A person who believes in God constantly makes one sacred gesture, but rarely thinks about its meaning and how true it is. Few people actually know how to be baptized Orthodox in the church. Before considering the rules for imposing the cross banner, it is necessary to recall the history of the birth of Christianity and find out how this ritual was formed and what it matters.
Tradition of baptism
Initially, believers were crossed using only one finger of their right hand, they imposed on themselves the symbol of the execution of Jesus Christ, thereby showing their willingness to be crucified for the Lord also. They touched their forehead, lips and chest with a finger. The early Christians prayed before reading the Holy Scriptures.
After a while, either a few fingers or a palm began to be used for laying a cross.
If you look at the images of Jesus Christ on the icons, he is shown with two fingers raised (index and middle), many priests use this gesture.
When Orthodox Christianity was formed, believers began to baptize first the forehead, left shoulder, right and navel. But already in the middle of the 16th century, the navel was changed to the chest, explaining that the heart is in the chest, and the gesture should come from the heart.
A hundred years later, the book “Tablet” first formulated the statement on how to Orthodox Christians baptize in the church: you need to perform the ritual with three fingers, which are applied in order first to the forehead, stomach and then to the shoulders. Everyone who was baptized otherwise was called heretics. And only after a time, three- and two-finger baptism was allowed.
How to perform the ritual
Few people know how to be baptized in a church. Many people in the temple’s premises wave their arms, do not reach their stomach with the sign of the Cross. And this is very important, because this gesture indicates that the Orthodox believe in the Lord God and honor the traditions of Christianity.
In order to baptize yourself or a loved one, you need to fold your fingers on your right hand so that the tips of the middle, thumb and forefinger are connected, and press the ring and little fingers to the palm of your hand.
The folded three fingers should be applied first to the forehead, then lower the arm to the level of the solar plexus, then to the right shoulder and at the very end to the left. After the hand is lowered, you can bow.
During the Liturgy, it is important to know when you need to overshadow yourself with a cross, and when you should just bow.
The sacred ritual must be performed not only during prayer, but also in everyday life: in joy, before the commencement of good deeds and after their completion, in fear, in sorrow, in danger, before going to bed and after waking up.
For additional information and greater clarity, you can watch a video in which the Shimonah Joachim tells how to Orthodox Christians are baptized in a church.
The meaning of the sign of the Cross
Now there are a lot of Orthodox believers among young people, they themselves visit the temple and bring their children there. Toddlers from a young age are taught how to be baptized in the church, how to behave, how to pray. Of course, the child performs many actions spontaneously and unconsciously, but these are children, and what can we say about adults, many of whom also don’t know how to behave in the temple, where each action has a special meaning.
So, how is an adult baptized in a church? What does the sign of the cross mean? Why is it necessary?
- Three fingers, which are folded together, among Orthodox Christians mean the Holy Trinity.
- Two fingers, which are pressed to the palm of your hand, personify the nature of Jesus Christ, that is, about the union in the Son of God of two principles - spiritual and human.
What hand is baptized in the church and why is it done from right to left?
It should be noted that they are always baptized only with the right hand and from right to left. After the sacred gesture, you can bow, this symbolizes humility before God and love for Him.
The cross has tremendous power. It contains spiritual protection and soul power. By being baptized, a person receives salvation from temptations and tribulations. The sacred gesture given by the parents or the priest is equally powerful.
When to Baptize
In the church, with a sacred gesture, all prayers begin and end; it is customary to perform it at the mention of the names of the Lord, the Virgin, saints. During the reading of the prayer “Our Father!”, When the clergyman pronounces the last words, he is also supposed to be baptized.
They make a sacred gesture in everyday life, when solving problems, passing by an Orthodox church.
To perform this holy ritual, it is not necessary to read a prayer, it is enough to thank the Lord God for the beginning of a new day, for food, for health, for children.
Mother, to protect her baby, crosses him. Moreover, this lighting has great power, maternal love, care and prayer are enclosed in it.
The church teaches that the cross is a powerful tool against evil spirits. If it is imposed with faith, then it protects the person, drives away demons from him and deprives them of power.
Why Orthodox Christians Are Baptized That Way
Orthodox believers make a sacred gesture from right to left, this is due to the fact that "right" means "right," true. That is why such a rule was adopted.
There is another version that explains this tradition: most people are right-handed, and all actions always begin with the right hand.
It is also believed that the right shoulder is Paradise or the place of saved believers, the left is Hell or the place of sinners. And when a person is baptized, he asks the Lord to accept him among the saved believers.
The gesture itself symbolizes the Cross of the Lord on which he was crucified. But Jesus Christ made of the instrument of execution a symbol of the salvation of human souls; he atoned for all human sins. Therefore, Orthodox Christians have long used the sacred ritual as a symbol of the resurrection of the Lord.
But Catholics are baptized on the contrary - from left to right, despite the fact that their right shoulder has the same meaning as that of Orthodox Christians. Such a sacred gesture among them means moving from sin to salvation.
Sign of the cross
Every Christian should respect and reverence a holy gesture. In addition to help, it carries a spiritual meaning. A man, overshadowing himself with a cross, shows the will to be part of the Lord.
True believers follow the holy ritual for the rest of their lives. You can baptize not only yourself, but also your food, children, relatives, bed, road. The main thing is faith and prayer.
How to be baptized before entering and leaving a church
When a person goes to church, he must read a prayer to himself. Approaching the gates of the temple, you should cross yourself three times (three times, because it is a symbol of the Holy Trinity).
When entering the church, you must adhere to the following rules:
- It is necessary to cross and bow three times.
- It is necessary to kiss the temple icon or the holiday icon. To do this, first bow twice, then overshadow yourself with the sign of the Cross and kiss the image. Then bow again.
- If there are relics of a saint in the temple, you should approach them.
- You need to behave calmly, without looking back and not paying attention to anyone.
After the “religious greeting”, you can light candles, pray or just stand and enjoy the peace.
Conclusion
No matter what circumstances surround a person, he must never lose faith, know the basic religious rules, attend church. All this brings us closer to the light, to the Lord, to heaven, and baptism protects and gives strength, drives away demons. Therefore, each person should try to resort to such assistance as often as possible.