The sacrament of Baptism is performed in accordance with the requirements of the rites set out in the breviary.
The sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation (performed, as a rule, at the same time) are carried out according to the following sequence:
The priest invites the person wishing to be baptized, godparents, parents, and guests to the baptismal sanctuary, explains where everyone can stand and, if necessary, gives other information.
The charter provides that the priest must read several prayers in the first (first days) after the birth of the child, the prayers are very important, THEY are addressed to God with heartfelt tenderness over the woman in labor and her child, who will be baptized only after some time. Unfortunately, few people know about this, but prayers are very necessary.
Cleansing prayers for mom
The first action is performed when a baby is baptized. The priest prays, saying cleansing prayers over the mother, which should be read on the 40th day after birth. Mom stands next to the priest. The priest turns to God, making the usual prayer beginning, and begins to pray very touching and important prayers. He asks for the present mother to cleanse her from all sin, from all defilement, and without condemnation she will be worthy to partake of the Mysteries of Christ.
Immediately after this, the priest begins to pray for the born child, asking him to bless, grow, sanctify, chaste, and bless the baby with its parents and adopters.
Naming the baby
The naming of the name is accompanied by a call to prayer for those present, the priest exclaims: “Let us pray to the Lord,” the people can and should respond, “Lord, have mercy,” and then the priest turns to God with a prayer: “Lord Our God, we pray to You and ask You, that light may be signified your face on this servant... etc."
If the civil name of the catechumen is non-Orthodox, for example: Yuri, Svetlana, Stella, Alisa, Olesya, etc., then accordingly he will be given a different name, and, of course, the wishes of the parents will be taken into account, with the new name the child will undergo all the sacraments and prayers in the future.
Prayer for the upcoming person before Baptism (about the catechumen)
The priest turns to the person being baptized, blows on his face three times (recalling that the Lord created man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his face the breath of life and man became a living soul), marks his head, his hands, places his hand on his head (the hand of the priest is the hand The Lord Jesus Christ Himself - a gesture of protection and blessing).
He calls on the people present to pray: “Let us pray to the Lord,” the people answer, “Lord, have mercy.” The priest turns to God: “In Thy name, Lord God of Truth, and Thy only begotten son, and Thy Holy Spirit, I lay my hand on Thy servant (says his name) who has been deemed worthy to take refuge in Thy Holy Name...” The priest continues to pray for the catechumen and asks that the person being baptized be under the protection of the Lord, keep his commandments, preserving and cultivating such virtues as faith, hope and love and others.
Diving into Jordanian waters
Well, we’ve come to the main point, the climax, now we’ll dive into it. The tension reaches its highest point. I retire to the altar, only godparents remain in the church, if we are baptizing a baby, and if we are baptizing an adult, then an assistant at Baptism, according to the gender of the one who is being baptized. The parents and everyone present are removed (usually only the mother is removed), if this is the baby of my spiritual children, then to the northern vestibule, and more recently - behind the closed doors of the sacristy. Why is that? The fact is that, as assistants told me, parents worry when they hear splashes of water when the baby is immersed. Well, what if the parents are not spiritual children (true, there are practically no such children now)? From this moment on, they are generally asked to go outside or go to the refectory. They are worried, and their excitement is transmitted to me, preventing me from concentrating. I constantly “press on the brakes” so as not to switch to an incomprehensible tongue twister. First, the male person being baptized, wearing what his mother gave birth to, kneels into a large metal font. “Oooh, br-br-br,” he makes characteristic sounds, plunging into the cold water. There is nowhere to retreat. “Ready,” I hear the assistant’s voice. I quickly leave the altar, firmly take the hands of the person being baptized with my left hand, crossed on the chest with fingers in two fingers, and place my right hand on the head. You have to forcefully plunge your head into the water, otherwise it happens that as soon as your face comes into contact with the water, the reverse movement occurs
Say don’t say that you need to regulate your breathing yourself, catch your breath a little after each dip, but often they still swallow water and cough. Well, that’s it, the barrier has been taken, it’s done! Most of the load is off your shoulders. Wet, I wash my hands in the altar, and the baptized dry themselves, but do not dress yet. I will make a digression here, it is very important. We are talking about the need for complete immersion during Baptism. Since ancient times, the Orthodox Church has baptized by immersion, imitating John the Baptist, “from whom the Jews were baptized in the Jordan,” and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The Gospel (Matt. 3:16; Mark 1:10) tells that Jesus Christ, after His Baptism from John the Baptist, “came out of the water.” This expression makes it clear that Jesus Christ descended into the Jordan River and, therefore, was baptized by immersion. And the word “baptism” itself translated from Greek means “immersion.”
The Book of Acts of the Apostles tells that when the Apostle Philip and the servant of the Queen of Ethiopia drove up to the water, this servant made a confession of his faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. Then they both went down into the water (Acts 8:36-39). Therefore, the Apostle Philip baptized the servant of the Queen of Ethiopia through immersion, otherwise there would have been no need for them to go into the water.
If we take into account that the external ritual is entirely reflected in the internal state of a person, then we can say that a person deprived of immersion Baptism does not die with Christ, i.e. does not completely renounce sin and, therefore, is not resurrected with Christ. This, at least, was how immersion Baptism was understood by St. Cyril of Jerusalem.
The fiftieth Apostolic Canon, giving primary importance to immersion Baptism, says: “If anyone, a bishop or presbyter, makes more than three immersions, he will be cast out.”
The Fathers of the Church in many of their works speak specifically about immersion Baptism. Saint Basil the Great: “The Great Sacrament of Baptism is performed by three immersions and equal in number invocations of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, so that the image of Christ’s death is imprinted on us and the souls of those baptized are enlightened through the tradition of the knowledge of God.” The saint in his first rule calls the immersion method of Baptism “the original tradition.” Tertullian writes: “We are immersed three times, as the Lord determined in the Gospel...” Clement of Alexandria proves: “By being immersed in water, we are enlightened.” The Apostolic Decrees (3rd century) also speak about immersion: “Then we, the bishop or presbyter, pronouncing over them by name the sacred invocation of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, immerse them in water.” Saint Gregory of Nyssa in his “Sermon on the Baptism of the Lord” writes: “Just as the Savior was hidden in the earth, so we are hidden in water... by being immersed three times in it.”
In Rus', due attention has always been paid to the immersion method of Baptism. The Vladimir Council of 1274, which is very authoritative in the Russian Church, strictly prohibits immersion Baptism, in imitation of the Latins, and instructs bishops and priests that Baptism should be performed only through immersion. “And until now children have baptized what they have, holding it in their hands and pouring water on top, otherwise Baptism is not right,” wrote Metropolitan Cyprian to the Pskov clergy in 1395. At the Council of 1620 in Moscow, it was established that Latins should be accepted into Orthodoxy only through properly performed Baptism. Pouring was thus considered such a wrong custom that it was not even recognized as Baptism; both Catholics and even Orthodox Ukrainians were baptized a second time. Archdeacon Pavel of Aleppo, who visited Rus' in the 17th century, wrote about the Latin influence penetrating the Russian Church, about the neglect of Ukrainians and Belarusians for the Sacraments and their tendency to union with Catholics, about the fact that from these western regions the Latin infection began to penetrate the entire Russian Church . And here is how Pavel of Aleppo describes the pious rite of Baptism in Rus':
Adults, usually non-Russian, were baptized in the river. After they had studied prayer, church customs, the mysteries of the faith for a certain time, and had fasted for 40 days, standing in the church vestibule in the position of catechumens, they were brought to the river bank and, after anointing with oil, they took off their clothes and stood in one shirt. Then the priest led the baptized person into the river, and after he had immersed his head three times, with the help of a belt threaded under his arms, he was pulled to the shore, where he was completely dressed in all new clothes; even shoes and hats were required to be new. The priest walked with him three times around the font standing on the shore.
Thus three men were baptized in the presence of Archdeacon Paul. “We saw something wonderful,” he writes, “their faces were black and gloomy, and immediately, oh surprise, they were transformed into shining light!” Infants were baptized mainly in the temple, in the font, with complete immersion, but sometimes in the river.
Dousing in Rus' was only allowed if it was impossible to immerse a person completely in water; this was only a last resort: if a person was in prison or in the steppe among the Tatars, on his sick bed. The pre-revolutionary spiritual magazine “Guide for Rural Shepherds” wrote that pouring Baptism “is a clear deviation from the legalized rite.”
Today, during the general renewal of church life, one should be especially careful that this renewal, or rather, revival, takes place strictly within the church’s mainstream, in accordance with the Gospel and patristic norms. We must always remember that, forced to live in “crowded conditions,” we attributed a lot of things to this “crowded conditions” or to “circumstances.” In our deep conviction, the spiritual revival of our Fatherland must begin with the revival of the correct fulfillment of the Sacrament of Baptism, through three times complete immersion in water with the words: “In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).
Restrictive prayers of the devil's power over the catechumen
After the end of the prayer, an important action begins: the priest exclaims: “Let us pray to the Lord,” the people respond, “Lord, have mercy,” and the priest begins to pray purely, forbidding the devil and his forces to rule over this person. He had this power before Baptism, and now, after the priest prays, the devil loses this power. But for this the priest needs to make an effort, he prays, turning to God with four prayers in which the devil is humiliated; in the prayers the calls “I forbid you, devil” are often heard...
“Holy God, terrible and glorious in all his deeds and strength, incomprehensible and unsearchable, who has predestined for you, the devil, the eternal torment of languor, us unworthy of his servants commands you and with all the haste of your strength, to retreat from the newly sealed name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, our true God. I rebuke you for all the evil, and unclean, and abominable, and abominable, and alien spirit, by the power of Jesus Christ, everyone who has authority in heaven and on earth...”
At the end of the four prohibitory prayers, the priest turns to the person being baptized and blows on the lips, head and hands with the words: “cast out from him every evil and unclean spirit hidden and nesting in his heart.”
Renunciation of Satan
The godparents turn their backs to the priest, facing west (i.e., facing the exit from the temple); if the person being baptized is an adult, then he independently turns to the west. The priest asks a question to the person being baptized; if it is a baby, then both godparents answer for him, repeating it three times.
“Do you deny Satan, and all his works, and all his angels, and all his ministry and all his pride?”
To each question, the correct answer is: “I deny”; with this answer, the godparents or the person being baptized themselves reject their previous sinful habits and lifestyle, renounce pride, realizing that they were previously a captive of passions and Satan. The person being baptized is not afraid to do this, since the expulsion of unclean spirits has made him free.
The priest asks three times: “Have you renounced Satan?”
The correct answer to each question is: “I renounced!”
The priest instructs: “And blow and spit on it!”
Thus, the priest says to blow down and spit (symbolically) down on Satan, thereby finally humiliating the devil and renouncing him.
Then the godparents and the person being baptized turn to face the priest and the altar and continue to answer questions.
What is the essence of Baptism?
Photo: Ocapodvorie.org
Baptism is mandatory for everyone who becomes Orthodox. Until a person has performed this sacred act, he is prohibited from participating in other church Sacraments. It turns out that there are simply no other options for receiving God’s Grace.
During this sacred rite, a believer who converts to Orthodoxy receives Divine Grace, denying his former sinful life. This is a symbol of the fact that a person turns to the Almighty, promises to serve him and follow his commandments. In Christianity, this becomes a kind of symbol of how a person is reborn in the font.
At the same time, the believer is obliged to loudly renounce Satan and all his works, declare that he accepts Orthodoxy, and promises to serve the Almighty. Naturally, all this is designed for an adult who comes to be baptized at a conscious age. However, in Rus' it has long been customary to baptize a child in infancy; the same tradition exists in many other Orthodox countries. There is a practical explanation for this, since in former times there was a high infant mortality rate, so parents sought to baptize the child as early as possible so that he would not die, unenlightened by Divine Grace.
Photo: Zlateparhia.ru
For the reason that a child in infancy is not able to independently utter the words of renunciation of Satan and reunification with the Almighty, adults, who are called godparents, do this for him. It is believed that after this they become his spiritual relatives. It is worth noting that the functions of godparents are not only to pronounce words of renunciation of the devil and reunion with the Savior. In the future, they are obliged to take care of the spiritual education of their godson, constantly pray for him, support and help with advice in difficult life situations. If for some reason a godson's biological parents die, the godparents must adopt him.
We recommend reading: Baptism of an adult
When an adult participates in the sacred rite, he does not need godparents, since he independently proclaims the prayer Creed and utters the words of renunciation of the devil.
The deep essence of the Sacrament is to free oneself from original sin, as well as to break the ties that exist between the devil and man, to accept him into the rank of Orthodox believers who are aimed at following the Christian commandments and serving the Almighty.
Confirming your faith in Christ
Further actions can be regarded as the oath of a Christian.
The priest asks three times: “Are you compatible with Christ?”
The correct answer to each question is: “I match!”
The priest asks once: “Are you compatible with Christ?”
Correct answer: “Matched!”
The priest asks: “And do you believe him?”
Correct answer: “I believe in him as a King and God.”
Immediately after this, the person being baptized or his godparents begin to read the Creed: “I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth...”
Next the priest exclaims: “And bow to him!” and together they worship: “I adore the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Trinity, Consubstantial and indivisible.”
The priest, after proclaiming the “Exclamation,” calls the worshipers again to prayer, “Let us pray to the Lord,” they answer him, “Lord, have mercy!”, and begins to pray: “Sovereign, Lord Our God, call your servant (name) to your holy enlightenment and grant him this great grace of your holy Baptism...” and this is the last direct preparatory prayer of the catechumen.
And after all the above prayers and actions, the procession to Holy Baptism itself begins, which is preceded by the fervent prayer of the priest and the people present.
Where did Baptism come from?
Photo: Hram-irtyshskij.ru
In the New Testament, Baptism is mentioned several times. Jesus Christ himself was baptized in the Jordan River, which now plays a huge role in Christianity.
Before the Savior came to earth, John's baptism existed. Saint John, called the Forerunner and Baptist, was the predecessor of Jesus and his disciples. It was he who first began to baptize people in the Jordan River. His followers came to him in large numbers. Before he began to baptize, he read a sermon dedicated to holy repentance.
Everyone came to John's baptism. First they had to repent of all their sins. After this, John dipped them into the river, which became a kind of symbol of cleansing the soul from all sins. People came ashore purified and free from all their sins.
Photo: Troitsk-eparchy.ru
It is important to note that this baptism was not Christian, but it played a big role and was necessary for the appearance of Jesus in the world. John repeatedly repeated that the true Messiah would soon come, for whom he would not even be worthy to tie his shoe strap (i.e. to do slave labor). John noted that he baptizes people with water, and the Messiah, who will come after him, will baptize with the help of the Holy Spirit, that is, using Divine Grace. Thanks to these predictions, John began to be called the Forerunner, which means previous, since he was the first who began to talk about the appearance of the Savior.
An important place in the New Testament is occupied by an episode that describes how Christ came to the Jordan River, demanding that John baptize him like the others. John replied that the Savior did not really need this, since he had no sins behind him. Christ responded to this by saying that in this way it is necessary to “fulfill all righteousness.” This means that what is supposed to happen must happen.
As soon as the Savior entered the river, everyone around them witnessed an extraordinary phenomenon. A snow-white dove landed on the head of Christ. In fact, it was the Holy Spirit who at that moment took on a bodily shell. Afterwards everyone heard the voice of the Almighty speaking from heaven. He declared that he sent his Son to earth. At this moment, the Holy Trinity was revealed to the world in the form of God, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
By his action, Jesus demonstrated Christian obedience to everyone by giving the very first Sacrament for believers - Baptism. Every person who accepts faith must undergo it as a sign of liberation from previously committed sins and misdeeds.
The beginning of the sacrament of Baptism itself
The priest proclaims: “Blessed is Our God always - now and ever and unto ages of ages! Amen".
And a peaceful litany begins, supplemented by petitions for the blessing of water and the preparation of the baptized person to receive the sacrament. Let me remind you that a litany is a series of important petitions aimed at joint prayer between the priest and the people; the litanies are proclaimed by the priest clearly and legibly, so that everyone standing is imbued with prayer, because it is for the people that they are proclaimed.
Within the framework of this material, I will not describe the entire litany; I think that the petitions that I describe below will reveal the entire meaning of this litany, and the reader will be imbued with and surprised by the deepest meaning of each action. Next to the petitions that, in my opinion, are not entirely clear, I will add some explanations.
Let us pray to the Lord in peace! (i.e. all together, having reconciled, without having any anger in the soul towards anyone)
- Lord have mercy!
Let us pray to the Lord for peace from above and for the salvation of our souls!
- Lord have mercy!
Let us pray to the Lord for the peace of the whole world, the prosperity of the Holy Churches of God and the unity of all!
- Lord have mercy!
For this holy temple and for those who enter it with faith, reverence and the fear of God, let us pray to the Lord!
- Lord have mercy!
For sanctification of this water, let us pray to the Lord with the power and action and influx of the Holy Spirit!
- Lord have mercy!
Let us pray to the Lord for the grace of deliverance and the blessing of the Jordan to be sent down to her!
- Lord have mercy!
For the hedgehog to come to this cleansing water, the all-essential action of the Trinity, let us pray to the Lord!
- Lord have mercy!
For us to be enlightened by the enlightenment of reason and piety, through the influx of the Holy Spirit, let us pray to the Lord
- Lord have mercy! Let us pray to the Lord for the hedgehog who is now coming to holy enlightenment and for his salvation!
- Lord have mercy!
For the Lord God to hear the voice of our prayer, let us pray to the Lord!
- Lord have mercy!
Let us pray to the Lord for him and us to be delivered from all sorrows of anger and need!
- Lord have mercy!
Intercede, save, have mercy and preserve us, God with Your Grace!
Our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed, Glorious Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, with all the saints, having commemorated themselves and each other, and our whole life, Let us hand over to Christ our God!
As in any other sacrament, in Baptism there are prayers, the so-called secret ones, the priest can read them to himself, maybe in an undertone; there are not many such prayers here. And immediately after the litany, the priest begins to pray a secret prayer, which contains an exceptional meaning: the priest exposes his sinfulness and unworthiness before the Lord and asks to send down his power from above, strengthen him, make him worthy to perform this sacrament and give him the opportunity to perform this sacrament, He also asks for the baptized person, that the Lord will edify him throughout his life and with hope
After secret prayer, the priest glorifies the Lord with exclamations and prayers.
Baptism Conveyor
This is the ideal model, but what happens in practice? Is this model adequate to modern church reality? From Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann we read: “From a comprehensive act performed by the entire Church, embracing the entire universe, the baptismal liturgy turned into a private rite, long ago cut off both from the “assembly of the Church” and from its completion in the “sacrament of all Sacraments,” in the Eucharist . The Church is reduced here to the level of a “dispenser,” and the universe is reduced to three symbolic drops of water, “necessary” and sufficient for the performance of the Sacrament. Meanwhile, the Sacrament of Baptism by its very form relates us to “matter,” to the world, to the cosmos, and also to the Church, as an entry into a new life, as an anticipation of the Kingdom of God.” Even a representative of the modernist trend in modern theology (Arch. A. Schmemann belonged to the American Autocephalous Church) admitted that the Sacrament of Baptism in the modern Western Orthodox Church has lost its ontological significance.
What do we see in the churches of the Russian Orthodox Church? Almost everywhere the conveyor belt prevails. The Sacrament is performed quickly, mainly by pouring, sometimes even by sprinkling, without complete immersion, in a short time, accompanied by the crying of babies. They issue a “certificate”, mechanically including the newly baptized person in the Church. Has he united with her in spirit? - no one cares. The sacrament is considered valid, regardless of who and how it was performed. But there are, of course, exceptions to this sad practice. Only in recent years has attention been drawn to the need for serious catechesis before baptism. Now a mandatory interview with candidates for baptism is required. And before there were churches where people were baptized after preliminary catechesis (and there are already many of these in Moscow, and not only in it), there are priests who baptize one person for an hour and a half, catechizing him in the process of Baptism.
This is how Fr. baptized in St. Petersburg in the 90s. Vladimir Tsvetkov - until late in the evening, after the Liturgy and prayer service, without sitting down, without eating anything, until he gives communion to the last person to be baptized, ready for Communion, and he himself beams and says almost in a whisper: “I baptized six,” as if “I gave birth to six today.” in Christ and was himself born again.” How many times could this be observed: in the empty huge Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands on Konyushennaya, behind a screen, at sunset, the priest, not noticing anyone, being somewhere where he cannot be reached, walks around the font and leads a string of equally detached people , dressed in the “robes of truth” of our new brothers and sisters who are unrecognizable. And the priest, with a completely unearthly voice, praises the Lord so that everyone abandons their obedience and runs to this voice, coming from another world, to which the newly baptized, newborns, sealed with the “seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit” are now involved...
And then he churchizes them, gives them communion, invites them to a meal with his children, admiring, as if they were angels, the newly baptized, covered before their eyes with luminous robes.
How many times was the priest in the “zones” near St. Petersburg, where he always baptized everyone who was ready for this, no matter how many there were, until late at night, and one could see how every imprisoned soul was being driven out of prison, answering the priest in a hoarse voice, helping her pass all the tests and regain her human appearance. One day a priest baptized a sick one and a half year old girl. Diagnosis: “motor-cerebral palsy” from birth, her legs were hanging like whips, she was very weak, she couldn’t walk, she just sat, stood a little, all the time in hospitals, under a drip, constantly in the “Ambulance”. And when he baptized her at home, by complete immersion, she immediately took a few steps after Baptism, and the next day she walked! At first they used orthopedic shoes, but then, with the blessing, they began to give the girl communion often, and she became completely healthy and strong. Another time, the priest baptized a boy in the river who had a severe toothache, and the pain went away. And how many cases we simply don’t know about! But where there is great grace, there are also great temptations: the demon took up arms, and the girl was taken away from her mother in court “for religious fanaticism”; mother took monastic vows and became the wandering nun Marya. And the priest, who, while he was the rector of the church on Konyushennaya, baptized by complete immersion for six months (it seems, the only one in St. Petersburg), was removed. The abbot ordered to remove from the church within 24 hours the font, made specifically to order for the Baptism of adults, with taps at the bottom to conveniently drain the water.
Blessing of water
The priest calls on the Grace of the Holy Spirit to descend and sanctify this water.
He asks the Lord to give the Grace of deliverance, to make it a source of healing, a source of forgiveness of sins, healing of diseases, all-destructive demons, impregnable to resisting forces, filled with angelic fortress.
Then the priest continues: he makes the sign of the cross, immersing his hands in the water, and, blowing on it, proclaims: “Let all resisting forces be crushed under the sign of the image of your Cross,” and he does this three times.
Once again the priest offers an important prayer, with deep, varied content; petitions are mentioned here to preserve the water in angelic purity; he asks that the evil spirit and darkness of thoughts descend during Baptism. Again, the prayer mentions requests that the Lord give water purifying properties and show us it as the water of deliverance, the water of sanctification, the cleansing of the flesh and spirit, the water of the remission of sins, the enlightenment of souls, the source of life. This prayer is truly broad and deep, and in this material we have examined only a small part of what it reveals.
Baptism - immersion in the font
Accompanying the first immersion with the words: “The servant of God is baptized (says his name) in the name of the Father, Amen!” Second dive: “And the Son, Amen!” Third immersion: “And the Holy Spirit, Amen!” The deepest mystery has been accomplished: the renewal of human life, from sin, the unity of the Divine and Human. Spiritual birth. The priest independently removes the child from the font and hands him over to his godparents. The godparents wipe the baby from the remaining water and put a baptismal set (white clothes) on him. The priest washes his hands while reading Psalm 31.
To Baptism through Changes of Mind
The Sacrament of Baptism is the door to the church fence. This is the first Sacrament that opens the way for us to other Sacraments of the Church. The significance of the Sacrament of Baptism can be judged by the fact that in the Ancient Church it was an integral part of the Easter holiday and, as a rule, was performed in front of all believers.
The condition for a person’s Baptism has always been his repentance, “metanoia” (Greek) - “change of mind.” This is a radical change in self-image, a sharp underestimation of it, which occurs when a person ceases to feel himself the center of the Universe and the measure of all things, and suddenly discovers with surprise that the center is occupied not by him, but by Someone hitherto unattainable, and then the person with in shame and repentance he retreats into a corner and laments his sins to the point of tears.
The selfish, autonomous, proud “I” ceases to exist, the homeless existence in the Universe is replaced by the adoption by the Heavenly Father, the Creator of the Universe of this repentant and clear-sighted creature, which finally understood that it is not the whole, but only a particle that, due to its ignorance or design, has fallen away from the whole , to which you can cling again, renouncing primacy, repenting, reducing yourself to the position of a slave, your true size, realizing your insignificance before the Son of God, who voluntarily suffered on the Cross for the sake of our salvation.
Repentance is the falling of a sinner at the feet of the Lord Christ, a sinner who has distorted His image in himself, confesses this and is ready to suffer any punishment for failure to observe the image of God in himself, for failure to preserve himself at the height of His commandments. Repentance is the need to continue to remain only in Christ and with Christ and the impossibility of remaining in our present fallen state, not because it is hard for me, but because it offends Him. Repentance is a tearful prayer for forgiveness and mercy, for non-abandonment, for communion of oneself with Him again and again. “Open the doors of repentance...” The first repentance leads to Baptism, subsequent repentance leads to growth in Christ, strengthening in faith, and gaining the joy of liberation from sins.
What else is needed for the Sacrament of Baptism? We need faith in the Savior and faith in salvation in His Church. Thirdly, for Baptism you need a promise to God to live according to a good conscience, a promise to carry out the feat of virtue. Fourthly, the threefold complete immersion of the believer in the water of Baptism. Fifthly, you need to baptize in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. What is given in the Sacrament of Baptism? First, in holy Baptism forgiveness of sins is granted. The sins of a repentant person are washed in the water of Baptism. Secondly, the baptized person joins the community of true confessors of Christ, i.e. to the Church, becomes a Christian.
Sacrament of Confirmation
Myrrh is oil that has been prepared and blessed in a special way. After the baptized person is dressed in white vestments, the priest begins to pray for the baptized person to be given the Seal of the Gift of the Holy Spirit, thus preparing the newly enlightened person for the sacrament of confirmation, asks to preserve him in Divine sanctification, confirm him in the Orthodox faith, deliver him from the evil one and all his undertakings, and saving fear God protects the soul of the baptized person in purity and truth. At the end of the prayer, the priest anoints the forehead, eyes, nostrils, lips, chest, both ears, arms, legs with myrrh and says for each anointing: “Seal of the Gift of the Holy Spirit. Amen!" As a rule, the godparents say “Amen”. The Sacrament of Confirmation has a huge meaning - it is the gift of the Holy Spirit that is already given to a baptized person, i.e. the Descent of the Holy Spirit onto the soul of the person being baptized. Different parts of the body are anointed in order to sanctify the body and soul of a person, namely to sanctify the soul, eyes, feelings, hearing, to bless hands for blessed work and feet on the path to God.
Prokeimenon, Apostle, Gospel
The solemn part begins, the prokeimenon is proclaimed. After the prokemne, the reading of the Apostolic Epistle begins immediately. Next is reading the Gospel. I would like to especially note this important solemn moment, which, as a rule, goes unnoticed by those present; all emotions and attention of people remain at the moment of immersion, anointing, and even walking around the font, and to the important apostolic epistles and the Gospel on the occasion of Baptism there is no interest left at all, and yet the Church, precisely in the apostolic readings and in the Gospel, tries to convey to those present at Baptism very important points of reference, the entire semantic meaning of Baptism, as well as the call of the Lord himself, reflected in the historical moment: the need to be baptized and learn through priests. After the reading of the Gospel ends, a short litany begins, in which the priest turns to God and tells everyone present to pray for the recipients and the newly enlightened.
Ablution
Next, the priest offers two prayers and washes the parts of the body that have been anointed with the holy world (washing off the holy world). Let's pray to the Lord! - Lord have mercy! The priest reads a prayer before tonsure (tonsure has been a symbol of sacrifice, readiness to serve since ancient times), blesses the person being baptized and places his hand on him, having finished, turns to the newly enlightened one, tonsures him crosswise and proclaims: “The Servant of God is tonsured (says his name) in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." After which a small litany is proclaimed again, mentioning the recipients and the newly enlightened one. Following this, the priest administers the dismissal, turning to the people with the cross. After the end of the sacrament of Baptism, if the Baptism took place in the baptism, they go to the temple and perform churching. This happens very quickly and there is no point in dwelling on this for long; it is only important to know that at the church service the priest takes the child in his arms. The girl is carried to the Royal Doors, and the boy is carried into the altar. After which the baptized person is returned to his mother. And finally, if there are gifts, the priest will take the chalice with gifts from the altar and give the baby communion for the first time.
At the end of the sacrament, do not forget to pick up the Certificate of Baptism, which must be signed by the priest performing the sacrament.
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If you have good feelings of gratitude towards the priest performing the sacrament, do not ignore them, often through you the Lord thanks the priest for his work, because just like that, out of nowhere, no one will help him, only through you, dear friends! It is better to thank in person, because if you put your gratitude in the church box, the funds will go exclusively to the maintenance of the Temple. And the priest also really needs your help.
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Protopr. N. Afanasyev. Joining the Church
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4. “LAY BAPTISM”
1. The Orthodox Church, like the Catholic Church, recognizes that every faithful not only can, but also must, in the absence of a priest, perform the sacrament of baptism over someone who is in mortal danger. Currently, we are talking in this case almost exclusively about infants.
Allowing lay people to perform baptism with the modern understanding of the sacraments is completely unexpected. It poses a complex dogmatic question: how are lay people allowed to perform the sacraments, even one baptism, who, according to dogmatic theology, are absolutely excluded from performing sacred rites? Modern dogmatic systems do not provide a clear answer to this question. Nemini sine baptismo comptere salutem
(1), and therefore, in the name of the salvation of the human soul, a layman must perform baptism.
The first premise, that without baptism there is no salvation
, is indisputable, but the conclusion that a layman must perform the sacrament of baptism is true only if we recognize the presence of the second premise: that the laity have the ability to perform sacred rites. Without this second premise, the performance of the sacrament by the laity cannot in any way contribute to the eternal salvation of man, since the sacred act performed by them cannot give what the sacrament gives. Modern dogmatic theology does not recognize this second premise. According to modern teaching, lay people do not have the ability to perform sacred rites. The validity of the sacraments follows from the very fact of their performance by a legally appointed priest, who is authorized to perform them outside the church meeting and without the participation of the people. How, with this understanding of the sacraments, can the laity be given, for the sake of human salvation, the ability to perform the sacrament of baptism? If the laity are capable of performing the sacrament of baptism, then the main position of school theology about the complete inability of the laity to perform the sacraments is incorrect. Modern theology, demanding that the sacrament of baptism performed by a layman be supplemented by a priest, does not explain to what additional acts should be attached: to the sacrament of baptism, real or conditional. If the sacrament is valid, then how is it valid? And if it is conditional, then can a sacrament be conditional?
The only answer to all puzzling questions regarding “lay baptism” seems to be sought in the doctrine of the priestly dignity of laiki, lost by dogmatic theology, but preserved in church life. Possessing priestly dignity, laiki have the ability to perform sacred rites, and therefore, under certain conditions, the baptism performed by them is truly grace-filled. However, this answer, although the most natural, does not fully correspond to the ancient understanding of the sacraments and practice of the Eastern Church.
2. Royal-priestly service lay at the basis of the entire life of the ancient Church, but this service was not performed separately by each member of the Church, but together with the rest under the leadership of the bishop. It was carried out in a church meeting, which always included its leader, who was the “mouth of the church.” We have seen that reception into the Church was made by the bishop at a church meeting, and not on an individual basis. When receiving someone into the Church, the bishop could entrust the administration of the sacrament of baptism in its precise sense - as one of the grace-filled acts of admission into the Church - to a presbyter or deacon, but the “seal” was necessarily applied by the bishop. It is difficult to imagine that the bishop could entrust - in the presence of presbyters - the performance of baptism to the laic. As for the performance of baptism outside a church meeting, if it took place, it was performed in exceptional cases. Given the established discipline of catechumen, it is almost impossible to imagine a case when a laik could independently perform baptism. It is very unlikely that a laic would perform baptism before the discipline of catechumen was established, since acceptance into the Church required the consent of the local church from the very beginning.
In the event of a sudden illness of a catechumen, baptism was performed on the sickbed by a bishop or presbyter. For the first time, Tertullian mentions baptism performed by laikas: “The right to perform it [that is, baptism] belongs first of all to the high priest, that is, the bishop. Priests and deacons can also perform it, but not without the permission of the bishop, in order to preserve respect for the Church in its leader and maintain peace through this subordination. However, even laymen are allowed to baptize as a last resort. Thus, when there is neither a bishop, nor a priest, nor a deacon, no one should deny the message of the gift of the Lord” (2). From Tertullian's instructions it follows that a laik could perform baptism in the absence of a bishop, presbyter or deacon in case of urgent need. Tertullian's words leave the impression that he spoke theoretically and did not proceed from the facts of church life. Of course, we cannot completely exclude the possibility of such a situation that the laik was forced to perform the baptism of a catechumen, but such cases were completely exceptional in the then structure of church life. The validity of such a baptism was apparently not questioned, but nevertheless it was considered defective, since it was not performed in a church meeting. If the person baptized by laika remained alive, then he was “sealed” by the bishop at a church meeting.
The first canonical decree on the admission of laics to perform baptism is contained in the resolution of the Council of Elvira (305). Church life by this time had already changed significantly compared to previous times. Among the catechumens there appears a desire to postpone baptism at their own request. Because of this, the time spent in the ranks of catechumens could be very long, and therefore cases of emergency baptism could occur much more often. The Council of Elvira, in its resolution, apparently proceeded from the fundamental possibility of baptism being performed by laikas. His 38th rule indicates that a catechumen in case of illness, while on the road or away from the church, can be baptized by laicum, which lavacrum suum integrum habet nec sit bigamus
. *
* Received correct baptism and is not remarried.
It should be noted that we are talking about the catechumen, that is, about the one whom the church allowed to prepare for admission into the Church. This instruction seems to exclude the possibility of baptizing someone who is not a catechumen. It follows from this that the council sought, as far as possible, to preserve the ecclesiastical character of baptism. This kind of baptism must be completed by the laying on of hands by the bishop, if the one baptized by the laic had recovered. This decree became a general practice for the Western Church, although for some time there were still individual voices against the validity of such baptism.
In the East, the possibility of lay baptism being performed by the laity was subject to great doubt. The Eastern Councils did not deal with this issue and nowhere do they mention that laymen are allowed to baptize anyone. Given the doctrine of the priesthood that developed in the 4th century, this silence of the councils indicates a negative rather than a positive attitude of the councils on this issue.
Among the major church leaders, Basil the Great denied the possibility of baptism being performed by the laity. This follows from the fact that he considered the baptism of heretics as the baptism of the laity, which is subject to ecclesiastical purification (3). We know that he fundamentally considered the baptism of heretics to be invalid. There were few supporters of lay baptism in the East, and they did not have a decisive influence on this issue. Even in the 12th century in Byzantium this issue was questionable. In his interpretation of the 18th canon of the Council of Sardica (344), Balsamon writes the following: “So, as it is determined for us by canon 83 (72) of the Council of Carthage, without prejudice, to baptize those about whom there is doubt whether they are baptized, even if they have truly received baptism, so safely and without any doubt we must baptize even one who is baptized by a person who has not received the power to baptize and through baptism to remit sins [for baptism, he says, cleanses from sins], so that such doubt does not deprive him of the cleansing received from holy baptism. And if anyone says that this baptism should be considered true because of the recitation of holy prayers and anointing with holy myrrh performed by a layman, he will, of course, also say that those ordained to the clergy by bishops who were falsely ordained not according to the truth should be considered clergy upon inquiry about this evil, which is incongruous and contrary to the 4th canon of the holy and ecumenical Second Council... and the 18th canon of the Sardician Council, which determines that those admitted to the clergy by Musaeus and Eutychian can only be accepted as laymen, but as with clergy - with them should not have fellowship, because Musaeus and Eutychian are not ordained. So, just as the clergy ordained by the uninitiated by Maximus and Eutychian and Musaeus are not clerics, so the one who is said to have been baptized by an uninitiated should not be considered baptized; why such a one should, without prejudice, be honored with true baptism... If anyone would like to contrast with me what happened in the days of St. Athanasius the Great - for it is written that those who were baptized by him in a child’s game in the sand of the sea were accepted as baptized - and what happened on St. . Porphyria, when he was baptized, he was a performer as a joke and, as a result, was awarded the crown of martyrdom because he immediately saw angels approaching him with lamps and crying: as many as you are baptized into Christ
, - then I contrast this with a legal rule, which says: what is not according to the rule is not given as an example. So, if the uninitiated who has performed baptism is awarded the same Divine grace as Athanasius the Great and St. Porfiria, then we will also accept the baptism he performed; if this is not the case, we will need to follow the Divine and sacred rules” (4).
We have written down this somewhat lengthy argument of Balsamon, since it is in many respects very revealing. Balsamon acts as a resolute opponent of recognizing the validity of baptism performed by the laity, but he himself testifies that in his time this opinion was not the only one. Balsamon polemicizes with those who were inclined to recognize baptism performed by the laity. As can be seen from his reasoning, they cited as evidence not only the theological opinions of authoritative fathers, but also various cases from church practice. From the point of view of the theology established in Byzantium, Balsamon's argument is indisputable. A layman, as an uninitiated person (this is his main argument), cannot perform baptism. If he can perform baptism, then he can, if necessary, perform all other sacraments, including the sacrament of ordination. This is an inevitable consequence of the fact of the recognition of baptism performed by the laity, which is so carefully and unsuccessfully avoided by modern school theology. Only those who have received the grace to perform the sacraments, that is, the initiate, from the point of view of Balsamon, can perform baptism. Balsamon is ready to recognize as valid the cases of baptism that he cites from the lives of the saints, since the saints had grace, in addition to ordination, which they directly received from God. Nevertheless, the opposite point of view (5) finally prevailed in the East under the undoubted influence of the practice of the Catholic Church. According to the Orthodox confession
,* in case of extreme need, baptism can be performed by every faithful man or woman (6).
* The Orthodox Confession is the so-called “symbolic book”, a statement of the doctrine of the “Catholic and Apostolic Church of the East”, approved as such by all Orthodox Churches in 1645.
3. Allowing women to perform baptism is an even greater paradox of modern life. In the ancient Church it raised great doubts. Tertullian was opposed to women performing baptism. “Some wives, as noted above,” wrote Tertullian, “arrogated to themselves the right to teach. Will they really be so impudent that they will attempt to baptize? I can hardly believe it. If those of them who read Paul's epistles indiscriminately decide in this case to refer to the example of St. Thekla (7), to whom Paul allegedly gave the authority to teach and baptize: then let them know that the book that mentions this was not written by Paul, but by one Asian priest, who issued it under the name of Paul and filled it with his own nonsense. This priest, caught and confessing that he had composed it, was for this reason dismissed and expelled from the Church. And indeed, could there be the slightest possibility that St. Paul, who barely allowed wives to be present at public teaching, began to authorize them themselves to teach and baptize?” (8) Leaving Tertullian responsible for the correctness of his statement regarding the point of view of the Apostle Paul on the church activities of women, we note that, apparently, Tertullian personally was not aware of cases of baptism performed by women, but Tertullian undoubtedly knew that in some Gnostic sects they were allowed to perform baptism. Epiphanius (d.403) rebelled even more decisively against the performance of baptism by women, pointing out that even the Mother of God did not perform baptisms (9).
Compiler of the Apostolic Constitutions
prohibited baptism for women: “Concerning baptism through women, let it be known to you that those who attempt it face considerable danger: why do we not deign to do it, for it is dangerous, even lawless and wicked. If the head of the wife is a husband, and if he is elected to the priesthood, then it is unfair to act contrary to the law of creation and, leaving the beginning, turn to the rest of the body... If in the previous one we did not allow women to teach, then how can anyone, contrary to nature, allow them to officiate? To place female priests under goddesses is an error of Hellenic atheism, and not a decree of Christ. Moreover, if it were necessary to be baptized by women, then, of course, the Lord would have been baptized by His Mother, and not by John, or, sending us to baptize, He would have sent women along with us to the same work. However, He never commanded or committed anything like this in writing; for he knew both the order of nature and the propriety of affairs as the Creator and Lawgiver of decrees” (10). However, already in the 9th century in Byzantium, Patriarch Nikephoros the Confessor of Constantinople expressed the opinion that in cases of extreme need, women could perform baptism. When the possibility of lay baptism in cases of mortal danger was recognized, women were included in their number (11).
1 Tertullian. De baptismo, XII.
2 Tertullian. About baptism, XVII. (Russian lane: St. Petersburg, 1857, pp. 23-24.)
3 Epist.188, can.I. PG 32, 688. Gregory of Nazianzus, listing those persons who have the right to perform baptism, says nothing about the laity (Orat.XL, 26. PG 36, 396. cf. Carmen I.II. PG 35, 102). Compiler of the Apostolic Constitutions
does not allow the laity to perform baptism: “We do not allow the laity to perform any of the priestly works, such as sacrifice, or baptism, or ordination, or blessing, small or great. For no one accepts this honor of his own accord, unless he is called by God, because this dignity is given through the laying on of hands by the bishop, and he who has not received it, but who has taken it on his own, will suffer the punishment of Uzziah” (III, 10. Russian translation, p. .112). From the Western Fathers Bl. Jerome did not express any doubts regarding the possibility of Laikas performing baptism if necessary (Adversus Luciferianos. IX. PL 23, 165).
4 Balsamon. Interpretation of the 18th rule of the Council of Sardica.
5 According to the rules of Nicephorus the Confessor (9th century), baptism can be performed by every faithful: “If a priest cannot be found in any place, then unbaptized infants can be baptized by anyone who is present there. There is no sin: whether the father or anyone else baptizes, as long as he is a Christian” (45/37 rule of Nicephorus the Confessor).
6 Orthodox Confession, Part 1, question 103.
7 The Legend of St. Thekle in the Acts of Paul (early Christian apocrypha - Ed.)
8 Tertullian. De baptismo, XVII. (Russian translation, part P, pp. 24-25.)
9 Epiphanius of Cyprus, Adversus Haereses, 79. PG 42,744.
10 Apostolic Constitutions. 111.9. (Russian translation, pp. 111-112.)
11 In the West, the right to perform baptism for women under the same conditions as in the East, that is, in cases of mortal danger, was recognized by Pope Urban in the 11th century.
