With the birth of a child, Orthodox parents are concerned about the issue of his baptism. Sometimes situations arise when the rite needs to be held in fasting before Easter or on Easter itself.
Disputes on this topic have long been ongoing, and often, this issue remains open to many parents. To deal with this problem, you need to study all the pros and cons. We asked the Orthodox priest about this.
The essence of the sacrament of baptism
Baptism is one of the seven great sacraments of Christianity. Him essence in cleansing a person from sinsrebirth to a new life and communion with faith.
The history of the baptismal rite suggests that after the resurrection of Jesus Christ there were very few people who accepted the Christian faith. Basically, only adults were baptized, making this decision consciously.
As a rule, the ceremony was carried out in secret, since Orthodox Christians were persecuted for their faith and even executed. When there were few Christians, the sacrament was performed mainly on major church holidays.
Gradually, the Christian faith spread more and more, and not only adults, but also babies were baptized.
When is it better to baptize a child
There are no strict time limits in Orthodoxy. Previously, a baby was brought to the temple not earlier than the eighth day of life, but traditionally on the fortieth. Basically, this is due to the fact that a woman after childbirth is allowed to enter the temple only on the 40th day. Over the mother of the baby, the priest reads special prayers, after which the woman can attend the baptism of her child.
This does not mean at all that the ceremony should be held on that day, especially if it falls on Lent or a major church holiday. Nothing terrible will happen if you do this a little later.
but there is a situation where it is unacceptable to postpone baptism. If the child is seriously ill, it does not matter if fasting is now or a great holiday. It is necessary to conduct the ceremony as early as possible so that the baby has its own guardian angel. In this case, he can be baptized even in the hospital or resuscitation.
Baptism Dates
According to the Orthodox canons, there are no prohibitions on the day of the sacrament, regardless of the fast or holiday on which it falls. It is believed that the Lord rejoices to anyone who comes to the faith of a person and does not repair him any barriers. In addition, if you focus on church holidays, memorial days and numerous fasts, then it would be difficult in principle to choose a day for baptism. Therefore, there are no restrictions for conducting the ceremony before Easter or after.
The only problem that may arise during this period is the banal employment of the priest, because during fasting and on Easter week, services are held almost daily.
Each temple has its own rules, so it is advisable to worry in advance, and agree with the priest on the day of the sacrament.
Do the sacrament of baptism in fasting
Sometimes the circumstances are such that the rite of baptism falls on the period of Lent. And here many parents doubt: is it possible to baptize a child in fasting? There is no direct prohibition on holding the sacrament during this period, despite the objections of some clergy.
However, it is worth noting: for baptism, it is customary to arrange noisy feasts and fun, which are accompanied by the use of meat and other dishes from animal products, as well as alcohol. This is inappropriate during fasting. But, if, nevertheless, you decide to baptize the baby during the fasting period, you can set the table out of fasting dishes and stop drinking alcohol.
It is believed that Best Baptismal Day - Clean Thursday. On this day, a person cleanses his home and body. Holding the sacrament on Pure Thursday symbolizes the liberation of man from original sin, the soul is cleansed and he can meet Easter renewed.
Do they baptize on Easter?
Easter is associated with the revival of the world and man to a better life. There are no direct prohibitions on holding the sacrament on Easter Day. Baptism can be held at the end of the festive liturgy.
But there is hardly a priest who agrees to perform the ceremony, unless, of course, baptism is not required for a seriously ill child. The reason is banal fatigue.
Evening service smoothly goes into the morning liturgy. For any clergyman Easter is a great holiday that you want to meet with your family. Therefore, parents should not only think about their desires, but also take care of others. Priests, by virtue of congestion, appoint certain days for the sacrament to organize the rhythm of work.
Given all of the above, the answer to the question: is it possible to baptize a child on Easter, will be positive, but is it worth it or not - only the parents of the child decide. Maybe it would be more expedient to postpone this date for several weeks, when the holidays will end, and the life of the church will return to its usual course.
The arguments for and against holding the sacrament in fasting and Easter
Before deciding whether to hold the ceremony in fasting or Easter, parents need to study all the pros and cons of such a step.
Arguments for"
• a person is freed from original sin during the period of universal Christian cleansing of the soul and body;
• the perfect sacrament for Easter is another reason to gather the whole family at the table and celebrate the birth of a new Christian;
• perhaps the special state of mind that every Christian experiences during this period will be passed on to the baby, and this will help him undergo the rite without excitement and tears.
Arguments against"
• finding a clergyman who agrees to hold the sacrament of baptism during fasting and Easter is difficult. At this time, priests are heavily loaded with lengthy services. In addition, during fasting, the priest tries to devote maximum attention and time to the sick. Communion and catholicity are held. Therefore, most priests ask to postpone the ceremony to a later date, unless, of course, this is an emergency case, which was described above;
• Before Easter, and especially on Easter Day, temples are crowded with parishioners. A baby can be afraid of so many people, be capricious and nervous during the sacrament;
• Noisy feasts are inappropriate during the fasting period, and some guests may not like refreshments consisting of lean dishes.
How to avoid unpleasant surprises
So that there are no problems, having decided to hold the ceremony in fasting or Easter, parents need to:
• taking into account the congestion of the priest during this period, to agree in advance with him about the ceremony;
• if baptism takes place in fasting, you need to carefully consider the holiday menu, taking into account all the restrictions;
• the priest will definitely appoint a day and time for a conversation with future godparents. They must be prepared for this;
• if possible, not only godparents, but also parents should confess and partake of the sacrament.
It is believed that a child born on Easter will subsequently become famous. Moreover, a person born at noon on the bright Sunday of Christ will become great, and will even be able to influence the course of history. BUT children born on Easter week are in good health.
Given all of the above, we can conclude: it is possible to carry out baptism on any day. However, if you hold the post, and the time endures, it is better to postpone the ceremony for a couple of weeks in order to celebrate this event when the post is completed. And of course, you need to think not only about yourself, but also about priests who are very busy during this period, and there are people who need his help more.
