Orthodox prayer at the baptism of children

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

The world has changed a lot in the last century. But people did not stop going to church and living with the Lord in their hearts. Many events are held only after a heavenly blessing. And it all starts with the first sacrament. What prayers you need to know when a child is baptized and how to prepare for the ritual, the material will tell.

Spiritual Birth Festival

When a child appears in a family, his family is overwhelmed with hope. They wish their baby only happiness and goodness. Among the plans and dreams, parents face serious tasks. They need to raise the baby to be a fair, wise and kind person. Every Christian family in these matters hopes for God's help. In order for the child to be visible to heaven, he is baptized.

Mom and dad choose a name, prepare for the celebration and appoint godparents for their child. The people on whom the choice falls must be Orthodox, live according to God's laws and help the boy or girl grow up with the Lord. Undoubtedly, these persons are obliged to know the "Symbol of Faith". This prayer is used when baptizing children. It contains the main dogmas of the Christian world. A person who does not know this text and does not understandthe meaning of his words, unworthy of the honor of becoming a godfather for a baby.

Honorary mission

It is worth taking as godfather only those people who can help parents raise their child in the Orthodox faith. Godparents should teach the child kindness, justice and patience. They are required to go to church with the baby and read prayers together. Of course, such persons understand the essence of the main sacred texts, in particular, such as the "Creed". Prayer at the baptism of a child is only the first step in his righteous life.

Religion allows (in extreme cases) to perform the Sacrament without godfathers, if there are no worthy candidates. In all ages, it was believed that godparents should take care of someone else's baby as if they were their own. When a baby is sick, not only the person who was present at the ritual, but also his whole family can ask for the he alth of the child. If a tragedy happens to the baby's blood parents, then the named mother or father must take him to his family and pay the same attention to the godson as to his own children.

It's never too late to learn

Before you find out what prayers are read at the baptism of a child, think carefully about whether you are ready to take on such a responsibility. After all, at the heavenly court you will be responsible before God not only for your life, but also for the sins of your child, since all his unseemly deeds will be on your conscience.

If you are not able to raise a good Orthodox believer from a child, it is better to refuse such an honor. Explain to your parents in detail why you are notyou can take this step. The reason may be a lack of time, knowledge or opportunities. This will prevent you from giving their child as much attention as needed.

If you are ready for such a task, then the road of life will be blessed. Lack of knowledge and misunderstanding of the laws of faith is not an obstacle for a person who wants to work on himself. First you should read the main texts that will be spoken at the sacrament. What prayers do you need to know when baptizing a child? At least two main ones: Our Father and Creed.

Interpretation of text

The first text is simple. Its essence is clear to almost everyone. In turn, the content of the second prayer is often not known even to people who attend church.

The first thing to understand when re-reading "I Believe" is that it contains the main dogmas of the Church, set forth in a concise form. This is a kind of ground of Orthodoxy. The text indicates what Christians believe, what certain events are connected with, and what their ultimate goal is. In general, the text consists of 12 sentences.

The basis of the Sacrament is the prayer "I believe". When a child is baptized, you, his godparents, pronounce the principles by which the child will live.

In the first line, the man declares that he does not question the existence of God. The Lord is the Almighty. It was at His will that the Earth and everything that exists on it was created. The expression "visible and invisible" should be understood as two worlds: ours, human, and spiritual, where angels live.

Creator speaks inthree persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. These are three images of one Trinity. They are inseparable and one.

Jesus Christ is the second person

For a person who does not understand the elementary dogmas of his religion, a prayer at the baptism of children is just a bunch of words. It follows from this that the sacrament is not a ritual that is designed to introduce a new person into the Kingdom of God, but simply a necessary formality, an occasion to have fun.

The third sentence "I believe" tells about the Son of the Lord. He is called the only begotten because He is the only one. Born of the Almighty, and is one with Him. “Before all ages” means that there was no time when the Creator did not exist. Here, too, it must be understood that both God and the Son are one light. The words “consubstantial with the Father” are explained as follows: these two images are inseparable. What follows is a brief history of Christ, the purpose of His human existence. He is as powerful as the Father.

Image of the Holy Spirit

The main prayer at the baptism of children is the "Symbol of Faith". The third part of this text is devoted to the Holy Spirit. He, like the Son, is the true God. His task is to endow everything with life, and to give people spirituality. The prophets spoke the words of the Lord.

Next, the church is the same as spirit and body. They are inseparable. It is “cathedral” because there are no spatial restrictions. All believers unite in the temple. "Apostolic" because it leads its teachings from the apostles.

Then follows the text about baptism. ita ritual in which, through immersion in water, a person comes to know the Holy Trinity. From that moment on, he has life not only physical, but also spiritual. Already in this sentence the essence of the rite is emphasized. Prayer at the baptism of children directly relates to this topic.

Following that, the person reports that he believes that the bodies will unite with the souls and the life of the next generation will come after the resurrection. The word "amen" is translated as "true", which means that no one can add something of their own or remove something from what is written.

Spiritual purity of parents

Prepare for the feast of the sacrament should not only relatives mom and dad, but also godparents. The first and main task - they are obliged to study and understand the "Creed". Prayer at the baptism of a child is not the only thing. It is advisable to confess in church before the holiday. You should also take the sacrament. It does not hurt to fast for several days before the sacrament. This means not only eating simple, lean foods, but also not having fun or having sex.

Godparents pay for the ritual in the old fashioned way. If there is no fixed price, then everyone gives as much money as they see fit.

Godfathers buy kryzhma. This is a white cloth in which the child is wrapped after the font. If a girl is born, then most often the woman reads by heart the “Symbol of Faith” (prayer at the baptism of a child). It is also suitable for a godmother to buy a shirt for a child. It is worn when the baby is sick.

Progress of the Sacrament

Father puts on white clothes in honor of the holiday. Say hello to him with the phrase "Thank God." They answer these words: "Forever glory." The receivers become in pairs. The child lies in the arms of one of the first godfathers. Subsequently, the priest will ask people to turn around to face the exit. Next, you need to renounce the evil spirits and come to the peace of God. This ritual is repeated three times.

Then there will be a prayer for the parents. At the baptism of a child, each of the godfathers should know the “Symbol of Faith”. Today, the priests can give a piece of paper so that one of the first pair reads the text. Other ministers are asked to repeat the words after them. But it is best if people consciously and without the help of outsiders announce the main dogmas.

Next comes the anointing and cutting of the lock of hair. Before bathing, the child should be undressed. If the baby is completely immersed, then wrap him warmly after the ritual.

The main participants in the action are the baby and godfather. A prayer will be read through the lips of adults at the baptism of the child. It would be appropriate for a godmother to bring not only a white coat, a shirt, but also a cross with a chain. Usually parents agree on such a gift in advance.

Spiritual tradition

It is believed that as soon as the godparents take the baby in their arms after bathing, they forever unite their destinies with him. From now on, they are responsible for this little man.

Usually the baby's parents are not present at the ceremony. But today the church allows the father to look at the ritual. In some cases, a spouse is also allowed. A mother's prayer at the baptism of a child has great power. Evenif she is in another room, she can read holy texts.

By the sacrament of baptism, a person recognizes that from now on he ceases to live for his own pleasure and will dedicate his existence to God. This does not mean that you need to give up joy and happiness in favor of sadness and dullness. This is a sign that a person will begin to develop spiritually and will look for positive in deeds that do not harm either him or his loved ones.

Baptism is a very important and serious ritual. Information about what prayers the participants of the action need to know when baptizing a child and what should be done in the church should be studied in advance. But the main thing is to prepare with your soul, because this is the essence of tradition.