Why can't I be baptized a second time? Baptize a child twice

The decision was made twice. What does baptism mean? Baptism and the meaning of the sacrament in my life and various confessions.

Baptism(Greek βάπτισμα - "immersion in water") is one of the most important Christian sacraments. Recognized by all Christian denominations, although not in the same sense.

T The baptismal theme is a serious topic, it is the foundation for a believer. I know that baptism is recognized by everyone , but also there are disagreements between them.

Z and for a short period of time when my articles were published, I had to experience for myself how zealous Christians are for their religious concepts. For this reason, I will try very hard to tell only about what happened specifically to me. Let me tell you from my own life how I twice had to participate in the great sacrament of baptism. The conclusions are up to you.

Baptism number 1

V Perhaps, dear reader, this has happened in your life. I remember very well how I hid the cross under the pillow when I was already baptized. At that time it was forbidden to wear it. I also remember how I ran to my godfather on holidays for another present. From my very childhood I knew that I was baptized, it was meaningful for me and in my opinion, it should have kept me all my life.

WITH I don’t remember this ritual, but I know it both from stories and from how I took part in it more than once, but in a different capacity. As a godfather. You may remember and know this ritual, but I will still try to tell you about it.

TO resolution in Orthodoxy is the main rite of passage in the life of an Orthodox person. Therefore, parents think about the baptism of a child immediately after his birth - they are interested in when it is best to carry out this ceremony, whom to take as godfather or godfather, how to prepare for it and set the table better.

To mind (godfather) - godparents of one godson (goddaughter) in relation to each other, as well as in relation to the parents of the godson (goddaughter), and also in some cases a bosom friend or girlfriend (goddaughter).

V In reality, the christening of a child is a real holiday for people, so they take care in advance to celebrate this event in a fun way: set a (decent) table, invite the closest people who will be happy with them.

NS A church sacrament takes place, in which godparents take part - godfathers, the godmother holds the child in her arms until he is dipped into the font, and after him the godfather receives the boy and subsequently brings him to the altar. The priest immerses the child in consecrated water and a great sacrament occurs - and when immersed in sanctified water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the child is cleansed of all sins, from inherited and personal sins, and at the same time is born into a spiritual, holy life. ...

N I will not draw my own conclusions about this ritual, I will only say that it is possible that something went wrong in my first baptism, since throughout my life I had to experience a far from spiritual birth. On the contrary, I am for my parent, sin ate up my health and my days.

Baptism number 2

I AM I am grateful to God that He did hear my prayers and the way was opened for me to my spiritual birth - to be born again.

WITH According to Jesus Christ, baptism is a necessary condition for being born again in order to enter the Kingdom of God.

Jesus answered him: Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.

Nicodemus says to him: How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?

Jesus answered: truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God (John 3: 3-5).

Teach all nations by baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19).

I AM I remember very well the day of my spiritual birth, I remember how it all happened. I was preparing to perform this sacrament in my life. The pastor of the church explained that this is an important moment in the life of a Christian and explained that it is necessary to prepare for this great sacrament. He said that there are certain conditions for being ready for this sacrament. I remember these conditions well, they are clearly recorded in the Bible.

A person must believe in Jesus Christ.
In a person's life, the main sign of faith should be visible - a changed life.
He should be free from such sins as smoking, alcohol addiction.
Anyone who wants to be baptized must also put in order his family life, relationships with the opposite sex.
A person must be ready to devote his life to Christ.

M did not explain that a believer, when his body is submerged three times in water with the calling of God the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, dies to a carnal, sinful life and is reborn by the Holy Spirit into a spiritual, holy life.

NS on the teaching of Holy Scripture, in baptism all sins are washed away (Acts 22:16), a person participates in the death and resurrection of Christ the Savior (see: Rom. 6: 3-5), puts on Christ (see: Gal. 3:27), become a child of God (see: John 3: 5-6). Therefore, baptism itself, according to the direct and unambiguous word of the Bible, saves us by the resurrection of Christ. (see: 1 Peter 3:21), and without true baptism it is impossible to be saved (John 3: 5); (Mark 16:16).

NS After this sacrament and my birth again, a lot of time passed, but I remember that and the smiles on the faces of brothers and sisters, I remember the solemn and festive atmosphere, as it was yesterday. I also have not forgotten how important it was for me to dedicate my life to Jesus Christ.

AND Jesus changed me, He gave me new life, - He changed my values and my world. I found the Father - removed from loneliness, received freedom and - sin began to bypass me. The Lord gave me fullness - I have a wonderful family. He gave me a gift - we are expecting a third child. Jesus returned me everything that was stolen from me - the main thing is He returned me myself.

V Because of this, two events entered my life, these identical events turned out to be very different for me and my life and had different effects for me. I am grateful to the Lord for my new life.

E If you have an add-on or want to comment on an article, please leave your comment.

There are irreversible processes. For example, a man's leg was cut off by a train. What to do? Whatever you do, and the new leg will not grow, you need to somehow adapt to live without it, look for some kind of prosthesis or crutches. The example, though rude, is understandable. It could be softer: if the bell ringer struck the bell, you cannot return the sound, as in the proverb "The word is not a sparrow, if it flies out, you cannot catch it."

As another proof of the profanation of the sacraments of the Church (their unlawful performance over unprepared people), they recently asked me once again the question: "Is it possible to baptize (correctly - baptize) a child a second time, we don’t like the godfather?"

This is despite the fact that before christening a child, his parents and godparents must know the "Symbol of Faith." These are short, consisting of 12 sentences, the main dogmas of faith: about God, in Whom a person believes, and about the Church, to which he wishes to join. The tenth sentence of the Creed contains the following statement: "I confess one baptism ..."

Answering the question whether it is possible to be baptized a second time with a different name, I say that, of course, you can baptize a child a second time, but after you give birth to the same child again, again. After all, this is also an irreversible process. Even if a baptized person renounces his faith, and then, for example, comes to his senses and wants to return to the Church, he will not be baptized a second time, but will be joined back to the Church through repentance, since the baptismal process is irreversible.

Therefore, when choosing godparents, remember - this is once and for all, and it should be guided not by whether he will give gifts for the name day, but whether he is a church-going person, whether he can fulfill his duties and teach the child the basics of faith. And if it so happened that the godfather needs to be replaced for valid reasons, then you can contact the priest, he will tell you how to get out of this situation. For example, during baptism, there can be not only recipients (godparents), but also as many witnesses as you like, one of them can be assigned the functions of godparents by reading a prayer for adoption.

According to the book, only one recipient is considered necessary - a man for a baptized male person or a woman for a female person. But according to the ingrained tradition, there are two recipients: a man and a woman.

Parents cannot be the recipients of their own children. In general, spouses cannot be the recipients of the baptism of one infant, but at the same time the husband and wife are allowed to be the recipients of different children of the same parents, only at different times.

In an extreme case, baptism is allowed without recipients, then the priest himself is considered the godfather of the newly enlightened one. The custom of not allowing a father to baptize his own child has no canonical basis. The mother of the baptized person is allowed to baptize her child if the 40th day prayer is read over her. The mother and father of a teenager or adult being baptized can certainly be present at the sacrament and pray for their son or daughter.

If it is not known for certain whether a person is baptized or not, then the sacrament of Baptism is performed with the proviso: “if you have not been baptized”. In case of extreme need, for example, because of the danger of the death of a seriously ill child, baptism can be performed by a layman - a man or a woman. He must be a believing Christian and correctly pronounce the secret words: “The servant of God is baptized (the servant of God namerek) in the name of the Father (first immersion), and the Son (second immersion), and the Holy Spirit "(third immersion).

Hegumen German (Skrypnik)

Recently, many "visitors" have been asking the same question: is it possible to be baptized with a second name? And these, as a rule, are not Rustems and Timurs, who in one way or another need to be baptized with a different name (after all, there are no such names in the calendar), but quite ordinary Ivans and Maria. There are also variations of the question: is it possible to be baptized again or change the name given in Baptism. The reason for this phenomenon is very simple: the Internet is now very common advice from various "white magicians" and other occultists about the fight against corruption by ... re-baptism.

Let's start with examples. Here are some useful tips on the Internet for those who want to be baptized themselves or have a child baptized. You cannot baptize a child immediately after the funeral service in the church, you cannot wipe off the water that splashed on the floor during Epiphany, you need to invite an even number of guests to Epiphany. We read these and many other tips both on a variety of esoteric sites and on quite decent sites for young parents.

“Most likely, you will be refused to perform the ritual if you reveal the whole truth. So you have to cheat "

But the most outstanding advice is the following: "If you take a different name for yourself at Baptism, it will become much more difficult for you to spoil, because" the address has changed. " We read further: “The vast majority of church priests do not approve of the idea of re-baptism and will most likely refuse to conduct the ritual if you reveal the whole truth to them. So you have to cheat and say that the Baptism will be performed for the first time. And immediately call only the new name that you picked up! If you are required to have an official document (for example, a passport) to verify your name, just go to another. "

That is, in order to be baptized with a different name, you need to lie! And lie in the temple. Let's assess this advice from the point of view of Orthodoxy: a person tries to fence himself off from damage by performing a magical action. And in order for the ceremony to “work” exactly, they advise to commit a sin, advise to lie in the church. As we know, the evil one needs one sacrifice - human sin. And this sacrifice must be made to the evil one.

All this reminds of advice on how to "correctly" guess at Christmas time: you have to steal a candle in a church, etc. That is, in order for the evil one to answer your questions, you need to commit the sin of theft. Well, or any other sin. The main thing is sin. The main thing is to make a sacrifice to the devil.

Orthodoxy knows only one way to change the name - monastic tonsure. But this is a way only for those who really want to change their lives.

I have already written in more detail about choosing a name for Baptism and will not repeat myself.

Baptize one more time

There is one more, very terrible manifestation of the "fight against corruption" - this is the attempt to be baptized again. The logic of these "useful tips" is the same: if a name was damaged at Baptism, then it must be changed. Best of all by the second Baptism. Let me remind you of one interesting expression: "the devil is the monkey of God." That is, the devil, as it were, parodies everything that the Lord does. In the traditional Orthodox understanding, Baptism is the beginning of a new life, the second birth of a person from "water and the Holy Spirit." The devilish parody of Epiphany - the second baptism - sets itself one goal: to solve some everyday problems. " Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? So we were buried with Him by baptism into death, so that, as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also can walk in a renewed life.» ().

A Christian is baptized into the death of Christ in order to suffer with Him in life and then be resurrected. The Lord Himself calls upon His disciples to take His yoke upon themselves: “For my yoke is good, and my burden is light” (). Please note that we believe in Baptism as a call to follow Christ in a difficult but true way. And the "second baptism" is an attempt to be baptized for the sake of solving earthly problems. That is, the real satanic path.

And in conclusion, let me remind you of one moment from the lives of the ancient saints. Many martyrs of the first centuries, when asked about their name, said that their name is Christian, and this name is the most important thing for them in their life. So important that they went to die for him, and they never tried to change him for the sake of receiving earthly benefits.

Archpriest Dionisy Svechnikov

Recently, the site has received many letters from people interested in the possibility of re-baptism. This desire is usually motivated by several reasons. People sincerely believe that re-baptism can get rid of induced damage, evil eye, ancestral curse, solve life and even financial problems. Sometimes the desire for re-baptism is motivated by the desire to change the name. Many people think that if they receive a new name during baptism, which “only God will know,” this will save them from magical influence. Enemies will "conjure on the old name" and therefore all their spells and incantations will "fly by." But sometimes the reason for re-baptism is expressed as a very good, at first glance, goal. For example, some people who were baptized as children and lead sinful lives suddenly come to believe in God. It seems to them that re-baptism will wash away this "sinful growth" on the soul and cleanse of all bad things. I think it is high time to understand in detail all these superstitions and consider them from the standpoint of the canons and traditions of the Orthodox Church. Which is what I will try to do in the article offered to the readers' attention.

I'll start in order. First, it is necessary to determine where the desire to be baptized again comes from. Rebaptism is motivated by overt occult beliefs. Damage, evil eye, ancestral curse, celibacy crown, love spell, etc. - This is an occult terminology widely used by all kinds of magicians, sorcerers, psychics, healers and other figures of the occult sciences. Therefore, it would be quite logical to say that the belief in the "cleansing power" of rebaptism was inspired precisely by these "compassionate comrades" who want to solve all the problems of their clients for a certain fee. I have had many conversations with people who came to church with a desire to be re-baptized. To my question, why do they need it, as a rule, the answer follows that a psychic (fortune-teller, magician, sorcerer, etc.) indicated the need for this action. Once I happened to see an advertisement on one of the Russian TV channels, in which one occultist claimed that re-baptism is the most powerful remedy for damage and the evil eye. I think that these facts are enough to understand that the superstition about re-baptism has an unambiguously occult origin.

Having dealt with the source of superstition, it is worth assessing it from the standpoint of church canons and traditions. According to the doctrine of the Orthodox Church, baptism is one of the seven church sacraments, in which the believer, when the body is immersed in water three times with the invocation of the name of the Most Holy Trinity - the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, dies for a carnal, sinful life, and is reborn by the Holy Spirit for Eternal Life ... Rebaptism by itself is not possible. Baptism is a spiritual birth, and it, like physical birth, can only be one. It is necessary for a person for salvation, for "He who is not born of water and the Spirit cannot enter the Kingdom of God" (). Christ clearly says in the Gospel: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; and whoever does not believe will be condemned ”(). The Savior speaks of faith in God. This Gospel passage has no other meaning and cannot have. After all, sending the apostles to preach, Christ teaches them: “Go, teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the age ”(). Thus, based on the words of the Savior Himself, a prerequisite for being baptized is belief in the Trinity, and not at all occult belief in baptism as the solution to all problems. Baptism does not at all solve everyday and financial problems and is not an "instrument" for removing corruption.

So why do occultists send people to be baptized? After all, they send not only baptized people for re-baptism, but also unbaptized people for the first baptism. However, this does not change the meaning. It is no secret that to attract people, occultists widely use Orthodox paraphernalia - crosses, icons, incense, church candles, Orthodox prayers. Why do they need it? The answer is obvious. Not every person will go to a fortune-teller or psychic if he says something like this to him: “I do black magic, I am in direct contact with demons, and you need to serve the devil in order to get help from me”. In order to attract a client, you need to hide behind something sacred that does not cause any suspicion in a person. And even pretend to be a saint! This is the key to success, for a person always reaches out to the holy, divine. A person comes to a psychic, and his whole house is filled with Orthodox icons, lamps are hanging, incense is being burned, church candles are burning, and the minister of a black cult, hung with crosses and even episcopal panagias, with a blissful face, is receiving clients. Sometimes one has to deal with people whom the occultists send to the temple for candles, incense, icons. It is difficult to convince these people that they are seriously sinning, following the lead of fortune-tellers and psychics. After all, they are sent to the temple of God, and not to the satanic temple. Unfortunately, few people manage to reason with them, because for most of these people, visiting fortune-tellers and psychics becomes commonplace and even the norm of life, and the opinion of the occultists themselves becomes an indisputable authority. These are the fruits of spiritual illiteracy. After all, turning to the occult is turning to the devil. The occult is about communicating with demons and serving them. Scripture is replete with moments that clearly speak of the sin of turning to the occult. Even in the Old Testament, it was forbidden to contact such people or to engage in magic and witchcraft on pain of death. This is what the Scripture says: "Do not bewitch and do not guess" (), "Do not turn to those who summon the dead, and do not go to wizards, and do not bring yourself to the point of desecration from them" (), "Do not leave the sorcerers alive" () , “And if any soul turns to those who summon the dead and to magicians to walk prodigally after them, then I will turn my face on that soul and destroy it from her people” (), “... you should not have one who seeks out his son or daughter his own through fire, a soothsayer, a fortuneteller, a sorcerer, a sorcerer, a charm, summoning spirits, a magician and inquiring of the dead; for everyone who does this is an abomination to the Lord ”(),“ And you do not listen to your prophets and your fortunetellers, and your dreamers, and your magicians, and your astrologers ... for they prophesy a lie to you ”(Jerem. 27: 9-10). But what is said about their fate after death: "But the fearful and unbelievers, and the nasty and murderers, and fornicators and sorcerers, and idolaters and all liars, their fate is in the lake, burning with fire and brimstone" (), "Blessed are those who keep His commandments, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and enter the city by the gates. And outside are dogs and sorcerers, and fornicators, and murderers, and idolaters, and everyone who loves and does a lie ”(). Thus, occultism is a godly and disgusting deed, and turning to occultists is an undoubted sin. Sadly, many people do not understand this at all, for they are spiritually illiterate. Therefore, they cannot discern the deception veiled under the shrine.

What, then, is actually the use of consecrated objects by occultists? For them, covering up with Orthodox paraphernalia is a blasphemous act, for which, as they believe, the devil will give special strength. Church candles, incense, icons and other consecrated objects are used by occultists in magical rituals, and not at all for their direct purpose. Sometimes, in order to complete a magical ritual, a person is invited to take a charmed candle to a temple and put it there. It is difficult to imagine a more blasphemous act. A person who follows the lead of the occultists and fulfills their orders is an actual participant and performer of magical action. But for him this action is presented by occultists as a kind of good, divine revelation, unequivocal help from God. Needless to say, this is far from the case. But if some occultists limit themselves only to the desecration of consecrated objects, others go further and send their clients to participate in church ordinances. As a rule, these are the sacraments of baptism, communion and unction. It is interesting that the sacraments of the Church are presented as some steps on the path to the full achievement of the ultimate goal proposed by the occultist. The steps following the sacraments of the Church are the continuation of the "work" of the occultist. In fact, it is the desecration of the holy thing, the desecration of the sacrament performed in the Church. This is the basis of the occult "doctrine of rebaptism." But the goal achieved by repeated baptism can be anything. Starting from the removal of damage, the evil eye and the ancestral curse, healing from diseases, up to the solution of all everyday and even financial problems. But if the church sacraments can really help a person to be healed from spiritual and bodily diseases, then the actions of the occultists can in no way lead to this, for there can be no good from the evil one. Many people only get worse from "treatment" by occultists, the diseases that they tried to cure with the help of occult methods begin to progress, chronic diseases that have been dormant for decades appear in an acute form, completely new, sometimes incurable diseases appear.

As I said, both baptized and unbaptized people are sent to be baptized. Sometimes, having learned about a person's desire to be baptized again, it is possible to turn him away from committing such a grave sin. But for the sake of achieving the goal, some are deceived and are baptized again. Sometimes occultists themselves instruct their clients not to say that they have already been baptized. There is a clear sinful act of both the occultists themselves and their visitors. In addition, a person who has come for baptism, even if he has not been taught to deceive a priest and has not yet been baptized, has an incorrect, distorted opinion about the sacrament of baptism (as well as about other sacraments). Such a person, not without the participation of an occultist, thinks that baptism will surely relieve him of all problems, heal from diseases, remove damage, the evil eye, bring good luck, and even instantly make him rich. It is quite clear to a church-going person that this is far from the case, and baptism is not a cure for all diseases and does not lead to a solution to all the problems described. But the fact of the matter is that churchgoers almost never become clients of occultists. On their bait of "holiness" unchurched people get their knowledge of church sacraments, canons and traditions not from the Law of God and the catechism, but from tabloid, occult newspapers and magazines and TV shows like "The Battle of Psychics".

Thus, having examined the “doctrine of re-baptism” from the standpoint of the Orthodox faith, we come to the conclusion that this desire or action is sinful, because it is a voluntary acceptance of the devil's suggestion, and from the standpoint of church canons, it is simply unacceptable. In addition, re-baptism does not save a person from the above problems, does not solve his everyday and financial difficulties, but on the contrary, as an obviously sinful and blasphemous act, only adds sorrows and worries.

From the occult "doctrine of re-baptism" follows the opinion that a change of name guarantees a person the futility of the efforts of sorcerers and magicians, causing damage to him, the evil eye, etc. You could even say that they are interconnected. I will not find out what appeared earlier - "chicken or egg", but I remember that people began to turn to churches with a request to change their name much earlier than with a request for re-baptism. What is the essence of this occult belief about the benefits of changing the name? Occultists claim that a person's name is used in magical rites. This action, apparently, is similar to the remembrance of Christians by name during divine services. A priest, making a bloodless sacrifice, performing a prayer service or a requiem, commemorates the living or deceased members of the Church by name, praying for their health or repose. It seems that a similar action is performed by an occultist during magical rituals. But, instead of calling on God in prayers, the devil is called here. These can be simple conspiracies using a person's name, or magical ceremonies and rituals that are much more complex in their structure, up to human sacrifices.

According to ancient magical beliefs, with the help of names, you can subdue spirits or get rid of their influence. It is this formula that is carried by the reading of conspiracies that contain the names of fallen spirits. Reading a conspiracy, a person enters into direct communication with the demon, calls him by name. And if the conspiracy reads "on any person", i.e. with the pronunciation of his name, then, according to the same magical belief, it is possible to establish control over a person or a certain magical effect on him. In fact, a person or an occultist, reading a conspiracy or performing a certain magical ritual, asks the demon, whose name he calls, to influence the person in relation to whom the magical action is performed. This action is the basis of all magical rituals. It would be quite logical to assume that this was the "technique" used by demons in relation to the Lord Jesus Christ, whom they called by name. This "trick" clearly had no effect, for the demons had no power over the Savior, but, on the contrary, asked not to torture them: "What do you care about me, Jesus, the Son of the Most High God?" I conjure you by God, do not torment me "(). From the gospel account of the healing of the demon-possessed Gadarene, we know that the demons, at the command of the Savior, left the unfortunate man and entered the flock of pigs, which immediately threw themselves off the cliff into the sea: “And all the demons asked Him, saying: send us into the pigs, so that we can enter them. Jesus immediately allowed them. And the unclean spirits went out and entered the pigs; and the herd rushed from the steepness into the sea, and there were about two thousand of them; and drowned in the sea "(). Thus, we can say with confidence that without the special permission of God, demons cannot even enter pigs, let alone a man. Without the permission of God, demons can neither enter into a person, nor leave him, or even harm him in any way. Therefore, knowing the name cannot give power over a person. Accordingly, the occult doctrine of the name change must be recognized as untenable. Let a person have at least ten names, but knowing all of them does not give him any power over him, if there is no permission from God. An Orthodox Christian who lives according to the commandments of God, who is under the blessed protection of church sacraments, is not afraid of any damage, evil eyes, generic curses and other occult filth. The Lord Himself protects it! And if you get carried away with such beliefs, then the Lord can really let go of sorrows, sickness and many problems. Therefore, an Orthodox Christian should have a negative attitude towards any occult teaching, for it is demonic. “What does light have to do with darkness? What is the agreement between Christ and Beliar? " (Cor. 6: 14-15). An Orthodox Christian should not be subject to demonic teachings!

But I wonder why it is to the temple that occultists send their clients? The answer is simple. According to the tradition of the Orthodox Church, the name is given to a person on the eighth day from birth. For this, the priest reads a special prayer for naming a name. Because this good tradition is now undeservedly forgotten, and many people simply do not know about its existence, this prayer is read immediately before baptism. In the Orthodox Church, there is also a pious tradition of giving a name to a child in honor of one of the saints of God. This saint is considered the heavenly patron of a person, to whom he will resort for prayer help throughout his life. In the sequence of morning prayers, which every Orthodox Christian reads, having risen from sleep, there is a prayer for the call of the saint, whose name you bear. It seems that every church-going Orthodox Christian prays with special zeal to his saint. Occultists who teach about the benefits of changing the name cannot but know about all this. Therefore, they send people to the temple. Giving a name is a common practice for a priest during baptism. But the naming of a name occurs only once in a lifetime, just as baptism occurs once.

What happens when a person falls under the influence of the occult "doctrine of name change"? In fact, a person neglects not only his own name, which was given to him by his parents, but also neglects his saint, after whom he is named. Instead of calling on his heavenly patron for help in difficult moments of his life, a person begins to run around fortune-tellers and psychics in search of a "magic wand" that will instantly relieve all problems. In fact, the "doctrine of name change" carries the same blasphemous function as the "doctrine of rebaptism." But from the occultists, acting at the instigation of the devil, nothing else can be expected. It is a pity that many people fall under their pernicious influence. As I said, all these are the fruits of spiritual illiteracy.

Another fruit of the spiritual ignorance of some people is the desire to be baptized again for a seemingly good purpose. At the beginning of the article, I have already cited one example when some people, baptized in childhood, but who have lived in sin for a long time and at a certain moment have come to believe in God, wish to be re-baptized in order to get rid of the bondage of sin and cleanse themselves from sinful filth. Well, the wish is very good and commendable. The baptismal font really washes away all the sins of a person who, having repented of his sinful life, expresses a desire to live in Christ. For him, baptism becomes a sacrament that cleanses from sinful filth and gives an opportunity for a new, spiritual life. And an already baptized Orthodox Christian, in order to cleanse himself of his sins, must resort not to re-baptism (which is generally unacceptable under any circumstances), but to another saving church sacrament - the sacrament of repentance, confession. During confession, a person is forgiven his sins, the Holy Spirit acts at this moment on him. And the priest, according to the promise of God, “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth, it will be bound in heaven; and what you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven "() reads a special prayer of permission over a person. Through confession, the sinned person continues (or begins) his path to God.

I would like to remind the reader that re-baptism for an Orthodox Christian is impossible under any circumstances. This saving ordinance is performed once in a lifetime and is a birth for the spiritual life in Christ. Well, and how each of us lives it, let the Lord judge. May God give us all reason to understand His holy will and discern demonic wiles, of which there are a great many in the modern world!

Bad advice

The Church is against Baptism with a "middle name" simply because it does not believe in corruption. We, Orthodox people, believe that the Lord sends us only what is necessary in our life. Yes, often these are some kind of trials and tribulations, but they are needed for our salvation.

If an Orthodox Christian lives a normal spiritual life, if he regularly takes communion, confesses, fasts, etc., then no damage will take him. The Gospel contains the following words of the Savior: “He who is not with me is against me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters away ”(Matthew 12:30). That is, you cannot be “average”, neither good nor bad. If a person is not with Christ, if he does not live a church life, then he becomes an enemy of Christ. If a modern man does not fill his life with God, does not put Him at the forefront, then the wicked one comes into his life and gladly settles in it. And if there is no spiritual experience, there is no life with Christ and in Christ, then a person begins to "defend himself" from the evil one by all kinds of magical actions. He fights against damage and hangs a pendant or amulet, and then goes to such extremes as Baptism with a second name.

Fighting spoilage "magically" is like pouring gasoline on a fire or treating diabetes with sugar.

Change name

Another unfortunate variation of fighting corruption and attracting good luck is the desire to change the name. The Orthodox tradition is characterized by the understanding that the saint after whom the person is named is an example to follow in spiritual life. Baptized in honor of the missionary - should try to preach, baptized in honor of the monk - to show humility and abstinence in his life. But superstition distorts this too. Some people believe that if they baptized in honor of a martyr, it means that you will suffer all your life. If you want to avoid this torment, change your name. Please note: do not change your life, but change the name itself. Follow the path of least resistance - this call is extremely strange for a Christian, to whom the words of the Savior are addressed: "Enter by the narrow gates, because the gates are wide and the path leading to destruction is wide, and many walk by them" (Matt. 7, 13) ...

Orthodoxy knows only one way to change the name - monastic tonsure. But this is a way only for those who really want to change their lives.

I have already written in more detail about choosing a name for Baptism and will not repeat myself.

Baptize one more time

There is one more, very terrible manifestation of the "fight against corruption" - this is the attempt to be baptized again. The logic of these "useful tips" is the same: if a name was damaged at Baptism, then it must be changed. Best of all by the second Baptism. Let me remind you of one interesting expression: "the devil is the monkey of God." That is, the devil, as it were, parodies everything that the Lord does. In the traditional Orthodox understanding, Baptism is the beginning of a new life, the second birth of a person from "water and the Holy Spirit." The devilish parody of Epiphany - the second baptism - sets itself one goal: to solve some everyday problems. “Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? So we were buried with Him by baptism into death, so that, as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also can walk in a renewed life ”(Rom. 6: 3-4).

A Christian is baptized into the death of Christ in order to suffer with Him in life and then be resurrected. The Lord Himself calls upon His disciples to take His yoke upon themselves: “For my yoke is good, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11, 30). Please note that we believe in Baptism as a call to follow Christ in a difficult but true way. And the "second baptism" is an attempt to be baptized for the sake of solving earthly problems. That is, the real satanic path.

The Orthodox Church has seven sacraments of grace. All of them were established by the Lord and are based on His words, preserved in the Gospel. The sacrament of the Church is called a sacred rite, where with the help of external signs and rituals it is invisible, that is, mysteriously, where the name comes from, the grace of the Holy Spirit is given to people. The saving power of God is true, in contrast to the "energy" and magic of the spirits of darkness, which only promise help, but in fact destroy souls.

Together with Baptism, the Sacrament of Confirmation is also performed today - they go in succession, one after the other. That is, a person who has come to be baptized or a child brought in will be anointed with the Holy Peace - a special mixture of oils, which is created in large quantities once a year, in the presence of the Patriarch.

The Sacrament of Baptism is one of the most important stages in a person's life, a solemn event for the parents of the baptized person and godparents. How to observe all the rules of preparation for Baptism and whether there are prohibitions on becoming a godfather and godmother, what to give for Baptism - you will learn from our article.

Baptism of a child in a church

The patronage of the Lord and His saints is especially important for children. Orthodox Christians try to baptize children as soon as possible, after about forty days from birth. On this day, the mother must visit the temple so that the priest read the prayer of permission over her after childbirth. You can baptize a child on any day, even a holiday or fast. It is better to agree about Baptism in the church in advance or find out the usual schedule of Baptisms - then several children are baptized.
You need to have with you

Birth certificate - so that you get a certificate of Baptism,

Baptismal shirt,

Towel,

A cross on a short lace - so that the child does not harm himself by wrapping the lace.

Baptism Rules

Baptism is the entry of a person into the Church. It is done by dipping or pouring holy water - after all, the Lord Himself received Baptism from John the Baptist in the Jordan River.

An adult who consciously decides to be baptized must
- Talk to the priest,
- Learn "Our Father" and "Symbol of Faith" - a confession of your faith,
- To know and sincerely believe in the teaching of Christ - Orthodoxy, the Gospel,
- If you wish, attend catechism courses to learn more about the Orthodox faith.

- The same should be done by parents and godfathers if a baby is baptized.

Baptism is performed in the church, and if a person is sick, the priest can perform the Sacrament at home or in a hospital room. Before Baptism, a baptismal shirt is worn on a person. A person gets up (lies in illness) with his face to the east and listens to prayers, and at a certain moment, at the direction of the priest, turning to the west, spits in that direction as a sign of renunciation of sins and the power of Satan.

Then the priest plunges the child into the baptismal font three times with prayer. For adults, the Sacrament, if possible, is carried out in the temple by immersion in a small pool (it is called in Greek baptistery, from the word baptistis - I dip) or by pouring from above. The water will be warm, so don't be afraid to catch a cold.

After pouring water or dipping, a person is baptized with water and invisibly - with the Holy Spirit, a cross is put on him in advance (for a child - on a short string, this is safer). It is customary to keep the baptismal shirt - it is worn during serious illnesses as a shrine.

Anointing

Confirmation, as it were, completes the Sacrament of Baptism, being performed together with it and symbolizing the next stage in the churching of a person.

While Baptism cleans a person from sins, he is reborn, Confirmation gives the grace of God, visibly placing the seal of the Holy Spirit on his body, giving him strength for a righteous Christian life.

In Chrismation, the priest, repeating: “The Seal of the Gift of the Holy Spirit,” - crosswise anoints the forehead, eyes, nostrils, ears, lips, hands and feet of a person. It is for this that the baptized person is dressed in a baptismal gown that reveals these places.

Confirmation occurs only once in a lifetime - the anointing with oil at evening services and at Unction is not Metropolitan Anointing.

Holy Myrrh is consecrated once a year - on Maundy Thursday on Holy Week on the eve of Easter. In the ancient Church, this rite was established because the Baptism of new Christians was usually carried out on Holy Saturday and Easter. Today it follows custom. In the Russian Orthodox Church, its head, His Holiness the Patriarch, consecrates olive oil with a mixture of precious aromas as peace. It is brewed during the first weekdays of Holy Week in a special ancient way, and after consecration it is sent to all parishes of the Church. Without peace, the Sacrament of Baptism remains incomplete, combined with the Sacrament of Confirmation - through the myrrh, the newly baptized one receives the gifts of the grace of the Holy Spirit.

Baptism when sick or in danger

If necessary, a seriously ill newborn child is baptized right in the hospital, and a dying person who has expressed a desire to be baptized is baptized on the spot. It can be done even not by a priest - it is enough to get water and pour it on the person, saying: "The servant of God (servant of God) (name) is baptized in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit."
If a person recovers or feels a little better, invite a priest to fulfill the Sacrament of Baptism with Confirmation.

Prayer at the baptism of a child

The main Orthodox prayers "Our Father" and "I Believe" are read during Baptism, as well as at any time in great danger, in difficult circumstances, when a person is very anxious, nervous about the situation. For example, the issue of housing is an acute issue, they do not give their salaries on time, they can’t sit down to work on their thesis. It's time to pray - by prayer you will not only ask the Lord to resolve the situation, but also calm down yourself, and also with the help of God. Situations of prolonged stress cause serious difficulties with the human psyche, therefore, one should not postpone the prayer rule - even psychologists are sure of its effectiveness.

The prayer is read regularly. The Church blesses to read morning and evening prayers, which are in any prayer book. These include Our Father and I Believe.

If it is very bad, you can read the prayer aloud: the words will be pronounced more clearly and have a stronger calming effect.

Try to memorize the prayer, it will have the added effect of concentration and self-soothingness.

The Lord's Prayer, "Our Father" - all our ancestors knew its words (there was even an expression "to know as our Father") and which every believer should teach his children. If you do not know her words, learn them by heart, you can read the prayer Our Father in Russian:
“Our Father who is in Heaven! Thy name be holy and glorified, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, both in heaven and on earth. Give us the bread we need today; and forgive us our debts, which we forgive our debtors; and may we not have the temptations of the devil, but deliver us from the influences of the evil one. After all, Thy is in heaven and on earth the Kingdom and power, and the glory of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit forever. AMEN".

The prayer "Our Father" is also called the Lord's prayer because the Lord Himself gave its words, they are written down by the evangelists and are in the New Testament.

“I believe in the only God, the Father, the Almighty, Who Created Heaven and Earth, Visible and Invisible to all. And in the Only Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Born by the Only One from the Father before the beginning of time - the Light from the Light, the True God from the True God, not Created, but Born, Having the One Essence with the Father, through Him everything happened. For us, people, and for the sake of our salvation, Who Descended from Heaven and Received human flesh through the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and received the nature of man. Crucified for us under the Pontic Pilate, and Suffering, and Buried, and Risen on the third day, in fulfillment of the words of Holy Scripture, and Ascended into heaven, and Sitting at the right hand of the Father. And again Christ will come in glory to judge the living and the dead, and there will be no end to His Kingdom. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, Creating Life, Proceeding from the Father, Who with the Father and the Son befits glory and worship, Who spoke through the prophets. The only, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I confess the Only Baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and life after death. AMEN".

How to choose the right godparents

At Baptism, it is not necessary to have both godparents, you can only have one - the same sex as the child. This person must be churched and a believer, wearing an Orthodox cross on his chest during the Sacrament of Baptism.

The godmother during Baptism should not be in a short skirt or trousers, heavily made up.

Relatives, such as a grandmother or sister, can be godparents.

People professing another faith or belonging to another Christian denomination (Catholics, Protestants, sectarians) cannot be godparents.

Husband and wife cannot be godparents of one child. And people who have become godparents of one child cannot get married. This is the tradition and canon of the Church.

In all other cases, people can become godparents. Even during her period, a woman can participate in Baptism and be baptized herself. According to one of the strict traditions, it is forbidden to apply to icons at this time. But the modern Church softens the requirements for people. During menstruation, candles are lit, applied to icons, and even proceed to all the Sacraments: Baptism, Wedding, Confession, Confession, except for Communion.

During the baptism of the child, the godparent reads the prayers "Our Father" and "Symbol of Faith" for him, which means that he takes responsibility for the baptized one. The godparent should become almost the Guardian Angel of the child. He can pray for him in his daily prayers, as well as remind the godson's parents and himself in time about God, set an example of participation in the Sacraments of the Church and in his most righteous life.

Note that when the child is dipping into the baptismal font, the godparent of the same sex with the child (which is natural, because he is almost naked at that moment) takes the baby in his arms and lowers it into the baptismal font. Sometimes a priest does this, but often the help of a godfather is needed. Therefore, it is better for the child to see and know in advance the godfather or godmother, not to be afraid of him.

Is it possible to baptize a child, crossed people

The sacrament of Baptism is performed only once in a lifetime. Under no circumstances can it be repeated. They are baptized a second time only when they accept another Christian denomination, different from Orthodoxy. However, here you need to carefully study the question of how Catholicism and Protestantism differ from Orthodoxy, what sects are and how not to get into them.

If communication with godparents is lost, no repetitions of the Sacrament are needed, just pay more attention to the baby yourself in relation to spiritual life. Choose a spiritual mentor, for example, from among the priests - take this particular priest to Confession, invite your child to listen to his advice.

Should I cross with another name? Even if you changed your name in your passport, your name in Baptism will remain unchanged. However, no one bothers you to venerate this saint, now the same name as you, and to turn to him (her) in prayers as well as to the first one.

Baptismal name

Every Christian has his own patron saint. The patron saint is usually found by date of birth. A patron saint is a saint of the same name, to whom you can pray as your special helper.

The name day will be the day of remembrance of the saint in whose honor the person is named in Baptism. You can independently choose your patron saint, if you have not yet been baptized, do not know after whom they are named, or are still thinking about how to name the child. Most often, patron saints are elected by date of birth.

Such saints are also called “our Angels,” but this is not entirely true. "Your Angel" is a Guardian Angel that protects you from the moment of Baptism, a Heavenly being. Each baptized Orthodox Christian has his own Guardian Angel, but his name is unknown to us. Angels are individuals, but their nature is different from human and animal. They are taller, more perfect than people, although they also have limitations. The angel is usually depicted in ancient clothes - a cloak and tunic with gold edging around the collar and around the wrists, with golden wings.

And a patron saint is an ascetic or martyr person who lived a holy life on earth and shone forth in the Kingdom of God for his exploits.

You can baptize a child in honor of your beloved saint and even in honor of your relative, making any namesake saint the patron saint of the child. This does not require any special customs. It is only necessary before Baptism, for example, Alexander, to warn the priest that the heavenly patron of the child will be the faithful Prince Alexander Nevsky or the Monk Alexander Svirsky.

You cannot baptize a child in honor of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Most Holy Theotokos, the Virgin Mary. Their names have long been in awe. The names of Mary are given in honor of the martyrs, and Jesus - this is a rare monastic name - in honor of the Old Testament righteous man Joshua.

In addition, you can baptize a person with a different name than the name in the passport. This is necessary when the name you have chosen for the child is not in the calendar - for example, Karina. Therefore, the girl Karina can be baptized with the name Irina.

If you do not know how to choose a name for a child whom you named not according to the calendar (Orthodox calendar), take a baptized name that is close in sound to yours, for example:

Lily - Leah;

Svetozar - Svyatoslav;

Alice is Alexandra, because the name of Alice before Baptism in Orthodoxy was borne by the Holy Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, the wife of the Passion-Bearer Tsar Nicholas II;

Vladlen (this was the name of our parents and grandfathers - if they are not baptized, you can baptize them with a different name) - Vladislav.

Also in the church Orthodox tradition there are names that sound differently in translation. The main and most common example: Svetlana - Fotinia. It is important that you yourself and your family write exactly the baptized name in the health notes given for the child in the church. This is what will be written in the certificate of Baptism. The child can also be named in honor of the Archangel, one of the seven chiefs over the Angelic army, the Archangels, who, according to the Bible, bring prayers to God and stand close to Him as the commanders of His Heavenly Host of Angels - - the Governor of the King of Heavenly Archangel Michael, Messenger of the Kingdom of the Archangel of God Gabriel, Archangel-guide Raphael, Archangel-giver of God's Light Uriel, Archangel-prayer book Selafiel, Archangel-assistant to the working people Yehudiel, Archangel-mentor of the fallen Jeremiel, Archangel of God's blessings Varahiel.

May God protect you with the prayers of all the saints and your godparents!