The Orthodox Church has 7 Sacraments, one of which is Baptism. A person three times immersed in water with an appeal to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit is revived for eternal life. As the Scripture says, those who are not born of the Spirit and water cannot enter the kingdom of God. In the Gospel (Mark 16, 16), Christ spoke of the fact that people of unbelievers will not be saved and will be condemned. The path to the kingdom is baptism.
How to prepare for such an important event? Are children baptized in fasting? What composition of products should be on the table during the celebration of christening? You will find answers to a number of primary questions in this article.
Church odds
The question, of course, is burning. Are children baptized in fasting? Or is this time, allotted for spiritual purification? Oddly enough, disagreements exist even among ministers. Representatives of the Kuznetsk and Penza dioceses (Penza region, Issa) declare, for example, that, according to the Charter of the Orthodox Church, the
Sacrament of Epiphany should not be performed. In their opinion, this is the time that must be used to prepare for the ceremony. The fasting talks are held in the post for those who decide to adopt the Christian faith, special prayers are read.
However, most clergy do not agree with this approach, claiming that baptism, like the burial service, is held on any day. Who is still right? Let's figure it out.
A bit of history
Initially, baptism was performed over adults. The sacrament was preceded by repentance and communion. Infants began to be baptized later, after the formation of Christian families. It is impossible to trace the history of baptism in detail, but historians know for sure that in the Carthage Cathedrals (3rd century) there were serious disputes regarding the baptism of infants. Some pointed to the necessity of coming to God on their own, while others said that, unfortunately, not every child survives to adulthood, and therefore it is necessary to worry about saving his soul soon after birth. As a result , infant baptism was permitted. Today this is allowed by all Orthodox.
Baptism of a child during fasting is allowed
Of course, there are some nuances here. The sacrament of Baptism is best passed at an age when a person is aware, understands what is happening. For adults, fasting is really a serious preparation, when not only the body, but also the soul is cleansed. Each Christian will first have to confess and receive communion. And if a person has a serious sin, because of which he is excommunicated, then no priesthood can remove it. Here you need sincere repentance. And the post just gives time for a voluntary, deliberate decision.
The infant is born “pure” (sinless) and therefore requires neither repentance nor fasting. That is why, to the parents' question: “Do children baptize in fasting?” Ministers answer: “Yes!”
This sacrament is performed on any day. Moreover, many try to baptize their child, if not in the first months, then at least in the first year of life. It happened historically. Firstly, earlier infant mortality was much higher, so parents tried in advance to "open the gates" of the kingdom of heaven for the baby. On the other hand, the Sacrament gave the power of God - grace. Often, parents also hoped that a sick child after baptism would recover. All these beliefs have been passed down to us through generations. Baptism in Lent has the same strength as on any other day. However, this issue is discussed in advance with a clergyman. Unfortunately, during fasting in some temples they only baptize on Saturdays and Sundays. Most likely, this is due to rather lengthy services and very short intervals between them. On Sundays, the service is much shorter, so priests can devote more time to other requirements.
Now the question begs ...
Is it right to baptize a baby who does not yet have independent faith?
And the doubts are clear. But do not the parents who brought their baby to the Temple have faith? Won't they (along with the godparents) begin to instill it from an early age? Of course they do. Therefore, they baptize the unintelligent baby by their own faith. Here, both parents and godparents must understand that the Sacrament places a double responsibility on them (both for themselves and for the child).
It is not necessary without urgency to postpone baptism. Depriving a child of a great sacrament without much need to please circumstances would be wrong. The baby can be baptized both up to forty days, and after.
How to prepare for the sacrament?
To begin with, be sure to go through a reading conversation. Conducted by her attendants of the temple. This conversation will tell you what the Sacrament is about and how to prepare for it. Baptism should not be taken as a necessary or fashionable rite. It is also not worth considering that the Sacrament will protect the baby from troubles and diseases. Baptism will only open the way to the kingdom of God, and the rest depends on the parents and successors. The number of conversations in different temples may vary. Their meaning is to clarify the essence of the sacrament and the foundations of the Orthodox faith.
Conversational conversations are not new. They began to be held in the 2nd century BC. e., and lasted 40 days. Moreover, the future Christian of that time was preparing to receive the Sacrament for several months or even years. Now they usually conduct a couple of classes, although in some temples there may be more. An announcing conversation is a mandatory procedure. It is necessary to go through it, regardless of whether the children are baptized in fasting, or at any other time.
What foods should be on the table?
Baptism is truly a celebration, followed usually by a richly laid table. But what if baptism is scheduled for fasting? The main thing is to understand that this is not a reason for a feast, but a truly joyful event. However, if parents and guests have dinner after the ceremony, there will be no sin. But only lean dishes (you can also cook them deliciously). Moreover, even in Lent, the church charter permits the use of wine (of course, in very small quantities). Drinking is always a sin.