To baptize a newborn child today is almost becoming a fashion. Sometimes parents themselves do not know why this is needed and what an important sacrament it is.
The church strengthens the status of godparents
Baptism is the most important event in human life.With immersion and the calling of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit comes death for sin and the birth into a holy, spiritual life. For a long time the Orthodox Church has performed this sacrament on babies, although they are still not able to understand the importance of what is being done on them. Therefore, in church practice it was established a rule to look for adult guarantors for a child. As far as godparents are ready for a new role, the interview should be clarified before the baptism, to which the Russian Orthodox Church has recently paid particular attention.
Who are the public
В самом начале существования церкви, когда Only adults who were most often martyrs were baptized into the faith; the preparation for this sacrament was serious and lengthy. For 1-3 years, such people were “read out,” that is, they became acquainted with the basics of religion, and there were more than one interviews before baptism. For a long time they studied the Gospel, participated in joint prayers, and even in the expulsion of evil spirits. But their participation in the divine service had boundaries: after the priest exclaimed: "Announce, get out!" they had to leave the room where the Liturgy of the faithful, the Sacrament of Confession and Communion began. After baptism, which, as a rule, took place at Easter, people who had passed such a long test became real Christians and were ready to die for their beliefs.
The role of godparents in the announcement
Over time, when the position of the church strengthened,the confession of Christ did not threaten torture and death, the need for lengthy preparation for the church church was gone, and babies were baptized. But the liturgical rite of announcement, which came from the ancient church, has remained until now. He who is about to accept the sacrament of baptism must repudiate Satan three times: "Have you deny Satan?" - "Renounce". Then confirm your faith: "Have ye become Christ?" - "Combined". Bow to Him and read the Symbol of Faith.
Order of the Patriarch
At the end of the past and the beginning of this century, the RussianThe Orthodox Church experienced an influx of adults wishing to church, and parents seeking to christen their children. Moreover, many of them had a very remote idea of faith, of Christ, of the spiritual life. These people needed at least a minimum of religious knowledge and an idea of the duties that the Sacrament of Baptism imposes on them.
Parental catechism
Catechism - a set of basic rules of the church.If parents bring a child to be baptized not because of their faith, but because everyone is doing it, then they will be disturbed by the question that is asked at the interview before baptism. After asking a few questions about whether they are often in the church, whether they confess regularly, whether they embark on communion, the priest will enlighten them in basic questions of faith. They will learn about church sacraments, about the obligation to regularly commune with their children, to pray for them. The lecturer-catechist will tell them that Christ should be the main authority in the family and upbringing. Conversation with parents involves solving practical issues: the date, time of baptism, necessary clothing.
The parents themselves do not participate in the sacrament of baptism andremain mere spectators. But at the last stage of this service, the newly baptized into the temple are introduced. While the priest brings the boy to the altar and puts the girl to the holy icons, his own mother bows to the earth and prays for her child. To be able to participate in the rite of the Church, she needs to be clean, so the date of the event must be coordinated with this natural circumstance.
Naming name
During a baptismal interview withparents negotiate the name that the infant will take after the sacrament. This question is especially important if the birth certificate contains a beautiful name, but not included in the calendar. The parents of Edward and Stanislav, Oles and Viktoriy, on the advice of the priest, select the Orthodox name for the child in advance and, with it, the heavenly patron. This protector and prayer book accompanies a person throughout his life. Usually, the baptized person is given the name of a saint whose memory is celebrated on the day of his baptism.
Previously, the naming of the name occurred on the 8th dayafter birth - the day of birth was more important than the birthday. The fate of a person is associated with how he was named. Now, unfortunately, many do not know how they are called Orthodox. But the church man is known by his Christian name. It will be good to give the godson an icon depicting his patron so that she will be his companion throughout her life.
Hot talk for godfathers
A receiver from a font is a person takingon their hands just sanctified baby. The main role in this sacrament is given to godparents. A dad or mom of a baby may be unchurched or profess another faith - this will not prevent their child from becoming a Christian. But the receivers are simply obliged to be religious people. Everything that happens on the sacrament with the baby will happen only by their faith.
Поэтому собеседование крестных перед крещением - very crucial moment of preparation for this event. The priest explains to them the role they will play in the service itself, speaks about the responsibility for the soul of the baby, whom they take to lead to God. Gives the task to complete it for the second lesson.
Requirements for Receivers
It is important for the godfather to know if he is to be interviewed before the baptism of the child that the father asked. And the receiver from the font should much:
- Know, understand and apply in your life tenthe commandments of the Old Testament and the seven commandments of the bliss of Jesus Christ. This is the basis of Christian morality, which he will form in the future godson.
- Regularly participate in worship services, confess and take communion.
- Know the prayers "Our Father" and "The Virgin Virgin". To be able to read the "Symbol of Faith" clearly, without hesitation, to understand and explain it.
- To know what the New Testament is made of, and to read the Gospel from Mark from cover to cover.
- On the eve of the sacrament, to endure a three-day fast, to confess and take communion, so that with a pure soul and the help of God, take responsibility for the new soul.
Who can not be godmother
- A person under ecclesiastical punishment, on whom epitimia is imposed, and he is excommunicated from the sacrament, cannot become a receiver from the font.
- Close relatives: parents, brother or sister also have no right to it.
- A husband and wife cannot baptize the same child.
- Monks and those preparing for monasticism are not godfathers.
- People with mental disorders are not involved in the sacrament of baptism.
As you can see, quite a wide range of issuesaffects the first interview before baptism with receivers from the font. At the same lesson, a questionnaire is filled out for the child and his godparents, an assignment is given, and it can take 3-4 weeks to complete.
Why should you take communion before the mystery of baptism
To prepare for the upcoming event,It should work thoroughly successors from the font. And not a circle of material issues is important in this matter. Buy a baptismal shirt, towel, cross, chain, donate money to the church and set the holiday table - all this is external fuss. A terrible thing can hide behind it: the sacrament did not take place, there was no engagement with God. And all because the baby cannot answer for itself, but the successor does not want it. Well, he does not consider these issues important, he does not have time for them!
Therefore, a very important step in preparing forThe upcoming event is the second interview with the priest before baptism. In addition to testing theoretical knowledge ("Symbol of Faith", the Gospel, the commandments), it necessarily includes confession. This sacrament will reveal the sincerity and authenticity of the faith of those who will be the main figures in future baptism. The unwillingness of the godparents to confess and take communion indicates that they need to be changed, you can not spoil the child has not yet begun spiritual life. And the priest in such cases is entitled to postpone baptism until the recipient meets the requirements dictated by the sacraments.
Cherished reference
Parents who have already christened their children know howIt is hard to find a moment when everything is ready in the family, the child does not get sick, both receivers are in place and both are free, and there are no obstacles in the church to perform the ceremony. From this point of view, the requirement of compulsory catechism is an additional obstacle: the coveted baptism is postponed for another month and a half, until the priest takes the exam and issues a certificate of successful announcement. No references to employment and lack of time are valid.
Perhaps the child will be lucky and his recipientreally churched man. But in this case, he must take a written recommendation from the priest of his parish and provide it at the place of baptism. For a person who has agreed to take responsibility for the soul of a small Christian, workarounds are excluded: either to refuse or to go to church.
The last word remains for the father
The priest as no one else understands the role of the godparents.parents in the life of a baby: this is an introduction to his prayer life, and reading the Bible with him. If something happened to the parents, and if the child stayed alone, it is adopted by the receivers from the font.