A child's christening is a significant event both for him and for parents. This Orthodox ceremony symbolizes the acceptance of the child into the Kingdom of God and his Church birth. A child is born a sinner, the sacrament must be baptized to remove his sins and to entrust a guardian angel who will always protect and defend it.
A few tips that will help parents and godparents parents to prepare for such an important Church rite.
1. If parents do not have the usual Church, which they regularly visit, the preparation for baptism begins with her choice. It is best to choose a Church based on your feelings - you may want to defend the service in a few churches.
2. A conversation with a priest. Negotiations with conducting the ceremony the priest will help you to feel his attitude and to rite, and to the children. Check with the priest, how will the rite - full immersion or just with the ablution of the baby's head. Collectively will be baptism or individually.
3. Decide at what age you can baptize your child. Usually, children are baptized after 40 days after birth, but there are exceptions.
4. Responsibly approach the choice of godparents. Remember that they are responsible before God for your child and should raise his godchild in the Orthodox Church.
The ceremony is held in the Church or baptistery is the separate room in which is the basin of Holy water baptismal font. The baptism lasts an hour and a half, depending on the number of children.
After the priest gives a sign, the future godparents make in the temple wrapped in white diaper (crismo) of the child. The priest explains where to stand, asks his questions. One of the godparents holding the baby, the second in his left hand, holding a candle, right - cross.
Baptism begins with the reading of his sponsors in the baptismal vows. As baby is still small and can not answer the questions of the priest, for him to answer all questions and renounce Satan godparents. After reading prayers, the priest anoints with the oil of the body part of the baby - forehead, mouth, eyes, ears, nose, chest, arms and legs. Then imposes on the child's hands, symbolizing the Lord's protection. Godparents become close with plunge pool and grace "Symbol of faith", promising to renounce the devil and to fulfill God's commandments.
The priest blesses the water three times washes the baby's head or dips it into the font. At this time performed and cross the anointing of peace, or Chrismation. Bathing baby is the second birth. Now he is under the protection of his guardian angel, and the responsibility for it rests with the godparents.
The priest puts on the little cross, the godparents dress him in a baptismal dress, a girl and a cap or kerchief. In a sign of submission to God the Father vestigal baby-cross strands of hair.
Godparents with their godson or goddaughter three times bypass the plunge pool. It symbolizes the emergence of a new member of the Church. Girls bring to the God's gate and is applied to the icon of the mother of God, and the boys sneaked into the altar. In this case there is only the father with the child. The churching may be accompanied and first communion.
The child's mother prays for her baby and makes three bows. The rite of baptism is completed in the Church books shall be recorded on the baptism and parents of the cross or a Certificate of baptism.
Preparation for the sacrament of baptism
A few tips that will help parents and godparents parents to prepare for such an important Church rite.
1. If parents do not have the usual Church, which they regularly visit, the preparation for baptism begins with her choice. It is best to choose a Church based on your feelings - you may want to defend the service in a few churches.
2. A conversation with a priest. Negotiations with conducting the ceremony the priest will help you to feel his attitude and to rite, and to the children. Check with the priest, how will the rite - full immersion or just with the ablution of the baby's head. Collectively will be baptism or individually.
3. Decide at what age you can baptize your child. Usually, children are baptized after 40 days after birth, but there are exceptions.
The best age for baptism – from three months to six months. It is believed that at this age the children best tolerate the ritual.
4. Responsibly approach the choice of godparents. Remember that they are responsible before God for your child and should raise his godchild in the Orthodox Church.
The rite of baptism
The ceremony is held in the Church or baptistery is the separate room in which is the basin of Holy water baptismal font. The baptism lasts an hour and a half, depending on the number of children.
After the priest gives a sign, the future godparents make in the temple wrapped in white diaper (crismo) of the child. The priest explains where to stand, asks his questions. One of the godparents holding the baby, the second in his left hand, holding a candle, right - cross.
It is desirable that during the baptism the girl kept the godfather, the boy's godmother.
Baptism begins with the reading of his sponsors in the baptismal vows. As baby is still small and can not answer the questions of the priest, for him to answer all questions and renounce Satan godparents. After reading prayers, the priest anoints with the oil of the body part of the baby - forehead, mouth, eyes, ears, nose, chest, arms and legs. Then imposes on the child's hands, symbolizing the Lord's protection. Godparents become close with plunge pool and grace "Symbol of faith", promising to renounce the devil and to fulfill God's commandments.
The priest blesses the water three times washes the baby's head or dips it into the font. At this time performed and cross the anointing of peace, or Chrismation. Bathing baby is the second birth. Now he is under the protection of his guardian angel, and the responsibility for it rests with the godparents.
The priest puts on the little cross, the godparents dress him in a baptismal dress, a girl and a cap or kerchief. In a sign of submission to God the Father vestigal baby-cross strands of hair.
Godparents with their godson or goddaughter three times bypass the plunge pool. It symbolizes the emergence of a new member of the Church. Girls bring to the God's gate and is applied to the icon of the mother of God, and the boys sneaked into the altar. In this case there is only the father with the child. The churching may be accompanied and first communion.
The child's mother prays for her baby and makes three bows. The rite of baptism is completed in the Church books shall be recorded on the baptism and parents of the cross or a Certificate of baptism.
