How is the baptism of an adult in the church. Baptism of a child: rules, advice and practical issues. Preparing for Adult Baptism

Modern people more and more often they think about their soul, so many decide to undergo the rite of baptism in the church. But before you decide to take such a step, you should carefully weigh everything. If the desire to be baptized is caused only by the desire to pay tribute to fashion, then it is better to postpone it. After all, joining a church community imposes certain obligations on a person. With a conscious desire to live as a Christian, some preparation is required, the fulfillment of several conditions.

The meaning of the rite

Baptism is one of the most ancient church traditions, which is written about in the Bible. Jesus Christ Himself was also baptized, so every believer should follow His example. A mandatory attribute of the sacrament is water, where the believer is immersed three times. This action is accompanied by an appeal to the persons of the Holy Trinity - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. It symbolizes the spiritual birth into eternal life and the death of man to sin. In the sacrament, there is deliverance from original sin, which was inherited from the first people (Adam and Eve). Baptism is performed once in a lifetime.

The sacrament is preceded by an obligatory conversation with a church minister, simply with a priest. You can meet him after the end of any service, you just need to come up and say about your desire to undergo the ceremony.

In some temples, individual interviews are held, in others they are general. As a rule, it is required to come to the talks three times. During them, the priest talks about church life, about what changes the believer will have to make in his behavior, how an adult is baptized.

In former times there was an institution of catechumens. Future Christians were prepared to join the Christian community gradually. The preparatory period lasted from 40 days to several years. People studied the Holy Scriptures, learned to pray. The church community had to make sure that the applicant had a strong desire to live a Christian life.

Preparation for the ritual

Baptism takes place throughout the liturgical year. It doesn’t matter how old a person is, you can perform the ceremony at any age, on any day, there are no restrictions on this. After all, everyone has their own fate - some make such an important decision when they are in the hospital or under the influence of other circumstances that make you think about eternity.

It is possible to arrange for the rite to be performed individually, but this is usually done for a group that attended the readings. The day is chosen by the rector of the temple arbitrarily. As a rule, this is Saturday, so that new members of the church can fully participate in the Divine Liturgy the next morning, start communion.

Each temple may have its own timetable, which can usually be found at the entrance to the building.

It is better to know in advance how the rite of baptism of an adult goes, in order to take part in it consciously. The priest usually talks about this at preliminary conversations, explaining the meaning of each action. In Russia, all divine services and rites are held in Church Slavonic. It would be useful to get a dictionary in order to understand at least the most common expressions during worship. After all, being baptized in order to simply “stand up” the service is a rather pointless exercise. A baptismal kit will also be needed, it usually includes:

You can purchase these items separately, the main thing is not to forget anything. Spiritual preparation is also needed - it is desirable to know the 10 commandments, you need to memorize a couple of prayers (the Symbol of Faith, “Our Father”), they will be pronounced aloud during baptism.

How the sacrament is performed

The rite of baptism among the Orthodox is traditionally performed under the vaults of the temple. In many churches there are no specially built fonts for full immersion of the body in water. Then they use a large bowl over which people bow their heads. You should not worry about this - the main thing is that all the necessary prayers are read, then the sacrament is considered valid.

"Save me, God!". Thank you for visiting our site, before you start studying the information, please subscribe to our Orthodox community on Instagram Lord, Save and Save † - https://www.instagram.com/spasi.gospodi/. The community has over 60,000 subscribers.

There are many of us, like-minded people, and we are growing rapidly, posting prayers, sayings of saints, prayer requests, posting in a timely manner useful information about holidays and Orthodox events... Subscribe. Guardian Angel for you!

There are a huge number of articles written on the subject of infant baptism, what traditions exist and how this sacrament should be performed correctly. However, it is worth noting that no one considered such an option as the rite of baptism for an adult, because it is then that a person takes a very serious step, not following fashion trends, but instead sticking to their beliefs, thereby acting deliberately.

In this article, you can get acquainted with how an adult is baptized, what rules exist, what is needed for it, how this ceremony is performed, and much more.

Let's understand what baptism is. This ceremony is a kind of sacrament where a believer, with an appeal addressed to the Lord, the Son and the Holy Spirit, immerses his body three times in water, while he kind of dies for carnal and sinful life, in order to be spiritually reborn from the Holy Spirit.

The sacrament of baptism of an adult implies deliverance from original sin, that is, the sinful act of his forefathers, who endowed him at birth.

The Orthodox custom itself can be carried out over a person only once, which is comparable with birth, because a person is born only once.

However, such a rite is extremely inappropriate in the case when a person is trying to find any earthly benefits at the expense of it, gain luck, or even thereby wants to resolve family troubles. Therefore, one of the most significant conditions for the fulfillment of the sacrament is an unshakable desire to live one's life according to Christian customs.

After a person performs the ceremony, he must begin to live a full-fledged Orthodox life, that is, learn to live in the Lord, learn worship, read a prayer service and regularly attend church. If this does not happen, then the sacrament will simply lose all meaning.

It is imperative to prepare for this kind of procession, remember all your committed sins, addictions, wrongs, and it is also worth learning and confessing by heart before baptism from a clergyman.

Baptism of an adult: rules and some customs

• This kind of procession is available to absolutely every person, different ages and any day convenient for him.
• From this it follows that it is possible to carry out the rite of baptism over a believer, at any time, even from the first breath at birth until death.
• However, it must be remembered that in each church the sacrament can take place in different ways and a certain procedure for its conduct can also be established, which will largely depend on the circumstances that have arisen, church routine and opportunities.
• Based on what, it is best to find out in advance how the ceremony will take place in the cathedral that you have chosen.

What is required for adult baptism

The main reason for conducting the sacrament for a mature person is the presence in him of the Orthodox Christian faith, sincere and pure, coming from the whole soul. The purpose of baptism is union with the Lord. That is why those who come to the baptismal font must decide for themselves whether they need it and how ready they are to accept the faith.

Baptism of an adult: what is needed for the ceremony for men and women

A mature person who desired to undergo the rite of baptism must first of all have faith in the Almighty, as well as familiarize himself with and share the Orthodox dogmas given in the Gospel.

Before proceeding to the sacrament, one should go through a special preparation called catechesis, which usually consists of several conversations with a clergyman, where a person can hear about the duties of a Christian, Orthodox dogma, and the visitor himself will be able to get answers to all the questions that have arisen. And only after that you can proceed to the ceremony.

As for the baptism itself, then a person will definitely need a baptismal shirt, open slippers, a cross, but towels can also come in handy. However, at the same time, it is best to find out the exact list of necessary things in the church where you are going to conduct the sacrament.

Now let's move on to such a question as the baptism of adult women and what features you should know:

• Women should take into account that the wet fabric during the ceremony may well shine through, in order to avoid embarrassing situations, it is recommended to wear a regular swimsuit underneath, and you can also take a change of underwear with you. Do not forget that for almost the entire duration of the ceremony, the baptized must have their ankles bare.
• Regarding the cross, there are no special recommendations here, an ordinary cross, which is freely sold in church shops in the temple itself, may well come up. It's okay if you purchased a pectoral cross somewhere else, as the priest will be able to consecrate it right during the ceremony. The main thing to remember is that in no case should you buy a gold cross, because gold itself in the Orthodox religion is considered a sinful metal and it is best to prefer silver to it.
• It is also important to buy one or more candles (for those who accompany you) before the beginning of the sacrament.

Baptism of an adult: rules and how the sacrament is performed

• The first stage of the sacred ceremony is the naming of a person, thanks to which he receives his Saint acting as a heavenly patron, whose name was chosen for him;
• The next stage is performed as a sign of receiving blessing and protection by laying on the hand of a clergyman, moreover, it personifies God's hand, and the Lord himself, from the moment of the sacrament, will begin to provide not only patronage, but also take under his special protection the believer who turned to him;
• After that, a prayer service is said, where from the Temple, in the person of the servant of the Lord, unclean spirits and the devil, the terrible and mighty name of the Almighty, are forbidden to intrigue the newly baptized, and also helps to drive them away;
• Immediately after all evil spirits will be expelled by the name of the Lord, the hour comes when the believer himself must renounce it;
• Before the baptism of an adult, it is initially necessary to consecrate the oil and water, and after that the clergyman proceeds to anoint the water with oil and only then the person being baptized. Then the person is immersed three times in the consecrated water with the pronunciation of prayer speeches from the priest;
• At the moment of pronouncing the prayer, the believer is illuminated by the grace emanating from the Holy Spirit, thanks to which all of his spiritual and physical nature will change, that is, the person himself of his kind will go through the stage of rebirth, but in a different capacity. Just the same, that is why this custom was called the “second birth”, because all those sinfulness that the Orthodox had were completely forgiven by the Almighty. A kind of mentor is assigned to him, capable of protecting the human soul, he will become a Guardian Angel for the believer.

Do not forget that the Orthodox will carry the grace received during the sacrament throughout his life, wasting it with stupid and unnecessary deeds or, on the contrary, increasing it with righteous deeds.

The Lord is always with you!

Priest Andrei Mizyuk. Photo: Ivan Privalova / eparhia-saratov

For, it seems, for eight years I have served in large mass baptisms of adults. The service of the Baptismal Liturgy was once introduced by Metropolitan Longin of Saratov and Volsky during Great Lent on the eve of the service of Great Saturday and exists to this day. However, baptisms are performed not only on Holy Saturday, but also 1-2 times a month on ordinary Saturdays.

Most often, these baptisms are held in the cathedral, where adults are baptized by the metropolitan, but at the end of the rite of baptism, all those who have just been baptized go to the temple, where they participate in the Liturgy and partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

Different people come to be baptized. Age does not matter here, although quite children are still baptized in the old fashioned way in the usual, familiar rite in parish churches, and adults come to us already. Most often these are people from 25 to 40 years old, although, of course, teenagers from 13 years old are also baptized, and, well, elderly people.

On the eve of the Baptismal Liturgy of the Chin, it is my task to make an announcement and a confessional conversation. That is, the usual service of the Sacrament of Baptism is, as it were, divided into two days. In the evening, the part is performed in which names are given to those being baptized, prayers of prohibition are read, renunciation of Satan and combination with Christ, a confessional conversation is held with everyone who wants to be baptized. I must say that this is not an easy test for me either.

A confessional conversation is not a full-fledged confession, but nevertheless it is a frank and honest conversation in which a person’s life is revealed, and it is also an opportunity to understand what Baptism itself means for a person and why he decided to be baptized.

It would be better if mom and dad let them decide

There is an opinion that all those who were not baptized during the Soviet years were baptized in the 90s, when there were also mass baptisms in churches. However, this is not entirely true. Unfortunately, 25-30 years ago, mass baptisms were a kind of tribute to the interest that arose then in the life of the Church, they were performed, as in Soviet years, at will, there were definitely no conversations before baptism, and even more so, there was no preparation, but it was not forbidden either, which means that it was necessary for some reason. We are still facing this problem, when “for some reason it is necessary”, when people who come to baptize their children have a negative attitude towards the need to undergo public discussions. And, of course, not everyone was baptized in those 90s.

Very often, when talking with an adult, mature person who is already over forty, I find out that he did not want to go to baptism at all in those years just because “I am Russian, which means I am baptized and Orthodox”, therefore, for someone mass character was not an argument at all and, on the contrary, even repelled.

Younger people who were only born in the 90s and were not baptized in infancy (as a rule, they are the most) were also brought up in families where attitudes towards faith were most often indifferent, and sometimes even negative. These adult children are sometimes baptized with their parents.

And then there are children from mixed marriages, where parents were and are representatives of different ethnic and religious traditions. There were no believers there either, but parents most often left the right to choose and decide on a religious tradition to their children when they were already grown up. I must say that this is a very good and wise decision.

Sometimes, even in our “baptized” families, the knowledge and understanding of the meaning of the Sacrament of Baptism is such that it would be better if mom and dad let their children decide for themselves why and how to believe them.

This is better than making Baptism an occasion for gatherings in a cafe or a gathering of numerous relatives, and even more so much more honest than inventing completely unthinkable reasons like “to be healthy, not to be afraid of the dark and sleep better.”

Baptism has never been and never will be a box for notes with wishes. On the contrary, such an attitude towards the Sacrament most often ends with the fact that after 15 years an angry teenager comes to the temple and asks to be baptized, because he does not need any Christianity and no one asked his opinion. Such cases, unfortunately, are also not uncommon.

... And another person returns to the shore

We have a short conversation, get to know each other, sometimes it can be a difficult conversation, because even a person who has passed the mandatory conversations is far from always fully aware of the reasons and goals himself, and sometimes he honestly admits that a wife, or mother, or sister would like to. And then the appropriate question is what the person himself would like and whether he is ready to bring to God the promise of a good conscience. Sometimes a person decides to postpone such Baptism or postpone it to another time.

The next day, if this baptism is not in the temple itself, we gather again and go out of town, where early in the morning on one of the city beaches, when there is almost no one else, we perform the very Sacrament of Baptism and chrismation.

The priest, dressed in an epitrachelion, handrails and a phelonion, goes into the water, and those who are baptized follow him.

The baptismal formula is pronounced, and another person returns to the shore.

After washing the world and cutting their hair, a group of baptized people go by bus to the temple to take part in the Liturgy. After the Liturgy, the newly enlightened Christians will have a meal, as well as the presentation of baptismal certificates.

Baptisms on the Volga have been taking place for several years now. And by the way, most people take part in such baptisms, as a rule, up to forty people, and sometimes more. So this year, 39 people participated in the Sacrament of Baptism on the Volga. But, probably, for the first time in all these years, this event was filled for me with a lot of amazing and unexpected meetings, in which I again saw that very simple and so often forgotten by us in everyday life truth about the non-randomness of accidents.

They all had one Chalice and one Spirit

There is a person with whom I studied almost 20 years ago in the same school, in parallel classes, and with whom we have not seen each other all these years. How and why it so happened that it was in these circumstances that we met again and, by the way, got to know each other - only God knows. However, it turned out that this is not a simple case of those that are the most common. Alexander's wife recently gave birth, and his newborn twins are in intensive care.

Long years without children prompted a person to rethink his life, his baptism was the result of a long journey of reflection, doubt, search. A few days after his Baptism, we baptized his boys in the perinatal center.

Once, almost fifteen years ago, my wife, who had just entered the church, gave a cross to her unbaptized classmate at the university. And so, as it turned out, Sasha, her classmate, was also baptized this time, and they put on her just the same cross that my wife had given her a long time ago. And soon we will baptize Sasha's daughter. Surprisingly, that same cross, a quiet and modest gift, went through all these years with this girl, long before I met my wife, how I was ordained, like Sasha herself, through many trials and even obstacles, I decided on this important step.

And this time, the husband of our parishioner Masha was baptized. She became a widow six years ago, her first husband died suddenly, and this loss was a real, heavy blow for her. I still remember those heavy and long conversations that cold and gray winter, the silence with which we sometimes just sat on a bench in the temple, the way her mother experienced this pain with her. Then there were months and years of living and accepting, and yet the Lord did not leave our requests and sorrowful sighs, and changes in life took place.

I heard from someone that Masha got married a second time, but it was still surprising to meet her in that country church among many people and find out that her husband was baptized today. Thus, with the birth of a new man, a new small Church also appeared, and I really want that with this wonderful dispensation of life, another, false calmness would not suddenly come. The one that comes to many who were baptized out of ignorance or according to some kind of their own understanding, with some completely different, different from the gospel, purpose. Not into eternal life and the remission of sins, but "that it might be, that it might be fulfilled ...".

And there was a woman sitting on a bench next to the temple, whom I didn’t ask for her name, and it doesn’t matter, in general, because she came here almost on the eve of the birth to support her husband, who was baptized that day. And also after years of reflection, choice, doubts and many questions, and now I understand exactly and know why. And all these people were at the same Chalice that day, they were all of the same Spirit.

And I, returning home, thought that if someone had told me twenty years ago that I would be a priest and baptize a friend from a parallel class, his children and a classmate of my future wife, then, probably, I would have thought that I accidentally confused with someone.

By chance. But I suspect that accidents stopped happening in my life exactly on the day when I was baptized in the church at the age of two and a half, where then a quarter of a century later I was ordained and I myself began to baptize people.

I don't know if it's a coincidence...

Baptism of an adult: 7 stages of the preparatory period + 7 components of the rite itself + 5 rules that must be followed + 5 attributes that you will need.

It is never too late to find God.

If for some reason you were not baptized in infancy, you can even in adulthood find out how an adult is baptized and agree on a ceremony in a church you like.

In principle, adults and children are baptized using a similar ritual, but there are still a number of fundamental differences that you need to be aware of.

What does adult baptism give?

It would seem, well, what difference does it make to priests, whom to baptize - an adult or a child - is there one rite?

The sacrament of baptism is indeed the same for everyone, but age nuances are present.

The rite of baptism as one of the seven sacraments

The word "baptism" itself has Greek roots and is literally understood as "dipping into water." Actually, this is the essence of the ceremony.

Of course, the water should not be simple, the font for immersion is special, and only the priest conducts the ceremony.

Baptism is one of the 7 Christian sacraments, recognized by all denominations, albeit with some reservations and nuances.

It is after the ritual of the cross that a person finds Christ, becomes a full-fledged church parishioner, who can attend services, participate in church holidays, confess, take communion, etc.

The essence of the rite is three times immersion in water with the head. It was precisely this method that Alexy II called upon the clergy in his time, which led to the appearance in a number of churches of special fonts, in which not only a child, but also an adult could fit.

Although to this day, baptism is not always performed by complete immersion in water, especially when it comes to an adult. In small churches, there may not be a font in which someone other than a baby would fit, so water is simply poured on the head and chest.

At the same time, the priest says special words:

And also - reads a series of prayers.

It is believed that a baptized person renounces the forces of darkness, is cleansed of all sins and gets a chance for a new church life.

In fact, a person goes through the ritual of the symbolic death of his former self in order to resurrect already with Christ. By the way, Jesus Christ himself was baptized by John in the Jordan River. So how can you not follow his example?

And for baptized people, there is one more holiday, since the day on which the ceremony was performed is considered the Day of the Angel.

How is adult baptism different from infant baptism?

We are used to the fact that mostly children are baptized, while the parents themselves decide when their baby should undergo a special ceremony - up to a year or later.

And, as practice shows, small children are easier to tolerate baptism than those that are older.

It is not uncommon to meet an adult who desires to be baptized because, as a child, his parents denied him the chance to receive Christ.

In the 90s, such rituals were generally carried out en masse, because in Soviet times, parents who decided to baptize a child succumbed to persecution. There were those who secretly agreed on the baptism of the baby, wanting to save his soul, but there were many parents who did not want to risk their own careers.

The children grew up and made a conscious decision to undergo the rite of baptism, which is fully approved by the church.

Baptism of an adult has a number of differences:

1. The meaningfulness of making a decision - the children do not understand where they were brought and what they are doing with them, but an adult must understand this.
2. The responsibility you take on. Toddlers can do some bad deeds due to their stupidity, but a baptized adult is obliged to reconsider his views on life and stop sinning.
3. The absence of godparents. Godparents are needed for a baby to teach him to live according to the commandments of God and to bear responsibility for him until he is fully grown up. But an adult must himself be responsible for his actions, both good and bad.

The rite itself is not too different, except that the preparatory period for adults is more complicated and more authentic than for kids.

Baptism of an adult: preparation for the ceremony and the ceremony itself

You should prepare well for the ritual itself, and for this you need to know in advance what an adult needs to be baptized.

It will not be superfluous to familiarize yourself with the essence of baptism in order to avoid unpleasant surprises for yourself.

Preparing for Adult Baptism

Often, both the parishioners themselves and the priests ignore the preparatory period. It happens that an adult comes to church and asks: “What do I need for baptism?”, And they simply list what needs to be bought, name the amount and set a specific time.

Everything is so simple that a person does not even have time to realize the essence of what is happening.

It happens that a priest approaches the issue as responsibly as possible, but a man or woman who wants to find Christ does not want to complicate their lives and simply demands to be baptized without any preparation.

Of course, no one will refuse you, but it is better to follow all the recommendations of the clergyman and go through full preparation for the sacrament.

The preparatory period for the baptism of an adult consists of several stages:

• Understanding the essence of Christianity and its branch - Orthodoxy.
• Bible study.
• Attending worship services - it is advisable for an adult to attend at least 3 services before baptism.
• Memorization of basic prayers, such as "Our Father", "Mother of God", "Symbol of Faith".
• A conversation with the priest about the ceremony itself, and it may take several conversations to get answers to all your questions.
• Abstinence in food, entertainment and intimate relationships, at least a few days before the ceremony.
• Preparing your body: Of course, you must be clean before the sacrament, and not smell bad.

Important! Women trying to look the best way, must understand that they will be dipped headlong. This means that you do not need to make up or build complex hairstyles. All this will flow, and you will look just comical. Also, do not buy too thin a baptismal shirt so as not to shine with a “naked” body.

In addition, you need to stock up on ritual items, without which the sacrament of baptism itself will not pass.

№	Name	Description
1.	Pectoral cross	This is perhaps the most important thing that should be. The cross can be made of any material - wood, tin, silver, gold. It is not necessary to buy it in the church itself, as the priest can do this during the ceremony itself.
2.	christening clothes	Here you need to listen to what they tell you in the church. Sometimes baptism is carried out in bathing suits (swimming trunks, if we are talking about men), sometimes in light wide shirts, sometimes completely naked. Women also need a headscarf.
3.	Towel	An ordinary white towel will also work, but you can buy a special one - with embroidered or woven crosses around the edges.
4.	Dry festive clothes	After the bath, you will need to dry off and change into clean, dry clothes. Since this is a holiday, it should also be beautiful.
5.	Other	Here, listen to what they say in the temple. Usually you also need to take slippers, a camera to capture the ceremony, a few candles, etc. with you.

But godparents are not needed for an adult. Sometimes priests make concessions and allow one or even two pairs of godparents to be taken, although there is no point in this.

Important! Remember that the church is not funded by the state, but lives on donations from parishioners. Of course, a fixed fee for christian sacrament- not too good, but not giving anything to the temple at all is wrong.

As you can see, preparing for the baptism of an adult takes a lot of time, so take this into account when choosing the date of the ceremony.

The rite of baptism of an adult

There are different variations of baptism that an adult undergoes. It all depends on the church in which the sacrament takes place.

But most often the rite of baptism of an adult consists of 7 mandatory steps:

• Announcement. After special prayers, the priest must blow three times in the face of the candidate for church, which symbolizes his renewal. life path. According to the Old Testament, this is exactly what the Lord did when he revived his creation - Adam. At the same stage, prayers are read that protect against evil spirits, and an adult standing in front of the priest is blessed.
• Questions. Now the “revived” and “blessed” one needs to turn to the west (after all, it is there, according to all Christian teachings, that the forces of darkness live) and answer the priest’s questions, which boil down to loyalty to Christ and renunciation of Satan.
• Prayer "Creed". It is this prayer that is read together with the priest after the adult renounces the Devil and confirms his loyalty to God. In this case, you need to stand facing east.
• Candles and oil. The main preparations are over, but in front of the font, all those present (sometimes only the godfathers) are given lit church candles so that they hold them, illuminating the path of the person who decided to be baptized. The priest, dressed in light robes, smears oil on his forehead, limbs, neck and other parts of the body, blessing both the thoughts and deeds of the Servant of God.
• Font. After reading a few more prayers, the adult is immersed three times with his head in the prepared font. In some cases, it is only sprinkled with holy water.
• Cross. Of course, after the font, a baptized person needs to dry off and put on a dry shirt. Only after that the clergyman can put a cross around his neck.
• A haircut. The final episode is the shearing of several hairs from the forehead, the back of the head and near the ears (in the form of a cross). Do not be afraid to ruin your hair - usually the priests act very delicately and the traces of their intervention are almost imperceptible.

That's all - it remains only to accept congratulations from loved ones in honor of your union with Jesus Christ.

Here is a video that will help you see firsthand how this sacrament of baptism is performed and, perhaps, inspire you to repeat the experience of adult heroes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkbHBHV14R0.

How is an adult baptized?

Rules for adult baptism

Despite the fact that baptism is a holiday, it is not necessary to turn it into folk festivals, to convene a crowd of people who will make noise during the ceremony.

Yes, you can invite your loved ones to share your joy with you, you can even celebrate this event after, but do not turn it into an indecent booze, indulging in gluttony and debauchery.

There are several rules that an adult should follow during baptism:

1. True faith. If you do not take the ritual of the cross seriously, if you do not believe in God, if baptism is a tribute to fashion for you, then do not expect grace to descend on you. On the contrary, it will only get worse, because you will add one more to the already existing sins - lies and hypocrisy in the face of the Lord.
2. Free choice of location. You have the right to choose any Orthodox church for the ceremony - no one should put forward their own conditions for you - to be baptized only here or nowhere. If you have your own spiritual mentor or have heard positive reviews about a priest, you can contact him directly to perform the rite of baptism for an adult.
3. Implementation of the rules. Despite the fact that everything Orthodox churches adhere to a single procedure, it still has some nuances depending on the venue. This is why you need to speak with a representative of your chosen temple ahead of time in order to prepare for your baptism in the best possible way.
4. Good health. You should not be baptized if you are sick. In this case, it makes sense to postpone the ceremony to another day. Women, when choosing a date, should take into account their monthly cycle- during the period of lunar bleeding, you can’t even go to church.
5. Concentration. During baptism, an adult should be as focused as possible on what is happening, get all sinful thoughts out of his head, ask God for guidance on the true path. You can't think of something completely different. If you can’t concentrate, read a prayer, it will help put your thoughts in order.

The baptism of an adult is a rather interesting rite, even to witness which is fascinating. And to experience something like this mature years- and an experience like no other.

The life of society does not stand still, it undergoes certain changes. They affect every individual. Nowadays, people have begun to pay more attention to their own spirituality, and then they are drawn to faith. But not everyone went through the rite of baptism in childhood, when these issues were treated lightly, leaving them in the background. Now many are trying to catch up. And if only the presence is required from the baby in the process of the ceremony, then the baptism of an adult is a completely different matter. What is needed for this, how to arrange everything? Let's figure it out.

The Purpose of Coming to God

People for various reasons want to undergo the ceremony. Everyone has their own path, so to speak. However, there are some features that it is advisable to consider before going to the temple. First of all, the rite of baptism of an adult person imposes a serious responsibility on the individual. After all, this trust from the Lord is given to an infant, so to speak, in advance. This means that his godparents will educate him in virtue, instill the rules of conduct for a true Christian. When a person is at a reasonable age, he should strive for this himself. After all, belonging to any confession imposes certain duties on the individual. When considering adult baptism, what should be done before making a decision? You should concentrate on the goal. And this is practically impossible without studying the foundations of Orthodoxy. An ordinary person will think: “Why do I need such difficulties?”. This will be followed by an answer from the depths of conscience: “What is the rite for?”. You see, there are people who do not go to God, but follow fashion trends. It is not right. Therefore, there are some features that accompany the baptism of an adult. What should be taken into account if you want to join the Temple of God?

The first step to the ceremony

Surely you know that the ceremony does not take place out of the blue. The first thing that is done, regardless of the age of the future parishioner, is a conversation with the priest. Everything is very simple. You need to go to the temple, wait until the end of the service, ask the priest to listen to you. He should state the essence of his case. Namely, to say that you need to go through the rite of baptism of an adult. The age should be specified specifically so that there is no misunderstanding. After all, the priest will need to plan his schedule, allocate time in it for interviews. That's right, the conversation will not be one. Just like that, a person will not be allowed to church. Therefore, a new member of the community should carefully consider his own decision. As a rule, one of the godparents conducts the first conversation with the priest. It is he who is instructed to inform the person about how the baptism of an adult is organized, what needs to be learned, prepared, how to behave. If a new member of the community has not yet found godparents, it's okay. Batiushka will select them from among the parishioners.

Preparatory stage

You know, a lot of people pay attention to the little things. People are concerned about how much it costs to be baptized, how to dress, and so on. Probably, this is also important, in the sense that it is good that people want to emphasize the solemnity of the moment. But the essence is in a completely different area. You must first prove to yourself, and then to your spiritual father, that you are ready to receive baptism. And this means that you understand the whole depth of religion, are ready to accept duties, go to God openly and sincerely. Father will definitely ask you about everything. Not because they don't trust. He must understand what brought a person to the temple. These are his duties to the community and to the Lord. Therefore, his questions should be answered without concealment. Understand that there is no sin in error. It can be corrected. But the desire to seem better than it really is is not welcomed by the church. After all, the Lord said that sincere prayer is dearer to him. He came into our world in order to turn sinners into the righteous. That is, I am glad to anyone who reaches out to faith from the depths of his heart.

Things to Learn Before Your First Conversation with a Spiritual Father

You should not expect that in the temple they will reveal common truths to you, teach you everything from the very beginning. If you think so, you may be disappointed. Most likely, the first conversation with the priest will seem strict and unpleasant. He will need to find out what brings you to the temple. From this and all sorts of questions, sometimes incomprehensible or annoying. Do not get lost, open up to a spiritual mentor. First of all, he will want to know why you did not get baptized in the church earlier. Tell it like it is. Everyone has their own circumstances. This is followed by the most important question about why you came. It is asked to determine whether you understand the essence of Christianity, what information you have. Knowledge is required to answer correctly. Before going to church for an interview, read the commandments of Christ. A person who is interested in how to be baptized as adults must not only know them, but also accept them. Of course, there is much more to be understood. But the commandments are the most important thing at the first stage. If the priest realizes that you are unfamiliar with them, he will doubt the sincerity of the desire to undergo the ceremony, therefore, will not allow him to.

How many times will you have to talk with the priest?

In fact, there are no strict rules governing the number of interviews. Each servant of God determines this for himself. But there are psychological norms that say that it is difficult to discern a person the first time. Any priest is a specialist. But beware of making decisions immediately. After all, he will be responsible before the community and the Lord for the newly converted. Therefore, it is common to conduct at least three interviews. These are unhurried conversations about God, his place in life, the habits and worldview of the person himself, his aspirations, and so on. You should not immediately ask how much baptism costs. In some temples, by the way, there are price lists. Everything is written there. In others, you can find out this delicate issue from the ministers or from the priest himself. But this is not done immediately, but when he decides that a person can be baptized. Then, by the way, ask what should be the clothes for baptism. Unless, of course, you yourself do not understand the spirit of the conversations.

Prayers required for the ceremony

The baby still does not know how to speak, does not realize the solemnity and responsibility of the moment. The godparents are responsible for him. They say the prescribed prayers. Another thing is the baptism of an adult. He comes to God consciously. Therefore, it is necessary to pronounce the prescribed words yourself, accepting the duties of a member of the community. It is necessary to know by heart two prayers: “Our Father” and “Virgin Mary”. When to read them, the father will say. In general, how an adult is baptized, the applicant finds out in advance, during the interview process. Sometimes it is not the priest who tells him about this, but the spiritual guarantor, mentor.

Christening clothes

According to the rules, people in defiant outfits are not allowed into the temple. Clothing should be modest and simple. Women need a dress with a long hem. It is desirable that its color correspond to Christian morality. Nothing flashy or ultra-modern is not worth picking up. But poor toilets will not do. After all, baptism is a celebration of communion with God. You should try to combine modesty with the solemnity of the day. It is often recommended to choose a white outfit. According to the rules for the ceremony, it is supposed to dress in just such a color, symbolizing purity, to dress the newcomers. This is not always done. You need to discuss everything with the father in advance. Men should also choose a toilet that is not contrary to the rules of decency. Regular dark-colored dress pants and a white shirt will do. Jewelry, if you wear them normally, is recommended to be removed.

Feminine features

Girls and ladies should know that they are supposed to enter the temple with their heads covered. This is a common tradition. Practically in all churches there are scarves and scarves for the forgetful. In addition, baptism adult woman not carried out during menstruation. This should be discussed with the priest separately in order to determine the coming day in advance. Every woman seeks to decorate herself, present herself in a favorable light. It is recommended to forget about this rule for the period of the ceremony. God doesn't care what you look like, He cares about your soul. Therefore, leave short skirts and dresses with a neckline at home. Try to find simple and modest clothing. It is also better not to wear jewelry.

The cross is a symbol of faith

People sometimes make mistakes, trying to flaunt in front of friends. We are talking about the acquisition of a pectoral cross. They try to pick it up from gold, thinking about anything but faith. In addition, often they go to a jewelry store for a cross. This is mistake. After all, decoration and a symbol of faith are two different things. Here it is also recommended to consult with a spiritual mentor, read literature, so as not to get into a mess. Better yet, buy a cross in the same place, in the temple. It will correspond to Orthodoxy in form and essence. That is, avoid an annoying, but common mistake.

Fasting before baptism

The ceremony should be prepared at all levels. Not only intellectually and spiritually, but also physically. Adults are advised to fast for at least a month. It is forbidden to eat meat, milk, eggs. This is done, on the one hand, to cleanse oneself physically, on the other hand, as a voluntary demonstration of humility. Alcohol and tobacco at this time should be completely excluded. It is also desirable to limit your participation in recreational activities, avoid noisy parties, refuse to watch films containing scenes of aggression, violence, erotic content. It is better to spend this time studying spiritual literature.

Before baptism, you should realize that life is changing dramatically. By becoming a member of the Christian community, you assume the responsibility of keeping the commandments of the Lord. This will make adjustments to the usual way. Just do not think that they will only burden and spoil life. Not at all. There is much that is bright and joyful in Christianity. Some habits will have to be abandoned, others limited. That is why the path to baptism for an adult is longer than for a baby. After all, he has experience, has a certain daily routine, got used to it. Changes will have to be made of their own free will. And you should find it in yourself and show it so that the priest will allow you to join the church. Cope with everything described - you will become happier and more harmonious.