January 4, 2008

•     “For as many of you as have been baptised in Christ, have put on Christ” Galatians 3:26-27

  The baptisms of Zach, Chris and Justin, the sons of Orthodoxmom took place on December 27, in my home Church of Holy Trinity-St. Nicholas in Cincinnati, Ohio.. Fr. and I are the Godparents of Chris, the middle son.  It was a glorious day!  If you have a question about any of the pictures, just ask. For more information about baptism in the Greek Orthodox Church click here and here. I hope you enjoy the photos and explanation.

  

  The Baptismal font

  The baptismal font in the language of the Church Fathers is the Divine Womb whence we receive the second birth as children of God. Baptism is truly a birth.

  “But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13).

  When a person is Baptised, they descend into the baptismal font. As the water closes over the head, it is like being buried in a grave. When the newly baptised emerges from the water, it is like rising from the grave. Baptism represents our old, sinful nature dying and then being resurrected again by Christ in a new and cleansed form. As St. Paul says, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into his death. We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father we, too, might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:3-4).

   

  The newly baptised is chrismated with holy oil, clothed with new white clothes, which have been blessed and a new  gold cross which has also been blessed.

  New clothes

  Following the Sacrament of Chrismation the Priest then invests the newly Baptised child in a new robe or garment, saying,

  “Clothed is the servant of God (name) with the garment of righteousness, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen”.

  The new clothes signify the entirely new life that we receive after we are “buried with Jesus in His death” (Romans 6:4). Traditionally, the new white garment expresses the purity of the soul that has been washed from sin. It recalls also the shining robe in which Christ appeared at the Transfiguration. There is now a likeness between the one baptised and the transfigured Lord. St. Paul calls it a putting on of Christ,

  “For as many of you as have been baptised in Christ, have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:26-27). “Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

  Anointing with oil

  Olive oil is blessed by the Priest and then applied by him to the child’s forehead, breast, back, hands, feet, ears, mouth, in order to dedicate them to the service of Christ. The godparent then covers the entire body of the infant with olive oil in order to express our prayer that with Christ’s help the infant may be able to elude the grip of sin and the evil one.

   

  The exorcism in the Narthex of the Church, the visual of six priests standing before me was amazing!

  The exorcism

  The first act of the Baptismal service begins in the narthex (entrance) of the church. This is to show that the one being received is not yet a member of the Church. The purpose of Baptism is to bring him into the Church. To enter into the temple of God is to be with Christ, to become a member of His body. The Priest then calls upon the sponsor to renounce the devil and all his works on behalf of the child,

  “Do you renounce Satan, and all his angels, and all his works, and all his services. and all his pride?”

  The exorcisms announce the forthcoming Baptism as an act of victory. The renouncing of Satan is done facing west because the west is where the sun disappears, and was regarded by the ancient Greeks as the place of the gates of Hades. Then the priest faces east whence the light of the sun rises and asks the godparent to accept for the child Him who is the Light of the World

  “Do you unite yourself to Christ!”

  The renunciation of Satan and the union with Christ express our faith that the newly-baptised child has been transferred from one master to another, from Satan to Christ, from death to life.

   

  The naked infant

  The infant is baptised in its naked state to denote that just as we came out of our mother’s womb naked so we emerge naked out of the womb of God — the baptismal Font. The removal of all clothes also signifies the putting off of the ‘old man’ which will be cast off entirely through Baptism.

     

  The priests recite the prayers of the baptism service as the proud parents and family members look on and join in prayer for the children.

  

  The children peer into the baptismal font and wait patiently as they prepare to be baptised – a day they have been looking forward to for a long time!

  The water

  is used for cleansing. In Baptism it expresses the fact that through this sacrament Christ cleanses us of all sins. The Priest blesses the Baptismal waters in the Font by calling on the Holy Trinity,

  “Do You Yourself, O loving King, be present now also through the descent of Your Holy Spirit and hallow this water”.

  Then he makes the sign of the Cross three times over the water saying,

  “Let all adverse powers be crushed beneath the signing of Your most precious Cross”.

    

   The Holy Gospels and the Chrism oil with the scissors that will be used to tonsure the children- a symbol of their commitment to Christ.

  The Sacrament of Chrismation

  In the Orthodox Church the Sacrament of Chrismation (known sometimes as Confirmation) is administered immediately following Baptism as in the early Church. It is considered the fulfilment of Baptism. The Priest anoints the newly baptised infant with the Holy Chrism saying,

  “the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit, Amen”.

  The whole man is now made the temple of God and the whole body is consecrated to the service of God. According to Orthodox belief every baptised lay person is consecrated by this Sacrament; he receives the gift of the Holy Spirit to become a deputy or an ambassador for Christ in this world.

  The cutting of hair (tonsure)

  The Priest cuts four locks of hair from the child’s head in the form of a Cross. This is an expression of gratitude from the child, who having received an abundance of blessings through the Sacraments of Baptism and Chrismation and having nothing to give to God in return, offers part of its hair, as a first-offering to God. In the Old Testament, hair is seen as a symbol of strength. The child, therefore, promises to serve God with all its strength.

  

  Chris being baptized, Christopher Basil,  by his Godfather- a rare thing indeed!

  Immersion into the Baptismal font

  In obedience to Christ’s words, the Priest Baptises the child with the words,

  “The servant of God (name) is baptised in the name of the Father. Amen. And of the Son, Amen. And of the Holy Spirit, Amen”.

  At each invocation the Priest immerses and then raises the infant up again. After the Baptism the Priest places the child in a new linen sheet held by the Godparent.

  

  Christopher Basil, Leslie Justin and Zacharias Michael

   Aren’t they CUTE in their little white suits? As we were walking back into the Church, after dressing the boys, Chris says to me, “Nouna, I like my new shoes, can I won (run) in them?” I responded, “Exactly Chris, I wanted you to be comfortable at your party, I am glad you like your new shoes!” 

  

   

  

  A religious dance

  Then the Priest makes, together with the Godparent and the child, a circumambulation around the Font, three times; and for each of the three rounds the chanters sing,

  “As many of you as have been baptised into Christ, have put on Christ. Alleluia” (Galatians 3:27).

  This reflects the belief that at this moment the angels in heaven are expressing their joy that a new soul is registered in the Book of Life. Tradition states that at this moment God assigns a guardian angel to stay with the newly-baptised person until the end of their earthly life. Following the reading from St Paul’s Epistle to the Romans (6:3-11) and the Reading from the Holy Gospel (Matt. 28:16-20) the Priest says to the child, “You are baptised; you are illuminated; you are anointed with the Holy Myrrh; you are hallowed; you are washed clean, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen”.

    

  The candles

  However dark may be the night that surrounds us, Baptism remains the sacrament of entrance into light. It opens the eyes of the soul to see Christ, the light; of the world (John 1:19) It makes us sons of light (1 Thess. 5:5). In the early Church the baptismal candle was always kept by the one baptised and brought to Church for major events in the person’s life.

  Even as the final hour of life approached it was lighted again as the soul went forth to meet its Judge. It was a constant reminder for the Christian to live and die by the light of Christ. Thus the candle becomes a symbol of the perseverance of the baptised soul until Christ’s return.

     

  The Godparents of the three boys- two priests, two presvyteras and a graduate of Holy Cross Seminary and the Metropolis of Detroit youth director along with their prayerful parents. These precious children are also the grandchildren of a priest. I would say these children are in very good hands and will be brought up to know and love Christ and His Church!

   

  A very sweet and affectionate Christopher Basil, saying goodbye to us at the end of a great day!

  View the slide show to enjoy more photos of the Baptisms and reception,.

  

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