Holy Baptism is the first of the Sacraments of the Holy Church, after which we become members of the Church of Christ, and prepared for receiving the other Holy Sacraments.

The mystery of Holy Baptism was established by the Saviour Jesus Christ through the words: “Go, teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28, 19). The Saviour also tells us about the importance of this Holy Sacrament: “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he will not be able to enter the kingdom of God.” (John 3, 5)

The baptism in the Jordan water by Saint John the Baptist only imagined the cleansing of sins through faith and repentance: “I baptize you with water to repentance, but He who comes after me is stronger than I; I am not worthy to bring His shoes. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Matthew 3, 11).

The visible part of the Holy Baptism is the thrice immersion in the holy water of the one who is baptized, with the words: “The servant of God (N) is baptized in the name of the Father, Amen, and Son, Amen, and Holy Spirit. , Amen; And forever and ever, Amen. ”

In the Orthodox Church we baptize by immersion, not by pouring or by splashing, because the word itself, baptism, has the meaning of “sink”. In the form of pouring or splashing, it is performed only in very special circumstances, when someone is seriously ill or when not enough water is available. The water used for the Sacrament of the Holy Baptism must be natural, clean, unmixed.

The effects of receiving the Holy Baptism are the forgiveness of original sin and of all the sins committed before Baptism in the situation of those who are baptized later, rebirth or birth to a new spiritual life, of purity and holiness. Also, the baptized person is now among the members of the Church, being able to benefit of all the other Holy Sacraments and the spiritual goods that the Holy Church bestows on its members.

Baptism wipes away guilt and the punishment for sins, but it does not destroy the consequences of the ancestral sin, such as the weakness of the will and the inclination to evil, lust of the heart, suffering, disease and death.

The celebrants of the Holy Baptism are the bishops and the priests, because our Saviour Jesus Christ has entrusted them with the power to perform the Holy Sacraments. Only in case of necessity, a deacon can baptize and, and in very special cases, a simple Christian or faithful can do this, carefully saying the words that show the service is done in the name of the Holy Trinity. If the baptized person is alive, the priest should be called to read the prayers of the Baptism Sacrament, and to administer the Holy Chrismation and the Holy Communion.

The recipients of the Sacrament of the Holy Baptism are all unbaptized, of whatever age they are.

As for the fact that the infants cannot confess their Christian faith, the Church uses of a guarantor in the person of the godparent, who confess the Christian faith by reciting the Creed, and who assume the duty to raise his spiritual child in the faith of the Church.

The Baptism can be performed to infants on the basis of their godparent’s faith. Our Saviour healed Capernaum’s centurion’s servant for his master’s faith, healed the daughter of a Canaanite woman for his mother’s faith, and raised Iair’s daughter for his father’s faith and the Nain’s widow’s son for his mother’s faith.

In order to make the confession of faith, the godparent is required to be a good standing member of the Orthodox Christian Church, and to be older. The natural parents of the baby cannot be godparents.

The godparent has the duty to take care of the spiritual life of his spiritual child, teaching him, in due time, the truths of our righteous faith, to make him a good believer, a healthy member of the Holy Church. The child has to return obedience and respect to the godparent, just as he listens to his natural parents.

There is a Baptism of martyrdom or blood (Matthew 10, 32; 16, 25), known in the early Christian ages through the martyrical death, in persecution, for our Saviour Jesus Christ. The holy parents count it the same as the Baptism from the water and from the Spirit, and even more precious than this (Saint Gregory the Theologian).

We also know the Baptism of the desire that consists in the burning desire of someone to become a member of the Holy Church, leading a life of repentance and virtue. If for some reason, without his will, he does not get to receive the Baptism by water and the Spirit, he is counted baptized with the Baptism of desire.

The Sacrament of the Holy Baptism does not repeat. “There is a Lord, a faith, a baptism” (Ephesians 4, 5). “I confess a baptism for the forgiveness of sins”, says the one who receives the Holy Sacrament of Baptism (Art. 10 of the Symbol of Faith). Indeed, just as one is born only once, so the spiritual birth can be only one. Only if a baby has been found, not being sure whether he was baptized, then he is conditionally baptized, if he has not been baptized. Therefore, a second baptism is not performed here either.

The baptism is performed in the porch or pronaos of the church. The Baptism is not allowed in houses or private chapels. Only in very rare and extraordinary situations, due to great cold, danger of death for the child, the baptism is allowed in homes.

For the baptism of a person there are no fixed days or times, excluding as much as possible the possibility to remain unbaptized. If the baby is ill and there are fears that he will not live, he may be baptized immediately after birth. If not, the baptism is usually done eight days after the birth of the baby or on any holiday, after the Holy Liturgy.

Important moments before Baptism

• After the birth of the baby, the midwife (or someone of the house) brings to the church in a jar clean water for sanctification, and the priest sanctifies it. The house and the baby are blessed with the holy water. This day we praise God and thank Him for the baby being born into the world. Also, the priest and the family pray for the baby to live and to receive the baptism.
• At eight days the priest goes to the house where the baby was born, and bless it with the sign of the cross, then marks the baby with holy water on the forehead for the mind, at the mouth for the word and the breath, and at the heart, where our life is flowing, for power, saying: “It was the hands of the Lord who made and fashioned you”.
• Also on the eighth day, is given the name of the baby through a special prayer.

The service at the church

• Before the baptism service (when the child is brought to church for baptism) the exorcisms are read (three prayers in which the priest prays to God to remove from the person all the evil power of the devil), the rejections (during which the godparent, holding the child in his arms, is turned to Sunset – the dwelling place of the evil one – and spit toward three times, signifying that he is rejecting the devil and his works) and the union with Christ (during which the godparent, holding the child in his arms, turns to Sunrise and confesses the union with Christ);
• Sanctification of water for baptism (water is the most commonly used natural element for body cleansing and, therefore, the most appropriate symbol of spiritual cleansing);
• The anointing of one who is baptized with holy oil (the sign of divine mercy and kindness, by which the one who is baptized is saved from the bane of sins) on the forehead, chest, hands and feet;
• The immersion of the child (the most important part of the baptism); by sinking in water, is imagined the death and burial with Christ; by coming out of the water, is imagined the resurrection with Christ; the fountain and the water of the baptism are tomb and spiritual mother; they symbolize the water of the Jordan and the tomb in which our Saviour was buried;
• The anointing with the Holy and the Great Myrrh (the second sacrament that is given to the baby after baptism) is the sign of the real sharing of the gifts of the Holy Spirit: on the forehead, eyes, nostrils, mouth and ears – for the sanctification of the senses, on the chest and on the back – for the sanctification of the heart and of the will, at the hands and at the feet – for the sanctification of the Christian deeds and ways.
• Surrounding the table and the fountain is the expression of the joy of the Church for acquiring a new member;
• The trimming of the new baptized, symbol of sacrifice;
• Receiving the Holy Communion (the third sacrament to be administered).

What is needed for the service

• 1 × 1m white cloth, in which the baby will be wrapped after baptism and which depicts the light and unsightly garment of those washed and cleansed of sins;
• Cloth strip 1mx5cm;
• A candle;
• A bottle of oil;
• A bottle of sweet red wine;
• A soap;
• White towels;
• The birth document of the child.

To remember! Everyone who attends the service must have a decent attire and participate in prayer at all times.