The Sacrament of Baptism and Chrismation. Forgotten Mysteries. Baptism and Chrismation. About true meanings

The Sacrament of Baptism Entry into the blessed living organism of the Church begins with the Sacrament of Baptism. “In the field of church law,” wrote A.S. Pavlov, “baptism has the same meaning as birth in the field of civil law. That is why it is called in our sources

Essence of the Sacrament of Baptism.

Sacrament of Baptism is the door to the Church as the Kingdom of grace - the Christian life begins with it. In Baptism, a person is clothed in Christ, according to the words of the Apostle Paul, which are sung during the circumambulation of those being baptized around the font: “They were baptized into Christ, clothed in Christ.” In Baptism, a person dies to a sinful life and is resurrected into a new spiritual life, which is spoken of in the apostolic reading contained in the order of the sacrament.

The prototype of the New Testament baptism was John's "baptism of repentance for the remission of sins" performed by him in the waters of the Jordan. Water is one of the oldest religious symbols. In the Bible, water symbolizes life, the grace of God, the spiritual and moral purity of man.

The Sacrament of Baptism is commanded by Christ Himself: "Go, make disciples of all peoples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."

In the original Church, Baptism was performed through immersion in water, and in the earliest era they were baptized in "living water", that is, in flowing, river, and not stagnant, lake water. However, quite early, baptisteries with a special pool (baptismal font) were built at the temples, in which the baptized were immersed. The practice of dousing and sprinkling is more recent. However, even in the ancient Church, Baptism through pouring was allowed in exceptional circumstances, for example, in the event of illness of the person being baptized.

In the era of Constantine (4th century), it was customary to baptize mainly adults, since great importance was attached to the conscious acceptance of the sacrament.

However, the practice of infant baptism is no less ancient - the apostles baptized entire families, in which, undoubtedly, there should have been children.

As for faith as the main condition for the effectiveness of the sacrament (“whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, and whoever does not believe will be condemned”, then in the case of the Baptism of infants, the confession of faith is pronounced by the recipients (parents), thereby giving the obligation to raise children in faith and make their Baptism conscious.

The grace of God is given to babies as a pledge of their future faith, like a seed that is thrown into the ground; but in order for a tree to grow from a seed and bear fruit, the efforts of both the recipients and the baptized person himself as he grows are required.

In the ancient Church, Baptism was not performed daily, according to the need of those who wished to be baptized, but only on major holidays, especially at Easter.

Baptism was preceded by long months (sometimes years) of proclamation, when those preparing for the sacrament came to the church and listened to the conversations of the bishop or priest, who revealed to them the meaning of the Christian life. The catechumens, that is, those preparing for Baptism, constituted a special class in the ancient Church - they were allowed to attend divine services, but during the Liturgy, after reading the Gospel and the sermon, they had to leave.

The catechumens ended at Holy Week. On Good Friday, as a rule, the renunciation of Satan and the confession of faith (“a pact with Christ,” in the words of St. John Chrysostom) took place, and on Great Saturday, after the evening Liturgy, Baptism itself took place. Until now, the Easter service of the Orthodox Church bears traces of the initial dependence on the rite of Baptism: the night procession around the church was once a procession of the newly baptized, dressed in white clothes and holding burning candles, to the church, where they were met by the jubilant “Christ is Risen!”

The Sacrament of Baptism is performed once in a lifetime. In Baptism, a person receives deliverance from original sin and the forgiveness of all his sins. However, it is only the first step in the ascent of the soul to God, and if it is not followed by the renewal of the whole life, spiritual rebirth, a decisive rejection of the deeds of the “old man”, then it does not bear fruit. The grace of God, received in Baptism as a pledge, like a seed, will germinate in a person and manifest itself in many ways throughout his life, if he strives for Christ, lives in the Church and fulfills the commandments. If Baptism was only a formality, a tribute to tradition or fashion, and a person continues to live as a pagan or unbeliever, he loses all the fruits of the sacrament, excommunicates himself from Christ and casts himself out of the Church.

Essence of the Sacrament of Chrismation. The substance of the mystery.

Chrismation- the sacrament, in which, through the anointing with holy chrism, the powers of the grace of God are communicated to the baptized in order to strengthen him in spiritual life.

The establishment of the sacrament of Chrismation dates back to apostolic times. In the original Church, every newly baptized person received the blessing and gift of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands by an apostle or bishop.

The descent of the Holy Spirit was sometimes accompanied by visible and tangible manifestations of grace: people began to speak in unknown tongues, prophesy, perform miracles, as happened to the apostles on the feast of Pentecost.

The laying on of hands was a continuation of Pentecost, as it communicated the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Subsequently, with the multiplication of Christians, due to the impossibility of a personal meeting of each newly baptized with a bishop, ordination was replaced by chrismation.

Miro(Greek - fragrant oil) - a special mixture of vegetable oils, fragrant herbs and fragrant resins.

On the Monday of Holy Week, the Patriarch prays at the beginning of the rite of chrismation, on this day the chrism is brought to a boil and then boiled over low heat, constantly stirring it. Miro is brewed for three days: on Maundy Monday until evening, all of Maundy Tuesday and the morning of Maundy Wednesday. All this time, the priests take turns reading the Holy Gospel, and the deacons stir with oars. The consecration of the world is performed by His Holiness the Patriarch on Maundy Thursday at the Divine Liturgy. The consecration takes place after the Eucharistic Canon with the Holy Doors open.

Miro is brewed from various elements (there are up to 64 elements: oil, balm, resins, fragrant substances), and in modern practice, only the head of the autocephalous Church (patriarch, metropolitan) has the right to prepare the world. In Moscow, for example, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' performs the rite of chrismation and then distributes the consecrated chrism to parishes, thus everyone who becomes a member of the Church receives the blessing of the patriarch.

Through Confirmation, a person receives the "seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit." As Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann explains, we are not talking about various “gifts” of the Holy Spirit, but about the Holy Spirit itself, which is communicated to a person as a gift.

Just like the grace of Baptism, the gift of the Holy Spirit received in Confirmation must not only be passively received, but actively assimilated. In this sense, St. Seraphim of Sarov said that the goal of a Christian's life is "acquisition of the Holy Spirit." We have received the Divine Spirit as a pledge, but we have to acquire it, that is, to acquire it, to enter into its possession. The Holy Spirit in us must bear fruit. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance... If we live by the Spirit, then we must walk in the Spirit,” says the Apostle Paul (Gal. 5:22, 25 ). All sacraments are meaningful and salvific only if the Christian's life is in keeping with the gift he receives.

Conditions for the Sacrament of Baptism.

In ordinary life circumstances, the Sacrament of Baptism is performed by bishops and priests of the Orthodox Church.

But the Sacrament of Baptism is the only one of the seven Sacraments of the Orthodox Church, which, under certain circumstances, can be performed by a deacon, a psalmist, and a lay person. This can happen in case of a real threat to the life of the person being baptized (for example, in case of a dangerous illness of a child). But Baptism can be performed in this case only if the necessary conditions are met. A lay person who will baptize in the circumstances described above must:

1) be a believing Christian;

2) correctly pronounce the sacramental words: “The servant of God (servant of God, name) is baptized in the name of the Father (first immersion), amen, and the Son (second immersion), amen, and the Holy Spirit (third immersion), amen”;

3) to make three immersions of the person being baptized in the water at those moments of the sacramental prayer, which are indicated in the second condition.

If a person baptized by a layman (subject to three conditions) dies, the Sacrament performed is considered valid and this gives the right to commemorate the deceased during worship as a full member of the Church of Christ. If he recovers, then his Baptism should be supplemented by the performance of the Sacrament of Chrismation over him.

If Baptism was performed incorrectly, that is, the above conditions were not met, the priest must perform the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation according to the usual rites.

If it is not known whether a person was baptized and there is no way to find out, then he can be baptized again, although the Sacrament of Baptism is unique. If suddenly this turns out to be a second Baptism, then the ignorance of the baptized will not be imputed to him as a fault.

The order of sacred actions during the performance of the rite of pronouncement.

The Order of the Sacraments at the Sacrament of Baptism.

Consecration of water and oil during the performance of the Sacrament of Baptism.

In what sequence, with the utterance of what prayers and what parts of the body are anointed with oil and holy myrrh.

Prayer of Announcement("in the hedgehog to create the catechumen")

Preparing Adults for Baptism. An adult who wants to be baptized must have an idea about the most important components of the Orthodox faith. If the baptized did not go to catechumens, then the knowledge that is given there, he must draw on his own from Orthodox literature of the appropriate content. He must know the main part of the dogmatic teaching about the Holy Trinity, the Incarnation of the Son of God, His Cross Sacrifice and Resurrection, about the Church of Christ and the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Communion, and other absolutely necessary information of a catechetical nature. In addition, it is necessary to know by heart the Creed (which can be found in any prayer book) and the two most important prayers: the Lord's Prayer (“Our Father ...”) and “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice ...”. An adult should, if possible, prepare himself for the Sacrament of Baptism by a three-day (and preferably seven-day) fast, that is, refusing to eat meat, dairy food and eggs, alcohol, smoking, rude expressions, as well as reconciliation with those with whom he is in a quarrel . Married people should abstain from conjugal intercourse during this time.

Preparation for the performance of the Sacrament in the temple is accompanied by special prayers that open the rite of the announcement. But before reading these prayers, the priest performs a series of actions:

“The priest allows (unties) the belt of the one who wants to be enlightened (baptized), and puts him together (undresses) and releases (frees from clothes) him, and sets him to the east in a single robe ungirded, uncovered, unshoes, having a hand share (down), and blows on his face thrice, and he marks his forehead and Persian thrice, and lays his hand on his head ... ".

The triple cross-shaped breath on the person being baptized symbolically recalls the moment of creation: the Lord God created man from the dust of the earth, and breathed into his face the breath of life, and man became a living soul. Just as God breathed the breath of life into his face when he created man, so when he is recreated, the priest blows three times on the face of the person being baptized. After that, the priest blesses the person being baptized three times and, placing his hand on his head, begins the reading of prayers. The hand of the clergyman at this moment symbolizes the hand of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and the fact that it lies on the head is a symbol of protection, refuge and blessing.

Infants at the time of the beginning of the Sacrament of Baptism should be in the same diapers, which the priest opens so that the face and chest of the baby are free. Youths (over seven years old) and adults cover their bodies for the time of reading prayers and consecrating the water with a sheet brought with them. At the very moment of Baptism, the sheet must be removed. In addition, all outsiders who are not directly involved in the performance of the Sacrament of Baptism must be removed from the baptismal.

A newly baptized person will become a full member of the Church of Christ on this day and will be able to proceed to the second, most important of the Sacraments - Communion.

Prayers for the prohibition of evil spirits

According to the teaching of the Church, based on biblical evidence, prophetic revelations and her mystical experience, the source of evil in the world is not abstract, but quite definitely personified in fallen spiritual beings. These are active demonic forces, the presence and activity of which for most people is far from always clear and conscious. Nevertheless, their activity, which was marked at the dawn of mankind by the expulsion of the ancestors from Paradise, remains as destructive as before.

A person who wants to be baptized needs to be prepared for the fact that conditions may arise that are not natural for him at ordinary times: passionate habits and sinful thoughts will intensify, indifference to what is happening will appear, causeless anger, arrogance, conceited thoughts will arise and more. All this is evidence of the increased influence of demonic forces on a person.

That is why in the rank of announcement there are three prayers of prohibition against evil spirits: “The content of these prohibitions is as follows: the first - it repels (repels) the devil and all his actions with terrible Divine names and sacraments for him, expelling the devil, commands his demons to flee from a person and not make trouble for him. Similarly, the second prohibition casts out demons with the Divine Name. The third prohibition is at the same time a prayer offered to God, imploring to completely expel the evil spirit from the creation of God and confirm it in the faith ”(St. Cyril of Jerusalem. “Catechetical Teaching”).

Renunciation of Satan

After the prayers of prohibition, the priest turns the person being baptized to the west - a symbol of darkness and dark forces. In the rite following this, the baptized must renounce his former sinful habits, renounce pride and self-affirmation, and, as the apostle Paul says, put aside the former way of life of the old man, corrupted in seductive lusts.

The person being baptized should stand with arms upraised (lifted up), symbolizing his submission to Christ. According to John Chrysostom, this submission "turns slavery into freedom ... returns from a foreign land to their homeland, to Heavenly Jerusalem ...".

The priest will ask him questions, and he will have to consciously answer them. Therefore, both the godparents (if they are baptizing a baby) and the godson need to know these questions.

The priest asks:

“Do you deny Satan, and all his deeds, and all his ággels (demons), and all his ministry, and all his pride?”

And the catechumen or his successor answers, and says: "I deny."

Questions and answers are repeated three times. When an infant is baptized, either the godfather or the godmother gives answers for him, depending on who is being baptized: a boy or a girl.

"Have you renounced Satan?"

And the catechumen or godfather (godfather) answers him:

"Forsaken."

The priest also says:

"Blow and spit on him."

After that, the person being baptized stands under the protection of Christ, taking, according to the word of the Apostle Paul, the shield of faith .. in order to be able to quench all the fiery arrows of the evil one.

Confession of allegiance ("combination") to Christ

After the person being baptized has denied Satan, the priest turns him to the east: “When you deny Satan, breaking off absolutely every union with him, and the ancient agreement with hell, then God’s paradise is opened to you, planted in the east, from where our forefather was expelled for a crime . Meaning this, you turned from the west to the east, the land of the world” (St. Cyril of Jerusalem). At this moment, the hands of the person being baptized are lowered, symbolizing his agreement with Christ and obedience to Him.

Then the person being baptized (or the godfather of the baby) confesses his loyalty to Christ three times.

And the priest says to him:

“Do you combine (are you combined) with Christ?”

And the catechumen or recipient answers, saying:

"I match."

And then - again the priest says to him:

“Have you been united with Christ?”

And he answers:

"Combine."

And again he says:

“And do you believe Him?”

And says:

"I believe Him, as the King and God."

This is a very serious decision - because it is forever. Further - only faith and fidelity, regardless of any circumstances, for, according to the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, no one who puts his hand on the plow and looks back is not reliable for the Kingdom of God.

Confession of the Creed

The creed contains in an abbreviated form all the Orthodox dogma, all Christian truths. Both in ancient times and now, knowledge of the Creed is a necessary condition in order to come to Baptism. The creed is divided into 12 members. The first member speaks of God the Father, then up to the seventh inclusive - about God the Son, in the eighth - about God the Holy Spirit, in the ninth - about the Church, in the tenth - about Baptism, in the eleventh - about the resurrection of the dead, in the twelfth - about eternal life .

At the end of the reading of the Creed, the priest says to the person being baptized:

“Have you been united with Christ?”

And he answers (says the one being baptized):

"Combine."

And the paki says (the priest repeats):

“And do you believe Him?”

And he says (says the one being baptized):

"I believe Him, as the King and God."

Then the Creed is read two more times. After the person being baptized reads the Creed a second time, the same questions and answers follow. The third time, the priest asks the question three times, and after the answer of the baptized "Combined" says the following:

"And worship Him."

After these words of the priest, the newly baptized, making the sign of the cross, bows towards the altar, saying:

"I worship the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Trinity of the same essence and inseparable."

For a believer, this worship of God is necessary for him to overcome his pride and establish true freedom and dignity in Christ.

Before the Sacrament of Baptism the priest dresses in white robes: epitrachelion, handrails and phelonion. These clothes of a priest symbolize the new life brought to earth by the Lord Jesus Christ. The censing of the font and all those present during the performance of the Sacrament is performed.

Consecration of water for baptism- one of the most important parts of the ceremony. This is evidenced by the fact that even in the abbreviated “fear for the sake of death” rite of Baptism, where such essential parts of the rite as the prohibition of evil spirits and the singing of the Creed, the prayer for the blessing of water must always be preserved.

The recipients are given candles in their hands.

The first exclamation of the rite of Baptism: "Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever" - currently begins only three most important types of worship - the Sacrament of Baptism, the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Marriage. Next, the priest pronounces the Great Litany with petitions added to it for the blessing of water.

At the end of all prayers for the consecration of water, the priest marks (baptizes) the water three times, plunging his fingers into the water, and, blowing on the nu (her), says:

“Let all the opposing forces be crushed under the sign of the image of Your Cross” (three times).

This completes the blessing of the water.

Similar information.

On the Sacraments of Baptism and Chrismation
Explanation of the sacraments and rites during the performance of the Sacraments

With the blessing of the Bishop of Saratov and Volsky Longin

... We were buried with Him by baptism into death,
so that, as Christ rose from the dead
the glory of the Father, so we too can walk in newness of life.

The message of St. apostle paul
to the Romans. Chapter 6, verse 4

The Great Sacrament of Baptism was commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself after His Resurrection. Sending His disciples out to preach, He said: All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you all the days to the end of the age ().

The prototype of the New Testament baptism was baptism of repentance for the remission of sins(), which the Lord received from the holy prophet John the Baptist on the Jordan River. This event marked the beginning of the saving Sacrament and is celebrated by the Holy Church on January 6/19. The feast itself is called Theophany, because it was then, on the Jordan, that the Holy Trinity revealed itself to the world: God the Son was baptized as a Man; God the Father testified from heaven: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; God the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove descended on the Baptized (see:). Thus, faith in the Holy Trinity and in the Divinity of Jesus Christ was established.

Being sinless and pure, Christ did not need to be cleansed from sins: with His Baptism, He “drowned the human sin with the waters,” as the Holy Church sings, and “sanctified the watery nature,” defiled by the sin of the first people and subsequent generations. Remembering this sacred event, the Holy Church even now, by the power of the Holy Spirit, consecrates the water, which is used with reverence by believers.

On the day of Pentecost, the apostles received the Baptism with the Holy Spirit and themselves began to perform the Sacrament of Baptism on those who believed in Christ and wished to repent, to change their lives according to His teachings (see:;).

Since Baptism is a spiritual birth, and a person will be born one day, then This Sacrament can only be performed once in a lifetime. Sometimes it happens that a person does not know whether he was baptized in childhood or not. He must inform the priest about this before the beginning of the Sacrament, and then the formula of Baptism will sound differently: “The servant of God (name) is baptized, if he is not baptized ...”. And if a person was baptized earlier, then the Sacrament will not be performed on him, for the One God knows the secret.

Baptism is impossible without faith wishing to receive the Sacrament. The Savior said: Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, and whoever does not believe will be condemned(). Those who come to the Baptismal font should not look here for health, success, or solutions to family problems: Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all this will be added to you.(). The purpose of Baptism is union with God, receiving His saving grace.

Baptism is a great and terrible Sacrament, here God Himself, the Angels themselves are coming, accepting our confession of faith and our readiness to affirm it by repentance and the decision to live holy.

The Apostle Paul, speaking of the hidden power of the Sacrament, reveals to the believing soul the basic truth of Christianity: having been baptized, you are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will also appear with Him in glory. ().

Having received Holy Baptism, we ... die. We die to sin. And we are resurrected, we are born again for virtue by the power of God, as is said in the Apostolic Reading, which sounds during the celebration of the Sacrament: Don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore, we were buried with Him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we are united with Him in the likeness of His death, then we must also be united in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing that our old man was crucified with Him, so that the body of sin might be abolished, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died has been freed from sin. If we died with Christ, then we believe that we will also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having risen from the dead, no longer dies: death no longer has power over Him. For that he died, he died once to sin; and what lives, lives for God. Likewise, reckon yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. ().

“By baptism we are conformed to the Death and Resurrection of Christ,” writes the saint. - For just as Christ died for our sins and rose in the flesh, so we die in Baptism to the sin by which we were spiritually mortified, and rise spiritually, and begin live God» .

“Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death and bestowing life on those in the tombs ...” - and gave us eternal life; and the grace given to a person in Baptism is the fruit of the sacrificial Death of Christ (see:). In the ancient Church, the Sacrament of Baptism was inextricably linked with the Paschal celebration. The catechumens received Baptism and Chrismation from the Patriarch at Vespers on Great Saturday, when parimia were read in the church. Then the baptized solemnly entered the cathedral, together with the Patriarch, while singing “You are baptized into Christ…” and on the same night, at the Liturgy of the saint, they partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

Those who are baptized are granted remission of all sins- both original and personal, committed before Baptism, for God, by the Death of His Son on the Cross, blotted out original sin and all the sins of every person from the beginning of the world to the end of it. In the Sacrament of Baptism, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, "the strength of the spirit is restored and dominion over the soul returns to it, and through the soul - over the body." Sin loses its violent, irresistible power over a person who, in the Sacrament, is given spiritual freedom and grace-filled strength to fight against the enemy of our salvation, who is now acting on the person who was baptized from outside, with temptations and deceit. A person receives the strength to stand for the Truth until death, and death is sometimes terrible and painful, which the holy martyrs showed by their lives.

In Baptism, a person is also freed from eternal damnation as a consequence of innate sin, he God's blessing returns. Baptized - children of God. If children, then heirs; heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ(). In the Mystery man again receives the Holy Spirit and becomes a partaker of the Divine nature. The human soul acquires the seed of immortality: through the renewal of the spirit, the body is also renewed. The believer is baptized dead for() - confesses his faith in the resurrection of the dead and, thus, is baptized in the faith and hope of a future resurrection. Buried in Christ baptism into death(), a person receives from Him the power of immortality. Just as Christ died for all and rose again, so all who die in Christ will rise with Him.(cm.: ; ). For a believer, bodily death is no longer death, but sleep. Therefore, those who died in Christ are called in the language of the Church the dead.

The grace of God, bestowed on a person at Baptism, mysteriously enters his heart and then constantly abides and secretly acts in him, helping him to live like a Christian and prosper in the spiritual life, which “begins in Baptism.” And the new name that is given to a person at Baptism points to his new birth from water and the Spirit, to a significant change in human nature during the performance of the Sacrament. The Holy Apostle Paul calls Baptism bath of life(1 Tit. 3:5), because in this Sacrament we are washed from sins and reborn for a new, eternal existence. In Baptism, a person is united with Christ and through the Sacrament of the Eucharist becomes a partaker of the Divine nature in spirit and in body: You are baptized into Christ, put on Christ(). According to the Apostle, if anyone is in Christ, a new creation(). The gift of the Holy Spirit is a sign "impressed on the whole being of the person being baptized, by means of which they will recognize and distinguish him later, both heavenly and earthly."

The same power of Baptism is preserved for those who received this holy Sacrament in infancy. At baptism, infants receive everything that is given to those who are baptized even in adulthood. In children, grace acts independently according to the faith of their parents and godparents. It remains in them a kind of seed, which both parents and educators must grow, so that children, upon reaching the age of self-consciousness, are already ready to freely and consciously submit to the action of grace and fulfill the vows that were given for them by their godparents. Thus, Parents and foster children have a moral duty to give their children a Christian upbringing.

Now, when Baptism is performed not only on infants, but also on adults, those being baptized are trying to prepare for the Sacrament by studying the truths of the holy faith, prayer and fasting in order to consciously approach Holy Baptism. However, After Baptism, it is not permissible for a person to live indifferently. Baptism is only a gracious and generous pledge of our salvation. The one reborn by water and the Spirit immediately embarks on the difficult path of achievement and constant struggle against temptations, passions and sin. And to stand on the path to salvation is possible, first of all, by self-denial, self-compulsion and self-resistance. “Baptism in our language,” writes the saint, “is in tune with the cross. Happy harmony! For although the visible effect of Baptism is immersion, its essence is co-crucifixion with Christ on the inner, spiritual cross.

The sacrament obliges a person who has left the baptismal font to be attentive to his life. “Baptism,” says the saint, “replenishing the first birth, makes us new from the old, from the carnal, which we are now, god-like, burning without fire and recreating without destruction. For ... by the power of Baptism one must understand the covenant with God about entering into another life and about maintaining greater purity. And, of course, each of us should fear most of all and store the most() our soul, so as not to turn out to be lying to us in this confession ... How dangerous it is to become violators of the covenants that we have made with God Himself, and to be guilty before the Truth not only of other sins, but also of the lie itself. Moreover, there is no other such rebirth, reunification, or restoration ... Although, as far as possible, we then strive for purification (in Repentance) with many sighs and tears, and thus heal wounds, but it is better not to have a need for a second purification, but to stand in the first... For it is terrible, instead of an easy cure, to use the most difficult, rejecting the grace of mercy, to become appropriate punishment... And how many tears do you need to shed so that they become equal to the source of Baptism? And who can guarantee that death awaits our healing? .

The renewal of life according to the vows of Holy Baptism, which is the guarantee of our salvation, presupposes the labor and feat of a whole life.

Christian, remember the vows given not to man, but to God at Holy Baptism. It is terrible to lie to God! God is not mocked. He will exact your vows from you when He calls you to Himself for Judgment. There you will see Whom you have lied to, not keeping your vows. Remember them now, and repent, and do deeds worthy of your vows, so as not to come to the Court with a lie and not share the fate with the deceitful.

According to the Charter of the Holy Orthodox Church, on the eighth day after the birth of the baby, he is brought to the temple for naming. “In the naming of the name,” says the saint, “the sign of dominion is visible.” Using it, "wives do not just, as it happens, give names to those born of them, but conclude in the name of the child an omen" of what awaits him in the future. “We will not ... call children by random names ... but by the names of saints who shone with virtue. But let neither parents nor children rely on these names alone, because a name without virtue does not bring any benefit. Only with a name sanctified by the prayer and blessing of the pastor of the Church, the child may be allowed to participate in the Church Sacraments.

Old Russian church tradition forbids the naming of the name "from parables and things." In the Orthodox Church, it is customary to give those who are being baptized the names of the saints glorified in it, included in the Orthodox calendar. The saint, whose name a person is named, becomes his heavenly patron and intercessor. This expresses the experience of the Church as a "Community of Saints" - the conviction that the only true purpose and calling of man is holiness. A person who has received the Sacrament of Baptism should know the life of his heavenly patron and pray to him. The feast day of the saint in whose honor he is named is day of his angel and is prayerfully celebrated by him as a name day.

According to an ancient tradition, parents choose a name for a newborn in honor of a saint revered by the Church, whose memory falls on the eighth day after the birth of the child. Previously, the name of the baby was sometimes also called by the name of the saint, whose memory falls on the birthday or on the day of the christening of the newborn. Now a child is often named after a saint, especially revered by the whole family, even if the day of his memory is celebrated long before or after the baby's birthday. The baptism of a newborn in this case can be performed on the day of the memory of this saint.

According to reverent tradition, the Orthodox Church does not give names in honor of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Most Pure Mother Mary. You can take the name Jesus in honor of the Old Testament Saint Joshua of Nun, and the name Mary in honor of one of the holy wives glorified with that name: St. Mary of Egypt or St. Mary, mother of St. Sergius of Radonezh, and others. A complete list of names is published annually in Orthodox calendars.

The prayer for the naming of the name is performed in the vestibule of the temple. Having put on the epitrachelion, the priest creates the usual beginning of prayer, and then reads the troparion of the day or the holy temple. After reading the troparion, the priest marks (i.e., overshadows with the sign of the cross) the forehead (head), mouth and persi (chest) of the baby and proclaims: Let's pray to the Lord then says the prayer:

Lord our God, we pray to you and ask you, let the light of your face be signified on this servant of yours(or: on your servant this, Name- and for the first time the name called by the baby is pronounced) and may the Cross of Your Only Begotten Son be signified in the heart and in his thoughts, in a hedgehog to run away from the vanity of the world, and from every crafty slander of the enemy, follow your command. And grant, Lord, that I will not deny your holy name on it, we will copulate at the time of the good of Your Holy Church and perform the Terrible Mysteries of Your Christ: yes, living according to Your commandment and keeping the indestructible seal, you will receive the blessedness of the elect in Your Kingdom, the grace and love of mankind of the Only Begotten Son Yours, blessed be Thou with Him, with the Most Holy, and Good, and Life-giving Your Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

Lord our God, we pray to You and ask You that the light of Your face and the Cross of Your Only Begotten Son in his heart and thoughts appear on this Thy servant (or: on this Thy servant, name) in order to avoid worldly vanity and all crafty and treacherous actions of the enemy, but follow your commandments. And grant, Lord, that Your holy name inalienably abide on it, united at the appropriate time of Your Holy Church and created by the Terrible Mysteries of Your Christ: yes, living according to Your commandments and keeping the seal intact (intact), he will receive the blessedness of the elect in Your Kingdom, grace and the love of mankind of Your Only Begotten Son, with Him you are blessed, with the Most Holy, and Good, and Life-giving Your Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

After reading the prayer, the priest takes the baby in his hands and, depicting a cross in front of the doors separating the temple from the porch, or in front of the image of the Most Holy Theotokos, reads or sings the troparion to the Presentation:

Rejoice, Blessed Virgin Mother of God, from Thee ascend the Sun of Truth, Christ our God, enlighten those who are in darkness. Rejoice also, O righteous elder, received into the arms of the Liberator of our souls, who grants us resurrection.

Rejoice, Blessed Virgin Mary, for the Sun of Truth has shone from You - Christ our God, Who enlightens those in darkness. Rejoice, you, righteous old man, who has accepted into your arms the Liberator of our souls, who grants us resurrection.

By reading this troparion, the Church recalls that almost two thousand years ago, the Divine Infant Jesus, the Child of the Ever-Virgin Mary, was brought to the Temple of the Lord in exactly the same way, by His birth opening to man the path to the indescribable joy of the Kingdom of God.

The rite of naming is omitted only when the infant is in mortal danger and Baptism is performed without delay, according to an abbreviated rite, "may the unenlightened (infant) not die."

Today, the naming of the baby takes place on the day the Sacrament of Baptism is performed on him and is combined with the rite of the announcement. If an adult has decided to accept Orthodoxy, then the priest announces him, that is, instructs him in the truths of the faith, and also performs the ceremony of naming him. If a person bears a name that is not in the calendar of the Orthodox Church, then during the church naming, a new Christian name is chosen for him, usually consonant with the previous one. For example, Oksana can be named Xenia, Stanislav - Vyacheslav, etc. From now on, the named name will remain unchanged for him when participating in the Sacraments of Penance, Holy Communion and Consecration of the Unction.

This relatively short part of the rite today is a recollection of the long preparation for the Sacrament of Baptism, which in ancient times took from one to three years. The announcement means instruction in the original truths of the faith of those who wish to enter the Church. In the ancient Church, the so-called “catechumens”, or catechumens, who were preparing to receive Baptism, underwent a test of the seriousness of their intention and sincerity of conversion, were gradually introduced into the life of the Church, taking part in common prayers, studying the Holy Scriptures. The entire community was involved in this preparation, which itself thus prepared itself for the acceptance of new members, who, with prayer and fasting, asked the Lord to forgive their former sins. In contemporary worship, the tradition of prayer for the catechumens is reflected in petitions for those preparing for the Holy Enlightenment at the Liturgy. That part of the Liturgies of Saints and which contains litanies and prayers for the catechumens who bowed their heads is still called the Liturgy of the catechumens. In the ancient Church, catechumens had the right to be present in the temple only until the end of this part of the liturgy.

Each of those who are preparing for Holy Enlightenment must consciously accept the foundations of the teaching of faith. For an adult, this is a condition for the Sacrament of Baptism to be performed on him, and for an infant, this is the beginning of Christian education. Therefore, the child's benefactor must be an Orthodox Christian, since the responsibility for raising the child falls on him, as he pronounces on behalf of the person being baptized the vows necessary for entering the Church.

An adult who decides to receive Holy Baptism must have a firm, sincere faith, repentance for sins and a determination to follow the gospel commandments. Those who are preparing to receive the Sacrament must read holy gospel, study (it is better to learn by heart) and consciously pronounce Symbol of faith- a brief and accurate statement of the Orthodox faith, the Lord's Prayer ( "Our Father"), prayer "Virgin Mother of God, rejoice...". He must be able to correctly fold his fingers and overshadow himself with the sign of the cross. The assimilation of the truths of the Gospel and the spirit of the Orthodox faith will also be helped by the acquaintance of the hierarch who is being announced with the “Large Christian Catechism”.

An adult conscientious person can prepare himself to receive the Sacrament of Baptism by voluntary fasting in full observance of the rules of church life. To be able to partake of the Holy Mysteries on the day of Epiphany, he needs to come to the temple on an empty stomach.

Today, the proclamation directly precedes the rite of the Sacrament of Baptism. After instruction in the faith, catechumen, as a sign of humility and humility, takes off outerwear- a sign of worldly pride and vanity - and, lowering his hands, becomes facing the east. Hands down signify deliverance from slavery to the father of lies. A gaze to the east, means the expectation of the open doors of paradise on earth, from where Adam and Eve were expelled after the fall. For The Lord planted paradise in Eden in the east... ().

Before praying over the catechumen, the priest opens the chest and face of the catechumen of an adult or infant, who is held in swaddling clothes by a godfather, facing east. Priest blows crosswise three times on the face of the catechumen and thrice marks him with the sign of the cross, reminding that God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul(). The breath of God is aroused and renewed by the breath of the priest. A breath is taken three times in the name of the Holy Trinity, Who has common grace and power, Who now recreates man; a breath is made crosswise for the sake of Jesus Christ, who was incarnated for us and suffered the flesh of the one from the Trinity, who abolished the power of death and the devil. Priest making the sign of the cross on the forehead approaching Baptism, so that his mind would be enlightened, in order to drive away delusion; on the lips- to sanctify his word and confess the truth; on the chest- let him be pure in heart, contemplate God, abide in Him.

Laying his hand on the head of the catechumen, the priest proclaims: Let's pray to the Lord. Such the laying on of the priest's hand(gesture of protection and blessing) means that the one who asks is given spiritual refuge, he is taken under the shelter of the grace of God.

A person comes to Christ to be saved, and the shepherd's prayer testifies to this:

In Thy Name, O Lord God of Truth, and Thy Only Begotten Son, and Thy Holy Spirit, I lay my hand on Thy servant ( Name), being able to resort to Your holy Name and remain under the roof of Your wings: put aside this old charm from him and fulfill him Even in Thee of faith, and hope, and love: yes, he understands that You are the One True God, and Your Only Begotten Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and Your Holy Spirit. Grant him to walk in all Your commandments and keep what is pleasing to You: for if this man does, he will live in them. Write it in the book of Your life, unite it to the flock of Your inheritance, may Your Holy Name be glorified in it, and Your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and Your Life-giving Spirit. Let Your eyes be looking at him with mercy, and Your ears, Even hear the voice of his prayer. Rejoice in his deeds, his hand and in every kind of him, let him confess to You, bow down, and glorify Your great and exalted Name, and praise You all the days of his life.

All the Powers of Heaven sing to You, and Yours is the glory of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

In Your name, Lord God of Truth, and Your Only Begotten Son, and Your Holy Spirit, I lay my hand on Your servant (name), who was honored to turn to Your holy name and find protection under Your protection. Remove old delusion and seduction from him (cf.: ;) and fill him with faith in You, hope and love, so that he understands that You, Your Only Begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and Your Holy Spirit are the One True God. Let him follow all Your commandments and keep what You please, for if a person does this, he will live. Write it in the book of Your life, add it to Your inheritance, may Your holy name be glorified in it, and Your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and Your life-giving Spirit. May Thy eyes always gaze upon him with mercy, and Thy ears always hear his prayer. Give him joy in the works of his hands and in all his kind, let him confess You, worshiping and glorifying Your name, great and high, and praise You always, all the days of his life.

For all the Powers of Heaven sing to You, and Your glory - the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit - now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

Tempting a person who is on the eve of Baptism, the devil and fallen angels (evil spirits) darken his mind with sinful experiences and thoughts, intensification of passionate habits, hardening of the heart, arrogance, conceited thoughts, rejection of repentance and many others. All these embarrassments, excuses and thoughts are directed by the enemy of our salvation in order to steal the word of God from the heart of man (see:;) , to prevent him from receiving the Holy Mystery, to seduce him from the path of Truth.

The priest, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, commands the devil to depart from the creation of God - a man, according to the saint, who does not have the strength and ability to "fight with opposing forces until Baptism." The prayers are based on the invocation of the name of God and the remembrance of the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ, who came into the world to destroy the torment of the devil and defeat the enemy forces.

Adult catechumen, addressing on west(to the side of spiritual darkness), raising hands of grief (up), renounces the spirit of evil.

Raised hands announced, they show that he “does not secretly have any deeds of the evil one in himself and begins to imitate the Crucified for us.” Breaking the connection with the spirit of evil and all impurity, a person who believes in Christ finally and firmly testifies to the desire to unite with Him.

The priest asks:

- Do you deny Satan, and all his works, and all him, and all his ministry, and all his pride? (Do you renounce Satan and all his works, all his evil spirits, all his worship and all his pride?)

The catechumen or, if it is a baby, his godfather answers:

- I deny it. (I renounce.)

This and subsequent questions and answers are repeated three times.

The priest asks the baptized:

- Have you renounced Satan? (Have you renounced Satan?)

- I gave up. (Retracted.)

The denial ends with the execution of the decree of the priest announced:

- And blow and spit on him. ((As a sign of renunciation) blow and spit on him (the devil).)

And in ancient church practice, the catechumens made a breath and spit on the devil, thus signifying his condemnation.

The renunciation of the devil is followed by the confession of fidelity to Christ of the announced, i.e. combination to Christ.

To do this, the priest turns the catechumen from the West east,to the bottom of the property (with lowered hands), which means turning away from evil and the devil and turning to the Lord.

“When you deny Satan,” writes the saint, “breaking absolutely every union with him and the ancient agreement with hell, then God’s paradise is opened to you, planted in the east, from where our forefather was expelled for a crime. Meaning this, turn from the west to the east, the land of the world.

Lowered hands catechumen means his obedience before God.

The priest asks:

- Do you combine with Christ? (Are you united with Christ?)

The announcer or receiver replies:

- I match. (I am connecting.)

This question is asked three times, and the answer is given three times.

To the next question from the priest:

- Have you been combined with Christ? (Are you connected with Christ?) - the announcer answers:

- Combine. (connected,) - after which the priest asks:

- Do you believe in Him? (And do you believe in Him?)

Announced, giving an affirmative answer: " I believe Him as the King and God»( I believe in him as in the King and God), reads the Nicene-Tsaregrad Creed adopted at the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea (325) and supplemented at the Second Ecumenical Council in Constantinople (381), which serves as a general expression of the faith of the Orthodox Church.

Upon completion of the rite of pronouncement, the person approaching Baptism is ready to receive this great Sacrament: death and resurrection in the image of the Death and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Blessed be God, all people want to be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth, now and ever and forever and ever, amen, - the priest proclaims and reads a prayer that completes the rite of preparation:

Master of the LORD our God, call upon Thy servant ( Name) to Thy Holy Enlightenment and vouchsafe to HIS great sowing grace, Thy Holy Baptism: renounce its decrepitude, and renew it into an eternal life, and fill it with Thy Holy Spirit of power, into the union of Thy Christ, but not to anyone's child There will be food, but your child Kingdoms, by the good will and grace of Thy Only-Begotten SON, with Him blessed art Thou, with the Most Holy, and Good, and Life-giving Thy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

Master Lord, our God, call Your servant (name) to Your Holy Enlightenment and vouchsafe him this great grace - Your Holy Baptism: free him from decay and renew him for eternal life, fill him with the power of Your Holy Spirit and unite with Your Christ, yes will no longer be a child of the body, but a child of Your Kingdom, by the goodwill and grace of Your Only Begotten Son, with Him you are blessed, with the Most Holy, and Good, and Life-giving Your Spirit, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen.

And again the same sequence is performed as during the consecration of water. First, the diabolical forces are expelled from the oil, its true properties are restored: this is the meaning of blowing into the vessel with oil and three times overshadowing it with the sign of the cross. This is followed by an anamnesis - a recollection of the significance of oil in the history of Salvation - and thanksgiving. Thanks to God, oil is transformed into what the Lord created: as a gift of healing, peace, spiritual strength and life.

After anointing with oil, the priest performs Baptism baby, holding it facing east. Immersing him in water, the priest loudly pronounces the sacramental words:

The servant of God is baptized ( Name) in the name of the Father... Simultaneously with the pronunciation of these words, he immerses the person being baptized in water. And erecting from the font: Amen. Loading for the second time: And SON... And erecting from the font: Amen. Loading for the third time: And the Holy Spirit. And erecting from the font: Amen.

According to the teachings of the Church, immersion in water means the communion of Christ the Savior who was baptized to the Death, crucified on the Cross. The cross is a sign of redemption and sanctification. In ancient times, at the bottom of the Baptismal font, the Cross was always depicted to testify to the words of the Apostle Paul: All of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death ().

Through the resurrection of the one being baptized from the water, “his new birth takes place,” therefore the water becomes for him, as St. Cyril of Jerusalem says, “mother.” “And just as Christ was truly crucified, buried and resurrected,” continues the saint, “so through Baptism in the likeness we were also worthy to be buried and rise with Him.”

As soon as the person being baptized comes out of the font, the priest and all those present joyfully greet him with the acquisition of new life and true bliss through Baptism with the words of the psalm:

Blessed, Whom they left behind iniquity, and Whom they hide behind sins. Blessed is the husband, the Lord will no longer impute sin, below there is flattery in his mouth. As if they kept silent, promised my bones, from Hedgehog call me all day. Like day and night, Thy hand is burdened on me, returning to passion, always on the turn. My iniquity is my knowledge and my sin is not covered. Rech: let us confess my iniquity, O Lord, upon me, and Thou hast forsaken the wickedness of my heart. For this, every reverend will pray to you at the appropriate time: otherwise, in the deluge of many waters, they will not approach him. You are my Refuge from the sorrow that embraces me: My joy, deliver me from those who have bypassed me. I will enlighten you and guide you on this path, go down, I will fix my eyes on you. Do not wake up like a horse and a mesk, They do not have a mind: with the furrows and the bridle of their jaws you will rise up, who do not approach you. There are many wounds to the sinner, but he who trusts in the Lord will have mercy. Rejoice in the Lord and rejoice, righteous ones, and boast, all right in heart .

Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are forgiven. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin, and in whose mouth there is no lie. When I kept silent (about my sins), my bones failed, for I groaned all day long. For day and night your hand weighed heavily on me; and again I tasted torment when my conscience stung me like a thorn. I have known my iniquity and have not hidden my sin; I said, “I confess my iniquity to the Lord,” and You have forgiven the iniquity of my heart. Therefore, every righteous man will pray to you at an acceptable time, and many waters will not drown him. You are my refuge in the sorrow that has embraced me; My joy, deliver me from those who surround me. “I (the Lord) will instruct you and guide you on this path, and you will follow it; I will fix my eyes on you." Do not be (disobedient) like a horse and a mule, devoid of reason. A man leads them with a bit and a bridle, so that they follow him. The sinner will be severely punished, but mercy embraces the one who trusts in the Lord. Rejoice in the Lord and rejoice, righteous ones, and rejoice in uprightness of heart!

According to the testimony of the saint, the standing of the newly baptized at this time in front of the altar represents Heavenly Glory, and the psalmody with which he is received by the faithful is “the beginning of Heavenly hymns.”

Then the priest lays white baptismal robe(currently it is most often a white shirt) on the newly baptized with the words:

The servant of God is dressed ( Name) in the robe of truth in the name of the Father and the SON and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Those present sing the troparion:

Give me a robe of light, clothe yourself with light, Like a riza, Our God of many mercy.

Give me a light robe, dressed in light, as if with a robe, our many-merciful God.

Before Baptism, the catechumen was released from clothing as a sign of renunciation of the "old man" and "old life." After all, it was sin that revealed to Adam and Eve their nakedness and forced them to cover it with clothes. Before sin, they were not ashamed of their nakedness, because they were clothed in Divine glory and light, inexpressible beauty, which is the true nature of man. Putting on a “light robe” after Baptism marks the return of a person to the integrity and innocence that he possessed in paradise, the restoration of his true nature, clouded and distorted by sin. St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, compares these clothes with the shining, "white as light" robes of Christ Transfigured on Mount Tabor. This white robe, which reminds the newly baptized that from now on he must lead a pure and holy life, was worn in ancient times for seven whole days and spent all this time in reverence, keeping the anointing with holy chrism under the baptismal robe.

Together with white clothes, the newly baptized is given a pre-consecrated pectoral cross in fulfillment of the words of Christ: If anyone wants to follow me, deny yourself and take up your cross and follow me().

The one who comes out of the font and is dressed in white clothes is given a candle, testifying, in the words of St. Gregory the Theologian, “of the light of faith and the glory of the future life.”

Completes Baptism Sacrament of Chrismation in which the believer is given the gifts of the Holy Spirit for sanctification, strengthening and growth in his spiritual life.

Confirmation is an independent Sacrament, although it is performed, according to the rules of the Orthodox Church, immediately after three times immersion in the font. “In the Sacrament of Confirmation, at the height of holiness and purity, revealed by the Sacrament of Baptism, a Christian relies Seal of the Gift of the Holy Spirit through the anointing of the parts of his body with holy chrism… Those sealed with holy chrism put on the garment of the fragrance of the Holy Spirit. Seal of the Gift of the Holy Spirit The Church makes a consecration - to be a temple of God to man, in which the Spirit of God dwells and lives (see:) . “The temple of God is holy, and this temple is you,” says the apostle Paul () . Through Confirmation, a person is introduced into the liturgical life of the Church: hearing and assimilation of the word of God, communion of the Body and Blood of Christ the Savior in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. A person begins to see the presence of God in the world, in people, knowing the mystery of the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (see:) . Just as, having created man, God breathed into his face the breath of life (see:) and, having accomplished the redemption of people in the person of His Son, He sent them the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, so after Baptism, spiritual birth, the Holy Spirit is sent to man through Chrismation. Thus, this Sacrament is the personal Pentecost of a person who has entered the Church, it makes him equal among the faithful and makes him worthy from now on to be a partaker of the Body and Blood of Christ.

To perform the Sacrament of Chrismation, fragrant myrrh is used, the preparation and consecration of which took place back in Old Testament times (see:) . In the Orthodox Church, chrism prepared from pure oil (with the addition of white grape wine) and fragrant substances is consecrated by the Patriarch according to a special liturgical rite on Maundy Thursday.

The anointing is preceded by the priest's prayer to God for the sending of the Holy Spirit on the newly baptized:

Blessed be Thou, O Lord God the Almighty, the Source of the good, the Sun of Truth, shining upon those in darkness the light of salvation by the manifestation of Thy only begotten SON and our GOD, and granting us unworthy blessed cleansing in holy water and Divine sanctification in life-giving anointing, even now favored Paki to give birth to a slave Yours, newly enlightened by water and the SPIRIT, and voluntary and involuntary sins, the abandonment of that is granted. Himself, Vladyka, to the All-King of Mercy, grant him both the seal of the gift of the Holy, and the Almighty, and the worship of Thy Spirit, and the communion of the Holy Body and the Honest Blood of Thy Christ. Keep him in your consecration, establish him in the Orthodox faith, deliver him from the evil one and all his undertakings, and with your saving fear in purity and truth keep his soul, but in every deed and word please you, the son and heir will be in heaven out of Thy Kingdom.

As if you are our God, the God of mercy and salvation: and we send glory to you, the Father and the SON and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

Blessed are You, Lord God, the Almighty, the Source of all blessings and the Sun of Truth! You, by the appearance of Your Only Begotten Son and our God, shone with the light of salvation in darkness and granted us, the unworthy, blessed purification in holy water and Divine sanctification in life-giving anointing. And today You deigned to give birth again with water and the Spirit to Your newly enlightened servant and granted him the forgiveness of voluntary and involuntary sins. You Yourself, the Good Lord, the King of all people, grant him both the seal of the gift of the Holy, and the Almighty, and worthy of worship of Your Spirit, and the communion of the Holy Body and the Precious Blood of Your Christ. Save him in your consecration, confirm him in the Orthodox faith, deliver him from the evil one and all his undertakings, and save his soul with your saving fear in purity and truth, so that he will please You with every deed and word and be the son and heir of Your Heavenly Kingdom.

For You are our God, the God of Mercy and Savior, and we send glory to You, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

After reading the prayer, the priest crosswise anoints the forehead, eyes, nostrils, mouth, ears, chest, arms and legs of the baptized person with holy chrism, pronouncing the ancient “formula” of the sacrament at each anointing:

SEAL OF THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. Amen.

Anointing of the forehead means sanctification of the mind or thoughts, anointing of the chest - sanctification of the heart or desires, anointing of the eyes, nostrils, ears and lips - sanctification of feelings, anointing of hands and feet - sanctification of deeds and all behavior of a Christian.

Priest's words: “The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Amen"- mean that anointing with chrism is a visible sign, a seal of the fact that the anointed one is granted the Holy Spirit from God. The Lord Himself marks us with His special seal and gives us the betrothal of the Spirit in our hearts. From this very moment we become Christians, i.e., the anointed ones, and no one has the power to open this seal except the Lord Himself, when He in all His glory comes to judge the living and the dead.

After the chrismation the priest circles the newly baptized withreceivers around the font. The priest holds a cross in his hand, the newly enlightened adults hold a candle. For the newly baptized baby, his godfather holds a candle. All solemnly sing (three times):

The fir-trees were baptized in Christ, clothed in Christ. AllilWia. (Those who are baptized into Christ have put on Christ.)

The circle is a symbol of eternity, and walking around the font marks the eternal power of the perfect Sacrament.

After the procession around the font, the prokeimenon is read:

The Lord is my Enlightenment and my Savior: whom do I fear? (The Lord is my Enlightenment and my Savior, whom shall I fear?)

Then follows reading the Apostle and the Gospel.

Entering the Church of Christ through the mouth of the holy Apostle Paul (Rom. 6, 3–11) proclaims:

Brothers, we are baptized into Christ Jesus, into His death we are baptized. Let us be buried, for him, by baptism into death: yes, as Christ rises from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we will begin to walk in the renewal of life. If you think in the likeness of HIS death, then we will be the Resurrection. This is knowing, Like our old man will be crucified with Him, let the sinful body be abolished, Like someone does not work sin for us. He who dies, be justified from sin. If we die with Christ, we believe, and we will live with Him. Knowing that Christ is risen from the dead, who no longer dies, death does not possess Him. Even if you die, sin, die alone; but Hedgehog lives, GOD lives. Likewise, think to yourselves that you are dead, because it is a sin to be alive, but God, about Christ Jesus, our Lord, is alive.

Brethren, do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore, we were buried with Him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we are united with him in the likeness of His death, then we must be united also in the likeness of the Resurrection, knowing that our old man was crucified with Him, so that the sinful body would be abolished, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin. For the dead have been freed from sin. If we died with Christ, then we believe that we will also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having risen from the dead, no longer dies: death no longer has power over Him. For that he died, he died once to sin; and what lives, lives for God. Likewise, reckon yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Gospel(cm.: ) brings the newly enlightened joyful tidings that the Divine Installer of the Sacraments Himself, our Lord Jesus Christ, will be with us all the days until the end of the age:

At the time of It, one ten disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain, Jesus commanded them. And seeing Him, bowing to Him, Ovi became wise. And Jesus approached, speaking to them, saying: give me all power in heaven and on earth. Come teach all languages, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and the SON and the Holy Spirit, more often than not, keep them all, the commandments to you. And behold, I am with you all the days, until the end of time. Amen.

During it, the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had commanded them. And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him, but some doubted. And coming close, Jesus said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you all the days to the end of the age. Amen.

After reading the Gospel, it is pronounced litany, in which the Church prays for the life, health and remission of the sins of the recipient, for his preservation in the faith of pure confession, in piety and the fulfillment of the commandments of Christ all the days of his life.

Myrrh is a sacred substance, and its contact with ordinary, unsanctified objects could be a desecration of such a shrine. Therefore, the Holy Church tries to prevent us from the sin of insulting the shrine, even involuntary, and she herself washes away the traces of the sacred world on our body.

In ancient times, the newly baptized did not take off their white robes and did not bathe until the eighth day. In the works of the holy fathers and in the liturgical Tradition of the Church, the number "eight" is a symbol of the new time, which began with the Resurrection of Christ. The Church perceived the first day of this world as the eighth day, which is already out of time, out of the week, as non-evening day of the Kingdom of God.

In modern practice destruction of the holy world takes place immediately after reading the Gospel. First, the priest reads prayers, in which he asks the Lord to keep undefiled the incorruptible clothes that the newly baptized was dressed in, to keep in him an indestructible spiritual seal and the inviolable betrothal of the Holy Spirit, given in chrismation, to vouchsafe him eternal life and create a victor over enemies.

With words:

You were justified. Thou hast been enlightened. Thou hast been sanctified. Thou hast been washed in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and the SPIRIT of our GOD - the priest, having soaked the sponge with water, wipes off the newly baptized places, anointed with myrrh at Baptism, and also says:

You were baptized. Thou hast been enlightened. Thou hast been anointed. Thou hast been sanctified. Thou wast washed in the name of the Father and the SON and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

At the end of the Sacrament of Confirmation, the Holy Church performs one more act, which has its own special significance - haircut.

Hair cutting has been a symbol of obedience and sacrifice since ancient times. This rite is also included in the rite of initiation into monasticism.

In the prayer for the cutting of hair - a solemn hymn to the Wisdom of God, who created man as the crown of all created things - the priest asks the Lord to send blessings on the head of the new son of the Church, so that he would sacrifice himself to God, completely surrendering to His service. Taking scissors, the priest tonsures the newly baptized cross-shaped, saying:

The servant of God is being cut ( Name) in the name of the Father and the SON and the Holy Spirit.

The cut hair is rolled into wax from the receiver's candle. These pieces of wax are put in a separate place and reverently destroyed in a fire or a church well.

The tonsure is followed by a special litany, in which the Church prays for mercy, life, peace, health, and the salvation of the recipients and the newly baptized.

Then the priest creates vacation. On vacation, the saint is commemorated, whose name is given to the newly baptized. The priest gives the cross for kissing, first to the newly baptized, and then to the recipient.

This completes the ordination of Baptism and Chrismation. It is followed by the churching of the newly baptized, the reading of the prayers of the fortieth day to the mother, and the communion of the new member of the Church with the Holy Mysteries of the Body and Blood of Christ and our God. In case of extreme need, when a person may die unbaptized, and there is no priest nearby, “baptism can be performed by simply immersing in water (or even by dousing), while pronouncing baptismal words, every pious Orthodox Christian, by virtue of his belonging to the “royal priesthood ", that is, to the Church." If the danger of death has passed, then the priest completes Baptism with the Sacrament of Chrismation.

“The Holy Church also knows Baptism by blood, when a person who has not had time to be baptized seals his loyalty to Christ by martyrdom.”

Then the priest pronounces the prayer of the righteous Simeon the God-bearer:

Now let your servant go, Lord, according to your word in peace: As my eyes see Thy salvation, even though Thou hast prepared before the face of all people, the light into the revelation of tongues, and the glory of Thy people Israel.

Now You release Your servant in peace, Lord, according to Your word; because my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people, a light that will enlighten the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.

If newly baptized adults are churched, then at the words of churching they overshadow themselves with the sign of the cross and make bows from the waist. In the altar, the churched men make prostrations before the holy altar.

Churching ends with the usual dismissal, after which there is a kissing of the cross. We received the entrance to the temple of God through suffering for us on the Cross of the Son of God. And a new member of the Church of Christ is introduced into the temple through the image of the cross, which is drawn by the baby with the words of churching. For every person who has received Baptism will have to take up his cross and follow Christ (see:).

Every person is a citizen or subject of his country. We all know that when a child is born in a family, he is given a birth certificate. According to this document, the newborn is a full citizen of the country in which he was born. Now it only remains for parents to gradually teach their child the basic laws and norms of behavior of a given country.

Almost the same thing happens in the sacrament of Baptism. However, with a significant difference:

1) "newborn", or rather, newly baptized, can be both an infant and an adult, even a very advanced age;

2) the country, of which the newly baptized becomes a "citizen", is one for all - the Kingdom of Heaven;

3) the "parents" of the newly baptized are called godparents, or godfather and mother;

4) the law and norms of behavior are not formulated by people, but by God and are given in the Holy Scripture, or rather, in the Gospel;

5) unlike earthly states, in which power belongs to different people or groups of people, in the Kingdom of Heaven there is one Lord - God the Trinity, God the Creator.

It is in order to become a subject, or a citizen of the Heavenly Kingdom of God, that the sacrament of Baptism exists.

If an adult or even a teenager is baptized, then before Baptism he is announced. The word "announce" or "announce" means to make public, notify, announce before God the name of the person who is preparing for Baptism. During training, he learns the basics of the Christian faith. His name is included in the church prayer "for the catechumens." He himself voluntarily renounces the power of Satan and openly (with witnesses - members of the Church) confesses his faith-trust in Christ ("I believe in Him as King and God").

For the baby, the announcement is made by his godparents, who take responsibility for the spiritual upbringing of the child. From now on, godparents pray for their godson (or goddaughter), teach him to pray, and tell him about the Kingdom of Heaven and its laws.

This is how the sacrament of Baptism is performed.

First, the priest sanctifies the water and at this time prays that the holy water will wash the person being baptized from previous sins and that he will be united with Christ through this sanctification. Then the priest anoints the person being baptized with consecrated oil (olive oil).

Oil is an image of mercy, peace and joy. With the words "in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit," the priest crosswise anoints his forehead (imprinting the name of God in the mind), chest ("for the healing of the soul and body"), ears ("for the hearing of faith"), hands (to do deeds, pleasing to God), feet (to walk in the ways of God's commandments). After that, a three-fold immersion in holy water is performed with the words:

"The servant of God (name) is baptized in the name of the Father. Amen. And the Son. Amen. And the Holy Spirit. Amen."

In this case, the person who is baptized receives the name of a saint or saint. From now on, this saint or saint becomes not only a prayer book, intercessor and defender of the baptized, but also an example, a model of life in God and with God. This is the patron saint of the baptized, and the day of his memory becomes a holiday for the baptized - name day.

Immersion in water symbolizes death with Christ, and the exit from it symbolizes a new life with Him and the coming resurrection.

Then the priest, with the prayer "Give me a light robe, clothe yourself with light like a robe, Christ our God, many-merciful" puts on a newly baptized white (new) clothes (shirt). Translated from Slavic, this prayer sounds like this: "Give me clean, bright, unstained clothes, Himself clothed in light, the Many-merciful Christ our God." The Lord is our Light. But what kind of clothes are we asking for? That all our feelings, thoughts, intentions, actions - everything was born in the light of Truth and Love, everything was renewed, like our baptismal clothes.

After that, the priest puts on the neck of the newly baptized breast (pectoral) cross for constant wear - as a reminder of the words of Christ: "Whoever wants to follow Me, deny yourself and take up your cross, and follow Me" (Matthew 16, 24).

In the Orthodox Church, immediately after Baptism, another sacrament is performed - Confirmation. As birth follows life, so baptism, the sacrament of the new birth, is followed by chrismation, the sacrament of new life.

In this sacrament, the newly baptized receives the gift of the Holy Spirit. He is given "power from above" (Acts 1, 2) for a new life. The sacrament is performed through anointing with holy myrrh - a special fragrant oil, composed of many precious substances. During the Anointing, the priest puts the sign of the cross on the forehead, eyelids, nostrils, on the mouth and ears, on the hands and upper parts of the feet, while saying each time the words: "The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

After that, the newly baptized and their godparents, with lit candles in their hands, follow the priest three times in a circle around the font and analogion (Analoi is an inclined table on which the Gospel, Cross or icon is usually placed.), On which lie the Cross and the Gospel. The image of the circle is the image of eternity, because the circle has neither beginning nor end. At this time, the verse "They were baptized into Christ, put on Christ" is sung, which means: "Those who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ."

This is a call everywhere and everywhere to carry the Good News about Christ, bearing witness to Him in word and deed, and in one's entire life.