Baptism Ceremony: Before, During and After - What Godparents and Parents Need to Know
Revised by Kh. Terry Rogers
Approved by The Very Reverend Father Stephen Rogers, 2008
St. Ignatius Antiochian Orthodox Church
A baptism in the Christian Orthodox Church is a major event in the life of any family. The Orthodox Church is filled with a variety of traditions. Traditions may vary slightly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Below you will find what is traditional for a baptism at St. Ignatius Antiochian Orthodox Church.
Baptism
For the sacrament of Baptism, one of the godmother/godfather must be an Orthodox Christian. It is traditional for the godparents to bring the following, but parents may also share in the expense of and must bring the following to church:
· 1 new white blanket (for the baby to be wrapped in before baptism)
· 1 large white new towel (for the newly baptized infant to be wrapped in after their baptism)
· 1 set of baptismal gown and undergarments - These garments are brought by the godparent to dress the infant immediately after the immersion in Baptism. In Orthodoxy. These garments are considered sacred and must be kept safely. They should be new unless it is a family heirloom. Hat, shoes, and socks are included in the baptismal attire.
· 1 white decorated candle(which they light after the baptism when they walk around the baptismal font) Ribbons are used to decorate and a baptismal pin may be attached. A larger/longer candle is preferable so it may be brought year after year on Palm Sunday).
· Martirika-Christening Witness Pins (that will be pinned on the guests attending the ceremony) are optional or other favors to remember this important day)
· A gold or silver cross on a chain (for the baby to wear after Chrismation) A cross that is large enough for the child to wear for many years is preferable along with a chain that can easily fit over their head.
· A baptismal box to put all of the above inside and carry them to the Church, is optional, but a considerate gift.
The baptismal day is one of the most important days in the life of an Orthodox Christian. The sacrament of Baptism usually occurs within the first year of a baby's life after the forty day blessing. The sacrament begins in the Church Narthex where the parents hand the child over to the godparent. At that point, the godparent speaks on behalf of the child and denounces Satan and recites the Creed. Then, the priest, the parents and the godparent walk towards the front of the church where a woman (usually the godmother) takes the baby to undress and wrap him/her in a large towel. The priest blesses the water in the baptismal font, and adds to it the oil. Then he immerses the baby in the font three times symbolizing the three days that Christ spent in his tomb. While immersing the baby in the font, the priest is pronouncing the baby's name along with the name of the Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. The priest then takes the baby out of the water and gives him/her to the godparent in who is holding the towel. What follows is the sacrament of Chrismation where the priest anoints the baby with "myrrh" (oil that has been blessed by the Patriarch) and cuts three locks from the baby's hair. The priest also blesses the baby's clothes and then usually godmother will dress the baby in the Christening outfit. After that, the priest places the gold cross and chain on the baby and the godparent takes the baby and lights the candle. They all then walk around the font three times symbolizing the dance of joy. The baby then receives Holy Communion for the first time.
Following the ceremony is a celebration either at a house, a reception hall or a restaurant. This celebration can range from a small gathering with cake and coffee to a huge gala with plenty of food and entertainment.
For the three Sundays following the Baptism the baby receives communion dressed in his/her baptismal outfit. Usually the godparent takes the baby for Communion and someone else follows holding the lit Baptismal candle. The baby should be held on our right side when receiving Communion.
The duties of the godparent after the ceremony do not stop there. Godparents remember their godchildren on their Name Days, other feast days and birthdays with gifts that encourage their religious education, etc. But above all of these the godparent has a spiritual responsibility. A godparent is the guarantor of an obligation. As a godparent, you are co-signing a great obligation. You are guaranteeing that your godchild will grow up to be a faithful Orthodox Christian. If he/she fails to meet this responsibility, you will be at least partially responsible, to the extent that you did or did not assist in her religious upbringing. Great care should be taken in selecting a sponsor for the sacraments of baptism. Such expectation will help assure a special kind of relationship not only between the sponsor and godchild, but also between the sponsor and the godchild's parents. Sponsorial relationships arising from baptism should serve to expand one's spiritual bonds with others. The more persons from a community engaged in a spiritual commitment, the more spiritually alive and aware that community can become. For this reason, it is important that godparents be chosen not for social reasons, but because they are persons who love God and His Church. Sponsors must be Orthodox Christians in good standing with the Church, otherwise they will not be able to bring up the child in a faith that is not theirs.
What to Wear to a baptism?
***Because this is the most important day in the baby’s or baptismal candidate’s life, parents, godparent’s and even those attending as witnesses should dress appropriately, i.e. light colors (not black), modest dresses for women and girls ,to show they understand this is an important occasion and we are celebrating! Casual dress such as blue jeans does not imply an understanding of the importance of this special day and therefore is discouraged. Likewise since it is not a solemn time such as Great Lent, dark colors are less appropriate than light colors when making the choice of appropriate dress.
*Taken in part from http://www.portara.com/cgi-bin/newsletters_baptism_ceremony.cfm
** Specialty items such as towels and baptismal bibs may be ordered from: http://www.apicons.com/Special.htm#Baptism%20Towels%20&%20Communion%20Bibs
** www.orthodoxgifts.com is a website offering favors, etc.