Is it necessary to be baptized? Is it necessary to be baptized to receive eternal salvation? How many godfathers and mothers can a person have
Vladimir icon Mother of God written by the Evangelist Luke on a board from the table at which the Savior ate with the Blessed Mother and the righteous Joseph. The Mother of God, seeing this image, said: “From now on, all generations will bless Me.
In 1131, the icon was sent to Russia from Constantinople to the holy prince Mstislav († 1132, Comm. Grand Duchess Olga.
The son of Yuri Dolgoruky, Saint Andrei Bogolyubsky, brought the icon to Vladimir in 1155 and placed it in the famous Cathedral of the Dormition he had erected. Since that time, the icon has received the name of Vladimirskaya. In 1395 the icon was first brought to Moscow. Thus, with the blessing of the Mother of God, the spiritual bonds of Byzantium and Russia were fastened - through Kyiv, Vladimir and Moscow.
Vladimir icon Holy Mother of God the celebration happens several times a year (May 21, June 23, August 26). The most solemn celebration takes place on August 26, established in honor of the meeting Vladimir icon when transferring it from Vladimir to Moscow. In 1395, the terrible conqueror Khan Tamerlane (Temir-Aksak) reached the limits of Ryazan, took the city of Yelets and, heading towards Moscow, approached the banks of the Don. Grand Duke Vasily Dimitrievich went out with an army to Kolomna and stopped on the banks of the Oka. He prayed to the Saints of Moscow and Saint Sergius about the deliverance of the Fatherland and wrote to the Metropolitan of Moscow, St. Cyprian (Comm. 16 September), so that the upcoming Dormition Fast would be dedicated fervent prayers about forgiveness and repentance. Clergy were sent to Vladimir, where the glorified miraculous icon was located. After the liturgy and prayer service on the feast of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos, the clergy received the icon and with procession carried her to Moscow. Countless people on both sides of the road, on their knees, prayed: "Mother of God, save the Russian land!" At the very hour when the inhabitants of Moscow met the icon on the Kuchkov field, Tamerlane was dozing in his tent. Suddenly he saw in a dream a great mountain, from the top of which saints with golden wands were walking towards him, and above them in a radiant radiance the Majestic Wife appeared. She ordered him to leave the borders of Russia. Waking up in awe, Tamerlane asked about the meaning of the vision. Those who knew answered that the radiant Wife is the Mother of God, the great Protector of Christians. Then Tamerlane ordered the regiments to go back. In memory of the miraculous deliverance of the Russian land from Tamerlane, on the Kuchkov field, where the icon was met, they built Sretensky Monastery, and on August 26, an all-Russian celebration was established in honor of the meeting of the Vladimir Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos.
Before the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, the major events Russian church history: election and installation of St. Jonah - Primate of the Autocephalous Russian Church (1448), St. Job - the first Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia (1589), His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon (1917). On the day of the celebration in honor of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, His Holiness Patriarch Pimen of Moscow and All Russia was enthroned on May 21/June 3, 1971.
The historical days of May 21, June 23 and August 26, associated with this holy icon, have become memorable days of the Russian Orthodox Church.
What does baptism give a person? If you answer this question, then everyone will be able to quite consciously and reasonably make a choice - it is he who needs to be baptized, or not.
Firstly, In Baptism, a person is cleansed from all sins, including original sin, which we inherit as a genetic disease (the name "original" has nothing to do with childbirth). This is stated in the main Christian prayer, which is called the "Symbol of Faith", and which must be read during Baptism: "I confess one baptism for the remission of sins." When preparing for Baptism, the “Symbol of Faith” must be read, understood and remembered, and if suddenly you do not agree with any of its points, then it is too early to be baptized.
Secondly , in baptism a person is born in new life, spiritual life, in which he has completely different, previously inaccessible opportunities: union with God, receiving grace, and in the long term - the inheritance of eternal life.
What to bring to christening You can find out what you need to purchase in advance in our church, where you will baptize your child. For baptism, you will need a baptismal kit (it will be recommended to you in a candle shop). This is mainly a baptismal cross and a baptismal shirt (you do not need to bring a bonnet). Then you will need a towel or a sheet - to wrap the child after the font. All baptized people who are not present at baptism must have crosses. Those present must be dressed appropriately for the temple, women with their heads covered.
At what age can a child be baptized? There are no specific rules in this matter. Often children are baptized on the 40th day after birth, although this can be done earlier or later. The main thing is not to postpone baptism for a long time unless absolutely necessary.Full baptism can be performed from the 9th day of life.
How should one prepare for baptism? At our church, special catechism talks are held (at which the provisions of Orthodox faith regarding baptism and acceptance). It is advisable for future godparents to know the "Symbol of Faith", to read the Holy Gospel if possible, and also to confess and take communion before the Sacrament of Baptism.According to the rules currently in force in the Russian Orthodox Church, before baptism, the person being baptized must listen to three catechism conversations.
Who can be a godfather? Adults baptized Orthodox people who are not (and do not plan to be) in a marital relationship. At present, the Russian Orthodox Church, in the matter of marriages of spiritual relatives, adheres only to the 63rd canon VI Ecumenical Council: marriages between godchildren (godparents) and their godchildren, godchildren and physical parents of a godson and godchildren among themselves are not possible. At the same time, the husband and wife are allowed to be godparents of different children in the same family. Brother and sister, father and daughter, mother and son may be godparents of the same child. You can have the same godfather for children from the same family. You can baptize the children of your godfathers (parents of your godchildren). You can become a godfather any number of times, if at the same time you can properly perform the duties of a godfather. Maybe the godmother is a pregnant woman.
How many godparents can there be? church rules it is prescribed to have for the child a godparent of the same sex as the person being baptized. That is, for a boy - a man, and for a girl - a woman. In tradition, both godparents are usually chosen for the child: father and mother. This does not contradict the canons in any way. The main thing is that these should be truly believing people who would subsequently conscientiously fulfill their duties of raising a child in the Orthodox faith. Thus, a baptized person can have one or, at most, two godparents.
Is it possible to baptize without godparents? In extreme circumstances, if it is absolutely impossible to find recipients for the Sacrament of Baptism, and Baptism is performed at a critical moment for the life of an infant, it can be performed without them.
Is it possible to baptize in the absence of godparents, write them down in absentia? Church tradition does not know "appointed in absentia" godparents. The very meaning of the reception shows that the godparents must be present at the Baptism of the child and, of course, give their consent to this honorary title.
Duties of godparents Godparents are obliged to teach their godchildren to resort to the saving Sacraments of the Church, mainly Confession and Communion, to give them knowledge about the meaning of worship, the features church calendar, about the grace-filled power miraculous icons and other shrines. The godparents must accustom those perceived by them from the font to attend church services to fast and observe other provisions church charter. But the main thing is that godparents should always pray for their godson.
With what name should the child be baptized? If the name by which the person being baptized is named is not in the calendar, then at baptism the name that is closest in sound is chosen. It is allowed to give a name in baptism different from the passport name if a person is baptized in honor of some saint especially revered in the family. But one must understand that giving a child a different name at baptism for magical reasons (protection from the evil eye, etc.) is a sin.
Adult Baptism When the Sacrament is performed on adults, Baptism requires faith in the Lord, familiarity with the Gospel and knowledge of basic prayers. Often the priest asks to read the Creed - a prayer that contains the main truths of the Orthodox faith. On the days before receiving the Sacrament, one should read the Gospel and books that explain Christian dogmas, for example, the Law of God. Know that these days are special, so you should not scatter attention to other, even very important problems. Avoid fuss, empty talk, watching TV, do not participate in various amusements, for what you will receive is great and holy, and everything holy of God is accepted with the greatest awe and reverence. If possible, fast for 2-3 days. On the very day of Epiphany, it is desirable (but not necessary!) In the morning not to eat, drink or smoke, living in marriage on the eve of the night to refrain from marital communication. The holiness of God requires special purity from a person. You need to appear at Baptism extremely clean and tidy. Women in their monthly impurity do not approach the Baptismal font until the end of these days. In addition, women come to be baptized without cosmetics and jewelry. You must arrive on time for the beginning of the sacrament. It is not necessary to be baptized on Sunday if this great Sacrament is performed in the temple on weekdays. It is advisable to be in such clothes that you can easily anoint your chest, hands, knees. Therefore, shirts, blouses with short sleeves and fasteners in front are good. Women are advised to wear a short skirt and men to wear loose trousers so that they can be rolled up. You will also need a towel. For baptism, adults need to repent of their sins and prepare for confession, since after baptism a new life must begin for them, in which either there is no place for sin, or there is a ruthless struggle with it.
Common superstitions about baptism The godmother at the time of baptism should not have children. The woman should be the first to baptize the boy, the man the girl. To remove damage, you must cross yourself with a different name. To make it impossible to induce damage, it is necessary to be baptized with a name different from your own, and not tell anyone. You can't become a pregnant woman. If at baptism the wax with the hair of the baptized sinks, the life of the baptized will be short. Godmother cannot be unmarried girl. I draw your attention to the fact that these statements are superstition and have nothing to do with the Orthodox faith.
What to do after baptism with a baptismal shirt and towel?Because of the particles of the holy world that remain on baptismal clothes and diapers, they are kept as a shrine. They can only be used as christening clothes for another baptized. You can also put them on your baby if, suddenly, he becomes very ill and pray for his recovery. A towel, if the child was not wrapped in it after anointing, but simply wiped with it after the baptismal font, can continue to be used for its intended purpose.
In the Orthodox Church, the question of whether children can be baptized has never been raised. Children can be baptized! The Sacrament of Baptism is not a legal reconciliation with God, not an initiation that introduces one to some secret knowledge. The Sacrament of Baptism is the grafting of a branch to the Tree of Life, to Christ. To be born again, from above, to enter into close blessed union with the Lord.
Is it possible only for an adult? ..
The legitimacy of infant baptism, writes Protopresbyter John Meyendorff, "is not based on the idea of 'sin', which can make infants guilty in the sight of God and in need of baptism for the sake of justification, but on the fact that at all stages of life, including infancy, a person needs to be “born again,” that is, to begin a new and eternal life in Christ. After all, even a “conscious adult” is not able to fully comprehend the ultimate eschatological goal of a new life.
This is not the opinion of the modern Orthodox theologian, but the general statement of the holy fathers: “If the only meaning of Baptism was the remission of sins, then why would newborns be baptized who had not yet had time to taste sin? But the Sacrament of Baptism is not limited to this; Baptism is the promise of great and most perfect gifts. In it is the essence of the promise of future joys; it is an image of the future resurrection, communion with the Passion of the Lord, participation in His Resurrection, a robe of salvation, a robe of joy, a vestment [woven] of light, or rather, the light itself ”(Blessed Theodoret of Cyrus).
So, Baptism brings a person into communion with God. To turn to face God, to believe - everyone can, and not a baptized person. But completely different - baptized. This is a person who wants not just to believe in God, or in something higher, who respects religious ideas ... This is a person who wishes connect with the Lord take root to the Lord… Desiring to start a completely new life, he goes through the rite of Baptism as though through a rite of death… To die as Christ died, and immediately to rise, as He rose from the dead. And from now on, united with the Lord, live with Him in unity.
That is why we baptize children as well.
The importance of Baptism is spoken of in many texts of Holy Scripture. For us, the correctness and truth of Christ's words are beyond doubt: unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God() . Why, even formally speaking, should we ignore this text and deny Baptism to infants? The Savior Himself convinced His disciples not prevent children from coming to Him,« for of such is the kingdom of God ().
Children are not atheists, they would like to live with God, why should we prevent them from doing this?
This is especially worth mentioning, because here and there voices are heard about the meaninglessness of the Baptism of small children. But wouldn't it turn out that the Jewish babies were happier than the Christian ones, because over them the ceremony of joining the People of God (through circumcision) was performed on the eighth day after birth?
Does an infant have no conscious faith? Well, from that, it is impossible to reduce all the spiritual and spiritual activity of a person to the work of the mind.
And following what intellectual movements did John the Baptist, while still in his mother's womb, feel the approach of the Savior of the world, who was also still in an embryonic state?
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting,the baby jumped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit ().
God sanctifies children even before birth, about which He Himself speaks to the prophet Jeremiah ():
Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you came out of the womb, I sanctified you.…
And later the apostle Paul will say this:
…God, who chose me from my mother's womb and called me by His grace....
We do not know if babies were baptized in the 1st century, but we do not have evidence to the contrary, on the contrary, we find evidence of the baptism of entire families:
Cornelia ();
Lydia ( she was baptized and her household - );
Dungeon Guard ( and all who were in his house, );
Crispa ( Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household— );
Stephen ( I also baptized Stefan's house - ).
It is unlikely that all these newly baptized families did not have young children.
We can also recall several Old Testament types of Baptism, which will convince us that children, just like adults, are not rejected by God from the People of God. The first such prototype is the passage through the Red Sea. All Israel passed with babies, and for the Apostle Paul this is a sign of the future Baptism:
“I do not want to leave you, brethren, in ignorance that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea” ().
If all the Israelites were delivered by God from Egyptian captivity and everyone was baptized in Moses, why is it necessary to reject Baptism into Christ and the mystery of liberation from sinful captivity?.. If we remember that in the mind of the Jew the Jewish people represent the “Assembly of God”, “the Community of God”, “the People of God”, that any circumcised baby was involved in this People -Israeli, and Christians as the successors of these promises - the new People of God; then it is easy to conclude from this: Christian babies are also involved in this new People, the Church.
“And in the pages of the Gospel we see that Christ concludes New Testament not with Peter and not with John, but with the new people of God; to the Cup of the Covenant, poured out "for you and for many", Christ invites "all". God gives his grace and protection not just to one individual, but to a community of people - the Church.
“Christ is not only the bearer of the eternal message, which He repeats one after another to every surprised person, but also the One in Whom humanity finds an unexpected solution to the problem of its organic unity.”
How did a Jew become a member the people of God through circumcision, so the Christian child becomes a member The people of the New Testament through Baptism.
We know that in the 2nd century babies were baptized both in the West and in the East, as evidenced by the Fathers and Doctors of the Church. At St. Irenaeus read:
“Christ came to save everyone through Himself—all, I say, who are reborn from Him for God—infants, youths, youths, and elders.”
Origen wrote:
"The Church received a tradition from the apostles to teach baptism to infants".
In the Apostolic Tradition, St. Hippolytus of Rome (circa 215) says:
“Put on your clothes and baptize your children first. All those who can talk about themselves, let them talk. For those who cannot speak about themselves, let their parents or one of their relatives speak.
From this fragment it follows that even very small children who could not speak were allowed to be baptized. But if from the words of St. Hippolytus, we still cannot find out what age the children were baptized, then from the words of St. Cyprian of Carthage, it becomes clear that they were baptized without even delaying up to the eighth day after birth, namely on the second and third day.
At the Local Council of Carthage in 252, which was presided over by St. Cyprian, it was said:
“... do not forbid [Baptism] to an infant who, having barely been born, did not sin in anything, except that, having come from the flesh of Adam, he took contagion ancient death through birth itself, and who, the more conveniently, proceeds to accept the remission of sins, because not his own, but other people's sins are forgiven him.
St. Cyprian writes to the addressee about the past Council:
“At our Council such a determination took place: we should not exclude anyone from Baptism and the grace of God, who is merciful, good and indulgent to all. If it is necessary to adhere to this in relation to everyone, then especially, as we think, it is necessary to observe this in relation to newborn babies, who already deserve primarily our help and God's mercy, because from the very beginning of their birth they express one prayer with their weeping and tears. » .
In more late time practice has not changed. And St. John Chrysostom (in the East), and St. Ambrose of Milan, blessed Augustine (in the West) confirms that infant baptism was a common practice and traces this practice back to the time of the apostles. And here is the 124th Rule of the Council of Carthage (418):
“Whoever rejects the need for Baptism of small, newborn children from the mother’s womb, or says that, although they are baptized for the remission of sins, they do not borrow anything from the ancestral Adam’s sin that should be washed with the bath of resurrection, let him be anathema ... And babies, those who are not yet able to commit any sins by themselves, are truly baptized for the remission of sins, and through re-birth, that which they took from the old birth will be cleansed in them.
If there were disputes at that time, it was not about whether generally to baptize infants, but as to at what age to baptize children.
Around the 5th century, almost only children were baptized in the Church. However, the timing of Baptism fluctuates. At one time they were baptized both at 8 days and at 40, but a more popular practice was the Baptism of a child several years after birth. Saint Gregory the Theologian wrote:
“What shall we say about infants who do not understand either what grace is or what punishment is. Should they be baptized? Certainly, if there is danger. As for others, I advise you to wait three years, or a little more, or less, so that you can hear and repeat something. the right words sacraments, and if not perfectly, at least figuratively understand it.
In Late Byzantium and Ancient Russia also baptized usually after a few years after birth. In the 11th century, Metropolitan John of Kyiv (d. 1080) answered the question: “Is it possible to baptize a newborn child if it is sick? ..” answers:
“... regarding a healthy [child], the Fathers commanded to wait three or more years. But for sudden cases of death, the term is needed shorter, but if it is completely painful, let it be 8 days, even less so that it does not die unbaptized. Such babies should be baptized, no matter what day or hour the danger of death is.
Bishop Nifont of Novgorod (XII century), when asked how long it was possible to postpone the baptism of children, answered:
“There is no sin in this for the male sex even up to ten years, but do not ask about girls, because they can quickly sin with you even in their youth.”
Attention in this text is attracted not by discrimination against girls, but by the fact that the term of Baptism is gradually being pushed back: from infancy to conscious (more and more) age.
It is important to note here that, according to Orthodox understanding, baptize not children in general, a children only Christian parents .
“According to mainstream Jewish consciousness, descendants are included in ancestors, and ancestors are contained in their descendants. The circumcision performed by Moses applied not only to those who were circumcised, but to all their descendants. Because of this, Abraham became the father of many nations(). The birth of Christian parents is a testimony to the Church that God calls the children born of them into the Church. Therefore, we cannot say that Baptism of infants violates their free will, since this free will does not exist in children at all, just as we do not say that physical birth violates the free will of born children.
“Born of believing parents, he enters the world as one called by God into the Church. Through the Baptism performed by the Church, he becomes a member of the Body of Christ. His active life in the Church depends on his subsequent faith. The latter is the personal response of the baptized in childhood to the call of God. At the same time, this faith is also his response to the Church, which, on the basis of the call of God, performed his Baptism. This answer may be positive or negative, but in one and the other case he remains a member of the Church. How not to erase the fact physical birth Thus, the fact of spiritual birth cannot be erased. By virtue of his birth, he turns out to be at the same time staying in the present aeon, but belonging to the future aeon. It depends on the baptized to realize his belonging to the Church. The responsibility for this realization lies not only on him, but also on the Church, which, on the basis of the faith of his parents, performed his Baptism, and therefore on his parents.
However, the understanding of the practice of Baptism of children has undergone a catastrophic change over a thousand years.
“At the Baptism of adults, personal and free faith ... remained a necessary condition for admission to the Church. For minors and infants, their personal faith has been replaced by the faith of their parents... In the formula faith - baptism the first part, which is missing in children and infants, is replaced by the faith of their parents at the moment of Baptism. Replacing the personal faith of baptized children with the faith of their parents opened up the possibility of improper transfer of personal faith to other persons if the faith of the parents was insufficient or did not exist at all. This, in turn, opened up that breakthrough in the teaching about the Sacrament of Baptism, which opened wide access to coercion and violence, incompatible with the nature of the Sacrament. The baptism of children from unknown parents ... from non-Christian parents ... from mixed marriages indicates what a wide place coercion has taken in the performance of the Sacrament of Baptism.
One must only be surprised that in Byzantium and in the West in the Middle Ages, the state and church authorities did not extend coercion to the Baptism of all babies, regardless of whether they were born from Christian or non-Christian parents.
Today there is another paradoxical situation. Children are brought to Baptism by unbelieving people, and their unbelieving friends are chosen as godparents for the children. And they baptize not in order to join the Church, but to be healthy; it's supposed to be; the nanny refuses to sit with the child otherwise and so on.
It is not out of place to recall that the duty of a pastor is not to profane the Sacrament, but, having found out the reasons that prompted the baptism of an infant, and the conditions for his further upbringing, having talked with the godparents and having received an idea of the extent of their churchness, form an opinion: is it worth baptizing such an infant or not.
In the Orthodox Church, children are baptized in the same way as adults, immersed in water three times. The same prayers are read over children as over adults (except that in ancient times, when a child was baptized, the prayers of annunciation were sometimes omitted or shortened).
It is impossible not to mention that from the very first day of a child's life, the Church surrounds him with care and attention.
There are special ranks dedicated to mother and baby. The first one is Prayers on the first day.
The birth of a child is long-awaited and happy event especially if both mother and child are healthy. natural reaction Christian heart- thank God for this gift and ask Him to continue to support the mother and child and protect them from demonic obsessions and dangerous accidents. That is why the Church has established the reading of special prayers on the first day of a child's life.
“When a baby is born from a pious woman, the priest comes and praises God, thanks that man was born into the world(). Then, signifying, he blesses the newborn and prays (to God) that the newborn be alive and be blessed with Baptism and anointing. Asking the mother for everything that is needed for salvation, he also teaches grace and sanctification to the wives who are with her ... ".
In ancient times, the priest sprinkled the house of the woman in labor with water blessed by the priest, then marked the baby with the sign of the cross “on the forehead, for the sake of the mind, and on the lips, for the sake of the word and breath, and on the heart, for the sake of life force may he remain under (gracious) protection until saving Baptism.
On the 8th day, the child is given a name, through a special order of the Trebnik, which is called today: Prayer, in a hedgehog, appoint a youth, accepting a name on your osth birthday(see section Prayers for mother and child).
Then the child is baptized in our country, whereas in Byzantium and in Ancient Russia the child was first churched, that is, on the 40th day they performed the rite of bringing the child of Christian parents to the Holy Church and to the temple.
In Protestant communities, the question of reality The baptism performed on infants remains debatable.
Lutherans recognize infant baptism, while, for example, Baptists reject it, on the basis of the assertion that Baptism is possible only as a conscious acceptance of the redemption given by Christ.
In recognizing infant baptism, Lutherans usually refer to:
a) unconscious faith that a baby has (Luther wrote that faith does not disappear when a person sleeps);
b) to the statement that the child is baptized according to the faith of the parents (in a broader sense, one can say that according to the faith of the Church as the Lutherans say).
Moreover, Luther wrote that we should not delay with the Baptism of infants, for we can be more confident in their faith than in the faith of adults: if the latter can consciously resist the grace of God, then infants cannot have conscious resistance.
1 Fragment from my book: The Sacrament of Entry into the Church. St. Petersburg: "Neva" - "OLMA-PRESS". 2002. Ss. 121-132.
2 Meyendorff I. Protopresv. Byzantine theology. M. 2002. S. 273.
3 Cit. Quoted from: Meyendorff I. Protopresv. Byzantine theology ... S. 274.
4 Protestants recall other words: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; and whoever does not believe will be condemned ”(). However, it is easy to see that these words do not say anything about baby baptism. They were spoken to the disciples when they went to preach, and they are addressed to adults who accept Christ's preaching. If such believe, then, as a consequence, they will enter the Church (through Baptism) and be saved. If they do not believe, they will be condemned. Here the emphasis is not on baptism, but on faith.
5 I can confirm these words with personal testimony. My daughter, baptized in infancy, was brought to the temple and participated in the Sacraments of the Church from the very first years of her life. And from the very conscious age she felt God in her life. At 2-3 years old, when the child learns to speak, she composed her first prayers coming from the heart. At the age of four, she knew by heart the basic church prayers and, most importantly, she knew what it was talking about, what this or that Church Slavonic word meant. From the age of five, the child began to live a completely conscious spiritual life, I mean conscious resistance to sin, repentance, if he suddenly turned out to be not up to par, fasting, attending divine services. All this without any pressure, without coercion, at will.
The soul of a child is drawn to God. This means that if from infancy we direct her towards God, help her along this path, we will see both a three-year-old and a four-year-old conscious Christian.
6 That exactly circumcision was the seal of a person's belonging to God's chosen people is evident at least from the fact that a pagan could become a member of it only through circumcision.
7 Kuraev A., deac. Can children be baptized? Protestants about Orthodoxy. M. Ed. Moscow Compound of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra. 1999. P. 68. This article about. Andrey Kuraev, in my opinion, is the best contemporary work on this topic.
8 Bulletin des anciens eleves de Saint-Sulpise. 11/15/31. Cit. Quoted from: de Lubac A. Catholicism. Milan: "Christian Russia". 1992, p. 284.
9 That Baptism replaces circumcision is clearly seen, if only from the words of St. app. Paul: “In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the sinful body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ” (). Here it is clearly seen that the circumcision of Christ is Baptism.
10 Tertullian. About Baptism. 18. Tertullian himself condemns the practice of infant baptism. In his characteristic harsh manner, he wrote: “... given the characteristics, character and even age of each individual, it is more useful to delay baptism, especially for small children. Why, if there is no such need, endanger the godparents, who themselves may not fulfill their promises, being mortal, or may be deceived by the manifestation of the bad inclinations of their godparents? Meanwhile the Lord said: Do not forbid them to come to me! So, let them come when they grow up. Let them come when they are learning, when they have been taught where to go. Let them become Christians when they were able to know Christ. Why rush to an innocent age for the remission of sins? In worldly affairs, they act more carefully. How can one entrust heavenly affairs to someone who has not yet been entrusted with earthly ones? Let them learn to ask for salvation, so that it will be clearly seen what You have given to the one who asks.
18 Op. by: Book of Rules of St. Apostle, St. Ecumenical and Local Councils and St. father. Ed. Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra. 1992.
19 Let me remind you that the most acceptable age was considered to be three years.
20 Migne. P.G. t. 36, 400. The translation is quoted from: Ep. Riga. Divine service of the Russian Church of the pre-Mongolian period. M. Ed. Moscow University. 1847. S. 13.
21 See: Russian Historical Library. VI. Rules of Metropolitan John. Rule I. SPb., 1880. S. 1-2.
22 Questions from Kirik. § 49. Cit. by: G. Krechmar, prof. The service of the baptized to the world according to the testimony of the Church Fathers // Theological Works. Sat. 10. M. Ed. Moscow Patriarchy. 1973, p. 155.
23 Without giving a personal assessment of this fact, let us refer to the interesting opinion of the Lutheran pastor and theologian prof. G. Krechmar. According to this view, such a gradual postponement of the date of Baptism of infants is associated with changes in understanding the meaning of Baptism and, even more broadly, in understanding the very Christian life. If initially the Baptism of an infant made him a member of the Body of Christ, the Church, opposed to the sin-infected world, and from the first days of his life the infant was involved in this opposition to the forces of evil and demonism, then later, in the late Byzantine period, the idea of personal salvation comes to the fore. According to this idea, the task of a person is to sin as little as possible. And if so, then why hurry with Baptism; the baby still does not commit sins ... (Krechmar G. The ministry of the baptized ... S. 155.)
31 St. Simeon of Thessalonica. Conversation ... § 27.
32 On the Internet, I came across an interesting exchange of opinions regarding the timing of Infant Baptism. Their opinion was expressed by completely ordinary, non-church people who in one way or another came into contact with the Baptism of children (their own or others). And so most of the participants came to the conclusion that they should be baptized either before 4 months - then the child generally understands little, holds his head, is not afraid of strangers, and if approached with tenderness, he is unlikely to cry, or ... after 4-5 years. At this age, the child is already conscious, and if certain preparatory work is done with him, he will not cry.
Experience shows that children after 5 months, and in general at any age, if the priest speaks in a soft voice, does not make sudden movements, smiles, most often behave calmly.
The problem here is that a child after six months can be nervous, because his mother is far from him and he is in the arms of someone else's aunt - godmother. In fact, there is no problem that it is the mother who holds the baby in her arms. Let me remind you that according to a tradition dating back to ancient times, a woman in labor cannot visit the temple until the 40th day. When a baby was baptized on the 40th day in Russia, the mother stood in the porch or aside. And then, after Baptism, the priest recited a prayer of permissiveness over her.
But if a child is baptized older than 40 days (and this is a common occurrence today) from the day of his birth, then the permissive prayer of the mother can be read before the Sacrament of Baptism! And the mother will not stand far away, but nearby, and if the child gets nervous, the mother can take him in her arms.
33 Some Baptists may still, grumblingly, as a concession to ecumenical dialogue, accept Infant Baptism performed according to the order Catholic Church: water baptism is followed by confirmation at a conscious age, associated with a personal confession of faith, but “this option seems currently unacceptable for Baptist churches, because it represents more a concession to ecumenical tendencies than a convincing theological position ”(Schweitzer L. What kind of fellowship with other Christians can be recognized by Baptists? // Pages. Journal of the BBI. M. 1999 - No. 4: 4).
34 See: Erickson M. Christian theology. SPb.: "Bible for all". St. Petersburg Christian University. 1999. S. 922-923.
35 See: Müller D.T. Christian Dogmatics. World Wide Printing Duncanville, USA. Lutheran Heritage Foundation. 1998. S. 592.
Recently, the site has received many letters from people who are interested in the possibility of re-baptism. This desire is usually motivated by several reasons. People sincerely believe that re-baptism can get rid of induced damage, evil eye, family curse, solve life and even financial problems. Sometimes the thirst for re-baptism is motivated by the desire to change the name. It seems to many that if they receive a new name at baptism, which "only God will know," then this will save them from magical influence. Enemies will "conjure in the old name" and therefore all their spells and slander will "fly by". But sometimes a very good, at first glance, goal is expressed as a reason for re-baptism. For example, some people who were baptized as children and lead sinful lives suddenly come to believe in God. It seems to them that re-baptism will wash away this “sinful outgrowth” on the soul and cleanse it of everything bad. I think it's time to understand in detail all these superstitions and consider them from the standpoint of the canons and traditions of the Orthodox Church. What I will try to do in the article, offered to the attention of readers.
I'll start in order. To begin with, it is necessary to determine where people's desire to be baptized comes from. The motivation for rebaptism is overtly occult beliefs. Damage, evil eye, family curse, crown of celibacy, love spell, etc. - This is occult terminology, widely used by all kinds of magicians, sorcerers, psychics, healers and other figures in the occult sciences. Therefore, it would be quite logical to say that faith in the “cleansing power” of re-baptism was inspired by just these “compassionate comrades” who want to solve all the problems of their clients for a certain fee. I repeatedly had to talk with people who came to the temple with a desire to be re-baptized. To my question why they need it, as a rule, the answer follows that the need for this action was indicated to them by a psychic (fortune teller, magician, sorcerer, etc.). Once I happened to see an advertisement on one of the Russian TV channels, in which one occultist claimed that re-baptism is the most powerful remedy for damage and the evil eye. I think that these facts are quite enough to understand that the superstition about re-baptism is clearly of occult origin.
Having dealt with the source of superstition, it is worth evaluating it from the position church canons and traditions. According to the doctrine of the Orthodox Church, baptism is one of the seven sacraments of the Church, in which the believer, when the body is immersed three times in water with the invocation of the name Holy Trinity- the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, dies for a carnal, sinful life, and is reborn by the Holy Spirit for Eternal Life. By itself, rebaptism is not possible. Baptism is a spiritual birth, and like the physical birth, there can be only one. It is necessary for a person to be saved, for “He who is not born of water and the Spirit cannot enter the Kingdom of God” (John 3:5). Christ clearly says in the Gospel: ““Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; but whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). The Savior speaks of faith in God. This gospel passage does not and cannot have any other meaning. After all, sending the apostles to preach, Christ teaches them: “Go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:19-20). Thus, based on the words of the Savior Himself, a necessary condition for receiving baptism is faith in the Trinity, and not at all an occult faith in baptism as the solution to all problems. Baptism does not at all solve everyday and financial problems and is not a “tool” for removing corruption.
So why do occultists send people to be baptized? After all, they send not only baptized people for re-baptism, but also for those who were not baptized for the first baptism. However, this does not change the meaning. It is no secret that occultists widely use Orthodox paraphernalia to attract people - crosses, icons, incense, church candles, Orthodox prayers. What do they need it for? The answer is obvious. Not every person will go to a fortuneteller or psychic if he says something like this to him: “I am engaged in black magic, I am in direct contact with demons, and in order to get help from me, you need to serve the devil.” In order to attract a client, it is necessary to hide behind something holy that does not arouse any suspicion in a person. And even pretend to be a saint! This is the key to success, because a person is always drawn to the holy, the divine. A person comes to a psychic, and his whole house is lined with Orthodox icons, lamps are hanging, incense is being burned, church candles are burning, and the minister of the black cult, hung with crosses and even episcopal panagias, with a blessed face, is receiving clients. Sometimes you have to deal with people whom the occultists send to the temple for candles, incense, icons. It is difficult to convince these people that they are seriously sinning, following the lead of fortune-tellers and psychics. After all, they are sent to the temple of God, and not to a satanic temple. Unfortunately, few manage to reason, because. for most of these people, visiting fortune-tellers and psychics becomes commonplace and even the norm of life, and the opinion of the occultists themselves becomes an indisputable authority. These are the fruits of spiritual illiteracy. After all, turning to the occultists is an appeal to the devil. The occupation of the occult is communication with demons and serving them. Holy Bible is replete with moments that clearly speak of the sin of turning to the occultists. Also in Old Testament it was forbidden to contact such people or engage in magic and sorcery on pain of death. This is what Scripture says: “Do not tell fortunes and do not guess” (Lev. 19:26), “Do not turn to those who call the dead, and do not go to magicians, and do not bring yourself to defilement from them” (Lev. 19:31) , “Do not let the soothsayers live” (Ex. 22, 18), “And if any soul turns to those who call the dead and to wizards to follow them fornication, then I will turn My face on that soul and destroy it from its people” (Lev. 20, 6), “... you should not have a soothsayer, a fortune teller, a soothsayer, a sorcerer, a charmer, summoning spirits, a magician and questioning the dead; for every one who does this is abominable before the Lord” (Deut. 18:11), “And you do not listen to your prophets and your soothsayers, and your dreamers, and your wizards, and your astrologers ... for they prophesy lies to you” (Jeremiah 27 , 9-10). And here is what is said about their fate after death: “The fearful, and the unfaithful, and the filthy, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their fate is in the lake burning with fire and brimstone” (Rev. 21, 8), “Blessed are those who keep His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life and enter the city through the gates. And outside are dogs, and sorcerers, and fornicators, and murderers, and idolaters, and everyone who loves and does unrighteousness” (Rev. 22:15). Thus, occultism is an ungodly and ungodly act, and turning to occultists is an undeniable sin. Sadly, many people do not understand this at all, because they are spiritually illiterate. Therefore, they cannot discern a deception veiled under a shrine.
And what is actually the use of occultists consecrated objects? For them, covering up with Orthodox paraphernalia is a blasphemous act, for which, as they believe, the devil will give special power. Church candles, incense, icons and other consecrated objects are used by occultists in magical rituals, and not at all for their intended purpose. Sometimes, to complete a magical ritual, a person is invited to take the charmed candle to the temple and place it there. It is hard to imagine a more blasphemous act. A person who follows the lead of the occultists and fulfills their instructions is the actual participant and performer of the magical action. But for him, this action is presented by the occultists as a kind of blessing, a divine revelation, an unambiguous help from God. Needless to say, this is far from the case. But if some occultists confine themselves only to the desecration of consecrated objects, then others go further and send their clients to participate in church sacraments. As a rule, these are the sacraments of baptism, communion and unction. It is interesting that the sacraments of the Church are presented as some kind of steps on the way to the full achievement of the ultimate goal proposed by the occultist. The steps following the sacraments of the Church are the continuation of the "work" of the occultist. But in fact, this is the desecration of the sacred, the desecration of the sacrament performed in the Church. This is the basis of the occult "doctrine of re-baptism." But the goal achieved by re-baptism can be anything. Starting from the removal of damage, the evil eye and the birth curse, healing from diseases, up to the solution of all everyday and even financial problems. But if the sacraments of the Church can really help a person to be healed of spiritual and bodily illnesses, then the actions of the occultists cannot lead to this in any way, for nothing good can come from the evil one. From the “treatment” of occultists, many people only get worse, those diseases that they tried to cure with the help of occult methods begin to progress, chronic diseases that have been dormant for decades appear in an acute form, and completely new, sometimes incurable diseases appear.
As I have already said, both those who have been baptized and others are sent to be baptized. unbaptized people. Sometimes, having learned about a person’s desire to be baptized again, it is possible to prevent him from committing such grave sin. But in order to achieve the goal, some go to deceit and are baptized again. Sometimes occultists themselves instruct their clients not to say that they have already been baptized. There is a clear sinful act of both the occultists themselves and their visitors. In addition, a person who comes to baptism, even if he has not been taught to deceive a priest and has not yet been baptized, has an incorrect, distorted opinion about the sacrament of baptism (as well as about other sacraments). Such a person, not without the participation of an occultist, imagines that baptism will surely save him from all problems, heal him from diseases, remove damage, the evil eye, bring good luck, and even instantly make him rich. To a churched person, it is quite clear that this is far from being the case, and baptism is not a cure for all diseases and does not lead to the solution of all the problems described. But the fact of the matter is that churched people almost never become clients of the occultists. Unchurched people fall into their bait of "holiness", drawing knowledge about church sacraments, canons and traditions not from the Law of God and the catechism, but from tabloid, occult newspapers and magazines and TV shows like "The Battle of Psychics".
Thus, having considered the “doctrine of re-baptism” from the standpoint of the Orthodox faith, we come to the conclusion that this desire or action is sinful, because it is a voluntary acceptance of the devil’s suggestion, and from the standpoint of church canons it is simply unacceptable. In addition, re-baptism does not relieve a person of the above problems, does not solve his worldly and financial difficulties, but on the contrary, as the action is clearly sinful and blasphemous, it only adds sorrows and worries.
From the occult "teaching about re-baptism" also follows the opinion that a change of name guarantees a person the futility of the efforts of sorcerers and magicians, causing damage to him, the evil eye, etc. You could even say that they are related. I will not find out which came first - “the chicken or the egg”, but I recall that people began to turn to churches with a request to change their name much earlier than with a request for re-baptism. What is the essence of this occult belief about the benefits of changing the name? Occultists claim that the name of a person is used in magical rites. This action, apparently, is similar to the commemoration of Christians by name during divine services. The priest, bringing a bloodless sacrifice, performing a prayer service or memorial service, commemorates the living or deceased members of the Church by name, praying for their health or repose. It seems that a similar action is performed by an occultist during magical rituals. But, instead of invoking God in prayers, the devil is invoked here. These can be simple conspiracies using the name of a person, or much more complex in structure. magical rites and rituals, down to human sacrifice.
According to ancient magical beliefs, with the help of names one can subdue spirits or get rid of their influence. It is this formula that carries the reading of conspiracies that contain the names of fallen spirits. When reading a conspiracy, a person enters into direct communication with the demon, calls him by name. And if the conspiracy is read "on any person", i.e. with the pronunciation of his name, then, according to the same magical belief, it is possible to establish control over a person or a certain magical effect on him. In fact, a person or an occultist, while reading a conspiracy or performing a certain magical ritual, asks the demon, whose name he calls, to influence the person against whom magical action. This action underlies all magical rituals. It would be quite logical to assume that such a "reception" was used by demons in relation to the Lord Jesus Christ, whom they called by name. This “trick” clearly had no effect, for the demons had no power over the Savior, but, on the contrary, asked not to torment them: “What have you to do with me, Jesus, the Son of the Most High God? I conjure you by God, do not torment me” (Mark 5:7). From the gospel story about the healing of the demon-possessed Gadara, we know that the demons, at the command of the Savior, left the unfortunate man and entered the pig herd, which immediately rushed off the cliff into the sea: “And all the demons asked Him, saying: send us into pigs, so that we can enter them. Jesus immediately allowed them. And the unclean spirits went out and entered into the pigs; and the herd rushed down the steep into the sea, and there were about two thousand of them; and drowned in the sea” (Mark 5:12-13). Thus, it can be said with certainty that without God's special permission, demons cannot even enter pigs, let alone humans. Without God's permission, demons can neither enter into a person, nor leave him, nor even cause him any harm. Therefore, the knowledge of a name cannot give power over a person. Accordingly, the occult teaching about the change of name must be recognized as untenable. Let a person have at least ten names, but the knowledge of all of them does not give him any power over him, unless there is God's permission to do so. An Orthodox Christian who lives according to the commandments of God, who is under the grace-filled protection of church sacraments, is not afraid of any damage, evil eye, birth curses and other occult muck. The Lord Himself keeps him! And if you get carried away with such beliefs, then the Lord, indeed, can allow sorrows, illnesses and many problems. Therefore, an Orthodox Christian should have a negative attitude towards any occult teaching, for it is demonic. What does light have in common with darkness? What agreement is there between Christ and Belial?” (Cor. 6:14-15). An Orthodox Christian should not be subject to demonic teachings!
But I wonder why occultists send their clients to the temple? The answer is simple. According to the tradition of the Orthodox Church, a person is given a name on the eighth day from birth. For this, the priest reads special prayer for naming. Because this good tradition is now undeservedly forgotten, and many people simply do not know about its existence, this prayer is read immediately before baptism. In the Orthodox Church, there is also a pious tradition of naming a child in honor of one of the saints of God. This saint is considered the heavenly patron of a person to whom he will resort for prayer help throughout his life. In succession morning prayers, which every Orthodox Christian reads, having risen from sleep, there is a prayer for invoking the saint whose name you bear. It seems that every churched Orthodox Christian prays with special zeal to his saint. All this must be known to occultists who are teaching about the benefits of changing one's name. That is why they send people to the temple. The giving of a name is an ordinary act of a priest during baptism. But the naming of a name occurs only once in a lifetime, just as baptism occurs once.
What happens when a person falls under the influence of the occult "teaching about changing the name"? In fact, a person neglects not only his name, which his parents gave him, but also neglects his saint, after whom he is named. Instead of calling for help in difficult moments of your life heavenly patron, a person begins to run around fortune-tellers and psychics in search of " magic wand”, which will instantly save you from all problems. But in fact, the "doctrine of the change of name" carries the same blasphemous function as the "doctrine of re-baptism." But from the occultists, acting at the instigation of the devil, one should not expect anything else. It is a pity that many people fall under their pernicious influence. As I said, all this is the fruit of spiritual illiteracy.
Another fruit of the spiritual illiteracy of some people is the desire to be re-baptized for the sake of a good, at first glance, purpose. At the beginning of the article, I already gave one example, when some people who were baptized in childhood, but lived in sin for a long time and at a certain moment came to faith in God, want to be re-baptized in order to get rid of the slavery of sin and cleanse themselves from sinful filth. Well, the desire is very good and commendable. The baptismal font, indeed, washes away all the sins of a person who, having repented of his sinful life, expresses the desire to live in Christ. For him, baptism becomes a sacrament that cleanses from sinful filth and makes it possible for a new, spiritual life. And already a baptized Orthodox Christian, in order to be cleansed of his sins, must resort not to re-baptism (which is generally unacceptable under any circumstances), but to another saving church sacrament - the sacrament of repentance, confession. During confession, a person's sins are forgiven, the Holy Spirit acts on him at that moment. And the priest, according to the promise of God, “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matt. 18:18) reads a special permissive prayer over a person. Through confession, a sinning person continues (or begins) his path to God.
I would like to remind the reader that re-baptism for an Orthodox Christian is impossible under any circumstances. This saving sacrament is performed once in a lifetime and is a birth for spiritual life in Christ. Well, let the Lord judge how each of us lives it. May God give us all reason to understand His holy will and discern demonic wiles, of which modern world great multitude!
Don't need to be baptized?
In the sacraments of the Church, God brings grace (a special Divine power) to a person, which people themselves are not able to acquire in any other way - neither by prayer, nor by reading the Bible, nor even by a great feat - brings it as a gift, through the substance of this world: the water of Baptism, bread and the wine of the Eucharist, the chrism of Chrismation. The Sacrament of Baptism, as it were, reveals this ability in a person - to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Christ says: “... Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God: that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be surprised at what I have said to you: You must be born again” (John 3:5-7).
But many complain that when they receive the sacrament of Baptism, they do not feel any grace. And sometimes they don’t feel anything at all, except for irritation, as if they promised something very important to a person and didn’t give it. Why is this happening? Why is spiritual birth not taking place? Or does it actually happen, but remains unnoticed, and the baptized person only thinks that he continues to live in the former world, but in fact, a completely different reality opens up before him? What is required of a person so that Baptism becomes for him not only an external, but the deepest internal event? These questions are answered Priest Mikhail Zaitsev.
The crowds lied to God!
– Father Michael, I listened to your catechumens (i.e., conversations in which, before the sacrament of Baptism, those who enter the Church are told christian doctrine) and was shocked. At the very beginning, you repeated the same phrase in different ways: “You don’t need to be baptized.” Well, it's kind of strange to hear from a clergyman...
- Yes, I immediately ask: “What prompted you to be baptized? You answered yourself: why am I baptized, why is this necessary? There is no need to be baptized without an answer to this question. There will be no good. Baptism is a special covenant with God, a special relationship with Him, which can have various consequences for a person: either peace and prosperity, or ... quite the opposite.
You see very well the state our society is in - the decline of morals, the trampling of morality, degradation, both physical, and intellectual, and spiritual, rampant crime, etc. This is even more terrible from the point of view that we now have 70% of the population - Christians. And moreover, excuse me, all of them managed to be baptized in the last ten or twelve years, during which this wild human fall occurs.
Scary statistic, right? Crowds came to Christ - and lied. The crowds lied to God! We get what we deserve, and everything that happens around us is very logical: it’s not good even for a person to lie, and even to lie to God! It is clear how it should end.
- Why is this happening?
- From my experience, conversations with people going to be baptized, I can state that the vast majority have little idea why this is necessary and what to do next. Moreover, the purposes for which people receive baptism are often the opposite of why this sacrament was given to a person at all. The majority does not follow at all what one should look for in the Church.
- I wonder what the answer to your question is usually?
- “So that your health is better”, “... Well, financial matters should be improved”, “In general, some kind of life went hard”, “Something doesn’t work out with someone”, “The child needs to be baptized so that he does not get sick, - God forbid, they will jinx it…” and so on. etc. You don't have to go to Baptism with this. What for? Such questions should be solved in a different order: do you want health? - Go to the clinic good doctor; do you want money? - it is better to work; damage, the evil eye - this is also not from the field of religion. It is very rare to get the right answer.
Correct answer
- And what is he like? Tell!
– You need to be baptized in order to become a Christian, to live as God taught, to save your soul. Maybe help others along the way. This completes the purpose of our baptism.
Everything else is secondary. There will be earthly blessings, there won't be - we don't know. Maybe, on the contrary, it will become much worse. This is a second order question.
It is fundamental that we have to die, give an account to the Lord about our deeds and receive either complete happiness in eternal life or completely polar.
The purpose of Baptism is to save your soul, save yourself. If this desire is not there yet, there is no need to be baptized. It is worth thinking, speculating, trying to feel.
That is, if a person is not looking for God, but a way to receive blessings from Him, there is no need to be baptized, repeat the experience of millions of unfortunate people who have deceived themselves (God cannot be deceived). They are baptized, they think that everything will be fine with them now, but the opposite is happening, because they lied to God, they receive a corresponding echo.
If a person does not seek a personal meeting with God, if God is something distant and incomprehensible to him, then there is no need to be baptized, it is too early. If you are not sure that the child you are going to baptize will live at least in some contact with this idea - “search for God”, if you are not ready with your love and example to show him the way to the Church, you also don’t need to Hurry, nothing good will come of it.
Now, if I am looking for God, if I myself want to be like God (namely, this is the goal of Christianity - deification!), then everything is fine, then I must go to be baptized and continue to live accordingly. If there is no thirst for God, striving for Him, desire to live, fulfilling the will of the Lord, according to His commandments, there is no need to be baptized - you will lose the latter, life practice shows.
- It happened to me, and only much later did I understand why life after Baptism so “collapsed” on me.
Metropolitan Anthony of Surozh does not get tired of repeating that in Orthodoxy (unlike paganism) there is no magic, which he defines as “the violence of the human will, human arbitrariness over nature and over another person”, that the sacrament is not a rite. The Sacrament of the Church - "these are direct God's actions who through the matter of this world somehow convey to us, bring some spark of the life of God Himself. But it is very important that the sacrament is performed by God over a person not without the person himself.
Is it possible to say that God accepts those who aspire to the Lord during Baptism into His abode, gives help and comfort, and those who strive in a completely different direction, He does not hold by force, lets go into those graceless areas of the spirit, being in which person (whatever wealth acquired) is open to the influence of “spirits of malice in high places”, which means that he is unhappy?
- Whether a person feels it or not, he opens up to a new Divine reality, which from now on will determine his life until death and, most importantly, after.
I can say not only from my experience, the Holy Scripture speaks about this: a person who lives in peace with God, in harmony with Him, is protected from many troubles. And so protected that no evil can break through this protection. The righteous have God in a special account and under special protection. The righteous is the one who seeks the truth of God, not the satisfaction of his egoistic, earthly needs, but God. These people, of course, are under the special protection of the Lord, this applies to all aspects of life - both physical, and intellectual, and financial, and social, and political. Christ Himself teaches not to care and not to say “what shall we eat? or what to drink? or what to wear?”: “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all this will be added to you” (Matt. 6:31-33). The whole history of man shows that when people are close to God, life normalizes, when relations with the Creator deteriorate, everything falls into decay.
The main thing is to understand: how a person comes to Christ, how and why he comes. If God for him is only a means to solve earthly problems, what kind of transformation can we talk about?
In the hands folded behind the back, nothing is given
– So, the whole thing is only in our internal readiness?
- Not only. Suppose that a person is ideally prepared, has gone through the institute of catechumens (at least listened to those conversations that are now held in churches), suppose he has become a church. What questions does he prioritize after baptism? Everything depends on this.
And another moment: we were baptized in the name of the Holy Spirit, but why is it not in us? Here we must remember that we are created in the image and likeness of God. There is an image. Similarity must be achieved. Sometimes the Lord at baptism gives unearthly joy, but it is impermanent, due to the fact that we are still fickle in Christ.
We, of course, receive everything necessary in the sacrament and feel it one way or another, but such a state becomes stable after we have passed our personal path. Yes, they gave me everything for the journey, they equipped me with everything at baptism. But then you have to go, and not sit on these knots with good equipment.
- My little godson, when he was baptized, heard the ringing of bells, which in fact was not there.
– Yes, I have encountered such things more than once when people at the time of baptism experienced some revelation. But all I know of was just a sign. We need a path. In faith, to put it mildly, there is no dependency. The Lord does not allow us to do this. Grace is given when it is in demand, when it creates. The Lord gives in outstretched and greedy hands. In his hands folded behind his back, He will not give anything. You just have to ask and ask, and everything will be given.
- Don't you think there is one more moment. I was baptized alone, and it was so mysterious and even scary, but most of my friends and my mother were baptized among a large number people - and this to some extent hinders. Not?
– Of course, the rite of Baptism itself is very important. We have a group of young people at the church in Neryungri, believers who want to do a little more than just go to church. And to them you can send people who are not churched, who are just entering the Church. The people who come are very different. One young man, for example, was literally obsessed with aliens. kind guy thinking, searching, he came to God through fellowship with this group of Christians. Or another – a musician, serious, sensible, educated… It was a revelation for him how his peers treated him: they talked about Christ, about the Gospel, about the Truth and the path to God, about the divine dignity of man, and he discovered it for himself. They were ordinary people, but he saw in them the fire that had not yet ignited in him.
Many others (you can't tell about all of them) were not too lazy to go to church for a month or two, talked with parishioners, searched for the essence of Orthodoxy, they searched for Christ; let them ask absolutely terrible questions at first, but they asked them. And no one rushed them with baptism. They also said: “Wait, think well, do you need it.” When such seriously prepared people sincerely came to faith, felt that they needed Baptism, I baptized them one at a time, moreover, in a liturgical rite, very early, at five in the morning. Imagine, in the temple there are only a priest, the one who is baptized, and his guarantors. Candles are burning, we celebrate the liturgy, we baptize a person, we immediately commune him - this is for life.
Of course, we cannot baptize everyone the way it was in the ancient Church, when the person being baptized felt that at a given moment in his life he was the center of the entire community. The problem is purely technically difficult to solve given how many people go to churches today with a desire to be baptized. Well, if a person is on fire during the performance of the Sacrament, he will not even notice any external inconvenience, but the bulk of them rush to Baptism not ready, in a state of some dreaminess, and these people need help to feel Christ.
I think that Christ at Baptism is next to everyone.
– And what would you say to those who were baptized?
- You have passed the minimum, then a lot depends on you. You can learn more about faith, about Christ, about the Church. You can do more for yourself, for your loved ones, for brothers in spirit, for all people for the glory of God. And you can not do this - it's your choice, we are not responsible for it.
In any case, Baptism is only the beginning of a path that consists of many, many steps, discoveries, falls, uprisings. But this is the path of transformation, when every time for some time we discover in ourselves more and more new facets of godlikeness. It is joyful to know who I was and how my soul was renewed. This is happiness.
