Prayer request before the sacrament
The godmother and father are responsible for preparing for baptism. The baby’s natural mother is not allowed to attend the sacrament until a cleansing prayer is read over her, which the clergy specially offer so that a woman who has been delivered from pregnancy will be cleansed of her sins and can cross the church threshold.
To know what to do during the sacrament of baptism, visit the temple in advance. Church employees will tell you how to properly prepare for this event.
You must understand what is required of you and what the prayer for the baptism of a child sounds like to the godparents. If up to this point you have not often been to church, be sure to attend a service, confess your sins and take communion. Light the candles and pray. Venerate the icons of Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Not everyone can easily memorize church texts in Old Church Slavonic. Purchase a special “Prayer Book” at the church store - a collection in which church texts are translated and published in Russian. Before the ceremony, godparents must read special prayers. It's better to learn them by heart.
Familiarize yourself with church texts in advance. It is important that you do not just mechanically pronounce memorized words, but understand what to ask your heavenly patrons for. A prayer coming from a sincere heart will definitely be heard. The Father of God will not leave your appeal unanswered. If you have questions regarding the sacrament of baptism, do not be afraid to ask them to the clergy in the temple.
It is better to know what is required of you during the ritual than to be in the dark and make a mistake.
The godmother and father read the following texts the night before baptism.
Godfather's Prayer:
“Lord Jesus Christ, be Your littleness on my godson (goddaughter) (name), keep him (her) under Your roof, cover him (her) from all evil lust, drive away from him (her) every enemy and adversary, open to him ( her) ears and eyes of the heart, grant tenderness and humility to his (her) heart. Amen!".
Godmother's Prayer:
“Save, O Lord, and have mercy on my godson (my) (name), and enlighten him (her) with the light of reason of Your Holy Gospel and guide him (her) on the path of Your commandments and teach him (her). Savior, do Thy will, for Thou art our God, and to Thee we send glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen!".
Parents are also allowed to put in a word about the health of their children. Before baptism they can recite the following prayer:
“God, our merciful and heavenly Father! Have mercy on our children (names) and godchildren (names), for whom we humbly pray to You and whom we entrust to Your care and protection. Put strong faith in them, teach them to revere You and deign them to deeply love You, our Creator and Savior.
Guide them, God, on the path of truth and goodness, so that they do everything for the glory of Your name. Teach them to live piously and virtuously, to be good Christians and useful people. Give them mental and physical health and success in their work.
Deliver them from the cunning machinations of the devil, from numerous temptations, from evil passions and from all wicked and disorderly people.
For the sake of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, through the prayers of His Most Pure Mother and all the saints, lead them to the quiet haven of Your eternal Kingdom, so that they, along with all the righteous, will always thank You with Your only begotten Son and Your life-giving Spirit. Amen!".
Prayer at baptism
It is necessary to find out what prayer is read at baptism in advance. This will help you prepare and not be confused when it comes time for you to pray for the well-being of your godchildren. The sacrament of baptism is performed in the temple. During the ritual of prayer, the priest speaks, and the godparents repeat after him. It is worth learning the prayer word by heart.
This way you will be less nervous and focus on the importance of the moment.
The first prayer that the godparents read during the service is the main prayer address for all Orthodox believers - “Our Father.” With his help, the godparents turn to the Lord, asking him for intercession for their pupil, so that God would take care of him as if he were his own son, forgiving all mistakes and sins, giving him strength to overcome everyday difficulties.
Jesus Christ himself gave prayer to Orthodox believers. This is the most sincere request of a praying person seeking God’s help.
“Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as it is in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors; and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen!".
The second prayer of the godmother and father at baptism is “Rejoice, Virgin Mary.”
The Mother of God is the intercessor of humanity before the Lord God; she tirelessly prays to her son for the forgiveness of sinners and help for those in need. The Heavenly Queen is revered in the Orthodox Church above all angels, saints and healers. The prayer that heavenly parents offer, asking to bless their godchildren, sounds like a joyful greeting and glorification of the Mother of God.
The text was compiled by the Archangel Gabriel to greet the Queen of All, who gave the world the Savior.
“Virgin Mother of God, rejoice, full of grace Mary, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, for you have given birth to the Savior of our souls. Amen!".
At the end of the sacrament, the godmother is recommended to make this request as often as possible. It is necessary to pray in front of holy images. This can be done both during worship and at home. Don’t forget to purchase the face of the Blessed Virgin Mary from the church shop.
How to dress for a child's baptism
On the day of the ceremony, godparents must come to the temple with a consecrated cross.
According to the established traditions of the Orthodox people, women who are present in the church must have their heads covered and must wear a dress with closed shoulders and no longer than the knee, so that the fabric of the outfit covers them, however, the rules for baptizing a child in the Orthodox Church provide for an exception for little girls.
It should also be noted that it is best not to wear high-heeled shoes, because the ceremony itself usually lasts from 30 minutes and can last up to several hours, and since the entire procession will basically have to stand, and even with a child in your arms, during this time your legs can get pretty tired.
The rite of baptism of a child in Orthodoxy, the rules of which put forward strict limits on the appearance of women, there are no specific prohibitions in relation to men, the only thing that the stronger sex should not wear are T-shirts and shorts, because such an outfit in a sacred place will look It's simply inappropriate.
It is better to demonstrate a stylish haircut and fashionable trousers in another place, but within the walls of the temple you should not attract excessive attention and focus on the purpose of your stay here.
Prayer "Creed"
The most powerful prayer that is offered during the baptismal ceremony is the “Creed.” This church text sets out the basic tenets of the Orthodox faith.
The prayer describes what views a person should hold if he honors God's word.
The prayer at the baptism of a child, “The Creed,” is the most important petition that godparents offer for their godchildren. This church text exists in different religions and is read before the start of any divine liturgy.
The prayer request consists of 12 equal parts and begins with the same statement: “I believe!” These dogmas were drawn up in 325 and 326 at a sacred council held in Byzantium (the ancestor of the Orthodox faith). Before you pray, you need to understand what the prayer text is about:
- The first prayer speaks of God's power - the Lord is the creator of everything on Earth - by reading a prayer that sings of his kindness and mercy, the believer recognizes divine power in the world;
- 2-7 prayers tell about the son of God, Jesus Christ, who accepted death for the salvation of humanity - the heavenly father resurrected him, giving him eternal life for the suffering he experienced, since then the son of God has been helping all those who suffer, healing ailments and protecting him from troubles and misfortunes;
- The 8th prayer service glorifies the Holy Spirit, who, by the grace of God, appears to people, prophesying quick accomplishments for them;
- The 9th prayer service glorifies the united Orthodox Church;
- The 10th prayer service is dedicated to the sacrament of baptism, telling about its sacred meaning - having once accepted the Orthodox faith, a person must remain faithful to it until the end of his life; changing one’s religion is a great sin;
- 11 and 12 prayers tell about life after death - a believer, having completed his earthly journey, will be resurrected and continue to live in heaven, the Orthodox Church believes in the immortality of the soul, if a believer leads a righteous life, he will certainly gain eternal life.
The “Creed” prayer should be concluded with the word “Amen!”, crossing yourself three times. This appeal must be read during the ceremony of baptism of children.
- The godmother must say the words of prayer when a female child is baptized.
- If the sacrament of baptism is performed on a boy, the “Creed” is pronounced by the godfather.
You won’t be able to remember the “I Believe” prayer for baptism the first time. To make this process easier for yourself, use the following tips. Try to understand what the prayer is saying. It will be much easier for you if you pronounce all the words meaningfully. Start reading a prayer at home a few days before baptism. You can purchase an audio version of the church text.
This will make your attempts to remember it easier. Try to attach the words of the prayer to certain mental images, which will help you pronounce the words easily and with confidence.
Some clergy, during a ceremony held in a church, bringing the word of God to people, allow the godmother and father to say a prayer, reading it with the help of a “Prayer Book”.
Prayer "Creed":
“I believe in one God, the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, visible to all and invisible. 2. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only begotten, who was born of the Father before all ages; Light from Light, true God from true God, born, uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, to Whom all things were. 3. For our sake, man and our salvation came down from heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became human. 4. She was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried. 5. And he rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. 6. And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. 7. And again the coming one will be judged with glory by the living and the dead, His Kingdom will have no end. 8. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Life-Giving One, who proceeds from the Father, who is with the Father and the Son, is worshiped and glorified, who spoke the prophets. 9. Into one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. 10. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins. 11. I hope for the resurrection of the dead, 12. and the life of the next century. Amen!".
Baptism of a child, what do you need to know?
The rite of baptism belongs to one of the seven sacraments of the Christian church, which in a way protects a person from death by returning him to spiritual life, thereby helping a person enter the Heavenly Kingdom. And baptism was called a sacrament because it was after it that the grace of the Almighty would incredibly descend upon the one who received baptism.
However, in order not to accidentally cause harm during the sacrament, it is necessary to adhere to some customs that have been formed over many centuries.
Such a significant event should be approached with all responsibility, while clearly understanding for what purposes this ritual will be performed. Remember that in no case should you baptize a baby just because grandparents insist on it because it is so fashionable or accepted.
When is the best time to baptize a child?
According to the standard rules of baptism of the Orthodox religion, it is customary to perform the ritual of the sacrament on infants on the eighth or fortieth day.
However, there are exceptions when a child is baptized much earlier for some reason, for example, the child’s weakness or illness, which pose a real threat to his life. And in this case, the church recommends that the baptismal ceremony be carried out without delay.
Passing the ritual
On the day of baptism, you must come to church early. The godmother must have her head covered and wear a skirt or dress that covers her knees, chest and arms. Clothes should not be brightly colored.
Godparents should purchase a pectoral cross consecrated in the temple, which the baby will wear after the ceremony.
You need to take a few things with you: church candles, a new towel and a change of clothes for babies who are completely immersed in the baptismal font.
When the time comes for the godparents to join the service and begin to read the prayer of faith at baptism, the priest will give a special sign.
The day after the sacrament is performed, the godparents will need to attend a service in the church and give the child communion.
Prayer "Our Father"
The prayer for godparents at baptism “Our Father” was left by the Lord Jesus Christ himself, which means its power and meaning are designated personally by God. It’s not for nothing that people say: you should know this as “Our Father,” that is, every Christian must know this prayer.
Godparents should also tell what meaning it carries for a believer, and teach it to the godson from a very young age, so that he absorbs spiritual knowledge. Prayer at baptism will facilitate this.
Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as it is in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors; and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Amen.
What is needed for the baptism of a child (girl)
For a girl’s christening, it is customary to buy specially designed christening sets, which contain a kryzhma (which serves as a kind of diaper in which the baptized person is wrapped after the baptismal bath) and a white dress. And also a scarf or hat.
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The important point here is that all things must be made in white, since this color represents the purity of the soul and sinlessness, but at the same time it is allowed for the child’s clothes to have ribbons or embroidery, because the baby should be beautiful from birth , but remember that everything should be in moderation.
After the baptism is completed, the cap and dress cannot be thrown away; it must be dried well, but not washed. These things must remain with the baptized person until the end of his days.
Prayers for children before baptism
In addition to knowledge of the texts of prayers, preparation for baptism and knowledge of the rite of this sacrament are required. It is necessary to listen carefully to the priest and participate in the process with concentration.
In order not to be distracted, the prayer of the godmother at baptism will help to gather internally and adequately baptize the baby. It is advisable for godparents to get to know each other in advance and discuss organizational issues with the parents.
A prayer for the baptism of a child for godparents is a guideline for the spiritual development of the godson. It doesn’t matter how many gifts and sweets the godparents bring. It is important how much time they devote to the spiritual education of the child.
The role of prayer and features of the sacrament
The christening prayer serves as a blessing. The priest introduces you to the peculiarities of the sacrament, and you also need to ask him any questions you may have before baptism.
In order not to disturb the order or do something wrong out of ignorance, the Sacrament of Baptism is not a tribute to fashion, it must be a conscious decision made according to the faith of the parents.
Godparents must be piously dressed. Have crosses on yourself. Prepare baptismal clothes and a cross for the child.
His own mother can be present at the christening only with the blessing of the priest, so if there is no such permission, do not give in to curiosity; by performing obedience and humility, the glory of the Orthodox faith is preserved.
Text with accents in Church Slavonic
“I believe in one God, the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, visible to all and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only begotten, who was born of the Father before all ages; Light from Light, true God from true God, born, uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, to Whom all things were.
For our sake, man and our salvation came down from heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became human.
She was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried.
And he rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures.
And ascended into Heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And again the coming one will be judged with glory by the living and the dead, His Kingdom will have no end.
And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Life-Giving One, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who spoke the prophets.
Into one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.
I confess one baptism for the remission of sins.
I drink the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the next century. Amen."
Interpretation
We have already said that the Creed consists of 12 members (parts, verses). Each verse tells us what we believe.
Our God is the Holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit. All three persons of the Holy Trinity are one and not separate. The first person is God the Father, who is the Creator of the whole world: visible and invisible.
The second person of the Holy Trinity is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He was born by God the Father and has one essence with Him.
In order to save us from sin, so that we have the opportunity to inherit eternal life, God the Father sends his Son to Earth, who is born there from the Most Pure Virgin Mary by the invasion of the Holy Spirit. Having incarnated as a man, He had two natures: Divine and human.
He took upon himself our sins in order to save us, was crucified, suffered and died on the Cross.
On the third day He rose again.
After His Ascension into Heaven, He sat down to the right of the Father in the Kingdom of Heaven.
We believe that Jesus Christ will come to Earth again when the End of the World comes, but in all his Glory. And he will judge everyone: the living and the dead. He will reign forever.
The third person of the Holy Trinity is the Holy Spirit. He comes from God the Father, gives life to all living things and speaks to people through the mouth of the holy Prophets.
The Church is one: Holy, Catholic and Apostolic.
To inherit eternal life, a person must accept the Sacrament of Baptism. By plunging three times into Holy water, a person renounces everything sinful and makes a vow to serve the Lord.
We believe that on the last day all the dead will be resurrected, their bodies will be united with their souls, and after the “Last Judgment”, everyone will go to the place where they deserve: to the Kingdom of Heaven and will abide forever with the Lord, or to hell and will abide in eternal torment.
We all believe and hope to go to the Paradise abode and live with the Lord in Eternal joy. Amen - everything said is the truth, so be it!
The origin of the Creed and the difference between the Orthodox text and the Catholic one
The Christian truths spoken of in this Dogma began to be used in the first times of Christianity; they were formulated by the holy Apostles. For three centuries they were used at Baptism.
But in the 4th century, false teachings began to spread, the founder of which was Presbyter Arius, he denied the Divine nature of Jesus Christ. To condemn this heresy, the First Ecumenical Council was convened in 325, which was held in Nicaea. The teachings of Arius were condemned and prohibited, and to confirm the truth, the first 7 dogmas of the Creed were compiled.
- The Second Ecumenical Council was convened because of the heresy of Macedonius, who taught that the Holy Spirit is not God. This heresy was also prohibited, as a result of which the remaining Articles of the Creed were compiled.
- At the Third Ecumenical Council in 431, it was decided that the Creed was not subject to correction or addition.
- The text of the Creed approved at the Ecumenical Councils says:
- “And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Life-Giving One, Who proceeds from the Father.”
- The symbol of faith approved at the First and Second Ecumenical Councils.
But Catholics, under pressure from Emperor Charles, came up with their own heretical addition to the Dogma, that the Holy Spirit comes not only from the Father, but also from the Son of God. This heresy is also called “filioque”, and contradicts the tradition of the holy Apostles. The “updated version” of the Creed is still read at masses on Saturdays and Sundays.
How to learn prayer
All Orthodox believers who regularly visit the Church of God know the Creed by heart, since it is part of the Divine Liturgy and is sung out loud by all believers. But if a person who is going to become a godfather rarely visits church and does not know the text of the prayer by heart, this is a fixable matter.
First of all, you need to carefully understand the text of the prayer, read it in both Slavic and Russian, and also read the interpretation of it. The main thing is that there are no incomprehensible words left for you.
Then you can listen to the prayer in the recording and play this recording as often as possible.
Tip #1 The best way to remember this prayer has always been and will remain singing it together by all believers at the Liturgy.
And in conclusion, I would like to say that being a godfather or mother is a great responsibility before God. You cannot become a godfather just for the sake of interest or to please someone.
After all, a godfather who does not know what he believes in and does not visit the temple is unlikely to be able to teach faith to his godson and pray for him, which is his main task.
How is a child baptized in church?
- It is imperative that those who are present at such a sacrament must wear a pectoral cross;
- During the ritual, the godparents chosen by the parents must constantly hold the person being baptized in their arms, while the role of the parents themselves here is limited to simply observing what is happening;
- It is worth noting that the ritual is always performed in a very solemn atmosphere, because this represents the sacrament of a person’s birth in the spiritual sense;
- The endowment of the Creed to the baby occurs through the recitation of a prayer service by the clergyman, but the godparents themselves must also know this prayer;
- Acting as godparents, people on behalf of the baptized person renounce guile and make promises to remain faithful before the Lord;
- After which the clergyman begins to consecrate the water in the font and then anoints the child with oil;
- Now we move on to the main stage of the sacrament, when the priest takes the child and dips him head down into the font three times, while saying the prayer of baptism;
- And only after this can the baby be put on a cross, and the monk, in turn, smears some parts of his body with myrrh, saying the corresponding prayers at the same time. Such prayers can be attributed to both physical and spiritual health and well-being. It should be noted that cases are not uncommon when, before the sacrament was performed, a child, being sick, was completely cured of his illness, thereby making all his loved ones happy;
- After completion of the anointing, the godparents must carry the baby in their arms three times around the font, thus demonstrating eternal spiritual existence;
- Then the clergyman washes the ointment and wipes the child with a towel;
- Before the baby is given communion, the child must be tonsured;
- If the person being baptized is male, then the godfather must bring him to the altar and bow to the throne;
- The next stage is the application to any of the icons of the Most High, as well as the Mother of God;
- In some churches and temples, upon completion of the sacramental ritual, parents are given a certificate confirming that the child has been baptized.
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Rules for preparing for the sacrament for godparents
The Christian charter states that the child’s half-parents and monks, unbaptized people, atheists and people of other faiths cannot become godparents. It is also impossible to attract to this post people who are each other’s husband and wife. You need to choose Orthodox people for such a responsible task, with a kind heart and a pious lifestyle.
Material responsibilities for preparing for the ritual are divided as follows:
- the godmother gives clothes and a cross on a chain or string to the baby for the ceremony;
- the godfather pays for everything in front of the church and sets the festive table;
- before the baptism in the church, they arrange a conversation with the candidates for godparents, they are explained how the sacrament will take place, what they will have to do and their responsibilities to the godson for life are told;
- Before the ceremony, godparents must fast and confess in church; it will be good to receive the sacrament of communion.
Spiritual Church Traditions of the Faith
It is believed that as soon as the godparents took the baby in their arms after bathing, they are his second parents and are responsible for his life. Now they are responsible for the future fate of the little man.
It has been accepted for a long time that parents are not present at the ceremony, but today the church allows the father to be present at the Baptism ritual in certain cases. The mother should be in another room and read the sacred texts while the priest conducts the church ceremony.
When performing the sacrament of baptism, it is recognized that from now on a person does not belong to himself, he must devote his existence to God. This does not mean that it is necessary to give up earthly goods. This is a sign that a person should feel spiritual strength and be useful in good deeds for other people.
