Preparing the godmother for baptism. Responsibilities of a Godmother. What should a godmother do? Features of the rite of baptism

Every parent wants to grow up healthy and happy. Constantly caring about the physical health of the baby, about the timeliness of vaccinations, it is necessary to remember the importance of spiritual health, about the immortal soul of the child. The christening of a boy or girl is the beginning of their spiritual journey.

The sacrament of baptism is a significant event in the life of a newborn and his parents. Indeed, thanks to this rite, the little man receives God's grace and acquires a Guardian Angel for life. Therefore, preparation for christening should not be done from the bay, it should be done in advance - thoroughly and carefully. About the christening of a boy, the rules for conducting this ceremony will be discussed in the article.

Who can be godparents?

This question is not idle. Godparents are not just people who will hold the baby at the font during the ritual, celebrate this event and forget about it. They should be considered as the spiritual leaders of the godson. And in life it can happen that a disaster happens to the father and mother of the child, then the godparents should be ready to fully replace them in the matter of education.

That is why the choice of those who should baptize a boy or a girl must be approached with great seriousness. It is best if they are close relatives or friends. But they must be worthy of this choice.

Orthodox baptism does not allow as recipients:

• atheists
• people who are not themselves baptized,
• Gentiles (Muslims, Buddhists, etc.),
• members of various sects
• fortune tellers and psychics,
• sinners in essence, which are alcoholics, drug addicts, etc.,
• also godparents cannot be young people under 16, mentally ill, monks-nuns (their participation is not prohibited, but this is somehow not accepted),
• bride and groom,
• spouses (because those who are spiritually related cannot lead a married life),
• the child's parents themselves.

Conversation before baptism

What do you need for a boy's christening?

First of all, you should know who buys a cross for a boy's christening. And the godfather does it. He must buy a pectoral cross, with which the child will not part until the last days of his life, wearing it under his clothes.

For such a solemn ritual, special baptismal clothing for the boy is also necessary. How to baptize a boy? It can be a baptismal shirt or a special suit for a boy's christening. Usually the baby's godmother buys clothes for christening. The outfit for this occasion should be pleasant and soft to the touch, that is, such that the hero of the occasion feels comfortable in it, then the child will not be capricious.

There is a very good tradition: if the child is not the first in the family, then he should be dressed in a baptismal outfit in which his older brother or sister was baptized. Then the children will be friendly and sincerely attached to each other.

Baby boy christening clothes, list:

• For the sacrament of baptism is necessary christening shirt- a universal outfit that is suitable for both a boy's christening and a girl's christening. Traditionally, it is white. Such a shirt can be sewn on your own without any problems, but now the widest selection of clothes for this occasion is offered in different designs and different styles. You just need to remember that the outfit in which boys (and girls) are baptized should be easily removed and put on, be quite loose, do not reap, do not crush, do not rub. Let it be better with a large allowance. It is worth paying attention to the fabric - no synthetics! The body of the baby in clothes made of natural fabric will breathe freely.
• Do not interfere socks or booties to match the main shirt (they are removed during the ritual).
• The girl needs scarf or cap. The boy is not required to cover his head in church.
• Often tied to the chest of a child bib. From a purely practical point of view, this is a very important item: during the anointing of the baby with oil, he will not allow the baptismal clothes to get dirty.
• There is also such an important item from those that are needed for christening, which is called kryzhma. This is a brand new white diaper (or towel) in which the child is wrapped after taking him out of the font. This is perhaps the main attribute in baptism. Often, a memorable date of christening and the name of a new Christian are embroidered in its corner. After the ceremony, the kryzhma is not erased for a year. It is believed that in the days of a child’s illness or during restless sleep, she can give healing and soothe if she covers the patient with it.

Clothes for the christening of a boy (photo)

When is the best time to baptize a child?

Most often, parents themselves decide this issue. But if you listen to the recommendations of the Church, then it is better to do it as early as possible. This is justified by the fact that the rite of baptism cleanses the boy from original sin and includes him in the members of the Church with the descent of God's grace on him.

Most often, a baby is decided to be baptized after 40 days of age. In religion since the Old Testament, 40 is a symbolic number, but in our time it has more to do with female physiology, due to the postpartum period. As for the baby himself, it is at this age that children are not yet afraid of strangers and will behave at such a crucial moment much calmer than those that are older.

It is worth remembering such a moment that children up to the age of three months are not afraid if they are dipped into water with their heads, because they still retained intrauterine development reflexesallowing you to hold your breath.

What days are babies baptized? It can be absolutely any day - a holiday or a day off, fasting or ordinary, which you agree in advance with the priest of the parish whose church you are visiting. After all, each temple has its own schedule. If, for some reason, a free day in the nearest temple does not suit you, you can go to another temple or even several.

It is not bad if there is a separate room on the territory or in the building of the temple where baptism is performed. It is specially adapted for such events, it is heated, it is not visited by strangers.

If this is a matter of principle for you, then you can find out how many more children will be baptized on the day you have chosen. In case it is crowded, it is possible to arrange for the baptism to take place on an individual basis.

It is permissible to conduct the ceremony at home, although this, of course, is much less solemn.

How is the boy's christening going?

The very sacrament of baptism, of course, is exactly the same for both boys and girls, with the performance of all necessary actions. There are only a few points where there are differences.

1. The baptism of a boy allows only the presence of a godfather, and there may not be a godmother, while a girl has the opposite. But this is not a categorical requirement: maybe only a godmother.
2. The question often arises: when both the godfather and the godmother are available, then who is holding the boy at baptism? During the entire ceremony - until the baby is dipped into the font (or - which is also permissible - before pouring consecrated water on him), the baptized is held by the godmother, and after that he is taken - perceived - by the godfather. That is why the godparents are also called the old Slavic word "successors".
3. At the end of the ceremony, the priest brings the boy to the altar - as evidence that he is the future head of the family, which is the domestic Church. And only men have the right to serve in the altar.
4. And if a girl, like a woman in a church in general, needs to cover her head, then a boy does not need a cap.

The godparents, who have learned the rules for baptizing a boy, should become a role model for the grown-up godson, constantly pray for him, teach faith and fight evil. The godchild, accordingly, should feel their interest in his spiritual world and care for himself.

Rite of Baptism

Parents before the baptism of the child need to choose good godparents. Then the child's parents and godparents go through a special interview with the priest, sign up for a specific time and day when the sacrament will be performed. You will also need to know certain Christian prayers by heart, prepare a baptismal kit for the baby, a baptismal towel, a pectoral cross with a chain. The pectoral cross serves as an image of our life cross, which manifests itself in all sorrows, joys, worries and cares. If a person worthily and without grumbling carries his life's cross, then he will rejoice in his salvation and is in heavenly abodes. The task of the godparents and parents of the baby is to show him a good example with his life, to teach the basic principles of Christian behavior and worldview.

What you need to know before baptizing a child

The parents of the child and his godparents should know certain Christian prayers, which include the prayer "Our Father", "King of Heaven", "Our Lady of the Virgin, rejoice", and also know by heart or at least be able to read well. When you bring your baby to church for his baptism, you need to know why you want to do it. Parents and godparents always wish the child well and good. The highest good for every person is the salvation of his soul. The life that is given to us on earth is temporary and transient, it is a preparation for eternity. The eternal fate of the soul depends on how we live it. If the child is baptized, they will pray for him in church and at home, he will be brought up in a Christian spirit, strive to do good deeds and please God, then there will be every chance for the salvation of his soul. And this is the goal and responsibility that is entrusted to parents and godparents by God himself.

The baptism of a child is an event that happens only once in a lifetime. It should be a stepping stone on the path of the spiritual ladder. Climbing stairs is always harder than going down. The same goes for spiritual life: doing good deeds, especially when we don’t feel like it, is much more difficult than relaxing and allowing ourselves to say or do something thoughtlessly. It is written in Holy Scripture that for every idle word, i.e. thoughtless, a person will answer to God on the day of the Last Judgment. Raising a child is a very difficult and responsible task. After baptism, the Lord gives invisible grace not only to the child to grow physically and spiritually, but also to his parents and godparents to properly raise the baby. The main thing is that they listen to the suggestions that the Lord will send through their hearts and thoughts.

Fasting, confession and communion before the baptism of a child

There are dioceses of the Orthodox Church where a strict requirement for the baptism of a child is fasting, confession and communion before the baptism of the child of his godparents. In other dioceses, this is expressed in the form of a wish. Fasting, confession and communion are important moments of spiritual preparation for the sacrament. Responsible parents and godparents of the baby will have to follow his spiritual life, and this cannot be done without a personal example that the baby will see.

Fasting before the baptism of the child to the godmother and godmother

Godparents who are preparing for the sacrament of confession and communion should eat fast food for several days and pray more. Fasting usually lasts three to seven days. On these days, the godmother and the godmother should not eat foods that contain meat, milk and its derivatives, eggs and other products of animal origin. On these days, you should try to diligently fulfill your morning and evening prayer rule, do not watch TV, do not engage in empty activities, and avoid various entertainments.

Confession before the baptism of a child

The godmother and godfather should be well prepared for the confession that will take place before the baptism of their godson or goddaughter. During confession before the baptism of a child, you need to sincerely tell the priest about those words, thoughts and deeds that you regret. Perhaps you offended someone and brought pain with your rash word. There are people to whom you did not give enough attention, although they really needed it, and you could do it. Perhaps you condemned or envied someone. Before confession, you can retire somewhere, think carefully and analyze your behavior. The sacrament of confession is otherwise called the sacrament of repentance. The word repentance occurs and this sacrament is expressed in the Greek language by the word "mitanoia", which means "change". After confession, in which you will tell about what you repent of, you need to make every effort to your spiritual change. Those bad thoughts, words and deeds should be avoided and should not be done again.

Communion before the baptism of a child

The Sacrament of Holy Communion or the Eucharist is one of the most amazing moments of the manifestation of God's grace in people's lives. This mystery cannot be understood by the human mind. However, the soul and body of a Christian perceives the Eucharist to the extent that it is ready for it. During communion, under the guise of bread and wine, believers partake of the very Body of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is how we connect with God Himself. In order to comprehend this sacrament at least a little and prepare for it, before communion they usually observe fasting and proceed to the sacrament of confession, as well as read special prayers. These prayers are contained in the Orthodox prayer book, they are called "Following to Holy Communion." Also, before this service, believing Christians read the penitential canon to our Lord Jesus Christ, the canon to the Most Holy Theotokos, as well as the canon to the Guardian Angel and the canon to Holy Communion. If these prayers are read thoughtfully and reasoned over their meaning, then a picture of the Last Judgment, God's love for righteous people and anger towards sinners opens up before a person. Also, these prayers contain a large number of examples when people who committed very terrible sins, such as fornication and murder, came to repentance and received God's mercy and forgiveness. These prayers are designed to warm the heart of a Christian, and make him capable of receiving God's grace. Now there are Orthodox prayer books in which there is a parallel translation from the Church Slavonic language into Russian. If you do not have such a prayer book, and you do not understand the meaning of some words, you can search for these prayers in Russian on the Internet. You can print them out and keep them in front of your eyes while reading prayers in Church Slavonic. When you come across an incomprehensible moment or word, you can watch it in Russian.

After the baptism of the child, you need to try as soon as possible so that the baby also proceeds to the sacrament of Holy Communion.

Being a godmother means taking responsibility for the baby, playing a big role in his life. Mother before God is a spiritual mentor. Her duties are very significant and numerous, and all of them relate to the spiritual development of the child and his initiation into the church.

The ritual of baptism is sacred. After the baby is immersed in the font, the clergyman hands him over to the godparents. And, passing the baby, he at the same time lays on them the responsibility to take care of the spiritual education of his godson.

During baptism, a spiritual relationship is established between the godson and godparents (they are called godparents). Not every woman is suitable for this role. There are certain requirements for selection. The godmother of the baby cannot become the godmother, the same applies to the adoptive mother. Moreover, godparents cannot be married to each other.

At present, the traditional duties of baptism are somewhat distorted. But the godmother is a mother before God. It is important for her not only to fully take care of the child during the christening, but to educate him, engage in spiritual development and introduce him to the church after. And most importantly, take on the role of parents if something happens to them.

In order for the ceremony to take place according to traditions, it is necessary that the recipient meets certain requirements:

Often there were cases when communion to the church occurred after participation in the ceremony. The main thing when choosing a godmother is to give preference to a person who will feel responsible and will take both the sacrament of baptism and the subsequent spiritual upbringing of the baby with all seriousness.

Today, any baptized girl who is chosen among relatives or close friends can become a godparent. As practice shows, the mother usually chooses the godmother.

What must a godmother do?

The duties of the godmother are clearly defined, therefore, based on church charters, she must:

• pray for the spiritual development and health of the baby;
• to introduce the child to the church, attend it together, as they grow older, acquaint them with Orthodox traditions, take them to the temple of God and be a real mentor;
• providing support, assistance;
• to be a good example, that is, it should embody the ideal of an Orthodox believing woman, capable of directing her towards pious deeds.

The duties of the godmother include explaining what the Bible is, reading it, explaining the meaning of religious rites, holidays and traditions. The presence of one's own children, younger sisters and brothers, as well as nephews should not become an obstacle to taking care of the godson.

What do you need for a christening

Baptism is a significant event that symbolizes the birth of a child. It is believed that its fulfillment helps the life of the baby to be sinless, pious.

The recipients pick up the baby immediately from the font when he is clean, devoid of sinful thoughts and deeds, when original sin is removed from him. After dipping, the baby is dressed in a ritual shirt (kryzhma) and put on a cross around his neck .

In the time of our ancestors, the purchase of a cross was carried out by the godfather, but the woman brought the kryzhma. Today, this tradition is somewhat broken, and sometimes all the important attributes are acquired by the parents themselves.

Since at present the christening cap in its true form is a rare find, its analogues can be a shirt, an openwork diaper or a towel, always new, which have not yet been washed before.

What a child's spiritual mentor should know

Preparation must be done in advance. At the same time, knowledge of the prayers that will be required at baptism is mandatory. In addition, one must understand their meaning and the meaning of the sacrament itself. Although at present, few people memorize prayers by heart, and during the ceremony, those present simply repeat the words after the clergyman or read from the sheet.

Note! Regardless of the fact that now for many this is just a formality, a woman who makes efforts to live according to the commandments should become a godmother.

It is important to know several prayers:

• "Our Father";
• "King of Heaven";
• "Virgin Mother of God, rejoice."

It is also very important to read the Creed. Prayers reflect the essence of the Orthodox Christian faith. Ideally, everyone present should know them. Although now it is a rarity.

To better understand the need for knowledge of prayers, it is worth noting that the first "Our Father" is a direct appeal to the first who stands in the Holy Trinity - the Father. Christians believe that people learned this prayer thanks to their Savior. "Our Father" is the personification of the desire for life, which is so pleasing to the Lord God, as well as the hope for his favor and care for every mortal.

“King of Heaven” is an appeal to the Holy Spirit, who, during the sacrament, invisibly cleanses the soul of an infant from sins, gives him the strength to overcome any obstacles that may arise on the path to salvation, and the strength to bear his life's cross.

“Hail Virgin Mary,” or “Ave Maria,” as it sounds in Latin, is a greeting to the Blessed Virgin. With this prayer, the Archangel sent by God greeted the Virgin Mary. By reading “Virgin Mother of God, Rejoice,” we show her respect.

As for the Creed, these are the main dogmatic provisions of Orthodoxy that are needed for christening. Since the baby is not yet able to pronounce the Symbol and answer to the clergyman, his sponsors do this for him. Actually, in the future they should teach their godson this.

In our time, raising a child in the traditions of Orthodoxy is a very hard work, which is simply impossible to master on your own. You need to pray to God that he help and send down strength, as well as understand and thank him.

Rules for the godmother

To begin with, you need to come to church several times to talk with the catechist. This is followed by the purchase of everything necessary, since after dipping the baby must be wrapped in new clean clothes. Before baptizing the baby, the woman chosen for this important role must confess and take communion. In addition, there are a number of rules that are also required to be followed.

As already mentioned, she must be baptized. And not necessarily the rite is performed in infancy. In some cases, this may occur already at a more conscious age. The main thing is that the decision to come to faith be deliberate and sincere.

Attention! Representatives of another faith cannot be recipients. During the sacrament, participants are required to have their own cross on their chest.

But as for the birth parents, they can profess a different faith or even be atheists, although such situations are extremely rare. The Church welcomes the choice of relatives as recipients, since these ties are the strongest and break much less often when compared with friendships.

Useful video: all about godparents: theory and practice

The duties of a godmother at the baptism of a girl and a boy

When a girl passes the ceremony, the spiritual mother must be present, while, as for the godfather, he can be present in absentia. Mom bears great responsibility for the girl and represents her spiritual mentor.

Responsibilities of a godmother at baptism:

1. Some time before the sacrament, he reads a prayer for a child, as well as the Creed.
2. She must enter the church with her head covered with a scarf and in a long, modest dress.
3. After dipping the baby in the font, first of all, he takes the goddaughter in his arms and puts on her white clothes, symbolizing purity and innocence.
4. While walking around the font, following the priest, who reads prayers for the child, he holds the baby in his arms.

When a boy is ordained into the faith, a big role is already given not to the godmother, but to the godfather. He has the primary responsibility for baptism.

It is believed that for a boy it is a man who will later be a spiritual mentor and answer to God for the deeds of his godson. The godmother at this time performs the same functions as for the girl, except that after immersion in the font, the child is given into the arms of the godfather.

At present, the rules of baptism are observed by a few, although this ceremony is performed by most Christians. And at the same time, many greatly simplify the duties of the godmother, reducing it only to participation in the sacrament. But those who honor church traditions will definitely choose such a recipient who is strong in faith and will be able to fulfill everything that is required of her.

In contact with

Having decided to baptize their daughter, they decided for a long time with the godmother, in the end they offered me this role. There are no godchildren, I don’t know what to do, so I turned to the priest from the church where they were going to conduct baptism for advice. In the article I will share my new knowledge and experience gained, I will tell you why children need godparents, who they are and why they may not be at the baptism of adults, what happens during the sacrament and what are the duties of the godmother and father.

As a rule, children are baptized at an early age, when they do not understand the importance of the process. The sacrament of Baptism involves the spiritual birth of a person, the cleansing of his soul from sins, a symbol of repentance and faith. Since there is no need to wait for the last two moments from the kids, godparents are appointed at Baptism, who are responsible for the Orthodox upbringing of the child, instilling in him moral, spiritual standards and teaching the basics of faith.

The choice of a godfather and mother of a baby or baby is necessary with all responsibility, but we will talk about this another time.

Is it necessary to have a godmother and godmother for an adult

All the same clergyman shared the established practice: most often, the baptism of an adult occurs without the presence of godparents, because only children are required to have a godmother and godfather. Baptized adults can independently answer the confessor whether they accept Jesus as the Savior, whether they want to be baptized, whether they promise their fidelity to the Lord. Naturally, the presence of a mentor next to the newly converted Orthodox makes the path to faith easier and clearer, helps to quickly get used to the church and learn the rules, but this is not necessary.

What should a godmother and godfather do

Agreeing to the role of godparents, many sincerely believe that the matter is limited to a couple of gifts for Birthday and New Year. Seeing a child, paying attention to him and giving gifts is, of course, wonderful, but the scope of duties is much wider. And, since we are talking about gifts, it is better that they have an Orthodox meaning (children's Bible, for example).

From the point of view of the Church, godparents have the following responsibilities:

• Prayer. Godparents should daily offer a prayer for the godson or goddaughter, turning to the Lord with requests for health and well-being. With the age of the child, it is necessary to teach prayers or turning to the Lord in your own words, to instill a desire to communicate with Him.
• Morality education. Since children do not heed words, but repeat deeds, one should instill in the godson or goddaughter love for all things, kindness, mercy, cultivating Christian virtues by one's own positive example.
• Teaching the basics of faith. The child must learn the basics of religion with the participation of godparents. Lack of knowledge? Fill in the gaps. An important aspect is visiting Orthodox churches with the child, communion.
• Make time for your godson (goddaughter). New parents do not always have enough time, so it's okay if you take on some of the worries.

The sacrament of Baptism: how it all happens

As a person who has experience in this matter, I tell you what to expect so that what is happening is not a surprise for you.

Getting ready for the ceremony

Today, baptism is performed in churches, with the exception of sick children who are baptized at home or even in hospitals.

To get started, select the temple in which the child will be baptized. Take a walk through the churches, contact the priest or novices to find out about the features of the procedure in each and decide on the date. So, for example, baptism can be performed in the church itself or in a baptismal room - a separate special room at the church. The ceremony can be pompous and pompous, or it can be modest and quiet.

Appearance of godparents

When that day comes, every detail is important, including the appearance of future godparents.

• Be sure to wear pectoral crosses consecrated by the church.
• For those who are not too familiar with church traditions, I remind you that a woman should have a headscarf or scarf on her head.
• You should wear a dress in which the shoulders will be covered, or a skirt longer than the knee. This rule does not apply to babies.
• You should not wear a heel solely for practical reasons (the ceremony takes a long time, you will get tired).
• Lips in women should not be made up.
• There are no clear rules regarding the appearance of men, but you should understand where and why you are going, that is, shorts and a low-cut T-shirt will be inappropriate.

How it all happens

Before performing the ceremony, the priest, going around the room, prays three times, after which he asks to face the west (it is considered the direction of the unclean abode).

When a girl or boy is baptized, the godparents are always next to the priest conducting the ceremony. One of them is holding a child.

I have already spoken about the questions that are asked three times to the person being baptized, but little children cannot answer them, and this burden falls on the shoulders of the godparents. After completing the Q&A, the godparents should read the Article of Faith, which summarizes the foundations of the faith.

The clergyman sanctifies water, oil and chrismates the person being baptized, as a symbol of acceptance into the ranks of Orthodox Christians. The kid or baby gets a name and ends up in the consecrated water three times, from where he is taken by godparents.

If the ceremony is performed in the cold season or the temperature in the room does not allow the child to be completely naked, prepare the arms and legs for dipping.

Summing up

The role of a godfather or mother of a child is not fun, but a serious obligation to the Lord, as you promise to bring the baby (baby) to Him. This is precisely the main task of godparents: to teach the basics of faith, instill love for God and teach to be a real person, decent and spiritually rich.

Godparents' prayers for their godchildren

☝ When should a child be baptized?

According to church rites, a child is baptized on the 8th or 40th day from birth. On the 8th day, according to the customs of the Old Testament, the child was given a name. And on the 40th day, because by this time women usually stop postpartum discharge and she is allowed to enter the church. In real life, parents themselves choose when to baptize a baby.

The advice of experienced mothers says that it is better to baptize a child in the first months of life, when he still cannot appreciate what is happening, he will not be able to be afraid of an unfamiliar environment and church ministers. At 2-3 years old, it will be difficult for you to keep the attention of the child and himself in one place.

☝ How to choose godparents?

The godparents are entrusted with the responsible mission of the spiritual upbringing of the godson. Therefore, godparents should be of the same faith into which the child is baptized, and it is important to choose believers who are close to parents and people whom the child would like to be like and who would like to imitate as godparents. In fact, one person can be a godfather. For girls, this is the godmother, and for boys, the godfather. It has been so since ancient times. But over time, drawing an analogy with an incomplete family (when there is only a mother or only a father), there were two godparents.

☝ Whom does the Church not bless to be godparents?

Godparents cannot be non-Orthodox, minors, monks and nuns, husband and wife of one child, as well as persons of low morals. From whose side the godparents are - it does not matter, they may not be relatives. The main thing is that the baby knows these people, because during the ceremony it will be the godparents who will hold him in his arms.

Godparents cannot be husband and wife, and also cannot become them in the future, since the spiritual ties with which the church binds them at the time of baptism are higher, i.e. godparents are forbidden to have intimate relations with each other.

☝ Duties of godparents

Intending to become godparents, we most often do not know what responsibility we take on and what duties the Church entrusts to us. Often, having baptized a child, we see him once a year, on his birthday. And we don’t even understand that for a baptized person, not a birthday, but a name day is much more important.

But visiting a godson and giving gifts for an angel's day or a birthday is, of course, good. However, it is far from the most important thing. Caring for a growing godson includes many things.

First of all, this is a prayer for him. Learn to turn to God once a day - before going to bed. It's actually not difficult at all. Ask the Lord for health, salvation, help in raising your own children, the well-being of godchildren and relatives. It will be useful to master the path to the temple together with the baby, to bring him to communion on a church holiday.

The godfather promises God that he will bring the godson to Him. About what the godfather did for this, he will answer at the Last Judgment.

If the parents are responsible for the upbringing of the child as a whole, then the godparents take care of its spiritual component. Helping parents to carry or take a child to church and give him communion, instruct him in matters of faith are the duties of godparents.

☝ Now about the "earthly"

So, when behind the comprehension of the moral aspect of this event and the process of realizing whether you are ready to play the role of a spiritual parent, a number of “earthly” questions arise before you, and one of the most important ones is what to wear for christening and what clothes to buy for your godson (goddaughter)?

And the point is not at all that you, being a woman, want to be at your best everywhere and look your best, but that you understand where you are going and what event you are going to and want to look appropriate and not defiant in church. I was present at four christenings, I saw everything ... And believe me, I was even ashamed of those women who reacted irresponsibly to this event.

☝ Here are some important points for going to church, dear future godparents!

✔ First, be sure to put on a cross (in order to baptize someone, you yourself must be baptized). Cover your head with a scarf or scarf (it doesn’t matter), choose a scarf from such a fabric that it does not slip through your hair or tie it very well - during baptism, most of the time it is the godmother who holds the child in her arms and it is very inconvenient to constantly adjust the headdress.

✔ Secondly, no one is against makeup, but it’s better not to paint your lips - you still have to wipe them. The thing is that in the process of baptizing a child, you need to kiss the cross and it is absolutely unacceptable for a woman to have painted lips.

✔ Thirdly, wear a skirt or dress at least to the knees. The top should cover the chest well and preferably the shoulders.

For the child you will be baptizing, you must purchase new, light-colored clothes. It is best if the color is white. For a girl, a simple dress is suitable. It is convenient when the arms and legs are bare in the outfit, as the Father will spread them.

Although if the baby is very small, most likely you will be asked to undress him “down to the diaper” and wrap him up to the roof (a spacious white towel or diaper). Kryzhma is also bought by the godmother. There was a time when the role of the kryzhma was played by the shirt in which the father of the child was crowned (in the time of our great-grandfathers and great-grandmothers).

Keeping these subtleties in clothes is not so difficult, is it?

We wish you and your godchildren that the day of baptism becomes one of your most important holidays and that you remember it for the rest of your life!

🙏 Prayer to the Lord for children and godchildren

God, our merciful and heavenly Father!

Have mercy on our children (names) and godchildren (names), for whom we humbly pray

You and whom we commit to Your care and protection.

Put strong faith in them, teach them to revere You and honor them strongly

love You, our Creator and Savior.

Guide them, O God, on the path of truth and goodness, so that they do everything

for the glory of Your name.

Teach them to live piously and virtuously, to be good Christians

and helpful people.

Give them health of mind and body and success in their labors.

Deliver them from the cunning machinations of the devil, from numerous temptations, from bad

passions and from all wicked and disorderly people.

For the sake of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, through the prayers of His Most Pure

Mother and all the saints, bring them to the quiet haven of Your eternal Kingdom, so that they

with all the righteous always gave thanks to you with your only begotten Son and

by your life-giving Spirit. Amen.

🙏 Prayer for children and godchildren, Father John (Krestyankin)

Sweetest Jesus! God of my heart!

You gave me children according to the flesh, they are Yours according to your soul.

You have redeemed both my soul and theirs with Your priceless Blood.

For the sake of Your Divine Blood, I implore You, my sweetest Savior,

by Your grace, touch the hearts of my children (names) and my godchildren (names),

protect them with Thy Divine fear, keep them from evil inclinations and

habits, direct them to the bright path of life, truth and goodness.

Decorate their lives with everything good and saving, arrange their fate as

You yourself want and save their souls with their own fates!

Lord God of our fathers! To my children (names) and godchildren (names)

give me a right heart to keep your commandments,

Thy testimonies and Thy statutes. And do it all! Amen.

CLUB parents

🙏 Prayer to the Lord God, compiled by St. Ambrose of Optina:

Lord, You alone are all weight, all you can and all you want to be saved

and come to the mind of Truth. Enlighten my children (names) with knowledge

Thy truth and Thy holy will, strengthen them to walk in

Thy commandments, and have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen.

🙏 Merciful Lord, Jesus Christ, I entrust my children to You,

which You have given me, fulfill my prayer.

I ask You, Lord, save them in ways that You Yourself know.

Save them from vices, evil, pride, and let nothing touch their souls,

contrary to you. But give them faith, love and hope for salvation,

and may their life path be holy and blameless before God.

Bless them, Lord, may they strive every minute

your life to fulfill your holy will, so that you,

Lord, could always be with them by Your Holy Spirit.

Lord, teach them to pray to You, so that prayer may be for them

support, joy in sorrows and the consolation of their lives, and so that

we, their parents, were also saved by their prayer.

May your angels always keep them.

May my children be sensitive to the grief of their neighbors,

and may they fulfill Your commandment of love.

And if they sin, then vouchsafe them, Lord, to bring repentance to You,

and You, in Your unspeakable mercy, forgive them.

When their earthly life ends, then take them into

Their Heavenly Abodes, where let them lead with them and

other servants of Your chosen ones.

With the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother Theotokos

and Ever-Virgin Mary and Your saints (all holy families are listed),

Lord, have mercy on us, for thou art most glorified

with Your Beginningless Son and with the Most Holy and Good and Life-Giving

By Your Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever. Amen.