How should Orthodox Christians be baptized correctly: from right to left or from left to right and with which hand? How to be baptized correctly for Orthodox Christians in a church during a service, in front of an icon, at the entrance to a temple,

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We, Christians, striving in our hearts for God, perform this ritual every day, sometimes without even thinking about its meaning and correctness of execution. When visiting a temple or at home, Orthodox Christians are baptized many times a day. At the same time, oddly enough, not all of us know how to perform this ritual properly.

Before we talk about how an Orthodox Christian should be baptized, let’s take a short excursion into history and see how the method of baptism originated and changed and what its significance is .

Why do Orthodox Christians cross themselves with three fingers and how should they hold their fingers correctly when crossing themselves?

Initially, only two fingers were crossed, but everything changed in the 13th century. In the 17th century, triplicity was documented. Although on some ancient icons you can see two fingers.

Three fingers mean the Holy Trinity. These are the Father, the Son and the holy spirit. It is the three clenched fingers that show respect for the Trinity. At the same time, the ring and little fingers are pressed to the palm. These fingers mean Divine grace and ask the Lord to help.

You need to be baptized slowly, using the correct movements. It is believed that those who are in a hurry may incriminate themselves. Demons rejoice at such negligent attitude.

Why do Orthodox Christians cross themselves with three fingers and how should they hold their fingers correctly when crossing themselves?

History of the Sign of the Cross: Traditions and Controversies

The history of the sign of the cross originates in the Old Testament. The Jews, describing the completeness of God's power over the world, called Him “aleph and tav.”

In the New Testament, this name came to us in the Greek version: “alpha and omega.” Speaking in Russian “From A to Z.” The last letter of the Jewish alphabet is similar in design to a cross. The Jews depicted this cross with one finger (finger) on the forehead, that is, on the forehead.

Among Christians, as well as among Jews, this sign, depicted with one finger, meant that God is one. So they rejected the idea of pagan polytheism.

Some Christians also considered one-finger baptism to be a symbol of the one nature of Christ, that is, that He was only God, and human nature was pushed aside in Him. These Christians were called Monophysites. But if Christ was not a man, but only God, then He did not suffer bodily on the cross, and his crucifixion was only an instructive illusion for humanity. Which is not true. Therefore, the teaching of the Monophysites was declared heretical, and double-fingering was used as if in polemics with them.

Since the 4th century, the sign of the cross has become wider; it is applied not only to the forehead, but also to the entire body. The dispute over whether Christ was only God or was both God and man gave rise to a lot of disagreements and conflicts between believers. Therefore, in the 12th century AD, in several Churches, two-fingered was replaced by three-fingered. That is, three fingers joined together - a symbol of God - the Trinity, were applied to the forehead, belt and shoulders, and two fingers, meaning Christ - the God-man - were pressed to the palm.

However, instead of the expected peace, this reform became a new reason for conflict. In Rus', the introduction of three fingers coincided with the revision of liturgical books and the text of Scripture. The translators simply corrected the errors that had accumulated due to the sloppy work of the copyists. These actions of the Nikonians were perceived in Rus' as an attack on tradition.

You probably remember the terrible events of that time of unrest, when supporters of double-fingering - the Old Believers - burned themselves alive in houses of worship, just to prevent the reforms of Patriarch Nikon in their communities. The main opponent of Patriarch Nikon in the reform of the Church was Archpriest Avvakum.

How correctly and how many times to be baptized before entering a church or temple?

When entering the temple, you must stand facing the entrance and cross yourself once, saying the necessary words. After this, a fairly low bow is made. Again you need to cross yourself and bow again. So you get baptized and worship three times.

How correctly and how many times to be baptized before entering a church or temple?

Catholic rules of baptism

Although the official split of Christianity into Orthodox and Catholics occurred in 1054, the tradition of baptism from right to left was preserved in both faiths. Moreover, illiterate people of that time often performed the ritual in reverse, and no one attached much importance to it.

Pope Pius V changed everything in 1570, when by his decree he obliged all Catholics to be baptized with an open brush from left to right . The fingers represent the 5 wounds of Jesus Christ.

This order also shows that a person does not wait for God’s grace, but calls for it on his own. Best reflected in the Templar motto: Deus Vult - God wants it. The point is that a person himself commits actions and is responsible for what happens in the world, but he does it according to the will and with the blessing of the Creator. Symbolically, the movement of the hand demonstrates the ascension of the soul from dark sinful forces (left side) to bright heavenly ones (right side).

It is worth noting a tradition that has not been preserved in Orthodoxy - the small cross. When celebrating Mass in church or under everyday circumstances, Catholics use their index finger to depict the figure of a cross on their forehead, lips and heart. Thomas Aquinas wrote in his works that the sign of the cross is not only a talisman, but also a tribute to the memory of the suffering that Jesus Christ suffered for the salvation of the human race.

It is quite possible that the sign of the cross is one of the oldest protective symbols in human history. It should be remembered that initially, it was the Orthodox version of the ritual that was considered correct.

Why are they baptized and how to be baptized correctly at the grave of the deceased?

It is necessary to come to the grave and read an enhanced prayer. It is worth asking forgiveness from the deceased. If you wish, you can read an akathist about the repose of the departed. Next, clean up the grave and remember the deceased with good words. No need to drink at the grave and leave vodka with bread. These are remnants of paganism. In addition, because of such “gifts”, homeless people often trample on the grave and disturb the deceased. Nowadays no one leaves such “gifts”. Regarding sweets and cookies on memorial days, it is also better to distribute them to friends and ask them to remember them. If you leave a package on a grave, homeless people will trample there.

Why are they baptized and how to be baptized correctly at the grave of the deceased?

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How to be baptized in an ice hole at Epiphany?

The procedure is simple. You need to plunge into water three times and cross yourself. After this it is said “In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen". The dive is carried out with your head. You should not wear a swimsuit; it is best to do this in a shirt. It is believed that it is not good to show off your bodies.

How to be baptized in an ice hole at Epiphany?

Who crosses himself with two fingers? Who three?

Initially, in the tradition of Byzantium, that is, in the orthodox branch of Christianity, it was customary to use a pair of fingers when making the sign of the cross.

However, over time, Eastern Christian denominations switched to a three-fingered figure. That is, similar to the one used by Catholics, or, in other words, those who cross themselves from left to right. In our time, only Old Believers use two fingers when making the sign of the cross over themselves or others.

However, in addition to the Old Believers, performing an action with two fingers is also allowed in Catholicism in special cases. If a believer marks himself with a pair of fingers, he emphasizes the duality of the essence of Jesus. The palm in this case symbolizes the wounds of the Lord received during the crucifixion. But it is not priests who resort to such a figure, but only parishioners, those who cross themselves from left to right. The right hand makes the same type of sign of the cross as when using three fingers.

The preference to use the right hand rather than the left also has an explanation. The left side of the human body in the Christian tradition is associated with everything that comes from the devil. The right one is considered the repository of everything that is divine providence. The reasons why such associations developed cannot be precisely established today. What is known for certain is that it was customary to cross yourself with the right hand back in the era of the emergence of Christianity.

Why do people get baptized at a crossroads?

There are many beliefs and various signs associated with crossroads. It is in these places that magicians leave their things. Accordingly, nothing can be picked up at intersections. In order not to bring trouble upon themselves, believers often cross themselves at crossroads. But this is not at all necessary.

Why do people get baptized at a crossroads?

Features of prayer

Orthodox believers perceive prayer as a conditional bridge that allows them to connect two worlds: earthly and spiritual.

It is during its reading that a connection is established between believers and God, during which a person’s soul is fully heard.

Standing in front of the icon, Orthodox Christians pray for help, asking God to provide all possible support and well-being in current difficult situations. Also, during prayer in front of the icon, people can repent of various illegal or other sinful acts that were committed in a certain period of time.

Thus, prayers before the icons of the Mother of God and other religious shrines are conventionally divided into the following types:

laudatory;
thanksgiving;
repentant;
forgiveness.

In order to pray correctly at home in front of an icon, a believer needs to prepare in advance.

If it is difficult to perform prayer from memory, then you can use prayer words as a hint. During prayer, it is very important that every word read is clearly understood and passed through your inner state.

Before starting a prayer and after its completion, you should definitely use the sign of the cross.

If there are no Orthodox icons at home, you can also perform a religious ritual in front of a window or any specific place, while imagining the image of the shrine.

Prayer before an icon in a church can be collective or individual. The first option involves performing this religious ritual together with a group of people who exactly repeat the words of the priest’s prayer. During individual prayer, the believer pronounces the words aloud or silently while standing directly in front of the icon of his choice.

Praying in churches should only be done while standing. It is forbidden to kneel.

It must be remembered that for each sacred image that icon painters managed to depict, there is its own separate prayer. This is especially true for prayers to the 45 icons of the Mother of God.

Is it possible not to be baptized, but to be a believer?

Yes, the main thing is that you have Faith inside you. Therefore, you don’t have to be baptized, but still believe in God. But still, it is generally accepted that a believer should attend church and be baptized.

Is it possible not to be baptized, but to be a believer?

As you can see, it is better to be a believer and pray in your own way than to go to church and do everything automatically. Faith must live within you.

The history of the origin of the sign of the cross

The prototype of the cross is still in the Jewish tradition. So let's start with the "Old Testament." The book of the prophet Ezekiel speaks of an angel who put a seal on his chosen ones. When studying the book in detail, they found the Vulgati - the Bible translated into Latin. It mentions “signatau” (“signa” is a signal, “tau” is a Hebrew letter in the form of a cross). The literal translation is “signatau” – put it on your forehead. It is the Angel who is commanded to give a sign to the chosen ones.

According to biblical stories, the appearance of man was the highest act - unlike, by the way, many religions. And when there was a break between man and God, humanity suffered serious injuries.

But when man “fell” from God, the latter made a promise to restore the gap. And to restore the unity of man with God, a god-man was needed. For this, Christ came to earth and restored unity on the cross; this path was necessary. After the crucifixion, Christ descends into hell and, having resurrected, brings everyone who wishes out of it. The cross is the medicine, the instrument with which Christ restored the unity of the human and the divine in himself. Applying the sign of the cross helps a person to cleanse himself and return to the Kingdom of God.

What does it mean to be baptized

The sign of the cross is the performance of a small sacred rite during which the believer depicts on himself the sign of the Cross of the Lord with the mention of the Name of God, and also attracts to himself the Divine Grace of the Holy Spirit. This action is assigned a specific role.

By His death on the Cross, the Lord overcame Satan and his pride, saving man from sin and slavery. With these actions he sanctified the cross and made it a conquering weapon. Then he gave it to us so that we could resist our enemy - the devil. In order for this ritual to carry the power of grace, it must be performed correctly and reverently.

What prayers should be read before the icon?

You can turn to the holy face in any form or with a prayer from the prayer book. The prayer book contains prayers and psalms compiled by theologians according to religious canons. They have the correct form of addressing the Lord, the Mother of God, saints and other heavenly patrons.

Each saint has his own prayer addresses (canons, akathists). They are published in separate books or in the form of collections - prayer books. For convenience, believers often have a pocket format so that they can bring it with them to church and read it in front of the icon. The main religious texts that every Orthodox Christian should know by heart are “Our Father,” “Creed,” and “Rejoice, Virgin Mary.”

Prayer in your own words will be no less effective if it is said sincerely, with pure thoughts, without evil or resentment towards other people, with faith in God’s providence. If a believer, turning to the icon of the Savior, does not know the prayers by heart and cannot collect his thoughts, then it is enough to cross himself and say to himself: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

You can cross yourself and bow during your own prayer at will. The texts of akathists and canons indicate after which words one should cross oneself and bow.

Differences in the creation of the cross

The Old Believers, who exist in Russia in our time and were considered schismatics in the past, are baptized differently. Representatives of this religious movement put their index, ring and little fingers into a pinch, then make a double-finger cross (with the middle and index fingers).

The Gregorians, representing the Armenian Apostolic Church, have their own principle of the sign of the cross. To create it, they also fold three fingers, but, unlike the Orthodox, they cross themselves, on the contrary, accompanying the sacred gesture with the utterance of prayer words.

Like the Armenians, Catholics sign themselves with a cross from left to right. To do this, they alternately bring five fingers (open palm) to the forehead, to the stomach, to the left and right shoulder. Muslims completely lack the tradition of baptism, since they do not belong to the Christian movement.

Is it possible for an unbaptized person to be baptized or to make a sign with his left hand?

The Orthodox Church does not forbid making the sign of the cross to a person without a cross on his body and who has not undergone the rite of baptism. It is believed that by performing such a gesture, a lay person shows his desire to be baptized in the church and become part of a Christian society in the future.

In certain situations, it is allowed to perform the cross with the left hand. This applies to cases where the right limb is immobilized, damaged or completely absent. Before making the sign of the cross with your left hand, you must agree on this possibility with the priest.