Age of godparents for Orthodox baptism. Is it necessary to have two godparents? Video: About infant baptism and modern lifestyle

Number of entries: 156

Hello. In quarrels with her husband, she mentally wished him harm and cursed him. Now we are on the verge of divorce. This really torments me. How to pray, what to read, so that the Lord will forgive me this sin, how to pray for him, so that the Lord will guide him, how to pray for my curse? Thank you.

Alexandra

If you learn not to wish your husband harm, but, on the contrary, to prayerfully wish him good, then the power of your curses will dissipate with God’s help. Start with a serious conversation with your husband, just avoid mutual accusations at all costs, try to find what makes your marriage worth saving. “May the God of peace himself sanctify you in all its fullness” ().

Deacon Ilia Kokin

Hello! I have a question, please tell me, did you live with your wife for 3 years, was there a wedding? Well, nonsense got divorced. I love my wife, but she doesn’t want to communicate with me and says don’t write to me or call me anymore. He says I don’t love you anymore and I have a boyfriend. What to do, what to do right?

Evgeniy

Well, Evgeny, as they say, you can’t be nice by force. Perhaps this situation could have been resolved while you were married, but now everything is too neglected. But don’t be discouraged, just think about what you can correct in yourself, so that in the future you don’t push your loved one away from you and don’t lose them.

Deacon Ilia Kokin

Hello! We have this situation: my husband and I decided to baptize our son, we chose his brother, he is 23 years old, and my niece, she is 8 years old. When they came to church, the priest said that my niece could not be godmother, because... she is small (accordingly, my niece burst into tears), at this time my mother-in-law, having beaten everyone, goes and stands with her godfather and says that she will be a godmother. At this time, the priest, seeing my niece’s tears, allows her to be present at the baptism and she stands next to my mother-in-law and my husband’s brother (godfather), i.e. already three people. My niece stands until the end of the baptism, the priest passes by with the cross and everyone kisses the cross, but he passes by my niece. We asked the priests and everyone says differently, some say it’s possible if the godfather is an adult, some say it’s not possible, but we included my niece as a godparent. Question: is my niece godmother in this case? At what age can you become a godmother?

Daria

In general, of course, the godfather must be an adult, and the child can have one godfather of the same gender as the child. After all, we are talking about a “godparent”; think about it: can an 8-year-old child be a parent who will be fully responsible for his godson? But the fact that your niece was included as a godmother can be a good incentive for her to take care of her cousin. And there's nothing wrong with that.

Deacon Ilia Kokin

How to behave after communion?

Stanislav

After Communion, just as before it, you need to behave in a Christian way: meekly, mercifully, honestly, reverently... You need, as they say, to “walk with God” (Gen. 5:22), and then Communion will be for your benefit - "for the salvation of soul and body."

Deacon Ilia Kokin

Father, hello! My husband and I sinned by intemperance in our marital relationship! And now I am tormented by the question, will the Lord forgive us? Is this a big sin? I am very afraid of God's punishment!

Julia

Calm down, Julia. I don't know what exactly this is about, but in any case there is no need to panic. Now, if you cheated on your husband, then the situation would be more serious, because... This is the destruction of a marriage. As for marital relationships, everything is up to you and your spouse and you alone. This is why these relationships are called intimate because they do not concern anyone except the two. People are different, have different temperaments, different experiences of intimate life, etc. etc. The Church does not interfere in the marital bedroom and does not regulate intimate life. There are fasts, but the canons say nothing about marital abstinence even during Lent. There is talk about violation of abstinence in food, but not a word about abstinence from intimacy. Because this is an intimate matter. If something in this matter disturbs your conscience, repent in confession, but do not go into details: it is not useful either to you or to the priest. And most importantly, in everything, seek help from the Heavenly Father as your father and the Lord Jesus as your friend. He Himself called His disciples His friends and knows all the circumstances of our lives, who we are, what we are and how we work. Do not be afraid of anything except the loss of this friendship, and friendship must be sincere, otherwise it is no longer friendship. In the same way, faith is first of all trust. So you need to trust God in everything, seeing Him as a Friend, and not a punisher.

Priest Konstantin Kravtsov

I violated my lifelong penance for smoking, does that mean I have the seal of Judas on me? Can this seal be removed?

Maxim

Maxim, all church punishments are given to a person for only one purpose - to encourage a person to reform. I am not inclined to share with some priests such a sharply negative attitude towards the passion of smoking; some even try to give smoking the meaning of some kind of satanic ritual (“smoking is incense for the devil!”). But still, smoking is a harmless habit from a moral point of view, although it is a bad habit. In your case, penance did not give the desired result (at least the first time). You need to act on the principle: if you fall, do not lie on the ground, but get up and move on. And we certainly should not put the sin of smoking - perhaps one of the least sins - on a par with the act of Judas. Moreover, the Church venerates as saints some people who are known to have been smokers, for example, Emperor Nicholas II. This does not mean at all that the passion-bearer Nicholas needs to be imitated in this particular area; this example simply shows that a smoker, if desired, can achieve salvation and even holiness.

Deacon Ilia Kokin

Hello. Father, please teach me how to pray for my sister. She has been going to the “Work of Faith” sect for more than 10 years, claiming that it is there that God is alive. She crossed herself there, doesn’t recognize icons or candles, and doesn’t go to graves with us. All these years they tried to return her to Orthodoxy. Nothing will convince her. From a young age, her personal life did not work out, she was divorced twice, she ended up overlooking her sons, they were unlucky. One served time, the other is now in prison for drugs. My heart aches for them and for my sister. We helped them as much as we could. Our mother is already 77 years old and is very upset. In church, the priest said: you can only pray for her at home. Maybe God will have mercy. The sister has grandchildren, she takes them to her services, and the children are baptized. Well, what should we do? My sister has become like a zombie, dragging whatever she earns into her sect. Both daughters-in-law broke off relations with her, but there is nowhere to go - they give her children. So she is a good, hardworking person. These enemies have dragged it in, and they won’t let go. We have quite a few of these sects in our city.

Faith

Dear Vera!
Trouble is trouble. But let's not be discouraged. It is important on our part to do everything possible to get rid of trouble. As for where you can pray for those who have left the Church, I think that if she was baptized in Orthodoxy, then why not remember it during the liturgy. We are all lost before God, and in confession the priest prays for us: “Reconcile, unite them to the Holy Church!” Judging by your description, the options for helping with action have been exhausted. This is a direct indication that the main way we can help is through prayer. And take care of mommy. Let him worry less and pray more with you. It is possible to establish some small general rule for those who are able, and this situation is not alien to them. As for the grandchildren, it would be good to minimize the influence of the sectarian grandmother. We also need to understand from the legal side how much she has the right to decide their fate. Of course, it would be better to participate more actively, if possible, in their upbringing. But, of course, carefully, thinking through every step.

Archpriest Ilya Shapiro

Good afternoon. I recently found out that 1 hour before the wedding my wife started menstruating! They didn’t tell the priest about this; my relatives knew, but they didn’t stop us! Please tell me how terrible this sin is and what is the penalty for it? God bless you!

Dmitry

Dear Dmitry! Don't panic! As they say, the matter is already a thing of the past - and we will consider that this is not so much a sin as a human female weakness, which cannot be predicted with an accuracy of an hour or even a day. Therefore, since it didn’t work out differently, now you still can’t win the situation back. The main thing now is to strive to live like a Christian, in terms of numbers and in the structure of family life, to keep in mind the commandments of God - and then, seeing this our desire, the Lord will not condemn us for the wrongs that could unwittingly happen to us in this life.

Archpriest Andrei Spiridonov

If a man was not married in a previous marriage, but was married in the next, is this married marriage considered the only Christian one - the first?

Sergius

Formally, yes, but personally, I think that an unmarried marriage cannot be discounted, especially if it was registered. I think that any happy marriage is a real Christian, and any unhappy marriage, even a married one, is non-Christian.

Deacon Ilia Kokin

Hello. They gave me the things of a woman who died in a car accident. I didn't know her personally. Lots of things. They gave up to 40 days. I wore them. But I am very suspicious, and began to worry about whether they would harm me. The things are not bad, she wore them during her lifetime. Please tell me what to do.

Milena

Milena, the doubts that torment you really come from all kinds of superstitions. But, if this is so serious for you, then sprinkle things with holy water. Also, order a memorial for this woman, and pray for her yourself.

Deacon Ilia Kokin

Hello! On December 27, during the Christmas holidays, I found a gold chain (fastened) with a Jerusalem cross and a pendant in the shape of a square with the inscription “sator arepo tenet opera rotas.” Is it possible to wear it, give it as a gift, sell it, or consecrate it? Or what can be done with it? Thank you.

Vladimir

Dear Vladimir!
Let's start with the fact that taking someone else's property is not good, therefore, you cannot use a thing that was lost by someone, unless there is clear evidence of conscience that this thing was sent to you personally for some reason (such cases do happen, but are extremely rare). I don't see anything similar in your example. As far as I understand, the value of the find is small. Therefore, I advise you to advertise accordingly. If the owner is not found within, for example, three months, take it to the temple. The inscription in the square is a palindrome, that is, a phrase that is read the same in all directions. It does not mean anything mystical in itself.

Archpriest Ilya Shapiro

Hello, father. I don’t even know how to say it, it’s scary, since kindergarten I’ve been guilty of masturbation at various intervals. I struggle, I read prayers and still have breakdowns. I don't know what to do. It is shameful and scary for a priest to confess this sin. Our dean can literally yell at you for lesser sins, so much so that if he hears you, he will probably kick you out altogether. Our town is small, there is only one church and the priests are familiar, how they will look at me after confession. I don't know what to do. I have a priest I know who is very understanding, but if I confess this to him, he will probably turn away from me. Go to another church, but where? A vicious circle. Help.

Catherine

Dear Ekaterina!
Rather than carrying such a burden on your conscience, isn’t it better to go to a priest who understands, as you write. Here I am, a sinner, and have never seen you, but I feel sorry for the soul that has weakened in faith. But the priest knows you and, I believe, will be glad that the sinner repents and wants to improve. He will pray purely for you, and give advice as if he were no stranger to you. We have no fear, just let us not offend the Lord with cowardice!

Archpriest Ilya Shapiro

Father, this is my question: they say that you have to suffer, that through suffering and sorrow God shows that he remembers you, cares about the salvation of your soul, but I’ve been doing well in recent years, I’ve had a lot of sorrows throughout my life, of course, how without them, loved ones died, and my son was seriously ill, and I was held at gunpoint, a lot of things happened, but in recent years - since I retired - God has been merciful, as they say, I often catch myself thinking - how good it is! And for everything, I thank God. For everything that happened in my life... And now it’s somehow calm..., of course, money could be better, and my health is not so hot - but still - good - so I’m thinking - has God forgotten about to me? Should I be happy or upset that there are no special “shock” sorrows? The only thing I really regret is that my health is rather weak - sometimes I really want to do charitable deeds - work as a volunteer in a hospital - I was recently in a hospital - the nurses there don’t really bother - my hands were really itching to wash everything, scrape it out, or go to church to carry out some kind of obedience - but my back and joints do not allow me - I, sinfully, try to sit down somewhere for almost the entire service - my back hurts so much, so in church I will only be a hassle instead of help - and I really want to help.. .So - what should I think - if I don’t have strong sorrows and temptations - is it bad? After all, they say that the more a person becomes a church member, the more the devil attacks him - but for me, it seems like there’s nothing special - even the first fast was relatively easy - without stress - so what’s that? Should we be happy about this or not? And they also say that the more a person succeeds in spiritual life, the more it seems to him that he has become even worse than he was, because... he sees his sins better - “like the sand of the sea” - but I still see progress in myself - I have become kinder, softer towards people, more tolerant - what does this mean? Is this good or bad? I used to hate everyone - I was a complete misanthrope, everything irritated me, I condemned everyone, etc. - now - it has become much easier, it has somehow “released” - “thawed”, I condemn, of course, I am a sinner, but I suppress this passion in myself, I try to control myself - i.e. I see progress and benefits from taking communion and trying to be a Christian - how should I feel about this? Thanks for the answer.

Lyudmila

Dear Lyudmila!
It’s good when we try to be Christians in life, when regular confession and communion become our urgent need. But a great danger awaits us who are beginning spiritual life when we compare the current state of our soul not with what the Lord would like it to be, but with the past. It is good for a first grader to know the multiplication table. He is an excellent student. What is the use of a tenth grader who has learned nothing but this table? He is a loser. We must, therefore, not be comforted by our external correction, but look deeply, listen to ourselves, as Scripture and the fathers teach. So, maintaining an even, apparently sorrowless system of life is also not an easy task. This is a new task for you from the Lord. This is a call to severity towards oneself and mercy towards others. And we can be humble, of course, because the Lord does not give us great sorrow, for we do not have the strength to bear even a little. It is better to rejoice and give thanks, for even in the smooth flow of life God is present, and His call addressed to us is still the same: “He who loves Me will keep My commandments.”

Archpriest Ilya Shapiro

Why do baptized people often end their lives in extreme unbelief and in a negative attitude towards God?

Alexander

Dear Alexander!
Baptism is a spiritual birth, the beginning of a free path to God. Anyone who starts a journey is not guaranteed that they will not get lost or will not turn back at all. There are many obstacles along the way. And they are overcome by trusting God, courageously following Him, prayer, and work. But few, alas, are ready to work, to make an effort on themselves, on their fallen, sin-loving nature. But God's truth is eternal, and it convicts the conscience of such people. And some, not wanting to heed the voice of conscience, themselves choose darkness instead of the Light of Christ, as the Lord speaks about in the Gospel. They want complete comfort, permissiveness. And, as Dostoevsky noted, the easiest way to establish yourself in such madness is to reject the very existence of God.

Archpriest Ilya Shapiro

Hello! Merry Christmas to you! I'm 25 years old, I'm married. We have a big problem in our family, my husband drinks, sometimes this goes on for several days. We have a small child, he is one year and a month old. Before the wedding, I knew that my husband drank, but I hoped to help him get out of this hole, because we fell in love with each other. I believed that I could help him, because his heart is all good when he is sober. After the wedding it only got worse. I worry, cry, break down, the child sees this, I either run away to my parents, then come back. Recently we lived apart for a whole month, now we are together. At Christmas, I realized that I was pregnant, and on the 8th the pregnancy was confirmed. I scold myself for the irresponsibility I committed. I don’t have my own home, maternity leave is very small, what can I give to my children? Suffering? Will they see their father drinking? Yes, of course, I should have thought earlier, before the wedding. Everything inside my soul is torn apart. The idea of ​​terminating the pregnancy arose; the sisters and parents were categorically against childbirth, they said that giving birth to an alcoholic would only ruin the child’s life. My parents are very worried, they say that with my marriage I am already undermining their health. I have only one parents, it’s a pity to see their experiences. It's like I'm in a vicious circle. I understand that this is murder and a terrible sin, but wouldn’t it be a great sin to hurt children in this world? And how can I help my husband so that he gets on the right path in this life? Thank you very much! And I'm sorry.

Evgenia

Dear Evgenia! Nothing justifies killing (including one’s own child in the womb), if only because it is irreparable! In such sad cases, when a child is, as they say, completely unwanted, the lesser evil is to abandon him after birth, since this last evil can still somehow be corrected, while the sin of murder can no longer be fully atoned for, because what was killed You can’t bring your child back. Elementary everyday experience shows that pangs of conscience regarding this kind of sin can then haunt the rest of one’s life, and this sin itself cries out to God for vengeance - that is, it is impossible to build any happiness on the blood of one’s own children, God, seeing this kind of iniquity, earthly happiness he simply does not give, but, on the contrary, allows certain sorrows and troubles as punishment for the sin of killing his own children. I say all this not at all in order to scare or intimidate you, but so that you understand one simple thing: by allowing the possibility of killing your own child, you and your relatives are proceeding from a completely false motive, following which cannot bring happiness, prosperity, relief or elimination of earthly problems, but, on the contrary, can only bring on even worse troubles and sorrow. Once upon a time, people viewed children as a gift from God, and infertility as a curse; now they tend to view children as a punishment or a burden, but this is a direct violation of God’s commandments and the natural laws of life given by God. Understand that your child is your child, and not something that suddenly appeared from the outside, foreign and alien! Whatever the child’s father is, it is still your choice and your life, because no one forcibly married you to this particular person. With all the difficulties and complexities of living together, by killing your child, in addition to committing a grave sin, you thereby abandon your main purpose, one of the main vital meanings of your life - you cut off, deprive yourself of what, living and overcoming (certain difficulties , which in turn are part of the path you consciously chose), you must finally form, mature as a person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, it is better not to disfigure yourself, your own body and soul by consciously choosing grave sin, but to accept what is happening - your own child - as the gift and will of God - then all this work, motherhood (and it is never easy) will be be accompanied by God’s help, and not by severe pangs of conscience, which you really wouldn’t wish on anyone and with which in other people, unfortunately, every priest who regularly confesses to repentant people is familiar.

Archpriest Andrei Spiridonov

Save me, Lord! Is rigorism the lot of all beginning believers or can it be somehow avoided? Or is this a kind of punishment from the Lord for a past sinful life, so to speak, if you want to achieve that precious thing that is faith in God, then through blood, figuratively speaking, because at one time you did not follow the commandments. Although I know that the Lord is not vindictive, He can punish. I just read it, thought about it, and can’t understand. It seems that the person converted, understood everything, realized the wrongness of his life and, of course, wanted to live differently. But here’s the problem: it turns out that immediately changing 180 degrees is sometimes detrimental and can lead to irreparable consequences. How can a new convert be? After all, he does not yet have a spiritual mentor and he draws a lot from patristic literature, which contains a lot of asceticism, applying it to himself, thereby going to extremes and ruining the life of his loved ones or alienating them from the Mother Church. You probably need wisdom, but where can you get it if you are just emerging from the spiritual mud? I’m also remembering myself (I’ve been in Orthodoxy for four years now). She was a rigorist. Thank God, I didn’t break anything, but maybe it just seems so to me. Guardian Angel!

Elena

Dear Elena!
Your question is great! You began to understand a lot correctly. But, frankly, the well-known maximalism in posing problems reveals that you are in the Church for four more years. I, a great sinner, have been in the Church for 30 years, and I’m still “breaking wood,” so I don’t dare give recipes to all beginners at once - everyone’s life circumstances are very different. But let's return to your question. What is the main property of the convert’s rigorism? This is the lack of experience of humility. Hence the false priority of ideology (this is how Christianity is perceived for some reason) over the active fulfillment of the commandments. The latter leads to humility, because you try and try, but it doesn’t work. You are absolutely right that new converts have many problems. But it was one thing - in Soviet times, when with great difficulty you could only get a Bible and a prayer book. And then the Lord helped to find the true path. And now! There are many books about all aspects of human life, most often agreeing with each other and easy to read. Why start with "The Ladder"? There the first step is renunciation of the world. Are you capable? No? So close it for now. Read about the basics of faith, the lives of saints, read about youth problems, about family life, in short - about your own. If you want to look deeper into the soul, perhaps St. Ignatius or St. Feofan, close in time to us, will be good mentors. And the main thing is to believe and pray, do not give up regular confession, then through prayer (God is merciful!) - and over time a confessor will be found and many things will sort out on their own. And - move, go deeper, don’t stop! Let all of us, beginners, remain in this, and share, if necessary, the slightest experience with others. And perhaps the Lord will accept us as honest first-graders who have learned a little, but who do not dare to be considered academics.

Archpriest Ilya Shapiro Thank God that “someone” is interfering. A sign of God's blessing in any work is the trials, difficulties, and sometimes fiery temptations that occur during the execution of a given task. So in prayer “someone” does not allow us to concentrate, so children bring bad words from the street or from school (from “someone”) that they have not heard at home - and so on... We know who this “ someone". This is the enemy of our salvation. He is sick of all good things. But with these temptations, our weaknesses also appear (and this is also not bad, so that we do not turn our noses up), and the need to call on God for help - and thank Him - becomes obvious. This is what we will learn for the rest of our lives.

Archpriest Ilya Shapiro

Hello, father. There is a person to whom I owe a lot. Because For over a year now, he has been mentoring me with advice that has helped me build a new business. This business is related to the fact that we provide services for other businesses, i.e. regular clients. Now this mentor has had a fight with his partner and asks me to refuse to provide services to my partner. The main condition here is that under no circumstances should you name the true reason for the refusal. The mentor in this situation actively hints how and how he helped me, that I owe him, etc. I also understand perfectly well that I am obliged to this person and have nothing against it. But here I need to refuse a person without any reason on my part, and not even say why! On the one hand, I am obliged to the mentor, on the other hand, in order to fulfill his requirement, I must sin. Please tell me how best to proceed in this situation.

Evgeniy

Dear Evgeniy!
I think you should try again to explain yourself to your former mentor. Pray beforehand. We can say that breaking up with that person is against your conscience, despite the fact that you still owe a lot to your mentor. There is always hope that the misunderstanding and bitterness of the interlocutor will pass. Of course, purity of conscience is above all. But maybe your mentor will understand you. This is the best case scenario. And if he doesn’t understand, then I’ll say that there are people to whom we owe more than you do to him. But we owe our freedom to no one but God. And the choice - and you yourself feel it this way - is the following: God's commandment or human demand. He who chooses God will not be at a loss.

Archpriest Ilya Shapiro

Hello! How do you feel about these prayers and should you read them? Prayer on the eve of a leap year (10 minutes before its onset): A horse rides, a foot goes, and I have a successful year. I will clothe myself in holy clothes, I am baptized with the holy cross, I say goodbye to the old year, I greet the leap year, I put on holy clothes. Key, lock, tongue. Amen. Amen. Amen. Read on the last night of a leap year, so as not to drag the bad into the new year: Annual angels, holy angels, do not let your words, do not let your deeds let the departing into the new year come from the leap year. Do not allow the slaves (names of family members) neither dark days, nor evil people, nor bitter tears, nor painful illnesses. 12 angels, stand up for (names). The word is strong, molded for the year. Amen. Amen. Amen.

How to baptize a child correctly, what rules to follow.

In every child's life, the most important people are his parents. After all, parents are the people who give us life, love, care and attention. This fact is undeniable and known to all of us since childhood. However, we should not forget about spiritual parents, or, as we used to call them, godparents.

The question regarding the choice of godparents and the baptism procedure itself has always been and remains relevant, since both the godfather and the godmother are given to the child alone and for life. Moreover, it is spiritual parents who face the most important task - to raise their child in accordance with generally accepted standards of morality and, of course, faith. Well, today we will talk in detail about all the nuances of the baptism procedure and choosing godparents, so that you no longer have to worry about this.

What are godparents for?

How many people know why a baby needs godparents? How many people think about this question? Unfortunately no.

• Most couples, when choosing godparents for their children, think about the wrong things at all.
• It is customary for us to take people who are well known to us as godfathers. Most often these are friends or relatives. Not the least factor when choosing godparents is their financial condition, while you need to pay attention to completely different things.
• It must be said that talking about the question: “Why are godparents needed?” comes after the answer to the question: “Why baptize a child at all?” Agree, it is quite logical. This is where we will start.
• According to Orthodox beliefs, every person comes into this world with original sin. We are talking about the violation of that very prohibition by Adam and Eve. So this original sin is a kind of congenital disease, without getting rid of which, the baby will not be able to grow up healthy and happy.
• This sin can only be removed by accepting faith. Many parents try to baptize their baby as soon as possible, but in principle they do not understand why they need to do it this way. Here is your answer, children are baptized as soon as possible so that they are with God, and he bestows them with all kinds of benefits.

Now let's move on to the question of why we need godparents:

• As a rule, every person is baptized almost immediately after birth. Due to their age, a child, and, in principle, a teenager, cannot objectively assess the importance of this step, and, indeed, cannot follow this faith, because they simply do not know it.
• This is exactly why we all need godparents. Godparents receive babies directly from the font and become full-fledged spiritual parents (godparents, godparents).
• Second parents must teach the child to live “by the rules.” In this case, we are talking not so much about the rules of life in society, but about the foundations of the Orthodox faith. Godparents must guide the child on the right path, take care of him and love him as their own child, and if his godson ever stumbles, give him a helping hand. Also, adoptees should always pray for their godson and ask the Lord to be favorable to him.
• Based on the above, we can conclude that when choosing godparents for your child, you need to look not at the availability of money and opportunities, but at what kind of life these people lead and whether they are actually believers.

How to choose a godfather and godmother for a child: rules, who can be godfather, godmother and at what age?

When choosing a godfather for a child, few people think about what he should be like. We are more inclined to evaluate the future recipient according to other criteria: a friend, relative, responsible or not, lives in this city and will be able to see the child often or not, etc. However, the church puts forward its own rules and they must be followed.

IMPORTANT: Of course, the godfather must be baptized. This condition is mandatory and is not subject to any discussion. After all, how can an unbaptized person who does not believe in God and, accordingly, does not understand the commandments by which everyone who came to this earth must live, teach all this to a small child? The answer is obvious.

• Moreover, the recipient must be a church member. However, in our time, few people even know the meaning of this word. In simple words, a churchgoer is considered to be a person who is not just baptized, but also truly believes, lives as a Christian, and tries to follow all the fundamentals of his faith.

• Regarding age. There are no clear boundaries here, but the church is inclined to believe that the recipient must be an adult. Why is this so? The point here is not about 18 years, but about the fact that adults are considered to be old enough and responsible enough to take such a serious step. By the way, we are not talking about civil coming of age, but about church coming of age. Despite this, you can become a godfather earlier, but this issue must be discussed with the priest, who will give permission for this.

The godmother should be chosen in the same way as the godfather:

• The spiritual mother must be a believing Orthodox Christian, and accordingly she must be baptized.
• It is also necessary to consider how a woman lives. Does she believe in God, does she go to church, can she raise her child as a believing Orthodox Christian.
• In addition to church restrictions, future parents should pay attention to other things. When choosing a godmother for your baby, you must understand that in fact this woman will be a second mother for your child and, accordingly, you must completely trust her.
• You should not take unfamiliar or dubious people as godparents for your baby. Godparents must be responsible and trusted people.

Who should you not take as godparents to your child?

If you are very concerned about this issue, then we recommend that you consult with a priest; he, like no one else, knows the answers to all your questions. However, generally speaking, the church prohibits taking such people as godparents:

1. A monk or a nun. Despite this, the priest can become the child’s adopter.
2. Natural parents. It would seem that who else but the parents themselves can give the child the best education and help? But no, parents are strictly forbidden to baptize their children.
3. A woman and a man who are married. The Church not only does not approve, but strictly forbids ignoring this rule. Because people who baptize a baby become relatives on a spiritual level and, accordingly, they will not be able to lead a worldly life after that. It is also forbidden for already established godfathers to marry - this is considered a huge sin.
4. It is clear that people who suffer from mental disorders and are seriously ill cannot be accepted as recipients.
5. And one more rule, which we talked about briefly earlier. Age of godparents. In addition to coming of age, there are two more age thresholds: a girl must reach 14 years old, and a guy must reach 15. In principle, there is no need to talk much about this condition, because it is already clear that a child cannot raise a child, and therefore take people of such age as godparents categories are not possible.

How many times can you be a godfather, godmother? Is it possible to refuse to be a godfather or godmother?

The Church does not give a clear answer to the question of how many times a child can be baptized, and this is quite logical:

• Fatherhood is a very big responsibility and the more children you baptize, the greater this responsibility becomes. That is why a person must answer such a question for himself. Ask yourself the question: “Will I be able to give this godson as much attention as he needs?”, “Do I have enough spiritual and physical strength to raise another child?”, “Won’t I have to be torn between all the godchildren?” . When you honestly give yourself answers to such questions, then you will understand whether you can baptize another baby or whether you will have to refuse.
• By the way, many people ask the question: “Is it possible to refuse to be a godfather, godmother?” The answer is that it is possible, moreover, it is even necessary if you do not want to do this or cannot for some reason.

• The person who has been offered to baptize a child must clearly understand that after the Sacrament of baptism he will become a family member for the child, his second parent, and this implies enormous responsibility. It’s not just coming to a birthday party, wishing Happy New Year or St. Nicholas, no, it means constantly participating in the child’s life, developing him, helping him in all his endeavors. Not ready for such responsibility? Refuse immediately, because this is not considered a sin or something shameful, but becoming a recipient and not fulfilling your direct duties is a church sin, for which God will definitely ask.

Is it possible to baptize a child without godparents, godmother, godfather, with only one godfather?

In ancient times, only one godparent baptized a child. Boys - man, girls - woman. This is due to the fact that once upon a time everyone was baptized as adults and, accordingly, in order not to be embarrassed, they took a person of the same sex as their godparents.

• Now, when baptism occurs at a stage when the baby is still completely immature, two recipients of different sexes can baptize him at once.
• At the request of the parents, either only a man or only a woman can baptize a newborn. For boys it is a man, for girls it is a woman. The Church does not prohibit this practice; moreover, initially everything was done this way.
• There are situations when parents want to perform the Sacrament of baptism without any recipients at all, and this is quite possible. In this case, they are baptized without godparents at all. However, initially this nuance should be discussed with the priest, so that later you do not have any surprises.

Is it possible to be a godfather or godmother to two or several children in one family?

The Church gives a very succinct answer to this question. It is possible and necessary if it was offered to you and you want it. There are no prohibitions against being a godfather/godmother for two children in a family at once, and this phenomenon is quite common. The main thing when making such a decision is to objectively assess your capabilities and if you are ready for such responsibility, go ahead.

Can a pregnant, unmarried woman be godmother to someone else’s child?

How much controversy this question causes, and superstitions too, by the way:

• For some reason, we generally believe that a pregnant woman does not have the right to baptize her baby. However, this assertion is completely unfounded. The Church in no way prohibits an expectant mother from becoming the adopter of a newborn; moreover, it is generally accepted that this is even beneficial for a pregnant woman. Therefore, you should not believe in prejudices; if you are faced with such a situation and do not know how to do the right thing, just contact the church, they will explain everything to you in detail.
• The same applies to an unmarried woman. The fact that a woman is not married does not mean that she cannot be a good adopter for the baby.

Can a grandfather or grandmother of a grandson or granddaughter be the godfather and godmother? Can a sibling, sibling, sibling be a godfather or godmother of a sister or brother?

Most often, we choose our friends and acquaintances as godparents, but some people express a desire to have their children baptized by their relatives.

• The Orthodox faith does not prohibit grandparents from becoming godparents for their grandchildren. Moreover, purely from an educational point of view, this is very good. Grandparents have lived their lives, have rich life experience, and grandchildren are sacred to them, so they will definitely be able to raise a newborn in accordance with all the rules and foundations of Christianity.
• The ban on baptism did not affect the brothers/sisters of a newborn baby. The Church allows and approves the baptism of children by their siblings and cousins.

• Everyone knows that younger children always want to be like their older brothers and sisters and imitate them in every possible way. In this case, the subject of imitation will have to help his godson in every possible way and set only a positive example.
• The only thing worth thinking about is the age of possible godparents. After all, recipients must be responsible and relatively experienced people.

Can a husband and wife of the same child be godparents? Can godparents get married?

The church is very strict regarding this issue. It is strictly forbidden for a child to be baptized by a married couple. Moreover, future godfathers are also prohibited from marrying in the future. In simple words, between people who baptize the same baby there should only be a spiritual connection (godparents), but not an “earthly” one (marriage). It cannot be any other way in this case.

Conversation before baptism for godparents: what does the priest ask before baptism?

Few people know, but before the Sacrament of baptism itself, future recipients must attend special conversations. In practice, we can see that sometimes such conversations are not held at all or are held, but not the number of times that is necessary.

• As a rule, during such conversations, the priest explains to the future godparents the foundations of the Orthodox faith and talks about what responsibilities they will have in relation to the godson.
• Those who do not know the basics of Christianity are advised to read the Holy Scriptures. This will help future spiritual parents better understand faith and, accordingly, understand what is required of them in raising a child.
• The priest also tells that the recipients must endure a 3-day fast, and after that confess their sins and receive communion.
• Directly at the Sacrament of Baptism itself, the priest asks the future godparents whether they believe in God, whether they renounce the unclean and whether they are ready to be godparents.

Christening of a boy and a girl: requirements, rules, responsibilities and what you need to know for a godmother?

If you have been offered to become a child’s godmother, it is a great honor and responsibility. Therefore, you must know the following rules and requirements for you:

• Of course, the main requirement for a woman who will baptize a child is to be baptized and sincerely believe in God.
• Next, a few days before the celebration itself, you need to confess and receive communion. You should also refrain from any carnal pleasures. And besides all this, you should know the “Creed” prayer. You will read this prayer at baptism only if you are baptizing a girl.

Your responsibilities to the baby as a godmother:

• The godmother takes responsibility for raising the child
• Must teach him to live in accordance with Christian rules and principles
• I must pray for him before God and help the baby in everything
• Also, the godmother should take the child to church, not forget about the day of his birth and baptism
• And, of course, I should be a good example for him

Besides this, what else does a godmother need to know? Perhaps the only responsibilities that can be added regarding organizational issues are:

• It is generally accepted that it is the spiritual mother who must bring the child a kryzhma (a special baptismal towel) and a baptismal set, which, as a rule, consists of a shirt, a hat and socks, or panties, a jacket, a hat and socks.
• It is important to know that the kryzhma must be new; it is in this towel that the priest will place the newly baptized child. This attribute is a kind of protection for the child and can later be used as a talisman.

Christening of a boy and a girl: requirements, rules, responsibilities and what you need to know for a godfather?

It is also important for future godfathers to know certain rules and responsibilities associated with the baptism of a baby:

• Just like with the mother, the godfather must be an Orthodox Christian and be baptized.
• The main duty of a spiritual father is to be a worthy example, this is most important if the child being baptized is a boy. He must see before him a worthy example of masculine behavior. Also, the godfather must take the godson to church and teach him to live in peace with all the people around him.
• It is accepted that the future recipient should buy the baby a cross and a chain or thread on which the cross can be attached. It would also be a good idea to purchase a baptismal icon. It is the godfather who must pay all the costs of baptism, if any.
• It is better to solve all these worries and troubles in advance, so that later you do not have to do everything at the last moment.

Christening of a boy and a girl: what should a godmother do at a christening?

It is immediately necessary to clarify that the future godmother must be present at the christening of a girl, but the godfather can be present in absentia.

• Directly at the christening itself, it is the godmother who will receive the goddaughter after immersion in the font. Initially, most likely, the godfather will hold the baby.
• After the child is given to the godmother, she must dress the girl in a new outfit.
• Next, the successor holds the baby both while the priest reads prayers and when he performs Chrismation.
• Sometimes priests ask to read a prayer, but most often they do it themselves.

• Everything will be the same with the boy, but after dipping him into the font, he will be handed over to his godfather. Also, when a boy is baptized, he must be brought behind the altar (after 40 days from birth).

Christening of a boy and a girl: what should a godfather do at a christening?

The responsibilities of a godfather are not much different from those of a godmother:

• The spiritual father can also hold the baby.
• After the priest receives answers to all traditionally asked questions, the recipient may be asked to recite a special prayer. But again, most likely the priest himself will do it.
• The godfather helps undress the child before immersing him in water, and then dresses him. If the child being baptized is a girl, then after this ceremony she will be handed over to her godmother, but if it is a boy, then her godfather will hold her.

Is it possible to change godparents, godfather, godmother for a child, boy, girl? ?

All people come into this world only once, and exactly the same number of times are allowed to be baptized.

• The Church prohibits changing godparents; moreover, in fact, there is no such possibility, because there is no such ritual.
• That is why attention has been repeatedly drawn to the fact that baptizing a child is a huge responsibility, which you cannot simply take up and refuse afterwards.
• Godparents do not change under any circumstances. Even if over time you stopped communicating with your godfathers, even if they left and cannot see the baby often, they still remain his godparents and are responsible for him.

How many godparents should a child have? Can there be two godmothers and two godfathers?

We discussed this issue a little earlier:

• Nowadays, most often two people are taken as godparents: the godfather and the godmother. However, you can do it differently.
• You can take only your godfather or godmother as your godfather. At the same time, it is worth remembering that for a newborn baby it is more important to have a receiver, but for a boy it is still more important to have a receiver.
• If for some reason you don’t want to take godparents at all, or you simply don’t have anyone to take, then you can baptize a child without any godparents at all.

• Moreover, you can ask the priest to become your baby’s godfather, but you must take into account the fact that it is unlikely that a person distant from your family will be able to give the child due attention.
• Can there be 2 godmothers or 2 godfathers - a rhetorical question. This must be clarified directly with the church in which you want to baptize the child and with the priest who will conduct the ceremony. Such cases are known, but different churches, no matter how strange it may sound, can give you a different answer.

Can a Muslim be godfather to an Orthodox Christian?

The answer to this question is very obvious. Of course not. After all, how can a Muslim teach a child the Orthodox faith? No way. The only thing a Muslim can do is stand in church during the Sacrament of baptism, if it is performed on his relative.

As you can see, the issue regarding baptism and the choice of godparents is very relevant and is actively discussed. There are many rules and prejudices, which in our time for some reason stand on the same level as church customs, which is why if you don’t know what to do correctly in a given situation, contact the church, they will explain to you in detail all the points that interest you.

Video: About infant baptism and modern lifestyle

The sacrament of baptism evokes awe in most people. Even parents who are not deeply religious must baptize their baby so that the child is under God’s protection.

The rite of baptism is a ritual that requires little preparation. It is important to know when to baptize a newborn, what to prepare for going to church, and who to take as godparents (called parents). Find out more details about the traditional Christian ritual.

Most parents try to provide protection for the tiny little man early; they carry out the sacrament of baptism until the baby is 1 year old. Most often, the ceremony is carried out on the 40th day after the birth of the child. Sometimes the sacrament takes place later, if the baby is sick, the weather is so windy and cold that the baby can easily catch a cold.

Take note:

• There is no need to postpone the ceremony for a long time: newborn babies up to one year old behave calmly during the sacrament, most of the time they sleep;
• after one and a half years, the child often spins, is capricious, is afraid of strange smells, sounds, many strangers, and the actions of the priest;
• with this behavior, the special atmosphere inherent in the traditional ritual disappears: all efforts are aimed at calming the crying baby;
• whims, screams, admonitions of parents often wake up other children if the ceremony takes place for several couples;
• take into account the important point, ensure maximum calm during the ritual.

In some cases, the priest does not recommend postponing baptism. Perform the traditional ceremony as soon as possible if the baby is restless, weak, or born prematurely. In case of serious illness, priests also advise baptizing the baby early.

Baptism of a child: what you need to know? Helpful Tips:

• Any day is suitable for performing the ritual. Often young parents choose Saturday and Sunday, when many close people and friends can come and share the joy;
• It is not very convenient to hold christenings on major church holidays: a lot of people gather in the church, a child may burst into tears due to the stuffiness and large crowd of strangers. On such days, the priest will not be able to devote enough time to the parents and the baby;
• if you set a date in advance, pay attention to a delicate nuance: mommy can be present in the temple when she does not have her period at that moment. Select the christening date taking into account an important factor.

Where to baptize a newborn

The bulk of child baptism ceremonies take place in the church. Sometimes circumstances interfere with visiting a temple: a child quickly catches a cold in crowded places, the baby is sick, gets very worried, cries at the sight of strangers. What to do?

Talk to the priest whom you respect, explain the situation. The priest will take the ritual supplies with him and baptize the baby at home. Parents will need to prepare attributes for the ceremony.

Advice! In small settlements there are often one or two churches; there is practically no choice of where to baptize a child. If you live in a big city, don’t be lazy, talk to your friends, ask for advice on choosing a priest. It is important to know that the holy father will approach the sacrament of baptism with all his heart. Come to the temple in advance, talk to the priest, ask for advice on preparing for the ceremony. Find someone who is completely likeable to you.

Necessary purchases: traditions and rules

What is needed to baptize a child? Take note:

• Most often, the cost of the ceremony and the purchase of special accessories in the church are paid by the godfather. Sometimes parents and godfather pay equally for the ceremony. You cannot force the named dad to pay in full for the christening if the person still has a difficult financial situation;
• The godmother must bring a kryzhma - a special towel for the child’s baptism, in which the priest will wrap the baby during the ceremony. Kryzhma must be consecrated before christening. Often the named mother buys a silver teaspoon (cutlery is also consecrated in the church);
• young parents buy little things for baptism: crosses for guests, candles, a pectoral cross for the baby. Many parents choose a gold item, but a church cross on a satin ribbon is quite suitable;
• At baptism, the child receives a second, church name, based on the date of the ceremony. Parents must buy an icon with the face of a saint (saint) - the patron saint for the baby. Choose an icon in the temple: it will be consecrated there, after the christening the parents will take the amulet home to protect the newly baptized baby from evil forces.

How much does it cost to baptize a child? Check in advance the cost of accessories for the ceremony: Often the amount is impressive.

Which outfit is suitable for adults and children?

• Women are required to wear a light headscarf/head scarf/thin scarf. The skirt or dress should cover the knees. A deep neckline, open shoulders, too bright, provocative colors are prohibited;
• For men, trousers and a shirt in calm colors are suitable. Breeches and shorts are inappropriate in the temple;
• A special christening set consisting of a beautiful baby vest and a hat with a cross embroidered on it will suit your baby. A special set is put on the baby only for the sacrament of baptism, then it is kept at home, reminding of the purity of the child’s soul. If you don't have a christening set, wear nice clothes that are easy to put on and take off.

How to choose named parents

Unfortunately, parents often do not attach much importance to this point. They are looking for someone who will agree or who the rules allow. Godparents are not always people who are ready to come to the rescue at the first call of their parents and be happy for their named son or daughter.

Many choose second parents based on the wealth of the named mother and father, in the hope of expensive gifts or an invitation to visit abroad. Kind, decent people with below-average incomes are, unfortunately, rarely considered as suitable candidates.

This is why many godparents see their named children only on birthdays, and even then, not on all of them. Sometimes godparents are remembered only before preparing for the godson’s wedding in order to receive an expensive gift.

Important! Ideally, the named parents should be like-minded people or good friends. If you have such friends or relatives in mind, invite them to the christening, trust them to become the named father or mother. Good godparents are joy in the home. Remember about spiritual communication with your godson, and not just about the material side of the issue. Remember: finances tend to change for better or worse, but good relationships often last a lifetime.

Who can be godfather

Entrust the honorable duty:

• good friends;
• relatives whom you are glad to see in your home;
• dear aunts and uncles.

Who can't be a godfather

New parents should know that there are restrictions. Traditions do not allow certain categories of relatives and friends to be invited to this responsible role.

Cannot be godparents:

• parents of the baby;
• children: minimum age of godmother – 13 years, godfather – 15 years;
• a married couple cannot be invited to become godparents for one child;
• mental illness is a reason to refuse help from a person who, due to pathology, is unable to fully understand the extent of responsibility;
• people of other faiths. Sometimes the ban is violated if the future godfather is a very good, kind person.

How does the ceremony take place?

How is a child baptized? The ritual scenario is practically the same, regardless of the location of the church (a large city or a small village). Parents, friends, relatives, and future godparents should understand in general terms how the sacrament is performed so that there is no confusion or awkwardness in some situations.

Highlights:

• baptism is scheduled for a certain time, but you need to arrive at the temple in advance: this way you will have time to arrange financial issues and negotiate documents for the baby;
• An important point is to properly prepare the baby for the ritual. Undress the child, wrap him naked in a kryzhma - a special diaper or a beautiful towel larger in size than the baby;
• the clergyman first invites the godmother to church with a boy in her arms, the future goddaughter is carried by a man;
• Then the invited guests go inside the temple, mother enters last. Sometimes before certain prayers are read, mommy waits outside;
• the priest takes the newborn in his arms. At this time, guests repeat the prayer of renunciation of the devil;
• the next stage is immersing the baby in the font. The action is performed three times. If baptism is carried out in the cold season, the priest can pour water from the font onto the baby’s arms and legs;
• Confirmation takes place after the water ritual. The newly baptized baby receives a blessing and protection from dark forces. To do this, the priest puts cross-shaped strokes with church liquid on the nose, forehead, eyes, lips, ears, arms, legs and chest;
• The priest hands the baby over to the named parents: the woman takes the boy, the man takes the girl. Now you need to dry and dress the baby.

Find out why your child stutters and how to deal with it.

The sacrament of baptism continues:

• The baby receives a cross. One of the named parents holds the baby, the second puts on a blessed cross;
• The priest cuts several locks of hair from the baby’s head (in the center). This detail means submission to God, the new spiritual life of the newly baptized baby;
• At the end of the ritual, the priest walks around the font three times with the child in his arms. The priest places the girl next to the icon of the Mother of God, the boy is brought into the altar;
• Now you can hand over the newly baptized baby to the mother. The mother carries out the crumbs of their temple;
• all guests and godparents go home with their parents to celebrate the baby’s baptism.

The traditional ritual takes from 30–40 minutes to two hours. The more couples in the church baptize children, the longer the sacrament lasts: the priest pays attention to each child.

Now you know when a newborn baby is baptized, who should be named parents, and what to purchase for the ceremony. Take the recommendations into account, choose worthy godparents, and take the preparation of the ceremony responsibly. May God and the saints bless the newly baptized baby, protect him from adversity, protect him from troubles and the influence of dark forces!

Becoming godparents means taking on enormous responsibility towards the child of relatives or friends. After all, it is godparents who replace a family for children if something happens to their natural parents. They look after them and help them in everyday life. At what age can you be a godfather?

Special requirements for a godfather

Godparents are not the people who congratulate people at christenings and give gifts a couple of times a year. Real godparents care for the spiritual development of the child, so they themselves must be baptized and. To become a godfather, you must:

This is what a godparent should be under ideal conditions. But since we are all simple people with our own passions and aspirations, some of these points are not fulfilled by us at all.

The godfather should not interfere in the upbringing of his godson or goddaughter, but it is necessary to help raise his spiritual children. There can also be one godfather, but for a boy it must be a baptized man, and for a girl it must be a baptized woman.

Now you know at what age you can be a godfather. But what responsibilities are assigned to a young man or man with such an honorary title?

The godfather is the child’s first assistant after his own father. He also helps the godfather’s family if any problems arise there. Being godparents is a colossal burden of responsibility. Previously, in Rus', if trouble happened to the natural parents, the godparents accepted the child into their family. Today things are a little different.

The godfather should communicate with the child frequently. Give gifts if desired. Be present at the most important social events that will be significant for the child.

But the most important thing is that the godfather must strengthen faith in God in the child’s heart. He himself must be a role model. And this example should be positive.

If the godfather was at first a worthy person, and then for some reason began to sink and degrade, and also live in sin, then the family of a small or adult godson should pray for him. And help him to the best of his ability, as if he himself were helping his godson.

All judgments that an unmarried young man cannot be a godfather, otherwise he will not have his own children, are superstitions from the point of view of the Orthodox Church.

If it is impossible to choose a godfather from the immediate circle, then one of the male relatives becomes it. There is one prohibition here: married spouses cannot be godparents of one child.

The institution of godparents is being revived again today, but there was a period when it was a pure formality. The decision to be or not to be a godfather, of course, is made by the person himself, but no matter how he decides, he must remember that he will have to answer for everything before the Lord.

Why do you need a godparent?

Godparents are called godparents in the church. The more recipients a child has, the better, although sometimes one deeply spiritual person is enough.

The godfather, as it were, is a certain “insurance” that one of the loved ones will be involved in the spiritual development of the child. If the parents do not do this, then this honorable duty is assigned to the godfather. The godfather also witnesses the sacrament of baptism.

So at what age can you be a godfather? The Synod has set a certain age, but it is best to do this when personal churching has already occurred. A conscious approach to baptism helps a person become richer in soul and develops him spiritually. Therefore, if there are no worthy people around the child to play the role of godfather, then it is better to baptize without a godfather at all than to take the first person who comes across to play his role.

At what age do parents decide to baptize a child? But, when choosing the time of Baptism for your baby, you should remember some features; after Baptism, you can already pray for the child in Church, give notes, and bring it to the Holy Chalice during Communion. For Christian parents, a natural desire is to perform the Sacrament of Baptism on their baby as early as possible. If a child is born in a serious physical condition, he can be baptized immediately after birth. If the baby feels well, he is usually baptized no earlier than the fortieth day after birth. This is due to the fact that during this period the mother of the child is considered unclean, she experiences natural discharge after childbirth. Also, she may feel weak, forty days are given to her to restore her physical strength, during this period she should not enter the Church. Many mothers want to be present during Baptism themselves; they can do this only after the forty-day period has passed and after special prayers have been read over them by the priest in the Church. Also, there is a tradition of Baptism precisely on the fortieth day after birth, which is associated with the feast of the Presentation of the Lord and with Old Testament traditions; according to these traditions, on the fortieth day after birth, the child’s parents had to bring a sacrifice to the temple. During their sacrifice, the Blessed Virgin Mary and Elder Joseph met Elder Simeon; he was a symbol of the Old Testament. The Newborn Savior symbolized the New Testament. Elder Simeon blessed the baby and said a well-known prayer, which begins with the words “Now you let go...”. Thus, symbolically there was a combination and blessing of the Old Testament and the Old Testament of the New Testament.

At what age are newborn children baptized?

At what age newborn children are baptized, there are no strict rules in the Church; parents can baptize a child both before and after the forty-day period after his birth. The rules of Baptism require the presence of godparents or godparents for the child. This is due to the fact that the baby is not able to comprehend the Sacrament being performed and give an answer for his Confession of the Christian Faith. His receivers do this for him. At what age to baptize a baby can depend both on his condition and the desire and degree of church involvement of the parents. As a rule, believing parents baptize their children immediately after the expiration of a forty-day period after birth. It is not necessary to baptize a child strictly on the fortieth day; if it is convenient for you to do it on the next Sunday, when close relatives and friends can gather for christening, then you can safely postpone it a little. There are cases when the fortieth day falls during fasting; it is also better not to arrange a christening during fasting, since breaking the fast can commit a sin. And if you set the table only with lenten dishes, you can greatly limit the number of treats for your dear guests. At what age is it better to baptize a child, you can consult with deeply religious, pious people, with priests. Some parents want to clarify the wording of the question: “At what age can a child be baptized?” According to the canons of the Orthodox Church, a person can be baptized at absolutely any age, from the moment of birth to the last breath. You decide for yourself at what time you need to baptize a child, but you always need to remember that to whom the Church is not a Mother, to that God is not a Father, as the Holy Fathers said. They insisted on a person's participation in Church life from the moment of spiritual birth. The sooner spiritual birth, that is, the Sacrament of Baptism, occurs, the more opportunities there are to nourish a person’s soul with spiritual grace, which is found in the Church. The earthly life of every person is fleeting and fast-flowing, it is like a fast-moving river, the waters of which cannot be entered twice, and so every moment of our life flies quickly and disappears irrevocably. A person will give an answer to God for every thought, action and intention. The Church calls on us to take a responsible approach to every step of our lives. Parents are responsible before God not only for themselves, but also for their children, therefore the Sacrament of Baptism and their Church life must be approached with special understanding and responsibility.

What is needed to baptize a child?

What is needed to baptize a child is, first of all, awareness of the spiritual need for this Holy Sacrament. The child cannot yet tell you how much he needs protection from God and grace-filled consolation, but the fact that after Baptism and participation in the Sacrament of Communion, children become much calmer, sleep better, and show more joyful and positive emotions indicates that that their soul and body feel the special grace of God. For a child to be Baptized, his parents and godparents must undergo a special interview before Baptism. You also need to prepare a pectoral cross and chain, a baptismal set for the child, a baptismal towel, and a diaper. Parents and godparents should know special prayers; the priest should inform you about all these points during the interview. You can also prepare questions that interest you and write them down on a piece of paper in advance and take them with you so as not to forget to ask the priest. If you are tormented by doubts about at what age to baptize a child, then you can also consult the priest about this.