Is it possible to baptize a child without godparents?

Conversation before baptism

Now this is a must.
For what? To baptize those who believe in Christ, and not those who come because “a child_is_sick_must_be_baptized_otherwise_they_will_jinx_and_we_are_Russian_and_Orthodox.” You have to come to the conversation, this is not an exam. usually the priest talks about Christ, the Gospel, reminds that you need to read the Gospel yourself. It looks something like this.

Often the need for conversation causes indignation among relatives and many try to “get around” them. Someone, complaining about a lack of time, or even just desire, is looking for priests who can ignore this rule. But first of all, this information is needed by the godparents themselves, because by offering them to become your child’s godparents, you impose a great responsibility on them and it would be nice for them to know about it. If godparents do not want to spend time on this, then this is a reason for you to think about whether the child needs adoptive parents who cannot sacrifice just a couple of their evenings for him.

If the godparents live in another city and can only come on the day of the sacrament, then they can have conversations in any church that is convenient. Upon completion, they will be given a certificate with which they can participate in the sacrament anywhere.

It is very good for godparents, if they do not already know, to learn the Creed - this prayer is read three times during baptism and, it is likely that godparents will be asked to read it.

The rules state:

Clearly, life shows us that there is one religion, but different priests explain the question of the possibility of baptizing a child without godmothers and fathers in the same way. Some priests allow godparents to be recorded from the words of the baby’s mother and father. This can figuratively be called absentee christening. Other priests are confident that, according to the canons of the church, godparents who are not present at the Sacrament of Baptism cannot be considered such before God.

Therefore, if you want to baptize your baby, but the people you have chosen, for certain reasons, do not have the opportunity to attend the Sacrament of Baptism, and you do not want to choose others, or, in extreme cases, there is no one to call, then you definitely need to talk to the priest personally and clarify what to do in this situation. By the way, the priest himself can be a godparent.

How to choose godparents for your baby?

The main thing is that they must be baptized people, religious Christians belonging to the Orthodox Church

It is important that the condition for your choice of godparents is whether the chosen person will be able to help you in the future with good deeds, raise your child according to Christian customs, and also help in practical circumstances

And of course, important conditions should be the degree of your acquaintance with the prospective godparents and simply a good relationship between you. Think carefully about whether the godparents you choose can serve as church mentors for your child.

If one godfather is not present at the Sacrament of Baptism, is it possible to carry out the ceremony without his participation, while registering him as a godparent?

Before 1917, there was such a thing as “absentee godparents,” but it was practiced only in relation to the imperial families if, as a sign of their mercy, they agreed to be the godparents of a baby. If we are talking about a similar situation, only, of course, in the modern version, then you can do this, but if not, then it is better to proceed from the norms of practice that are common to all.

Is it possible to refuse godparents if the child has already been baptized? And is it possible to baptize a child in order to properly raise him in the Christian faith?

In no case should a child be rebaptized, since the Sacrament of Baptism occurs once, and the sins of godparents, biological parents, and even the baptized person himself do not cancel all the gifts that are given to the child in the Sacrament of Baptism.

As for a person’s communication with his godparents, of course, betrayal of faith, that is, a transition to another religion or a fall into atheism, as well as a non-Christian lifestyle, confirm that the person failed to fulfill the responsibility of a godfather.

Church canons and rules require compliance. The sacrament of baptism has been performed for centuries. Parents must preserve church traditions and prepare in advance for the baptism of their child. The most important thing is the choice of godparents, people who will take on the responsibility of spiritual education of the godson.

You can baptize a child with one godfather.

We advise you to study Prayers to Sergius of Radonezh for successfully passing the exam

According to spiritual rules, a baby can be baptized without one of the godparents. But it is desirable to have two mentors. There are no special requirements for them:

• Orthodox Christians,
• not necessarily married,
• not necessarily planning a marriage in the future,
• close relatives or just acquaintances

It is much more important that the desire to engage in the spiritual education of a child is not nominal, but real.

Preparing for Baptism

What is Baptism as a Sacrament? How does it happen?

Baptism is a Sacrament in which a believer, by immersing his body three times in water with the invocation of God the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, dies to a carnal, sinful life and is reborn from the Holy Spirit into a spiritual life. In Baptism, a person is cleansed from original sin - the sin of his forefathers, communicated to him through birth. The sacrament of Baptism can be performed on a person only once (just as a person is born only once).

The baptism of an infant is performed according to the faith of the recipients, who have the sacred duty to teach children the true faith and help them become worthy members of the Church of Christ.

The baptismal kit for your baby should be the one that is recommended to you in the church where you will be baptizing him. They can easily tell you what you need. Mainly it is a baptismal cross and a baptismal shirt. The baptism of one baby lasts about forty minutes.

This sacrament consists of the Annunciation (reading special prayers - “prohibitions” over those preparing for baptism), renunciation of Satan and union with Christ, that is, union with Him, and confession of the Orthodox faith. Here the godparents must pronounce the appropriate words for the baby.

Immediately after the end of the Annunciation, the sequence of Baptism . The most noticeable and important moment is the three-time immersion of the baby in the font with the words pronounced: “The servant of God (servant of God) (name) is baptized in the name of the Father, amen. And the Son, amen. And the Holy Spirit, amen." At this time, the godfather (of the same sex as the person being baptized), taking a towel in his hands, prepares to receive his godfather from the font. The one who has received Baptism then dresses in new white clothes and puts a cross on him.

Immediately after this, another Sacrament is performed - Confirmation , in which the person being baptized, when anointing parts of the body with the consecrated Chrism, in the name of the Holy Spirit, is given the gifts of the Holy Spirit, strengthening him in spiritual life. After this, the priest and godparents with the newly baptized person walk around the font three times as a sign of the spiritual joy of union with Christ for eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven. Then an excerpt from the letter of the Apostle Paul to the Romans is read, dedicated to the topic of baptism, and an excerpt from the Gospel of Matthew - about the sending of the Apostles by the Lord Jesus Christ to the worldwide preaching of the faith with the command to baptize all nations in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Afterwards, the priest washes the myrrh from the body of the baptized person with a special sponge dipped in holy water, saying the words: “Thou art justified. You have become enlightened. You are sanctified. You have washed yourself in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. You were baptized. You have become enlightened. You have been anointed with chrism. You have been sanctified in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.”

Next, the priest cuts the hair of the newly baptized in a cross shape (on four sides) with the words: “The servant of God (name) is tonsured in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen,” puts the hair on a wax cake and lowers it into the font. Tonsure symbolizes submission to God and at the same time marks the small sacrifice that the newly baptized person brings to God in gratitude for the beginning of a new, spiritual life. After making petitions for godparents and the newly baptized, the Sacrament of Baptism ends.

This is usually immediately followed by churching , signifying the first bringing into the temple. The baby, taken by the priest in his arms, is carried through the temple, brought to the Royal Doors and brought into the altar (boys only), after which he is given to his parents. Churching symbolizes the dedication of the baby to God according to the Old Testament model. After baptism, the baby should be given communion.

Why are only boys brought into the altar?

In principle, boys should not be included there either, this is just a tradition. The Sixth Ecumenical Council determined: None of all those belonging to the category of laity will be allowed to enter the sacred altar... (Rule 69). The famous canonist Bishop. Nicodemus (Milash) gives this decree the following commentary: “In view of the mystery of the bloodless sacrifice offered at the altar, it was forbidden, from the earliest times of the church, to enter the altar to anyone who did not belong to the clergy. “The altar is reserved for sacred persons only.”

They say that before baptizing your child, you should confess and receive communion.

Even without regard to the Baptism of a child, Orthodox Christians are called by the Church to regularly begin the Sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion. If you have not done this before, then it would be good to take the first step towards a full church life before the Baptism of your own baby.

This is not a formal requirement, but a natural internal norm - because, introducing a child to church life through the sacrament of Baptism, introducing him into the fence of the Church - why should we ourselves remain outside it? For an adult who has not repented for many years, or has never in his life, and has not begun to accept the Holy Mysteries of Christ, is at this moment a very conditional Christian. Only by motivating himself to life in the sacraments of the Church does he actualize his Christianity.

What is the Orthodox name for a baby?

The right to choose a child's name belongs to his parents. Lists of names of saints - calendars - can help you in choosing a name. In the calendar, names are arranged in calendar order.

There is no unambiguous church tradition for choosing names - often parents choose a name for the baby from the list of those saints who are glorified on the very day of the child’s birth, or on the eighth day, when the rite of naming is performed, or during the period of forty days (when the Sacrament of Baptism is usually performed). It is wise to choose a name from the church calendar list of names that are fairly close to the child's birthday. But, however, this is not some kind of obligatory church institution, and if there is some deep desire to name a child in honor of this or that saint, or some kind of vow on the part of the parents, or something else, then this is not an obstacle at all .

When choosing a name, you can familiarize yourself not only with what this or that name means, but also with the life of the saint in whose honor you want to name your baby: what kind of saint he is, where and when he lived, what was his way of life, on what days is his memory celebrated?

Why do some churches close the church during the sacrament of Baptism (without doing this during other sacraments) or ask people who call themselves Orthodox not to enter it?

Because during the Baptism of an adult, it is not very pleasant for the person being baptized or the one being baptized if strangers look at him, who is sufficiently exposed physically, and observe the greatest sacrament, with the curious gaze of those who have no prayerful relationship with it. It seems that a prudent Orthodox person will not simply go as a spectator to someone else’s Baptism if he was not invited there. And if he lacks tact, then the church ministers act prudently by removing the curious from the church while the sacrament of Baptism is being performed.

What should come first - faith or Baptism? Can you be baptized to believe?

Baptism is a Sacrament, that is, a special action of God, in which, with the response of the desire of the person himself (certainly the person himself), he dies to a sinful and passionate life and is born into a new one - life in Christ Jesus.

On the other hand, deep faith is what a baptized and churched person should strive for throughout his life. All people are sinners, and one must strive to acquire faith in such a way that it is combined with deeds. Faith, among other things, is an effort of will. In the Gospel, one person who met the Savior exclaimed: “I believe, Lord! Help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24). This man already believed in the Lord, but he wanted to believe even more, stronger, more decisively.

It will be easier to strengthen your faith if you live the church life and not look at it from the outside.

Why do we baptize babies? They still can’t choose their own religion and consciously follow Christ?

A person is saved not on his own, not as an individual who unilaterally decides how to be and act in this life, but as a member of the Church, a community in which everyone is responsible for each other. Therefore, an adult can vouch for the baby and say: I will try to make sure that he grows up to be a good Orthodox Christian. And while he cannot answer for himself, his godfather and godmother pledge their faith for him.

Does a person have the right to be baptized at any age?

Baptism is possible for a person of any age on any day of the year.

At what age is it better to baptize a child?

A person can be baptized at any time from his first breath to his very last breath. In ancient times, there was a custom to baptize a child on the eighth day of birth, but this was not a mandatory rule. It is most convenient to baptize a child during the first months of birth. At this time, the baby still does not distinguish his mother from the “strange aunt” who will hold him in her arms during Baptism, and the “bearded uncle” who will always come up to him and “do something with him” is not scary for him. Older children already perceive reality quite consciously, they see that they are surrounded by people unfamiliar to them, and that their mother is either not there at all or for some reason she does not come to them, and may experience anxiety about this.

Is it necessary to be baptized again if a person was “baptized by his grandmother at home”?

Baptism is the only Sacrament of the Church that, in case of emergency, can be performed by a layman. During the years of persecution of the Church, cases of such baptism were not uncommon - there were few churches and priests. In addition, in earlier times, midwives sometimes baptized newborn babies if their lives were in danger: for example, if the child received a birth injury. This baptism is usually called "immersion." If a child died after such baptism, he was buried as a Christian; if he survived, he was brought to the temple and the priest supplemented the baptism performed by the layman with the necessary prayers and sacred rites. Thus, in any case, a person baptized by a layman must “complete” his baptism in the temple. However, in earlier times, midwives were specially trained in how to perform baptism correctly; in the Soviet years, it is often completely unknown who baptized and how, whether this person was trained, whether he knew what and how to do. Therefore, for the sake of confidence in the actual performance of the Sacrament, priests most often baptize such “immersed” as if there was a doubt about whether they were baptized or not.

Can parents attend Baptism?

They may well not just be present, but pray together with the priest and godparents for their baby. There are no obstacles to this.

When is Baptism performed?

Baptism can take place at any time. However, in churches the procedure for performing Baptism is established differently depending on the internal routine, opportunities and circumstances. Therefore, you should worry in advance about finding out about the procedure for performing Baptism in the church in which you want to baptize your child.

What does an adult who wants to receive the Sacrament of Baptism need?

For an adult, the basis for Baptism is the presence of a sincere Orthodox faith. The purpose of Baptism is union with God. Therefore, the one who comes to the baptismal font needs to decide for himself very important questions: does he need it and is he ready for it? Baptism is inappropriate if a person uses it to seek some earthly blessings, success, or hopes to solve his family problems. Therefore, another important condition for Baptism is a firm desire to live as a Christian. After the Sacrament has been performed, a person must begin a full-fledged church life: regularly go to church, learn about divine services, pray, that is, learn to live in God. If this does not happen, Baptism will have no meaning. It is necessary to prepare for Baptism: at a minimum, carefully read these public conversations, read at least one of the Gospels, know by heart or close to the text the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer. It would be simply wonderful to prepare for confession: to remember your sins, wrongs and bad inclinations. Many priests do very correctly by confessing the catechumens before Baptism.

Is it possible to baptize during Lent?

Yes, you can. Moreover, in previous times, fasts served as preparation not only for a specific holiday, but also for the entry of new members into the Church, i.e. to the Baptism of the Catechumens. Thus, in the ancient Church people were baptized mainly on the eve of major Church holidays, including during Lent. Traces of this are still preserved in the peculiarities of the services of the feasts of the Nativity of Christ, Easter and Pentecost.

In what case can a priest refuse Baptism to a person?

A priest not only can, but must refuse Baptism to a person if he does not believe in God as the Orthodox Church teaches to believe, since faith is an indispensable condition for Baptism. Among the reasons for refusal of Baptism may be a person’s unpreparedness and a magical attitude towards Baptism. The magical attitude towards Baptism is the desire to use it to protect yourself from the forces of evil, to get rid of “damage” or the “evil eye”, and to receive all kinds of spiritual or material “bonuses”. People who are drunk or leading an immoral lifestyle will not be baptized until they repent and reform.

What to do if it is known for sure that a person has been baptized, but no one remembers the name with which he was baptized? Baptize a second time?

This situation occurs quite often. There is no need to baptize a person a second time - you can only baptize once. But you can give a person a new name. Any priest has the right to do this simply by confessing a person and giving him communion with a new name.

How many times can you be baptized?

Definitely - once. Baptism is a spiritual birth, and a person can only be born once. The Orthodox Creed says: “I confess one baptism for the remission of sins.” Secondary baptism is unacceptable.

What to do if you don’t know whether you are baptized or not, and there is no one to ask?

You need to be baptized, but at the same time warn the priest that you may be baptized, but you don’t know for sure. The priest will perform Baptism according to a special rite for such cases.

Child Baptism

The protection of the Lord and His saints is especially important for children. Orthodox Christians try to baptize children as soon as possible, after about forty days from birth

On this day, the mother must visit the temple so that the priest will read a prayer of permission over her after childbirth. You can baptize a child on any day, even a holiday or fast. It is better to arrange Baptism in the church in advance or find out the usual schedule of Baptisms - then several children will be baptized.

You need to have with you

• Birth certificate - so that you can be issued a certificate of baptism,

Christening shirt

Towel,

A cross on a short cord - so that the child does not harm himself when wrapping the lace.

“If you don’t take communion, it’s 100% hell”

– Question about another situation. Many of us were baptized in Soviet times, when parents were often against it, and grandmother and aunt or friend carried their children to church for baptism in secret. The child grew up, became a church member, but his godparents never came to church. Do a believing godson have responsibilities towards his non-church godfather?

– In this case, everyone changes places. And the task of those who are in the Church is to share the grace and joy of Communion with God with that person whom the Lord has not yet called. The godson should try to help his godfather come to our heavenly Father. This is not only desirable, but, in my opinion, even mandatory.

- How to do it? Older people, as a rule, react with hostility when “the egg begins to teach the chicken.” Especially in spiritual matters.

– Again, you need to get down to business by praying. Ask the Lord for help, realizing your unworthiness, your narrow-mindedness, worthlessness and stupidity. When will the Lord give grace? When we understand that we turn to Him because we ourselves are weak.

If a person wants to learn how to ski, but comes to an instructor and starts telling him how well he can do everything, and he only needs the instructor to show him a couple of tricks, it is clear that when descending from the mountain, such a smart guy will mess things up and get injured. And when there is an understanding that all I can do is walk on a straight ski track and slide down the hill near the house, then the instructor begins to teach properly, and all this leads to a specific result.

Likewise, if we humble ourselves, if we realize that we are not capable of anything, without the Lord “we cannot do anything,” then the Lord Himself comes to the rescue.

Be sure to pray and think about how you can interest an adult, elderly person in this regard. Invite him on an excursion to the temple or give him a book or brochure. It happens that if you directly offer to read something, a person will refuse: “How is that? I lived my life, and then some green snot decided to teach me...” In such cases, a “workaround maneuver” can work - when some book that may be of interest is left somewhere in a visible place or forgotten.

Often older people have more time and are accustomed to reading. Therefore, there is a possibility that the “forgotten” book will be read, and some grain will fall on the heart. There are a lot of options, the main thing is to think.

On the contrary, someone may be affected by a blow to the forehead, as they say, and the person will shake himself up.

We had one grandfather in Ioninsky - a good man, an excellent mechanic, he came and helped. Somehow we noticed that he began to appear less often. It turned out that he was sick and was in the hospital. And in general, it was clear that the person was slowly declining (it is clear from many older people that they are declining). We were on friendly terms, and I asked him directly: “Lenya, do you even believe in God?” - “Well, yes, I believe.” - “When was the last time you took communion?” - “Oh, I don’t know when.” - “If you don’t take communion, you’ll go to hell.” - “Exactly?” – “100 percent...” – “How can I do it to take communion?..”

We advise you to study the Icon “Blessed is the army of the Heavenly King”

The man was already approaching 80 and had no time for long conversations. I explained to him the simplest things, what he could understand. It is clear that he had had enough of fasting and long services, but he prepared for communion and began to take communion regularly. Six months later, he peacefully departed to the Lord, and I believe that the Lord accepted him. Because a person in purity of heart responded to the call: “Take, eat.” I just got up and came.

When choosing a name for your child, use a special church calendar

Recently, it has become popular to name newborns with original and unusual names. At the same time, parents are not always guided by the church calendar to choose the name of the heavenly patron.

Therefore, during baptism, it may happen that the name given at birth will not be on the list of Orthodox saints. Then the baptism ceremony is performed under a different name, and the child will have two names. You can find a suitable name in a special church calendar - the calendar.

If the child's name is not in the list of Orthodox saints, it can be selected in the calendar

However, you should not resort to deliberately assigning a different name at baptism, as this may lead to some confusion in the child’s future life. When tonsured into a monastery, a person in adulthood is able to independently decide on a name change.

The sacrament of baptism is an important step in the beginning of a new existence.

It is important not to forget that baptism itself is not the achievement of an immortal soul and its salvation. Only following God's commandments, comprehending virtues and performing good deeds will help the soul ascend to God

And godparents are the main mentors and guides on this spiritual path.

Preparing supplies for baptism

First of all, a cross is needed, which indicates that the child has undergone the necessary ritual. According to tradition, it is given by the godfather. Today there is a large selection of crosses. They can be purchased at the temple. Crosses can be simple, silver or gold. If they are bought in a simple store, then before the ceremony they must first be consecrated.

The godmother purchases a kryzhma (a special towel for baptism) in advance. They don’t sell it in the temple. As a rule, parents choose clothes for baptism. It should be made of soft, pleasant fabric. Remember that godparents will undress and dress the baby before and after the ceremony. Therefore, clothes should be such that they can be easily taken off and put on.

Kryzhma is a child’s heirloom that will last a lifetime. Therefore, it must be made of high-quality material. There is an opinion that there is an invisible force in the kryzhma, which helps to cure diseases. If your baby is not feeling well, then take out a baptismal towel and dry your baby in the evenings after bathing.

If you are wondering whether it is possible to baptize a child without godparents, the answer is yes. That is, this does not mean that the baby will have no one. The father can choose godparents.

What you need to know about the ritual

Baptism is an important event in the life of a newly born child. At such a moment he joins the Church and becomes a Christian

The sacrament of baptism cleanses a person from original sin and allows God's grace to descend.

Age

According to church rules, a child is baptized on the 40th day after birth. At this age, the baby has not yet lost the intrauterine instinct to hold his breath in water and tolerates being immersed headlong in the baptismal font well. If it was not possible to baptize the child on the 40th day, you can perform the sacrament later.

The sooner a person is baptized, the sooner he comes under the protection of God. If a child was born weak and his life hangs by a thread, he can be baptized any day. To do this, you need to invite the priest to the hospital. True, instead of immersing the baby in water, they will simply sprinkle it with holy water.

How to choose a temple

If the parents are believers, they can baptize the child in the church where they attend services. When father and mother go to church only on holidays, they can go to the nearest parish and ask the priest to perform baptism. If for some reason parents do not like the clergyman, they can turn to any other temple. The main thing is that the church belongs to the Orthodox denomination.

When not to baptize

A child can be baptized on any day and in any month. True, each temple has its own rules. Before setting the day for christening, you need to go to the church and talk to the priest.

Price

According to church canons, the sacrament of baptism should be performed free of charge. However, this rule only applies if parents or godparents are experiencing financial difficulties and cannot pay for the ceremony. Each temple has its own price list, according to which payment is made for the services of the clergy. Typically a baptism costs $15-$50 (equivalent).

Conversation with the priest

Before the christening, parents and godparents need to talk with the priest. The conversation will help strengthen your faith. There is no need to prepare in any special way for a meeting with a clergyman.

Choice of godparents

According to established traditions, a child must have a godfather and a godmother. These people should not be spouses. Godparents are chosen from among friends or relatives. It is desirable that these are believers who observe all church rules and constantly attend church services.

Godparents are a kind of guarantors for raising a child. They must raise him as a Christian, teach him prayers, take him to first communion. Godparents must take care of the moral education of the godson, help him along the path of life, give instructions and advice.

What should godparents do?

We are going to baptize Ulyana in August. In this regard, questions:

1. did you baptize your child and if so at what age and if not then why
2. who became godparents and how did you choose them and what should they do in general, except that at the ceremony, as far as I understand, they hold the child in their arms
3. a few words about how it all went

25.7.2003, Fluffy and Ulyanka (1 month 1 week)

• 1. I was baptized at 5 months, I regret that not later. 2. godparents - childhood friend (mine) and childhood friend (husband) 3. I don’t want to remember (not in the sense of laziness, but in the sense that everything was terrible) Nata Natalkina ©
• We baptized him in July, he was 8 months old. And the rest of the participants are 2-3, and I regretted not baptizing earlier, because... We behaved unlike two-month-olds - most disgracefully. They shouted at the whole church, grabbed the priest, etc. And it was a bit difficult for the godparents to carry it. Be baptized of course, now is the time. A godmother is especially important for a girl. She is responsible for the girl’s spiritual education before God. *Zabava Putyatichna
• We baptized when she was not yet 2 months old, in October. Godparents were chosen - the closest people who love children and the godson in particular, who will help him in difficult times if his parents are not around. According to religion, godparents are with their godchildren in the afterlife, and not their natural parents. They must accustom the child to church and teach religion, just as parents teach life. The godmother leads the goddaughter down the aisle, the godfather leads the godson. They bring you to first communion. And in general: children should go to church with their godparents, and not with their parents. That is, this is spiritual education. But this is an ideal option for believers. We have just good friends who love my son. The christening went well, the child looked at the church all the time. They dipped their heads into the font—the first diving lessons. Everything went great. August 2 - the day of Elijah the prophet - is a big holiday. Good day chosen! KatWik
• I’m also going to be baptized on August 2nd, we are 1.3 months old, it didn’t work out before, it was one thing or another. I couldn’t find my godfather yet. Here is what we were able to find regarding baptism: About preparation for Baptism
  One should prepare for Baptism. First of all, you need to find out whether special conversations are held at the church for “catechumens” (those preparing to receive Baptism and studying the basics of the Orthodox faith). If discussions are held, you should attend them regularly. In the days before receiving the Sacrament, you need to read the Gospel and books that explain Christian teaching, for example, the Law of God. Know that these days are special, so you should not dissipate attention to other, even very important problems. Devote this time to spiritual and moral reflection, focus on the inner life of your soul. Avoid fuss, empty conversations, watching TV, do not participate in various amusements, for what you will receive is great and holy, and everything holy of God is received with the greatest awe and reverence. On the day of baptism itself, you should not eat, drink or smoke in the morning, and those living married should refrain from marital communication the night before. The sanctity of God requires special purity from a person. You need to show up for Baptism extremely clean and tidy. Women in monthly uncleanness do not proceed to the baptismal font until the end of these days. In addition, women come to be baptized without makeup or jewelry. You must arrive on time for the start of the sacrament. It is not necessary to be baptized on Sunday if this great sacrament is performed in church on weekdays. Only an Orthodox believer who is able to give an account of his faith can be a godfather. Actually, a boy needs only a godfather, and a girl only needs a godmother. But according to the ancient Russian tradition, both are invited. Parents cannot be their child's godparents; husband and wife are godparents of the same baby. Grandparents, brothers and sisters are quite suitable as godparents. After the baby is immersed in the baptismal font, the godfather receives him from the hands of the priest. Hence the Slavic name - receiver. Thus, he takes upon himself the responsibility for life to raise the child in the Orthodox spirit, and the answer for this upbringing will be given at the Last Judgment. Godparents always, until the end of their days, pray for their godchildren, teach them faith and piety, and introduce them to the sacraments. The connection between the recipients and their children is eternal and deeper than with parents in the flesh. The fate of both himself and the baby taken from the font depends on the careful fulfillment of the godfather’s duties. Olga and Artemka
• 1) baptized at 40 days. I am convinced that I did the right thing, since I myself was baptized at the age of 8, and our entire family was baptized. 2) godmother is my best friend, a person who has always been by my side and never betrayed me. She really wanted to be a godmother. We don't have a godfather. 3) went well. At first he cried like all babies, then after the font and altar he was silent and looked around. LidunkA
• 1) Not yet. I didn’t want to go to the Orthodox Church, because... Non-Orthodox people are not baptized, but dedicated, i.e. a child at the age of 12 can undergo confirmation (from the English confirm-confirmation) - i.e. confirm this choice. I don't want the child to feel like something is being forced on him. But everyone around insists on being Orthodox (mother, husband) 2) Godparents are Orthodox. churches should not be husband and wife, baptized. I want to choose from my friends who not only go to church on holidays, but also know the Bible, read it at home, etc. - because The task of godparents is not to overwhelm with gifts, but to spiritually instruct the child 3) If it passes, I’ll tell Vyka and Pelmeshka
• We did not baptize for 40 days because it was winter - we were afraid that we would catch a cold. Now it’s been six months, and we’re all getting ready. I hope that we will get together soon. We don’t want godparents at all, but we need to talk about this personally with Father, but we still can’t find him (in fact, we only went a couple of times...) so, I’m thinking of going tomorrow. LU-LU and Lion Cub (HALF A YEAR!!!)
• And we didn’t baptize... My husband is an atheist, although he is baptized, and I’m half Jewish... When he grows up a little, I’ll take him to both the synagogue and the Orthodox church (my mother wanted us to baptize him) Well, the youngest is also not baptized... I think that if the mother believes that this will protect her child from evil and help him...If she feels this need for connection with the ancestors on a physiological level, then it’s worth baptizing, but if not, then it’s better not to Bubusha + Danya (2y11months) and Egor (4months)
• We were baptized on December 6, 2002 (we barely reached 2 months), because our son is San Sanych, and this day is Alexander Nevsky Day. We found a church in advance and agreed on what and how. (True, it didn’t work out later - all our priests left for some seminar; in the end we were baptized in Elokhovka (on Spartakovskaya) - you can be baptized there in the morning and at lunchtime, I recommend it to everyone) They chose a godfather right away - a friend of my husband, too, by the way , San Sanych (and my husband San Sanych, in short - there are only Sashki around). I chose my godmother from among my friends, but since we didn’t get along in the first church, she wasn’t sure whether she could go to the second church, so we agreed with another girl (she’s a neighbor). And when everyone gathered in Yelokhovka, it turned out that the first one had arrived - that’s why we have two godparents (that’s possible). The godmother should buy a cross, in theory, but we didn’t bother our godparents. In Yelokhovka they gave us someone’s silver and tiny cross, because only huge ones were sold there and my son looked like a priest in such a cross. We ourselves bought a baptismal shirt and a diaper (for some reason, the set also included a hat, it was so smart, but we have a boy - he should have his head uncovered). As for age, in my opinion, at 2-4 months you should be baptized: firstly, if you decide to baptize, it means you believe, and then the sooner the better, so that the baby has a guardian angel and all that . Secondly, at this age the baby will take everything calmer (mine is now 9.5 months old, I can’t imagine how it would be possible to baptize him - he constantly spins, spins, grabs at everything, yells), and the baptism procedure lasts about forty minutes, probably , if everything is done well. Mom is up to 40 days after giving birth and if there is bleeding, she can’t go to church, by the way vk56
• 1) Baptized at 1.5 months. 2) Our close friends became godparents (they are not related to each other). They must know the prayers (I won’t say which ones, I don’t know myself, the priest talked to them before this sacrament and said that they need to know). 3) Everything went well, except when the baby was lowered into the vat and doused. She was very scared (but they say that it seemed like a good thing) Ilyich
• Didn't baptize; when they grow up, they want to, they will be baptized themselves (it’s never too late) Nadyushka
• 1) They baptized (by the way, I knitted the dress myself). At the age of 4.5 months. They argued a lot, because... I come from a Muslim family, and my husband is Orthodox. 2) Godmother is the husband’s cousin, godfather is his friend. It so happens that HIS friends occupy much more space in my life than mine. I want banal things from godparents: that my child be loved and respected, that they become close friends with the child. So that you can say “they are like second parents.” Well, they gave gifts for birthdays. 3) Everything went well, despite all my fears. Elya (Dollar) and Ulka
• I can say about godparents, we chose from relatives, so relatives are better than relatives, they are always nearby and remember. Iriko

Is it possible to baptize a child without godparents?

Photo: Flickr.com

There is no unanimous answer to this question among the priesthood of the Russian Orthodox Church. For example, Archpriest Andrei Efanov believes that if parents are firmly confident in their own abilities and can raise their child in the Orthodox faith, then they can baptize him without godparents. The famous professor Osipov A.I. is against the baptism of children. He is sure that they themselves must choose what to believe in. Many church rectors do not agree to baptize children without godparents, following the tradition established in the Russian Orthodox Church.

Currently, almost all churches conduct public conversations before receiving the Sacrament of Baptism. At them, parents of children and candidates for baptism and godparents are explained the basics of faith, what Baptism is and what the responsibilities of recipients are. There you can also ask questions about preparing for the Sacrament.

Why are godparents needed?

I had been planning to baptize Lisa for a long time, and this is what I wanted to know about. Godparents - how are they chosen? My understanding is that not only should people be close to me (mom and dad), but they should also love the child, right? What is their function in general, in the future? And in general, how does everything happen? 12.8.2002, KateSh

• If, God forbid, something happens to you, they need to take care of the baby. I chose for these reasons, although, of course, life is long, people change... Eugin
• I chose as godparents those who showed concern for my daughter. They treated the procedure responsibly: they went for an interview at the Temple, those who didn’t know learned the prayers, confessed and took communion. Last Saturday Dashka was christened; during the interview we were told that girls definitely need a godmother, and boys need a dad. Elina was not allowed to participate in the ceremony without them.
• Oh, a sore point... I used to think that godparents were the people who would be able to take and raise my child if, God forbid, something happened to us (the parents). Therefore, I was very seriously concerned about the choice of godparents. Now I have cooled down a little and look at this choice more simply. And still, I have several candidates for godmothers, but I still haven’t found a godfather. So we will baptize without a godfather. IMHO, none is better than just some. Loris
• A boy cannot be baptized without a godfather. A boy definitely needs a godfather, and a girl needs a godmother. This is written in my christening memo. Odessa Mama
• We recently baptized, the priest said that if there is no godfather, the priest who conducts the aska ritual automatically becomes one
• Godparents, of course, must love the child. But I will tell you one nuance: if you take in godparents who are still childless, then they will simply love him madly until their own child appears. Then they will also treat you well, but not as much as before. I know this from my own experience - I’m like that myself. While Artyom was away, I simply spoiled my goddaughter, showered her with gifts, constantly hung out at guests, and so on. When Artem was born, I didn’t stop loving her, but, naturally, I began to pay less attention. My Artyom’s godparents now still have no children—they pamper him in the same way, with or without reason, hanging around with him. But I know when it will end. Juliet
• And I just chose a friend to play the role of godmother; her child is the same age as Liza. We are friends with her, Lisa knows her well and loves her, Lena seems (pah-pah) also sincere. KateSh
• We baptized Olezhka at 2 months old, in March, when there was still heating in the church - this is very important, because... In stone churches it is cold even in the heat. Our godparents are a friend of our father’s, also Oleg, a guy who is not poor and not greedy, this is for the future, so that he can give gifts. And the godmother is dad's aunt and his godmother. She is just a very good woman and we decided to take her as godparents. I think godparents should be spiritual people. Kasia
• By and large, godparents are responsible for the spiritual development of the child. When we were baptizing, we met a photographer who had been photographing christenings for a very long time and he says that very often children subsequently become similar (in general principles of existence) to their godparents, even if they rarely meet them... Blueberry

“You baptize, and then we’ll see...”

– What exactly do godparents need to do for this?

– According to the statutes of the Orthodox Church, according to ancient tradition, a boy is given a successor, and a girl is given a successor. Now, as a rule, each child has two godparents. And in some regions there are several pairs of godparents. But this is already a human addition - people simply want to become related to the family of the baptized baby. This has nothing in common with the Orthodox Christian tradition, and is not conditioned in any way from a spiritual point of view.

In general, in my opinion, the institution of godparenthood in our time is deeply and seriously profaned by its attitude towards the responsibilities of godparents. In many ways, the blame for this lies with us, the clergy. We do not pay enough attention to working with people who come to church with the desire to baptize a child.

By the way, in our Ioninsky monastery and in the monastery in the village of Neshcherov near Kiev, a conversation with parents and adoptive parents is mandatory. In Neshcherovo there are even several conversations - both with those being married and with those being baptized, and it is impossible to be baptized or get married until people have listened to the entire course.

Some priests say: “What courses! They only push away, people turn around and go to church to be baptized, where no one pays attention to it.”

Nothing like this. As experience shows, people get baptized and get married very willingly and advise their acquaintances - they say, in such and such a church they take the sacrament seriously, go and get baptized there.

We advise you to study Why do they kiss the hand of a priest?

The fault of the clergy that they do not work with the flock in this direction does not explain the tasks of their successors, and does not warn against hasty agreement to step on such a spiritually dangerous path. I truly believe that becoming a recipient is spiritually dangerous.

– Can you explain why?

– There are several aspects. Ideally, parents who themselves live a church life invite an Orthodox person to baptize their children. In this case, of course, it’s hardly worth refusing. Yes, this is a responsibility, but the risk of an unkind answer at the terrible judgment of Christ is significantly reduced. The father and mother are involved in upbringing themselves, and the godfather only helps - he gives spiritual literature, goes on pilgrimages together.

But when an Orthodox person is invited to be a recipient by non-church people, I always ask him to think very, very carefully. How close is this family to you, how loyal are the parents to Christianity, are they ready to give the opportunity to really participate in the upbringing of their child? In most cases, it turns out that they are not ready: “Well, you baptize, and then we’ll see...”

Therefore, you need to weigh everything carefully - after all, this is a great responsibility, you are vouching before God for this baby.

If, out of cowardice, or foolishness, or for some other reason - perhaps out of love for this family - a person agreed to become a godfather, and then they say to him: “Thank you, we don’t need your advice, we ourselves will raise our child in those traditions that we consider necessary,” in this case, the task of the recipient is to pray for the godson day and night, as much as he can. Remember at morning and evening prayers, submit notes for the Liturgy. Try to make up for the lack of physical communication with prayerful communication.

About godparents (successors)

What responsibilities do godfathers and mothers have towards their godchildren?

Godparents have three main responsibilities towards their godchildren: 1. Prayer. The godfather is obliged to pray for his godson, and also, as he grows up, to teach prayer so that the godson himself can communicate with God and ask Him for help in all his life circumstances. 2. Doctrinal. Teach the godson the basics of the Christian faith. 3. Moral. Using your own example, show your godson human virtues - love, kindness, mercy, and others, so that he grows into a truly good Christian.

How should future godparents prepare for the Sacrament of Baptism?

Godparents are guarantors for their godson. They are entrusted with the responsibility of taking care of the spiritual and moral education of their godson. His godparents teach him the basics of the Orthodox faith, prayer and the way of life of a true Christian. Consequently, the godparents themselves must know both the Gospel and church life well, have good prayer practice, and regularly participate in divine services and Church Sacraments. Have you decided to become a godfather, but do not meet the requirements? Make it a reason to start moving in that direction. First, listen to the public conversations in the temple. Then read either the Gospel of Mark or Luke. Choose for yourself - the first is shorter, the second is clearer. You can also find them in the Bible; more precisely, in the New Testament. Carefully read the text of the Creed - during Baptism, one of the godparents reads it by heart or from a sheet of paper. It would also be good if by the time of Baptism you knew the prayer “Our Father” by heart. After Baptism, deepen and expand your knowledge of Biblical history, pray at home and participate in church services - this way you will gradually acquire the practical skills of a Christian.

Is it possible to become a godfather in absentia without participating in the Baptism of an infant?

The original name for godparents is godparents. They received this name because they “received” the person being baptized from the font; at the same time, the Church, as it were, delegates to them part of its care for the new Christian and teaching him Christian life and morality, therefore, not only is the presence of godparents required during Baptism and their active participation, but also their conscious desire to take on such responsibility.

Can representatives of other religions become godparents?

Definitely not. In Baptism, the recipients testify to the Orthodox faith, and according to their faith, the baby receives the Sacrament. This alone makes it impossible for representatives of other religions to become recipients of Baptism. In addition, godparents take on the responsibility of raising their godson in Orthodoxy. Representatives of other religions cannot fulfill these duties because for us Christianity is not a theory, but life itself in Christ. This life can only be taught by those who live this way themselves. The question arises: can representatives of other Christian denominations, for example Catholics or Lutherans, then become godparents? The answer is negative - they cannot for the same reasons. Only Orthodox Christians can become recipients of Baptism.

What things should you bring with you to Baptism and which godparent should do it?

For Baptism you will need a baptismal set. As a rule, this is a pectoral cross with a chain or ribbon, several candles, and a baptismal shirt. The cross can also be purchased in regular stores, but then you should ask a priest to consecrate it. You will need a towel or diaper to wrap and dry your baby after the bath. According to an unwritten tradition, the godfather acquires a cross for a boy, and the godmother for a girl. Although this rule does not have to be followed.

How many godfathers and mothers should a person have?

One. As a rule, they are the same gender as the child, that is, for a boy - godfather, and for a girl - godmother. The possibility of having both a godfather and a godmother for a child is a pious custom. It is not customary to have more than two receivers.

How to choose godparents for a child?

The main criterion for choosing a godfather or godmother should be whether this person will subsequently be able to help in the Christian education of the person received from the font. The degree of acquaintance and simply the friendliness of the relationship are also important, but this is not the main thing. In former times, concern for expanding the circle of people who would seriously help the newborn child made it undesirable to invite close relatives as godparents. It was believed that they, due to natural kinship, would help the child. For this reason, natural grandparents, brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts rarely became recipients. However, this is not prohibited, and is now becoming more and more common.

Can a pregnant woman become a godmother?

Maybe. Pregnancy is not an obstacle to adoption. In addition, if a pregnant woman herself wants to receive the Sacrament of Baptism, then she can do so.

Who can't be a godfather?

Minors; Gentiles; mentally ill; completely ignorant of the faith; persons in a state of intoxication; A married couple cannot be godparents for the same child.

What should godparents give to their godson?

This question lies in the area of ​​human customs and does not concern spiritual life, regulated by Church rules and canons. In other words, this is a personal matter for the godparents. You don't have to give anything at all. However, it seems that the gift, if it does take place, should be useful and remind of Baptism. This could be the Bible or the New Testament, a cross or an icon of the saint after whom the child is named. There are many options.

If godparents do not fulfill their duties, is it possible to take other godparents and what needs to be done for this?

In the literal sense of the word - it is impossible. Only the one who received the child from the font will be the godfather. However, in a sense, this can be done. Let's draw a parallel with an ordinary birth: let's say a father and mother, having given birth to their baby, abandon him, do not fulfill their parental responsibilities and do not care for him. In this case, someone can adopt the child and raise him as his own. This person will become, although adopted, a parent in the true sense of the word. The same is true in spiritual birth. If the real godparents do not fulfill their duties, and there is a person who can and wants to take on their function, then he should receive a blessing for this from the priest and after that begin to take full care of the child. And you can also call him “godfather”. In this case, the child cannot be baptized a second time.

Can a young man become godfather to his bride?

Definitely not. A spiritual relationship arises between the godparent and godson, which excludes the possibility of marriage.

How many times can a person become a godfather?

As many as he deems possible. Being a godparent is a lot of responsibility. Some may dare to take on such responsibility once or twice, some five or six, and some perhaps ten. Everyone determines this measure for themselves.

Can a person refuse to become a godfather? Wouldn't that be a sin?

Maybe. If he feels that he is not ready to bear responsibility for the child, then it will be more honest to the parents and to the child and to himself to say so directly than to formally become a godfather and not fulfill his duties.

Godparents

Who can and cannot be a godfather is the most common question. Is it possible for a pregnant/unmarried/unbeliever/childless girl to baptize a girl, etc. - the number of variations is endless.

The answer is simple: the godfather must be a person

- Orthodox and church (HE is responsible for raising a child in the faith);

- not the child’s parent (godparents must replace the parents if something happens);

- a husband and wife cannot be godparents of one child (or those who are going to get married);

- A monastic cannot be a godfather.

ALL.

Contrary to popular belief, it is not at all necessary that there be two godparents. One thing is enough: women for girls and men for boys. You can read more about godparents, their rights and responsibilities, etc. here.

Collocation

is a combination of two (or more) independent words connected by a subordinating relationship in meaning and grammatically:
read a book, warm day
.
Phrases name objects, actions, signs, etc., but more precisely, more specifically than words: read - read aloud, pen - ballpoint pen, quickly - very quickly
.

A phrase consists of a main word and a dependent word.

• The word that names an object, sign, action, etc. is called main
  .
• A word that explains, distributes the main thing is called dependent
  .
• ask a question
  from the main word to the dependent word .
• When parsing a phrase, the main word is usually marked with a cross
  .

The following combinations of words are not phrases:

• Combination of subject and predicate
  , as this sentence:
  The store is closed; The day is hot; The train is arriving.
• A number of homogeneous members of a sentence
  , since they are connected by a coordinating connection (i.e., they have equal rights):
  books, newspapers, magazines; light but warm; either rain or snow.
• The combination of a function word with a significant one
  , since this is a word form:
  near the house
  (
  about
  - a preposition), also came (
  also
  - a conjunction), as if in a dream (
  as if
  - a particle)
  .
• Compound forms of words
  :
  I will study, more interesting, the smartest.
• Phraseological phrases
  , since words in them lose their lexical meaning, they can be replaced with one synonymous word:
  to beat the head
  (= to mess around)
  , to lead by the nose
  (= to deceive)
  .

The words in the phrase are related in meaning and grammatically:

• Semantic connection

  words in a phrase
  are established by questions
  that are posed from the main word to the dependent:

× × ×

forest
path
(what?) ,
run
(where?)
home
,
think
(about what?)
about the exam
.

• Grammatical connection

  words in a phrase are expressed
  using an ending
  or
  an ending and a preposition
  :

× × her
work (what?)
place
,
tell
(about what?)
about

the
trip .

Types of phrases

A.
Depending on what part of speech the main word is expressed, phrases are divided into three groups:
1. Nominal

phrases are those in which the main word is expressed:

• noun: May
  day , broken
  vase
  , seventh
  house
  , our
  yard
  ,
  raindrops
  ,
  desire
  to understand,
  horseback riding
  ;
• adjective: useful
  to children,
  interesting
  to me, absolutely
  unknown
  ,
  able
  to forgive;
• numeral: three
  comrades,
  five
  of us;
• pronoun: something
  important,
  something
  incredible,
  some
  of them.

2.
Verbal
phrases are phrases in which the main word is expressed

• verb: go
  outside,
  tell
  the truth,
  multiply
  by five,
  laugh
  ,
  walk
  bouncing;
• participle: informing
  relatives,
  driving up
  to the pier,
  talking
  with friends,
  speaking
  ;
• gerunds: reading
  the newspaper,
  being careful
  of a cold,
  asking for
  help,
  offering
  to return.

3. Adverbs

are called phrases in which the main word is expressed

• adverb: very
  successfully , still
  interesting
  ,
  to the left
  of the house,
  shortly
  before dawn,
  somewhere
  in the yard.

B. Based on the nature of semantic relations, three groups of phrases are distinguished (by analogy with the secondary members of a sentence):

1. Definitive

phrases denote
an object and its sign
:
deep river, cheerful mood, forest flowers.
2. Object

phrases indicate
the action and the object
to which it passes:
sweeping the floor, writing a note, digging a well, putting it on the table, reading a book.
3.
Adverbial
phrases indicate
an action and its sign
:
sleep well, speak quietly, jump high.
IN .
Based on the number of components, two groups of phrases are distinguished:
1.
Simple
phrases consist of two significant words:
play sports, new student, look at photographs.
2. Complex

phrases consist of three or more significant words and are formed as a result of spreading a word by a whole phrase or spreading a phrase by another word:
doing homework
(the word
fulfillment
is spread by the phrase
homework
),
new monthly magazine
(the phrase
monthly magazine
is spread by the word
new
);
read a book - read an interesting book - read a very interesting book - read a very interesting book for a long time.
D. According to the degree of cohesion of components:

• 1. Syntactically free phrases
  are the result of the free combination of two independent words, each of which has a full lexical meaning.
  In such phrases, the main word is the main word both grammatically and in meaning, and the dependent clarifies the meaning of the main word in one way or another. Each of the components of a free phrase in a sentence is a separate member of the sentence. Free phrases can be easily broken down into their component parts: a test, a math problem book, work around the clock
  .

• 2. Syntactically non-free (whole) phrases
  are a combination of words in which the grammatically dependent word is the main word in meaning, and the grammatically main word is insufficient from the point of view of semantics (information).
  Syntactically non-free phrases are not decomposed into their component parts. In a sentence, syntactically integral phrases are one member of the sentence: two houses, several students, little time.

Models
of non-free (whole) phrases:
1. Quantitative noun phrases.

In them, the main word denotes quantity (number, volume, size), but has no objective meaning, and the dependent word is a word with an objective meaning in the genitive case:
three pencils, two guys, so many people, many cars, many books.
2. Phrases with the meaning of selectivity.

In them, the main word is a pronoun or numeral, the dependent word is a noun or a pronoun in the genitive case with the preposition “of”:
one of us, each of those present, some of the students, some of the guys.
3. Phrases with metaphorical meaning.

The main word is used in a figurative sense and names what the object looks like, the dependent word is the direct name of the object:
sickle of the month, cap of curls, mirror of the river, flame of the mouth (S. Yesenin), copper leaves (S. Yesenin), rowan bonfire ( S. Yesenin).
4. Phrases with the meaning of uncertainty.

The main word is an indefinite pronoun, the dependent word is a consonant adjective, participle:
something unpleasant, someone unfamiliar, someone sitting.
5. Phrases with the meaning of compatibility.

Such phrases call equal participants in a joint action. The main word is a noun or pronoun in the nominative case, the dependent word is a noun in the instrumental case with the preposition “s”: brother and sister, Kolya and a friend, my friend and I.

Phrases constructed according to this model are integral
only in the role of the subject
and only if
the predicate is in the plural
:
mother and daughter were preparing dinner; Nikolai and Denis went to the forest. If the subject is singular, the phrase is free: father and son went to the zoo (subject - father
,
with son -
object)
.
6. Contextually integral phrases.

Their integrity arises only in the context of a sentence or complex phrase:
an intelligent person
will be able to figure it out;
girl with blue eyes
,
tall man
.

7. Collocations in compound predicates

, including auxiliary verbs, linking verbs, or other auxiliary components:
He
began to talk about adventures in the Amazon jungle;
We
want
to help
you ;
She
looked tired .

Plan for parsing the phrase:

1. Select a phrase from a sentence.
2. Find the main and dependent words, indicate by what parts of speech they are expressed, pose a question from the main word to the dependent.
3. Determine the type of phrase (verb, noun or adverb).
4. Determine the method of subordinating connection (coordination, control, adjacency) and indicate how it is expressed (the ending of a dependent word, ending and preposition, only in meaning).
5. Determine the semantic relationships between the main and dependent words (attributive, objective, adverbial).

See Examples of syntactic parsing of phrases.

Exercises for the topic “Phrase combinations”

Exercise 1.
Read, indicate the main and dependent word in each phrase and name the type of phrase.
Buy a hat, a silk dress, very cheerful, like a brother, taller than a sister, four leaves, very loud, meet friends, something funny, knock with a hammer, shoot a wolf, fifth copy, build a bridge, leave on the third of June, give up, walk through the forest, work all night, leave the house, get up from the table, run away from the tree, go down the mountain, lie on the grass, walk near the forest, travel for two years, go out to freshen up, peer closely, hotel doors, gray horse colors, shovel beard, wool socks, can of cans, watchman's hut, the night before the battle, bound book, fur coat, hare tracks, Alyosha's jacket, cleared path, bulging eyes, Turkish coffee, desire to learn , red with excitement, friendly, caring, important to everyone, ready to leave, festively cheerful, always serious, something white.

Exercise 2.
Make up phrases by adding dependent words to the main words;
indicate the composition of each phrase and its type. Catch, hedgehog; obey, mother; fear, beast; arrive, three o'clock; give, sister; wave, hand; fill, water; return, forest; take out, pocket; shoot, target; move away, table; jump, roof; run, river; turn, forest; enter, room; sit down, table; climb, tree; write, school; quarrel, neighbor; watch, enemy; fly over, forest; live, city; separate, three years; befriend; increase, triple; trunk, birch; laboratory, institute; the bow tie; suitcase, leather; keys, library; soup, meat; cabbage, vegetable garden; man, overcoat; deep, gorge; Natashin, fur coat; sable, hat; mine, essay; third, brigade; approaching, summer; under construction, factory; constantly, cheerful; proud, victory; similar, mother; limp, heat; festive, elegant; something, strange; four, bucket.

Sources:

• Section “Phrase Combinations” in the electronic textbook on the Russian language on the website lik-bez.com
• Exercises 1, 2 from the manual by A.M. Zemsky and others. “Russian language in two parts. Syntax" (edited by V.V. Vinogradov)

Responsibilities of a godfather before baptism

The responsibilities of godparents arise from the moment they are invited by the parents of the child they want to baptize. The godmother and godfather must understand whether they have enough knowledge about the Orthodox faith in order not only to participate in baptism and understand everything, but to further explain to the godson the meaning of the Orthodox faith. The question of what a godmother should do if there are significant gaps in knowledge is simple - they need to be filled, you definitely need to read the Bible or at least the New Testament.

What should godparents do before baptism? – Answering this question, it should be noted that in this matter they usually need help from knowledgeable people. To do this, they must undergo public conversations in the church where the sacrament of baptism is scheduled to take place. Their number and content are established by the leadership of the temple or by the priest who will baptize the baby. The future godfather or godmother can ask him all the questions they have. Perhaps the priest will limit himself to interviews with future recipients. The presence of parents at conversations and interviews is not strictly mandatory, but is encouraged, because they should have an idea of ​​the level of training of the godparents.

What's a godfather to do?

Godfathers are usually preoccupied with buying gifts for godchildren. They consider this their duty, but it is not written down anywhere. In some cases, the problem of what to do for a godfather who wants to somehow participate in the preparation for baptism is easily resolved - he buys a cross and a rope or chain for the godson; they can be purchased at a jewelry store or directly at a church store. The younger the child, the simpler the cross and chain/rope should be, because he can accidentally ruin them while playing.

What should a godmother do before baptizing a child?

What should a godmother do before baptizing a child? — She can buy a baptismal shirt alone or together with the child’s mother. If she is a skilled needlewoman, then she may well sew it herself or make a memorable embroidery on it. Previously, the problem of what the godmother should do before the sacrament was simply resolved - she brought a white cloth to the temple, which was called a “rizka”. Now you can also buy a special cloth or a baptismal set, a towel, the main thing is that the newly baptized person will have them for life.

It is advisable for godparents to prepare for christening by going through confession and communion. This will help cleanse their souls before this great sacrament.

It is advisable for godparents to prepare for christening by going through confession and communion. This will help cleanse their souls before this great sacrament.

Is it possible to baptize a child without a godfather or without a godmother?

In exceptional cases, the Christian Church allows a child to be baptized without a godfather or godmother. However, since godparents have a lot of responsibilities, and the responsibility for the life and fate of the godson is great, a tradition has developed to invite two godparents.

The Christian Church recommends baptizing a baby between 8 and 40 days after birth. It is clear to everyone that such a small person is not able to say anything about his faith or give answers to the questions of the priest who is conducting the ceremony. However, leaving him without God until he grows up is also impossible. Therefore, the church takes upon itself the responsibility of raising a child in Christian traditions through appointed godparents

.

Receivers must not only raise a true Christian from a child. They take on the responsibility of helping to raise the child, participating in his fate, giving advice and constantly praying for their godchild. Godparents must also participate financially in the life of their godson if the child’s blood relatives do not have such an opportunity.

A careless attitude and neglect of one's duties as godparents is a sin. Before you agree to be a godfather, you need to carefully weigh everything and correctly assess your capabilities.

Representatives of other faiths, non-believers, unbaptized people, husband and wife, persons who have not reached the age of majority, or those who plan to enter into a legal marriage with each other cannot become godparents.

Is it possible to baptize a boy without a godfather, and a girl without a godmother?

Church rules require that the child's foster child be a person of the same gender as the godson. During the sacrament of baptism, the boy is held by the godfather, and the girl is held by the godmother.

However, life sometimes develops in such a way that only one recipient can be present at a christening. In this case, it is allowed for a boy to be baptized without a godfather, and a girl without a godmother. If the second godfather is absent for a good reason, it is allowed to write him down at will on the child’s baptismal certificate.

The Christian Church allows the godchild to be of the opposite sex than the godson. A girl can be baptized by a man, and a boy by a woman. The main thing is that this person conscientiously fulfills his duties as a godfather.

It is the duty of every parent to find suitable godparents for their child. After all, they will be the spiritual parents of the baby, and the main responsibility for raising a true Christian will fall on their shoulders.

Christening gifts

Epiphany Day is the day of new birth in Christ. Therefore, on this day, a particularly appropriate gift for the newly baptized would be a gift with the image of the namesake patron saint. The icon will also be a wonderful christening gift from godparents.

An expensive cross can also be a gift for Baptism - the greatest shrine of an Orthodox person, a symbol of his faith in Christ and his protection. Choose a chain or leather cord that is long enough so that the cross can be hidden under clothing. In the Orthodox tradition, in Slavic lands, it is not customary to wear a cross on a short chain so that it is noticeable. Only Orthodox priests wear crosses over their clothes - but these are not body crosses, but pectoral (that is, “breast”, translated from Church Slavonic) crosses, which are given upon ordination to the priesthood.

It is important to remember that if you purchase a cross outside the church, you need to consecrate it by bringing it to church and asking the priest to consecrate it. It's free, or you can thank for the consecration with any amount

All Christians wear crosses of various shapes and from various materials. Particles of the Life-giving Cross, on which Christ Himself was crucified, are today in many churches around the world. Perhaps in your city there is a piece of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord, and you can venerate this great shrine. The cross is called Life-giving - creating and giving life, that is, having great power.

It does not matter what the cross is made of, different traditions have existed in different centuries, and today a cross can be made

• Made of metal or wood;

From threads or beads;

Be enamel or glass;

Most often they choose one that is comfortable to wear and durable - usually silver or gold crosses;

You can choose blackened silver crosses - they do not bear any special signs.

The Church recommends choosing crosses with the Crucifixion - that is, the figure of Christ and the inscription “Save and Preserve,” which usually appears on the reverse side. They are sold in temples.

Adoptive parents

Often adoptive parents do not understand how to relate to their adopted child, and in what position God now sees them. Therefore, the question arises: can they baptize this child if he is not their own? According to the rules of the Fourth Ecumenical Council, adoptive parents do not have the right to become godparents to their adopted child. After they accepted the responsibility and role of parents, they became parents in full. It does not matter whether they physically gave birth to him or not, before God - they are the parents of this baby.

In addition, during baptism, a spiritual relationship arises between the godson and the godfather, which cannot be combined with a physical one. For the same reason, spouses cannot become godparents for a child. Godfathers also acquire a spiritual connection with each other and do not have the right to enter into marriage.

Description and stages of the procedure in the church

Baptism is the only rite that can be performed by clergy, laymen, and even women. An ordinary person can baptize a child or an adult in an emergency if he is dying. But for this you need to be a Christian and know the baptismal prayer. Before the sacrament, the child is undressed and carried into the temple in his arms, wrapped in swaddling clothes.

We recommend studying Psalm 26

Announcement

The first part of the sacrament takes place in the center of the temple. The priest reads prayers of prohibition over the baby, lays his right hand and asks the Lord to accept the baptized person under His protection.

Renunciation of the devil and union with Christ

The godparents renounce Satan in place of the child. Order of renunciation:

• stand facing west, with their backs to the altar;
• repeat the words of renunciation after the priest, blow and spit towards the unclean;
• turn their backs to Satan and face to the Lord - to the altar, to the East;
• read the “Creed” prayer.

The words of the prayer must be learned by heart in order to consciously swear an oath of allegiance to God.

Baptism

The priest blesses the oil and water in the font at the altar. Baptism sequence:

• anointing the baby with oil for the sake of strengthening in the fight against the unclean - on the arms, legs, ears and chest;
• three times immersion in water as a sign of the end of a sinful life and rebirth into a righteous one;
• the godfather or mother takes the child from the hands of the priest and wraps him in a towel - kryzhma, wipes him;
• the newly baptized person is dressed in baptismal clothing, signifying the purity of the soul.

The rite ends with the placement of a cross on the chest - the priest puts a cross on the child.

Confirmation

In the third part of the sacrament, the grace of the Holy Spirit, symbolized by myrrh, descends on the child.

How does the ceremony take place:

• with a brush dipped in myrrh, the priest places crosses on the child’s body and face - Seals of the gift of the Holy Spirit;
• godparents with a godson in their arms walk around the font three times;
• the priest wipes off the ointment from the newly baptized person, announcing baptism, washing and confirmation;
• The child is tonsured - the priest cuts off four strands of hair on each side of the head, molds them with wax and dips them into the water of the font.

The rite ends with a prayer for the godfather or mother, for the newly baptized person, mentioning the name of his patron saint. A special litany is also read. The stage finally ends the vacation.

Churching

After the fortieth day from birth, the ritual includes the rite of churching. The priest makes the sign of the cross as a child in the vestibule, in the center of the temple and in front of the Royal Doors.

Participle

For the first time after Baptism, the child receives communion on a separately designated day. Parents come to the end of the Liturgy, and the priest gives the newly baptized baby a glass of wine to drink from a teaspoon. The baby can be fed before communion. Older children should fast from midnight, just like adults.

Duration of the ritual

Baptism lasts on average 40 minutes. Individual and group rituals are held in the central temples. The sacrament in a group takes longer. Depending on the number in the queue, the ritual lasts about an hour. In rare cases, the sacrament is delayed for 2 hours.

What are godparents for?

For an adult, baptism without godparents is allowed. He participates in the sacrament consciously, according to his own faith. Children cannot yet understand the meaning of the sacrament, so they are baptized according to the faith of their godparents. The latter are also called spiritual parents or receivers. During Baptism, they receive the godson from the hands of the priest. Also, during the sacrament, the recipients, instead of the child, renounce Satan. They publicly declare their desire to join Christ and recognize the basic dogmas of the Orthodox Church.

In ancient times, a godfather was an experienced Christian who vouched for the Church for its new member. The recipient brought the person who wanted to become a Christian to the priest and participated in the sacrament.

The “Guarantor” confirmed that the newcomer (neophyte) is sincere and firm in his intentions. Also, the presence of a recipient was a guarantee that the person wishing to be baptized was not a secret enemy. In those days, Christians were persecuted by the state, so they had to be wary of enemy “spies.”

In our time, spiritual parents also vouch for their child before God and gradually “bring” him to the Church. Godparents must not only pray for their godson all their lives. Their task is to teach him prayer and participation in church sacraments by their own example.

The rules state:

Clearly, life shows us that there is one religion, but different priests explain the question of the possibility of baptizing a child without godmothers and fathers in the same way. Some priests allow godparents to be recorded from the words of the baby’s mother and father. This can figuratively be called absentee christening. Other priests are confident that, according to the canons of the church, godparents who are not present at the Sacrament of Baptism cannot be considered such before God.

Therefore, if you want to baptize your baby, but the people you have chosen, for certain reasons, do not have the opportunity to attend the Sacrament of Baptism, and you do not want to choose others, or, in extreme cases, there is no one to call, then you definitely need to talk to the priest personally and clarify what to do in this situation. By the way, the priest himself can be a godparent.

How to choose godparents for your baby?

The main thing is that they must be baptized people, religious Christians belonging to the Orthodox Church

It is important that the condition for your choice of godparents is whether the chosen person will be able to help you in the future with good deeds, raise your child according to Christian customs, and also help in practical circumstances

And of course, important conditions should be the degree of your acquaintance with the prospective godparents and simply a good relationship between you. Think carefully about whether the godparents you choose can serve as church mentors for your child.

If one godfather is not present at the Sacrament of Baptism, is it possible to carry out the ceremony without his participation, while registering him as a godparent?

Before 1917, there was such a thing as “absentee godparents,” but it was practiced only in relation to the imperial families if, as a sign of their mercy, they agreed to be the godparents of a baby. If we are talking about a similar situation, only, of course, in the modern version, then you can do this, but if not, then it is better to proceed from the norms of practice that are common to all.

Is it possible to refuse godparents if the child has already been baptized? And is it possible to baptize a child in order to properly raise him in the Christian faith?

In no case should a child be rebaptized, since the Sacrament of Baptism occurs once, and the sins of godparents, biological parents, and even the baptized person himself do not cancel all the gifts that are given to the child in the Sacrament of Baptism.

As for a person’s communication with his godparents, of course, betrayal of faith, that is, a transition to another religion or a fall into atheism, as well as a non-Christian lifestyle, confirm that the person failed to fulfill the responsibility of a godfather.

Church canons and rules require compliance. The sacrament of baptism has been performed for centuries. Parents must preserve church traditions and prepare in advance for the baptism of their child. The most important thing is the choice of godparents, people who will take on the responsibility of spiritual education of the godson.

You can baptize a child with one godfather.

According to spiritual rules, a baby can be baptized without one of the godparents. But it is desirable to have two mentors. There are no special requirements for them:

• Orthodox Christians,
• not necessarily married,
• not necessarily planning a marriage in the future,
• close relatives or just acquaintances

We advise you to study the Prayers of St. Francis

It is much more important that the desire to engage in the spiritual education of a child is not nominal, but real.

Responsibilities of godparents

Godparents need to ensure the child’s worthy spiritual development in the bosom of the Holy Church and help take the first steps towards God. Do everything so that in the future the godson can independently continue this saving path. Saint John Chrysostom said that recipients “must show great care, convincing, advising, correcting, showing fatherly love” (“Handbook for a Clergyman”). Therefore, it is necessary for spiritual parents to be responsible, church-going people who take their responsibilities seriously.

Archpriest Pavel Gumerov emphasizes that the godfather must know his faith well and be a spiritual guide for the child:

“The recipient must know the Creed and read it at baptism... And of course, the godfather must live according to the commandments of God, pray to God and receive communion.”

Let us also quote the words of Archpriest Alexei Uminsky:

“The recipient must still love his godson first of all, and try to show his love for him. And through your love for him, show your love for Christ.”

The recipient should give the godson a prayer book and the Gospel, regularly take the child to church, and introduce him to the Church Sacraments. And of course, the godfather must pray for his godson all his life. This is the importance of the question of whether it is possible to baptize a child without godparents. There should be godparents and their duties are by no means formal.

Archpriest Mikhail Vorobyov tells the recipients:

“You were not just “registered” as a godparent, you were given responsibility for the correct Christian upbringing of your godson. Godparents guarantee before God that their godson or daughter will grow up to be a decent, worthy, believer. That he or she will feel the need to live a full church life.”

The meaning of the sacrament of baptism

Why is the sacrament of Baptism so important for Christians? The first reason is the need for rebirth of the human soul

For this, the child is immersed in water 3 times, turning to the holy trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is believed that after physical death a baptized person will not die. If he knows all the commandments and adheres to them, then after his death he will come closer to God.

The second reason why Baptism is performed is salvation from dark forces, evil and unclean. For this purpose, a guardian angel will help a person throughout his life.

There are often situations when a child cannot find godparents. In such cases, a natural question arises: is it possible to perform the sacrament without them. After all, not every family has those in its inner circle who can be entrusted with the spiritual upbringing of the child. The Church gives several answers to this question. Let's look at each one in more detail.