Who can be godparents for a boy and a girl. Who can be a godparent

According to the custom of the Russian Orthodox Church, one godfather of the same sex is enough for the baptism of a child, for a girl - a godmother, for a boy - a godfather. But at the request of the parents, there can be two godparents. The godfather of the font will be the godfather of the same sex with the child, and the duties of godparents will be divided in half.

When choosing a godfather for your son, you should think seriously: how do you want to see your child in the future, what masculine character traits to develop in him over time, and in general, what is behind the words “to be a Christian” for you? The godfather can provide invaluable assistance in raising a son. It is important to remember that the godfather and the godson must trust each other, be friends. Experienced priests advise choosing godparents who successfully raise their own children.

A good godfather has a lot to learn, but he himself knows how and loves to teach. Remember that the godfather is called to help in the Christian upbringing of the child, and not just to support the family in different situations. Ideally, the godfather should be an example for the whole family - in faith, honesty, kindness. Another important circumstance is that it is desirable that the godfather should not be a novice in the church, he should understand well the meaning of church life, know and love the services in the church.

Spiritual kinship is a strong connection between two souls for life. By finding a worthy godfather for your child, you will give him an invaluable gift that he will appreciate when he becomes an adult.

What do you need to prepare the godfather for the rite of Baptism

The godfather chooses in advance and buys for the future godson a pectoral cross, a chain for it, or a cord for a baby. Also, ahead of time it is worth taking care of purchasing the baptismal icon of the Guardian Angel. It is also customary to give for Baptism an icon of the patron saint of the child, in whose honor the name is given in baptism. It can be bought, by agreement, by the child's parents or godparents.

Godparents can order for a child on the day of Epiphany a measured icon - an icon of the patron saint, the length of which is equal to the height of the child at birth. A measured icon is a valuable gift and a special blessing from godparents at christening.

Traditionally, the godmother buys the christening clothes - a shirt and a diaper with a cross. In the case when the boy has one godfather, baptismal accessories can be chosen together with the baby's mother - the mother always knows better what is best for the child. For the baptism of a boy, you will need a white shirt and a christening diaper or a large, white, new towel, in which the godson is taken from the font. As a gift to the godson's family, you can present any icons. If there are no icons at all in the apartment of young parents, then it will be very good if the godfather gives them the main holy images that should be in the house of every believer - the icons of the Savior and the Mother of God.

The care of the godfather is to give the child a Children's Bible. This can be done on the day of Epiphany or during the first year of the baby's life, by any holiday date. A good gift for christening would be any spiritual literature for family reading, as well as a prayer book with prayers for children, in a good, leather binding, gift edition.

When preparing for Baptism, you will need to talk with the priest and find out what else is needed to perform the ceremony in the church - how many candles are needed, what icons can be put on the lectern, etc. All this is worth knowing in advance so as not to fuss and waste time in solemn day. The duties of the godfather also include paying for the rite of baptism in the temple.

What should godfathers do during the sacrament of baptism

During the rite of baptism, the godfather holds the child in his arms, if it is an infant, starting from about two years old, the children stand on their own, in front of the godfather, while reading prayers.

After the vows of denial from the evil forces that the godfather gives for the child, the Creed prayer is read. This prayer is read by heart by the godfather, as a sign of confession of faith and guarantee for the baby.

Before immersion in the font, the godfather releases the child from the diapers, or helps the baby to take off his clothes, and hands him over to the priest for immersion. The godfather takes the child from the font into the white baptismal linen, in the old days called "rozka" or "kryzhma". The priest, with the help of the godfather, dresses the newly baptized in a white christening shirt. At the end of the sacrament, the godfather with a child in his arms goes around the lectern three times, the Gospel is read, the ceremony of cutting the hair is performed, as a sign of the godson's surrender to the will of God.

Personal preparation for the christening for the godfather

According to the rules of the Russian Orthodox Church, the godparents and parents of the child must attend a mandatory course of catechumens before baptism. Each temple has its own procedure for holding catechumens. You can find out about this at the candlestick when signing up for baptism.

Baptism is the great sacrament of the Orthodox Church. It is necessary to prepare for it by fasting, confession and communion in order to participate in the sacrament with a renewed and pure soul. You can take communion at the Sunday service, on the eve of baptism. In many churches, it is customary for children to be baptized on Sundays, after the Liturgy.

If you are participating in the sacrament of Baptism for the first time, you need to get acquainted with the rites of the sacrament - what sacred actions and prayers are performed and in what order, what the godfather has to do during the ceremony. You can talk about this with the priest during catechumens or personally, in the temple.

Responsibilities of a godfather

The main thing is to be an example of worthy male behavior. To do this, it is necessary to communicate more often with the godson, when he grows up, to talk on various topics. Christian upbringing assumes that the godparents will periodically go to church with the child, explain in an accessible language the essence of what is happening in the church, and make sure that the godson regularly confesses and takes communion.

You need to be ready to help with advice to parents in any difficult situation, and if necessary - financially. When the child becomes a schoolboy, godparents enroll him in Sunday school.

In old Russia, there was a custom according to which it was the godparents who were engaged in choosing an educational institution for the child, and then they helped in arranging their personal life.

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Ever since ancient Russia, a tradition has appeared in our country to baptize children, while not giving them the opportunity to choose another faith.

Thus, in Russia, the majority of citizens adhere to the Orthodox faith.

In order to baptize a child, it is necessary to choose godparents. And the Orthodox Church strictly sets the requirements for who can be godparents, so it is important to know and follow these rules.

The sacrament itself is performed directly in the church. There are no age restrictions for entering Orthodoxy, so this rite can be performed by a person at any age.

But according to Russian customs, parents of newborns try to baptize their children in the first year of life. Thus, they provide their baby under the protection of the Almighty.

The godparents must be present during the baptismal ceremony. They are considered to be people who are in spiritual closeness with the godson. They should be the mentors of the child in the future.

At the same time, it is considered that it is not at all necessary that there are two parents. One is enough, but at the same time, for boys, there must be a godfather, and for girls, a godmother.

The presence of natural parents in the church is not necessary, but if the child is small, then it will be much calmer for him to be close to his relatives in an unfamiliar place.

During the process of baptism, the godparent must hold the child and stay with him at all times. If the baby is small, then he is completely dipped in holy water.

If a person is already an adult, then he simply has to dip his head three times in holy water. After bathing the child, the godparent must pick up, dry and put on new clothes.

Before choosing godparents for your child, as well as agreeing to become a godfather for someone, it is important to understand the very essence of this ceremony and your further duties towards the godson.

You can’t just attend the ceremony, and then forget about the responsibility to the child, which is entrusted by faith.

Baptism itself is called the second birth of a person. At this moment, his spiritual world is born. Since faith implies that after death the life of the soul does not end, then being in the human body, it should not accumulate sins in itself.

That is why the church imposes the following duties on godparents:

The problem of many families in the modern world is that their children go through the rite of baptism, but in fact they do not see the embodiment of Christian ideas in the family.

If the family is not attached to the faith, and even more so if the basic commandments are violated, it will be much more difficult for the child to perceive life in accordance with these commandments.

Most churches now do not perform the rite of baptism until the godparents have completed special courses.

This measure was created so that people realize the full responsibility of this step and be able to refuse before they enter into their duties to the Almighty.

After completing the courses, people become really ready for the sacrament, and they understand what they must do after baptism throughout their lives.

Knowing all the duties assigned to the godparents, you need to choose those people who are most suitable for their performance.

But it is also important to consider certain points:

1. The religion of the godparents themselves.
2. Family connection with the future godson.
3. The relationship between the godparents themselves.
4. Special periods for women.
5. The age of the godparents.

To take into account these features, you need to know who cannot be godparents according to church laws.:

Also, the question often arises as to whether it is possible to be pregnant at the sacrament of baptism? The Church does not forbid entry to women who carry a child under their hearts, and also does not put a ban on becoming a godmother.

Knowing all these features, as well as your close circle of friends and relatives, it can be quite difficult to choose someone.

Very often it turns out that among the possible options for godparents are the same people for many relatives and friends.

Therefore, it turns out that the same person is often offered to become a godfather several times with different children.

And there are two main questions:

That is why the godparent courses now organized by many churches are important. Because, despite the fact that in 2019 it is becoming more and more fashionable to baptize a child, as well as appoint influential godparents to him, the most important thing is forgotten, this is the essence of baptism itself.

The financial status of the appointed godparent is not so important, but his lifestyle, which must comply with biblical covenants.

The godparent should be a spiritual mentor and with all his example show his godson how to live and what spiritual principles must be observed in any situation.

It is also important to know that you cannot change godparents after performing the rite of baptism.. The chosen parents become them for life. Sometimes it also happens that after baptism, the godparent greatly changed his lifestyle for the worse.

But in this case, the godson himself and his parents should pray for the godparent's deliverance from sins and try to put him on the right path.

No one has the right to refuse such a godparent. Rebaptism is not possible. Therefore, it is very important to choose reliable godparents for your children.

However, in cases where the godparent renounced Orthodoxy, adopted a different faith, or became an atheist, then such a sacred union will be considered terminated.

Similarly, one can regard those cases when the godparent descended to the most forbidden sins, which are prohibited by the Testaments.

In this case, it is understood that this person does not want to live according to the precepts of the Bible, and also does not want to be an example for his godson.

In this case, the natural parents may ask other godly people to take care of the spiritual way of life of their child. This situation must be reported to the holy father before the rite itself is performed.

Many godparents like to pamper their godchildren with expensive gifts in order to win their favor and bring them closer spiritually.

But you need to understand that this is not the purpose of godparents. Not according to the size of the wallet, parents should choose godparents.

The best gifts that the church mentions are:

This is what godparents' gifts to their godchildren should look like. But besides this, the church does not prohibit giving other gifts that will delight the child. But still, the main emphasis should be placed on the spiritual education of the godson.

It is also believed that the most important date for giving is the name day of the godson's guardian angel. During the sacrament of baptism, a person who accepts Orthodoxy receives a middle name.

It may coincide with his real name, if this name is in the Orthodox book of names. And if the name is missing, then the child will be assigned a different name from this book.

Each such name has a name day. If the selected name has several dates during the year when name days are celebrated, the date closest to the Orthodox person's birthday is selected. It is on this date that godparents should bestow gifts on their godson.

Knowing all the nuances of the sacrament, as well as the requirements of the church for godparents, it is important to take a very responsible approach to choosing a godparent.

It is better to make him a responsible relative than an influential family friend.. Because financial values ​​in this case are not as important as spiritual ones.

Video: Godparents. The duties of a godfather. Baptism in the church

The sacrament of baptism is a great event in the life of every person, and especially for a child. All the obligations that the sponsors take on before God are very serious and responsible. That's why (this is very important) godparents, duties who are in the understanding of this responsibility, must convey to their godfather all the knowledge about the saving Sacraments of the Church, such as Confession and Communion, and also convey knowledge about the meaning of worship. The duties of godparents also include the transfer of knowledge about the meaning of the church calendar, about the miracles of church icons and other shrines.

Responsibilities of godparents - how to do it right and what to do?

As soon as the child plunges into the font, from that moment on, the responsibility passes to the recipients. Now the "second" parents will have to attend church and services with the baby, teach
keep the church rules. But the main thing is to pray for your godson both in joy and in sorrow. Always be there for you in difficult times. What are the main responsibilities of godparents at baptism? Even from the font, they must convey to them or help them find a new life path. The godfather must buy a cross. The chain, as a rule, is not bought, since according to customs, the baby wears a cross on a string or ribbon. Just like every conscious believer, the recipients need to know the following prayers: "Our Father", "Symbol of Faith", "Our Lady of the Virgin"!

Parents, as well as the godson, must be ready for the sacrament of baptism. Recipients must know the basics of Orthodox teaching, as well as piously treat the rules of Christian piety. Such important events as Fasting, Confession and Communion for godparents are not strictly obligatory, but the believer must adhere to them. All this must be correctly conveyed to the godson. If he is a baby, then love for the church will be instilled from a conscious age. A very good sign will be the reading of the prayer of the Creed by one of the recipients. For the godson, the prayer is read by gender: for the girl - the godmother, for the boy - the father.

Before Baptism, it is advisable to confess, because it is important that not only thoughts are pure, but also the soul. There must be consecrated crosses on the body. Those invited must bring donations to the church. This is not necessary, but you should not neglect the customs.

Godparents should be aware of such responsibilities!

From this day on, the godchildren must protect the godson from all sorts of temptations and temptations. This is the most dangerous for children and adolescents. In the future, the godparent can help with choosing a profession. important will be advice when choosing a life partner. The Russian Church teaches that it is the chosen godparents who prepare the wedding for the godson. It is worth noting that even in case of physical suffering, godparents should provide assistance and this is done first of all, and brothers, sisters, grandparents help only later! A spiritual connection is stronger than a physical one!

The duties of godparents for a girl are no different from those for a boy. However, girls are given a little more attention, as they are taught humility and faith, which leads directly to submission. For a girl, the chosen godmother is the second closest person, because she can replace the physical mother. It is the responsibility of the mother to buy a kryzhma or rizka - this is a special towel in which the baby is wrapped after the font.

If godparents treat their duties lightly, then this becomes a grave sin of the soul. This is what will pass on the fate of the chosen godson. Do not become a successor if you cannot take such a big responsibility on yourself, you should not accept an invitation to a second godson. Physical parents should also not take rejection as a snub or insult. After all godparents duties must perform fully and with a pure soul.

Note that all people must be churched, otherwise: how can a godson go to church with a godfather? All major
the positions that should be instilled in the godson are love, humility, condescension, patience and continuous work in the spiritual upbringing of your baby - all this is the main duties of godparents! All this is also the main proof of the truth of Orthodoxy for the godson and for the godparents.

You can find out in advance how to behave correctly in the temple during the Sacrament of Baptism. Most importantly, you need to buy the right baptismal kit. If it is bought by one of the parents, then this will not be considered a mistake. Only the meaning of the reception itself is important, it is important to be present during the performance of the Sacrament. Of course, both parents must give their consent. Without godparents, baptism is performed only in special cases, for example, if the child's life could be in serious danger.

More about godparents

The sacrament of baptism relates a person to the One Apostolic Church. Orthodox teaching has its own specific doctrinal principles, from which it is impossible to deviate. That is why only people of the same faith can become guarantors of the godson. Recipients assume the responsibility to educate only the Orthodox faith. A person with other religions simply cannot do this.

As soon as the baptism takes place, the parents and the baby will become spiritually closer, become related. This is mandatory, godparents fulfill their duties to the fullest. And such spiritual kinship belongs to the first degree and is fully recognized by the church and its canons!

It is worth noting that such kinship becomes stronger than biological. Between themselves, these two concepts become practically incompatible. An important point is that parents who have adopted a child cannot become godparents for him. This is explained by the fact that they will acquire the closest relationship between themselves and will not be able to continue marital cohabitation.

Baptism is one of the most important events in the life of an Orthodox person. It is believed that he receives a certain pass to the Kingdom of God. This is the moment of the spiritual birth of a person, when his former sins are forgiven, and the soul is cleansed. Particular attention should be paid to the choice of godparents for the child, since they have an influence on the spiritual life and salvation of the believer. Therefore, the godfather, whose duties and responsibilities are in all of the above, must be worthy.

The role of the godfather in the life of a child

Now let's take a closer look at what role the godfather plays in Orthodoxy, whose duties are not only gifts for the holidays. The most important thing he must do is to help in the spiritual life of his godson. So, let's look at the responsibilities in order:

1. Set a good example for him with your life. This means that in the presence of the godson one should not drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes, and speak swear words. You have to be noble in your actions.
2. Prayers for your godson are obligatory, especially in difficult moments.
3. Visiting the temple with the child.
4. The spiritual upbringing of the godchild is obligatory (stories about God, teaching the Bible, etc.). If there are problems in life situations, then provide all possible assistance.
5. The duties of the godfather also include material support if necessary (if the parents have a difficult situation with money or work).

What do you need to know when choosing godparents?

So, how to choose a godfather, or a godfather? What should be guided? First, you should know that in the spiritual life of a child, the godfather of the same sex is most important (for a boy - a godfather, for a girl - a godmother). However, according to an established tradition, two are chosen as godfathers.

Of course, the decision on who will be the spiritual educator of the child throughout his life is made at the family council. If there are any difficulties in choosing, then consult with the priest or spiritual father. He will certainly suggest a suitable candidate, because this is a rather honorable duty.

It is very important that godparents do not get lost in life, so that they continue to spiritually nourish the child throughout life. Both the godmother and the godfather, whose duties and functions are described above, bear their responsibility before the Lord.

Based on all this, Christians who are over fourteen years of age are suitable for the role of spiritual parents. They take responsibility for the child's further spiritual life, praying for him, and then teaching him to live in the Lord.

Who cannot be a godmother?

When choosing a godfather or mother, you need to know who cannot be one for your child:

• Those who are going to become spouses in the future or already are such in the present.
• Baby's parents.
• Those who have taken monasticism.
• Unbaptized people or unbelievers in the Lord.
• You can not take as godparents people who have a mental illness.
• Those who profess a different faith.

All this should be considered before a godfather is chosen. His duties are quite extensive, so the person who agreed to be him should be clearly aware of everything.

Necessary items for the ceremony

You should tell in more detail about what items are needed for this ceremony:

• Kryzhma. This is a special towel on which a cross is embroidered or simply depicted. A child is wrapped in it during chrismation, and also when the prohibition prayers are read. Sometimes the name of the baby and the date of his baptism are embroidered on such a towel.
• Baptismal diaper. This is not exactly a necessary attribute, but should be when it's cold. This diaper wipes the baby after dipping into the font, and then again wrapped in kryzhma.
• Christening clothes. It can be a christening set (dress) for a girl or a special shirt for a boy. It is desirable that these clothes be purchased as a gift by the child's accomplice.
• It is necessary to have a pectoral cross with you for a future Christian. Usually it is acquired by the godfather. The baptismal obligations for him, of course, are not limited to this acquisition, but they will be described below.
• It is necessary to take an envelope for the cut hair of the baby with you.
• You should also purchase icons for the child and make a donation to the temple (this is an optional condition).

Is there any special preparation for the recipients before the ceremony?

You should also pay attention to the preparation for christening. The most correct step would be to turn to the confessor or priest for advice. However, you should know that it is usually necessary to confess and receive communion before the sacrament. Before that, you need to fast (the priest should tell you about the number of days). You may need additional actions, such as reading prayers, spiritual literature, etc. It is also advisable not to attend noisy parties, various entertainment establishments at this time, and refuse to watch TV. It is desirable to devote all free time to prayer.

If you are in the role of a godfather for the first time, then it is advisable to familiarize yourself with how the sacrament goes, what prayers are read, what order of hymns. This is necessary because when you become a spiritual guide for a little person, you need more than a formal presence. Sincere prayer is needed, which should not stop even after the completion of the sacrament, because this is the essence of the formation of the cross.

More details about what duties the godfather has during the performance of this rite will be described below.

Present

Considering the question of the duties of the godfather at christening, it should be said that on this day it is customary to give gifts, both to the baby and to the godfather. If desired, you can present a gift to parents.

It is appropriate for a child to give both an educational toy and something more important for spiritual life, such as a Bible for children with pictures. By the way, the gift can be agreed in advance with the parents, because something else may turn out to be more important at this moment.

There is one main gift that his godfather should present to the baby. The responsibilities at baptism are not only to hold the baby, but also to show the first example of honoring the Lord. After all, children understand everything from birth at the level of feelings. In addition to reading prayers, a pectoral cross, which is a baptismal one, becomes such a gift. It must be bought and donated by the receiver.

For parents, especially for the mother of the baby, a prayer book will be a good gift, where there will be the necessary prayers for the whole family.

How were christenings celebrated in ancient times?

Before, as now, christening was a very significant event in people's lives. This sacrament was performed necessarily no later than two months of the baby's birth, and sometimes even earlier, on the eighth day. This happened because there used to be a high mortality of babies, so it was very important for relatives to baptize the child before the irreparable happens, so that his soul goes to heaven.

The celebration of the introduction of a little man to the church was made with a large number of guests. This was especially noticeable in large villages. A lot of people gathered for such a holiday, who came with gifts and best wishes to the baby. At the same time, they brought mainly various pastries - kulebyaki, pies, pretzels. In the house where the little man lived, a magnificent table was laid for the guests, and there was practically no alcohol (there could only be red wine in very small quantities).

There were traditional holiday meals. For example, a rooster baked in porridge for a boy or a chicken for a girl. There were also a lot of figured pastries, which symbolized wealth, fertility, longevity.

It was customary to invite a midwife to the table, who received the baby. They could also call the priest, who performed the rite of baptism. During the festival, numerous songs were sung, thus wishing the child all the very best. They saw off all the guests, presenting each with sweets.

How is the baptism? Responsibilities of a godfather

Now let's look at how the ceremony itself goes, what should be done at this time and what duties each of those present has. In our time, this ordinance usually takes place on the fortieth day after birth. Parents or future godparents must go to the chosen temple in advance and sign up for the chosen date, as well as agree on the process itself. After all, you can conduct individual christenings or general.

The duties of the godfather at the baptism of a girl are one, a boy is different (although they differ slightly). If the child is not yet a year old and he cannot stand on his own, then he is kept in his arms all the time. The first half of the ceremony (before dipping into the font) the godmothers hold the boys, and the fathers hold the girls. After diving, everything changes. Since the father is the main thing for the boy, it is he who takes the baby into the roof, and the mother takes the girl. And so it goes until the end of the ceremony.

The service itself lasts about forty minutes (more time is required if there are a lot of people). It begins after the celebration of the liturgy. The celebration of the sacrament begins with the laying on of hands on the person being baptized and the reading of a special prayer. After that, one should renounce Satan and his works. Adults are responsible for a child who cannot speak.

The next step in the ceremony will be the blessing of the water in the font. Before immersing the person being baptized into it, he should be anointed with oil (back, chest, ears, forehead, legs and arms.) Only after that does immersion into the font take place. The priest reads prayers at the same time. This action symbolizes dying to the world and resurrection to the Lord. This is how the cleansing happens.

Then the child is handed over to the godfather, he is wrapped in kryzhma (as mentioned above, the boy is handed over to the father, and the girl to the mother). Now the baby is anointed with chrism.

So, now you know the duties of a godfather at the baptism of a boy and a girl. As you can see, they are slightly different.

Baptism at home

In addition to baptism in the temple, it will not be reprehensible to perform this sacrament at home, in the family circle. However, it is better to do it in the right place. This comes from the fact that after the baptism, the boys must be brought to the altar (the girls simply venerate the icons).

After the ceremony is completed, the little man becomes a full member of the church. This can be felt most strongly only in the temple. Therefore, home christening is possible only if the baby is unable to endure the rite in the church. They are also performed when the child is in mortal danger (illness, etc.). If the entire sacrament takes place at home, then the godfather has the same responsibilities for baptism as if the ceremony were performed in the temple.

New Christian Church Life

You should know that after baptism, a person's spiritual life only begins. The first acquaintance with church rules begins with the prayer of your mother and godmother. This is how, invisibly, the word of God is instilled in the child. And in the future, when he himself sees everything, you can slowly introduce him to family prayer, explaining its value.

Special mention should be made of baptismal accessories. Kryzhma and special clothing (if you purchased it) should be stored separately and not used in everyday life. A baptismal shirt (dress) can be worn at times of illness of the child (or simply wrapped in it). The icon that was used during the sacrament should be placed near the baby's bed or on the home iconostasis (if any). A candle is used on special occasions and is also kept for life.

The duties of a godfather at baptism are just beginning. In the future, when the child grows up, he will need to go to church with him, take communion and attend services. Of course, this can be done with parents, but it is better if it is a godfather. By the way, you need to take a child to the temple from an early age. It is there, in the bosom of the church, that he will be able to realize all the greatness of God. If he does not understand something, you need to patiently explain difficult points.

This is how habituation and a beneficial effect on the human soul occurs. Church hymns and prayers soothe and strengthen. Difficult questions may arise as you grow up. If godparents or parents cannot give answers to them, then it is better to turn to the priest.

Conclusion

So now you know what a godfather's responsibilities are. They need to be taken seriously from the very beginning, as soon as such an offer is made to you. If necessary, consult with the priest about what you should do for the baby, how to educate in the spiritual life and what kind of support to provide. Be careful, because from now on you and your godson are spiritually bound forever. You will also be responsible for his sins, so education should be treated with particular importance. By the way, if you are not confident in your abilities, then it is better to refuse it.

The godfather is able to make an invaluable contribution to the spiritual upbringing of the godson/goddaughter, helping parents instill in their child love for God, explain the meaning of worship, and teach the basics of the Orthodox faith. After all, it is spiritual mentoring that is the main task of the recipient.

How to pass an interview

The number of classes is determined by the level of churching of the recipients. After the first conversation, the priest decides how many classes will be needed.

• If future godparents regularly visit the temple, confess, take communion, then one or two meetings can be enough.
• If knowledge and understanding are not enough, then there can be three to five conversations.

During the interview, the recipients are not only told the order of the ceremony and voiced their duties. The priest conveys the main meaning of the adoption of the Christian faith. After the first meeting, the godparents are given the task of learning the basic Orthodox prayers (if they do not know them), and also begin to study the text of the Gospel.

Fasting, confession and communion

At the preparation stage, it is also necessary to visit the temple a few days before the sacrament, confess and take communion. Just before baptism, it is necessary to observe a three-day fast, which implies the exclusion of animal products from the diet. In addition, it is necessary to refrain from entertainment events, intimacy and foul language. On the day of baptism, the godfather, like the godmother, is forbidden to eat until the end of the rite, because sometimes after the sacrament the priest gives communion to the newly baptized and godparents.

What prayers do you need to know the godfather Godparents must learn the main prayer of the ceremony. It is pronounced immediately after the words of renunciation of the devil and combination with Christ. Recipients must read and understand the meaning of prayer, which is a set of basic provisions of the Orthodox faith. The list of significant prayers also includes:, “Virgin Mary, rejoice”, “King of Heaven”. How to dress your godfather for christening At the rite of baptism, the godfather, like the godmother, must wear a consecrated pectoral cross. Appearance is supposed to be modest, not attracting attention. It is not recommended to enter the temple in sportswear, shorts, T-shirt. On a hot summer day, it is better to choose light trousers and a short-sleeved shirt.

What you need to buy for baptism

The duties of the godfather include the purchase of underwear and or a gaitan for him. He also needs to purchase an icon of the Guardian Angel and a nominal icon with the image of a saint, whose name the godson will be named.

The godfather should visit the church where the ceremony will take place in advance and clarify the points of organization:

• Is photography allowed?
• There will be mass or individual baptism, how long will it last;
• Will there be communion on the day of baptism or will it be necessary to commune the godson in a week;
• What you need to bring to the temple in addition to baptismal clothes, icons and crosses;
• When you can consecrate the purchased cross.

A donation to the needs of the temple is also the responsibility of the godfather. The amount of payment for the rite can be known in advance. Candles are purchased on the day of the sacrament according to the number of invited guests.

Functions and duties of the godfather during the sacrament The godparents renounce the devil and are combined with Christ instead of the godson, then the main stage of baptism comes - immersion in the font, symbolizing death and rebirth from water and the Holy Spirit. At the baptism of a boy At the baptism of the boy, the godfather takes the godfather from the font. Together with the godmother, he wipes the baby and helps to dress him in white, the color of which denotes the purity and sinlessness of the newly baptized soul. The godfather holds a baby up to a year in his arms. Children over two years old can stand in front of the receiver.

At the christening of a girl

The godmother takes the girl from the font. The task of the godfather at this time is to be constantly nearby, to help undress / dress the baby, to say prayers.

What are the responsibilities of the godfather after baptism

Turning to God in daily prayer, the godfather should mention the name of his godson and ask for his health and well-being. When visiting the temple, you need to write notes with the name of the child, order a magpie about health.

The godfather has a special meaning for the boy. He should become for him an example of masculinity, piety, mercy. It is very important to take a grown-up baby with you to church, to teach to pray, to honor Orthodox laws. It is good when exactly the godfather will bring the child to the first confession and communion. It is necessary to visit the temple together on major church holidays, as well as on Angel Day, put candles for health, and say a prayer to the heavenly patron.

At baptism or during the first year of life, the godson should be presented with a children's Bible, so that as he grows up, the baby gets acquainted with the life of Christ. For a birthday, Angel Day, Christmas and other holidays, it will be right to purchase gifts with a spiritual meaning. The communication of the godson / goddaughter with the godfather should not be interrupted throughout life. Relationships built on trust will allow an adult child to turn to a sponsor for advice or support in a difficult life situation. The godfather, in turn, must be ready to come to the aid of his godson or daughter.

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