in the historical discipline. But the fact of dissatisfaction with the very existence of theological questions in this case is indicative.

Oddly enough, a similar disinterest in dogma can be seen at higher levels. More than two years ago in Moscow, the Department of Religious Education and Catechesis held 25 different sections as part of the Christmas readings. Of these, 24 were devoted to teaching the fundamentals of Orthodox culture in school and only one was devoted to catechesis. It is also interesting that at the meetings of catechists from all over Russia, almost all attention falls on catechesis methods. It is understood that the content of public and educational conversations is commonplace for everyone, which in fact does not always correspond to reality.

At the same time, even if any theological discussions, as they say, break the pattern of almost continuous reports, they do not receive the support of the participants and especially the hosts of the event (regulations!).

If we talk about the common people, then among them, insensitivity to even elementary questions of faith sometimes reaches some transcendental level.

Why do we baptize children?

One weekend there were a lot of christenings. The parents and godparents of ten or fifteen babies filled the Sunday school room. Some are sitting, others are listening standing due to lack of space. I ask the usual question:

- Tell me, please, why do we baptize children?

Pause.

- Fine. Let me help you, and you will add if I forget something: “because our ancestors were Orthodox”, “so that the child has a Guardian Angel”, “so that God protects him from all troubles”, “from the evil eye and from damage”, “so that he doesn’t get sick”, “so that he can remember about his health”, and, in short, “so that everything in his life is good.”

I glance around at the audience. Everyone's approval! Someone smiles, someone nods happily. I'm cautiously interested in:

- Maybe I forgot something? Maybe someone wants to add something?

There is anxiety and bewilderment on their faces. After a short pause, the woman standing on my right hand firmly declares:

- No, you listed everything.

“Butts on Gelendvagens”

No matter how much we say that a person in the Church should look not for a person, but for God, a person, even when he seeks God, comes to Him most often through a person. But here the situations are very diverse, and if someone is seduced by the ministers of the Church, then the reason for this temptation may be real, or it may be completely far-fetched, based only on the person’s desire to be seduced. One of the favorite topics for temptation is priestly cars. I myself, having suffered from similar topics in my time, have long been indifferent to it. If a priest is active, loves his ministry and people, and sincerely strives to serve the Church, then, in my opinion, let him at least fly in a helicopter. But many people think differently.

At one of the public conversations, the godfather responded very vividly to my speech, but at the same time, unable to resist commenting, he periodically interrupted the speaker, clearly trying to show himself knowledgeable in church matters. But his comments were mostly negative. Either he recently returned from a trip to St. Petersburg, or he lived there, but for some reason he spoke exclusively about St. Petersburg churches:

“It used to be: you go into a temple and you feel something special, that this is truly a holy place. Now this is not the case in churches. I walked into Kazansky - and it was as if I was somewhere in a store or at a train station.

I try to influence the interlocutor with leading questions:

– Are you sure that the temples are to blame for your feeling? Or maybe the reason is that something has changed in your soul?

My interlocutor is unbending:

- No, what has changed there?! Of course, something with the temples. Grace is leaving.

My interlocutor is unbending:“Has something changed in my soul?! Not really! There’s something wrong with the temples...”

I refer to the holy fathers, I remember a piece of the mirror that hit Kai in the eye. No effect.

I continue the conversation. Our godfather suddenly spreads from the churches to the clergy:

– The priests have completely lost their shame. Here in St. Isaac's Cathedral the priest leaves the church right in front of everyone, gets into the Gelendvagen and drives off.

I have been indifferent to cars since my youth, so I ask again:

– What is Gelendvagen?

My interlocutor is confused. He could not imagine that there were men who did not know the answer to such a simple question.

“Mercedes...” he answers, shrugging his shoulders.

This one-sided conversation about temples and priests is starting to tire me. Therefore, I decide to resort to reasoning by contradiction:

- Do you think that if the priest rode in a cart, everyone would run straight to the temple?

The child’s mother burst out laughing in surprise, and my opponent became embarrassed and frowned, but did not interrupt the conversation any further.

In this dispute, I seemed to be the winner, but the problem still exists. For many, expensive cars of priests remain a temptation. It is no coincidence that, for example, Vladyka Panteleimon (Shatov) until recently drove a Volga. And the late abbot of the Optina Pustyn monastery, Archimandrite Venedikt (Penkov), spent most of his vicarage driving a three-door Niva. I think that if he wanted, he could afford a helicopter. But at the same time, he didn’t even buy a foreign car for his trips. “The people are being tempted,” was his main argument. Only in recent years did Optina’s governor switch to another Niva, but only a Chevrolet.

Such a caring attitude towards the flock evokes respect, but for me questions remain: how important is the make of the car in which the priest travels, and is it true that the priests’ expensive cars are a serious obstacle to those coming to church? From my experience I have concluded that in most cases, the topic of foreign cars is just a reason for self-justification for those who simply do not want to live a church life.

“It is not possible for us to predict how our word will respond”

A priest I know told me the following story. One day two adult women came to him for a catechetical conversation. The fact that they perceived the priest’s words differently could be seen with the naked eye. One was all hearing, all attention. It seemed that not only her mind, but also her heart was invested in the speech of the speaker, as in the words of the most sincere prayer. The listener did not take her eyes off him, looked into his mouth, with facial expressions, gestures, nodding her head, and with her whole appearance showed the most lively sympathy for the Christian truths of faith and life. A feeling of joy grew in the preacher’s soul. The seed of the gospel was clearly planted in the most favorable soil.

The opposite picture was presented by the appearance of the other listener. With a somewhat embarrassed, but mostly indifferent look, she listened to the Orthodox pastor. I looked more to the sides or to the floor. It seemed that her only desire at the moment was to wait for the end of the conversation and return to her usual activities and conversations.

Father finished, as usual, with a detailed story about the need for Confession and Communion, as well as about preparation for these Sacraments.

Imagine the priest’s surprise when soon his indifferent listener came to him with additional questions, after which she prepared and began the sacraments of Confession and Communion. Subsequently, she became a permanent parishioner of the temple. The priest’s surprise was aggravated by the fact that he never saw the other enthusiastic listener again.