Baptism

Orthodox Baptism+


Baptism literally means immersing in water. For the Orthodox Church this is a Holy sacrament through which a child is becomes the member of the orthodox church and part of Jesus Body through the Holy Communion .Some of the modern churches are believing in adult Baptism . But
Orthodox Church following the child Baptism.

Through the Baptism the Baptized had a rebirth in Christ, and becoming a member of His church and get purified from the Sin of Adam (or birth sin). Earlier forms of this purification and enrollment to a separate group started in the days of Abraham. Yahweh instructed Abraham that all male child of his clan including his servants’ children to be circumcised on the 8th day after birth ( Genesis17-10). In Leviticus, we see ( Lev 8:6), for the consecration of priest first they should be washed with water for cleansing and purifying, and then should be anointed with scented oil. In first Samuel 10:1, we see prophet Samuel anointing Soul by pouring oil on his head . All these show a sort of cleansing and anointing is required to separate one from the earlier position .This type of washing and anointing was available in the Qumran sect also, may be they followed the Jews custom .When John the Baptist came as the forerunner of Messiah he baptized (St Mark 1:8) people in the river of Jordan and told them to bear the fruits of repentance. The Christian Baptism of today was installed by Jesus Christ after his resurrection .He baptized His disciples in Holy Sprit in the name of His father .( St Mathew 28:19, St Mark 16:16). Through the sacrament of Baptism a child is becoming member of Church and sanctified (Ephesians 5: 26), becoming a Born again (Titus 3: 6) repent and justified in Christ ( Acts 2:38, 1 Cori 6:11) and receive Holy Ghost( 1 Cori 12:13, Ephe 1:14).

Repentance, change of mind from the old beliefs and faith, and declaration of a new
Faith is the out come of baptism. In child baptism the god father/ mother is the representative who takes the oath. In the Orthodox order of baptism there are four parts (1) preparation for Baptism, through which the parents surrendering the child to the will and direction of Jesus Christ. Here the child is given a Christian name, .for a boy this will be his grand parents or fathers name so that
he also becomes member in the family tree , for girls similarly her mothers or grand mothers name .
(2) Child is applied with olive oil this is supposed to be the symbolic of Christian love. Child is discarding Satan and receiving Messiah as the redeemer. The representative God Father or Mother
are entrusted with the responsibility to bring up the child in Christian values , they have to pray for the baptized through out their lives . (3) Priest mixing the hot and cold water in the baptismal pond
symbolic to the hot and cold spring water of Jordan where Jesus had His baptism .Then the priest blows over the water to invite Holy spirit and pour few drops of Moron to water. Just like the manifestation of Holy Triune at the Jordan Baptism (The Baptized, Fathers voice as this is my beloved Son and the Sprit as the Dove), Sprit of God hovering over the water and priest bathing the child in that water. When the child is taken out of the water it will be smelling good and it will be new life , then he will be anointed with the Holy Moron ( Moron is a sacramental oil specially prepared with some thing like 1200 ingredients. Patriarch or Catholicos only can prepare it ).Now he is the member of Gods church ,a great privilege indeed , as a symbol of the great privilege a crown is placed his/her head and priest take him in side the madbaha and allow to kiss at the corners of the
thronos, where the Eucharist is kept .(4) Then he is brought down and Holy communion is given . By that action the child becomes the member of the Christian church and part of Jesus Body .