A person who believes in God constantly performs one sacred gesture, but rarely thinks about its meaning and how correctly he does it. Few people actually know how to be baptized Orthodox in the church. Before considering the rules for applying the banner of the cross, it is necessary to recall the history of the birth of Christianity and find out how this ritual was formed and what it means.
Tradition to be baptized
Initially, believers crossed themselves, using only one finger of their right hand, they put on themselves the symbol of the execution of Jesus Christ, thereby showing their readiness to be also crucified for the Lord. They touched their foreheads, lips, and chest with their fingers. Early Christians prayed before reading Holy Scripture.
After a while, either a few fingers or a palm began to be used to make a cross.
If you look at the images of Jesus Christ on the icons, he is shown with two raisedfingers (index and middle), many priests use this gesture.
When Orthodox Christianity was formed, believers began to baptize first the forehead, left shoulder, right shoulder and navel. But already in the middle of the 16th century, the navel was changed to the chest, explaining that the heart is in the chest, and the gesture should come from the heart.
A hundred years later, in the book "Table" for the first time, the statement was formulated on how to properly baptize in the church for Orthodox Christians: you need to perform the ritual with three fingers, which are applied in order, first to the forehead, stomach and then to the shoulders. Anyone who was baptized otherwise was called heretics. And only after a while, three- and two-toed baptism was allowed.
How to perform the ritual
Few people know how to be baptized in the church. Many people in the temple premises wave their arms, do not reach their stomachs when making the sign of the cross. And this is very important, because this gesture indicates that the Orthodox believes in the Lord God and honors the traditions of Christianity.
In order to christen yourself or a loved one, you need to fold your fingers on your right hand so that the tips of the middle, thumb and forefinger connect, and press the ring and little fingers to the palm of your hand.
Folded three fingers should be applied first to the forehead, then lower the hand to the level of the solar plexus, then to the right shoulder and at the very end to the left. After the hand is lowered, you can bow.
During the Liturgy, it is important to know when to overshadow yourselfcross, and when you should just bow.
The sacred ritual must be performed not only during prayer, but also in everyday life: in joy, before starting good deeds and after they are completed, in fear, in sorrow, in danger, before going to bed and after waking up.
For additional information and greater clarity, you can watch a video in which schemamonk Joachim tells how to be baptized in the church for Orthodox believers.
The meaning of the sign of the cross
Now there are a lot of Orthodox believers among young people, they themselves attend the temple and bring their children there. Toddlers from a young age are taught how to be baptized in the church, how to behave, how to pray. Of course, a child performs many actions spontaneously and unconsciously, but these are children, and what can we say about adults, many of whom also do not know how to behave in a temple, where each action is endowed with a special meaning.
So, how is an adult to be baptized in a church? What does the sign of the cross mean? Why is it needed?
- Three fingers that are put together, Orthodox Christians mean the Holy Trinity.
- Two fingers, which are pressed to the palm, personify the nature of Jesus Christ, that is, the union in the Son of God of two principles - spiritual and human.
Which hand is baptized in church and why is it done from right to left?
It should be noted that they are always baptized only with the right hand and from right to left. After the sacredgesture, you can bow, this symbolizes humility before God and love for Him.
The cross has great power. It has spiritual protection and strength of the soul. By being baptized, a person receives salvation from temptations and misfortunes. A sacred gesture entrusted by parents or a priest has the same powerful power.
When to be baptized
In the church, all prayers begin and end with a sacred gesture, it is customary to perform it at the mention of the names of the Lord, the Virgin, saints. During the reading of the prayer "Our Father!", when the clergyman pronounces the last words, it is also necessary to be baptized.
Perform a sacred gesture in everyday life, when solving problems, passing by an Orthodox church.
To perform this holy ritual, it is not necessary to read a prayer, it is enough to thank the Lord God for the beginning of a new day, for food, for he alth, for children.
Mother, to protect her baby, overshadows him with a cross. Moreover, this illumination has great power, maternal love, care and prayer are invested in it.
The Church teaches that the cross is a powerful weapon against evil spirits. If it is applied with faith, then it protects a person, drives away demons from him and deprives them of their power.
Why Orthodox Christians are baptized this way
Orthodox believers make a sacred gesture from right to left, this is due to the fact that "right" means "correct," true. That is why it was takenrule.
There is another version explaining this tradition: most people are right-handed, and all actions always begin with the right hand.
It is also believed that the right shoulder is Paradise or the place of saved believers, the left is Hell or the place of sinners. And when a person is baptized, he asks the Lord to accept him among the saved believers.
The gesture itself symbolizes the Cross of the Lord, on which he was crucified. But Jesus Christ made a symbol of the salvation of human souls from the instrument of execution, he atoned for all human sins. Therefore, Orthodox Christians have long used the sacred ritual as a symbol of the resurrection of the Lord.
But Catholics are baptized the other way around - from left to right, despite the fact that their right shoulder has the same meaning as Orthodox Christians. Such a sacred gesture for them means the movement from sin to salvation.
Sign of the Cross
Every Christian should treat the holy gesture with respect and reverence. In addition to helping, it carries a spiritual meaning. A person, crossing himself with a cross, shows the will to be involved in the Lord.
True believers follow the holy ritual for the rest of their lives. You can baptize not only yourself, but also your food, children, relatives, bed, road. The main thing is faith and prayer.
How to be baptized before entering and leaving the church
When a person goes to church, he should read a prayer to himself. Approaching the gates of the temple, you should cross yourself three times (three times, because this is a symbol of the Holy Trinity).
At the entrancethe church must adhere to the following rules:
- It is necessary to cross and bow three times.
- It is necessary to kiss the temple icon or the icon of the holiday. To do this, first bow twice, then overshadow yourself with the sign of the cross and kiss the image. Then bow again.
- If there are relics of a saint in the temple, you should approach them.
- You need to behave calmly, without looking back and not paying attention to anyone.
After the "religious greeting" you can light candles, pray or just stand and enjoy the peace.
Conclusion
Whatever circumstances surround a person, he should never lose faith, know the basic religious rules, attend church. All this brings us closer to the light, to the Lord, to heaven, and baptism protects and gives strength, drives away demons. Therefore, each person should try to resort to such help as often as possible.
