The Sacrament of Baptism: Rules and Features of the Rite

The sacrament of the child's baptism is one of the main events in the life of every Orthodox person. The day of baptism is the second birthday, but it concerns not the physical life, but the spiritual life. On the day of baptism, the child will acquire his own personal Guardian Angel, who throughout his life will guard him from troubles and tribulations.

When is it better to perform the sacrament of baptism?

This question does not have a clear answer, since a person can be baptized at any age. Note that a child under 7 years of age usually does not participate in the decision on baptism, from the age of 7 years it is necessary and his consent, and from the age of 14 the decision on such an important event can be taken by the person himself.

Once a child was baptized either on the eighth or on the fortieth day of life, when the woman was considered clean after birth. Now there are no such strict prohibitions, and you can baptize your child at any time: in the fast, and in the first month of life, and a little later, when the baby gets stronger. Note that the sacrament of baptism can be performed in the hospital, in cases when the child is weak or sick.

Who should be chosen by the godparents?

Today, the godfathers are chosen in most cases for personal sympathy - friends, relatives, good acquaintances. Usually, parents emphasize the importance of a person and bring him closer to his family. This is not bad, but we must remember that being a godparent is a very important duty. After all, it is the godparents who are responsible for the spiritual development of the baby, accustom him to the church, lead him to communion and confession. It is to the godparents that a person can ask for help and advice, and they, in turn, must support him in any situation. By the way, the child must necessarily have a child of the same sex as himself, so the boy can only have a godfather, the girl - only the godmother.

One spouse, mentally ill and incompetent people, the parents of a child can not baptize one child. In addition, the godparents must profess the same faith as the child and his parents.

Sacrament of baptism: rules and features of the rite

During the baptism, the priest reads the prayer three times, driving away the evil spirits, sanctifying the water and immersing the child thrice, thereby washing him from original sin. After bathing the child is handed over to one of the godparents and put on a cross. Then anointing is performed.

After baptism, it is desirable that the cross should remain on the body of the baptized. Consider only the size, while the material, form and inscriptions do not matter. The cross should be bought by the godparents.

As for the child's clothes, it should be light and comfortable. In most cases, the child is baptized in a special christening shirt, which, after the ceremony, remains in memory. If you believe people's signs, if the child is sick, you can wipe it with a baptismal towel, which the baby was taken from the font on the day of baptism. Thus, the sacrament of baptism - the introduction of the child to the church - is a very important and responsible event in his life. It is very important to treat him with all seriousness and responsibility: to choose the godparents, the church, the date, clothes and so on.