Baptism is an obligatory rite for believers. Orthodox priests argue that it is necessary to baptize a child, otherwise he will not enter the Kingdom of God. This is also mentioned in the Gospel of John, who was the favorite disciple of Jesus Christ.
Baptizing a child means providing him with divine protection for life.
The rite is explained by modern scientists. According to this theory, thoughts are material, and many people, saying the same prayers, create a substance called egregor. The egregor of Orthodoxy is one of the most powerful on the planet, since it was created a very long time ago and is supported by a large number of people. This self-developing multidimensional structure helps and protects those who are connected to it through the rite of Baptism and constantly keep in touch with prayers.
Since Orthodoxy is inherently a highly moral teaching, it is advisable to baptize a child even from a scientific point of view.
Before the Baptism of the baby, the Orthodox Church insists on fulfilling the main condition: the presence of godparents. These people must be baptized. The godparents have a dutyraising a child in the spirit of Orthodox traditions. In addition, they must be prepared for the fact that if something happens to the godson's biological parents, they are obliged to take the child under their roof and take care of him. According to the canons of the Church, a husband and wife cannot baptize a child. The godmother must be over 13 and the godfather must be at least 15.
Now about what is needed for Baptism. Godparents must come to the temple with consecrated pectoral crosses. The godmother's clothes are a scarf on her head and a dress with closed shoulders, its length is below the knees. The church does not forbid wearing high-heeled shoes, but the godmother should think about whether she can stand in such shoes from half an hour to two, while the ceremony lasts. It is advisable for the godfather to wear a long-sleeved shirt and trousers.
According to the old tradition, the rite of Baptism is held on the fortieth day after the birth of a child. It was believed that until that time the woman had not yet fully recovered physically and mentally from childbirth. Today, priests do not insist on the exact observance of this provision, because Baptism can be held at any convenient time. It is considered a good sign if the Baptism of the child takes place on Easter or on another Orthodox holiday.
In special cases, it is allowed to baptize a child before the fortieth day and not even in the temple. This may be due to the illness of the infant. In this case, the ceremony is carried out in order to protect the baby as soon as possible and provide him with God's protection for healing.
It is important that Baptism is not scheduledduring the period when the mother or godmother has critical days. At this time, women are generally forbidden to enter the temple.
A few weeks before Baptism, godparents must confess, they must repent of their sins and take communion.
On the day of the rite, godparents should not eat. Intimate relationships are also contraindicated.
According to folk tradition, all expenses are covered by the godparents. Most Orthodox churches do not have official baptism rates. According to the law of God and man, after the ceremony, the godparents donate to the temple as much as they can. It is only necessary to buy some of the things for Baptism. The answer to the question of how much it costs to baptize a child is expressed in the cost of a towel in which the godmother will take the baby after the font, a shirt, a cap and a cross on a chain. A cross buys a godfather.
Baptism is a Sacrament during which a child is born again, cleansed and placed under the auspices of God.
