About the responsibilities of godparents. Godmother and godfather: responsibilities

Being a godmother is a great honor, but also a great responsibility, because she has to become the spiritual mentor of her godson or goddaughter. If your loved ones have given you such an honor, it means they express special trust in you and hope that you will fulfill this role with dignity.

However, keep in mind that in addition to fulfilling the duties of a godmother at baptism, you will later have to instruct your godson in matters Christian faith, take him to communion, give him an example of behavior.

As for preparing for baptism, this stage takes the godmother several days. What does the godmother do during baptism? What does she need to know about the ritual of this sacrament? We will answer these and some other questions.

According to the church charter, the godmother cannot be the child’s mother, a nun, an unbeliever or an unbaptized woman. Not only the mother’s friend, but also one of the relatives, for example, the baby’s grandmother or aunt, can act as a godmother. However, the adoptive mother cannot serve as a godmother either during or after the baptism.

How to prepare a godmother for the baptism ceremony

Preparations for baptism for the godmother begin several days before this ceremony. She, like her godfather, needs to fast for a period of time. three days, and then confess and receive communion.

You also need to talk with the priest, who will tell you in detail what the godmother needs to know about this sacrament and what she will have to do during the baptismal ceremony.

As a rule, the duties of a godmother in preparation for baptism include knowing by heart some of the prayers that will need to be read during this ceremony: “Creed”, “Our Father”, “Hail to the Virgin Mary”, “Heavenly King”, etc.

They express the essence of faith, help to cleanse oneself from sin and gain strength to overcome obstacles in life. life path. Although in some parishes knowledge of these prayers is not required: during the ceremony, the godparents will only need to repeat some phrases after the priest.

The godmother's preparation for the baptismal ceremony does not end there. She will need to purchase the things necessary for this ceremony and know what actions she will have to perform during the ceremony. However, let's talk about everything in order.

What else does a godmother need to know about the rules for baptizing a child? You should dress modestly for a christening. You cannot come to the temple in trousers, and the skirt must be below the knees. Women's head Orthodox church must be covered with a scarf.

What should a godmother do during a baptism? The ritual consists of the rite of announcement (reading over the child special prayers), his renunciation of Satan and union with Christ, as well as his confession of the Orthodox faith. The godparents say the appropriate words for the baby on his behalf, renouncing the unclean spirit and promising to remain faithful to the Lord.

If a girl is being baptized, she should be held in her arms during the baptism ceremony. godmother, if a boy undergoes the ceremony, then the godfather. Although this can also be done by one of the godparents who better acquainted with the baby and next to whom the child feels more comfortable.

However, in any case, the godmother must be well acquainted with the child in order to maintain emotional contact with the baby and be able to calm him down if he cries.

After this, as a child is baptized, immersing him three times in water in the font and reading prayers at the same time, the godmother must take him in her arms. To do this you will need a kryzhma - a white towel. According to superstitions, drops from a baby’s face cannot be wiped off so that his life is happy.

Then the child is put on a cross (if it was not purchased in a church, it will need to be consecrated in advance) and a baptismal outfit - a shirt to the toes for a boy and a dress for a girl. The baby will also need a cap or scarf.

Even during preparation for baptism, the godmother is obliged to choose these things for the child. In the old days, women sewed them themselves, but nowadays baptismal attire and kryzhma can be bought in a store or church shop.

These items are not washed after christening and are not used for their intended purpose. It is recommended to keep them throughout a person’s life, as they serve as amulets, helping him avoid various troubles and diseases.

What else does a godmother need to do when baptizing a child? After initiation into the font, the godparents and the priest walk around it three times with the baby as a sign of spiritual joy from the union of the new member. Christ Church with the Savior for eternal life.

After the ritual of anointing, when parts of the child’s body are anointed with myrrh and prayers are read, the priest washes the myrrh with a special sponge moistened with holy water.

Then the priest lightly trims the child’s hair on four sides, which is folded onto a wax cake and lowered into the font, which symbolizes submission to God and sacrifice in gratitude for the beginning of spiritual life.

(The godmother will need a small bag in which to place the baby's cut hair, which can then also be stored with the towel and shirt.)

After this, the priest reads prayers for the child and his godparents, followed by churching. The priest carries the baby around the temple. If it is a boy, then he is brought into the altar. At the end of the ritual, the child is applied to one of the icons of the Savior and to the icon of the Mother of God, and then given to the parents.

In addition to the things necessary for the ceremony, the godmother can give the baby an icon with the image of his patron saint, a “measured icon”, a children’s Bible, a prayer book or items that do not have a church focus (clothes, shoes, toys, etc.), and also assist his parents in organizing a festive feast on the occasion of the christening.

We have already told you what the godmother has to know and do during the baptism ceremony of the child. But your mission doesn't end there. As already mentioned, you will need to be involved in the life of your godson and beyond.

You will attend church with your child if his parents are unable to do so due to illness or absence. You will need to contribute spiritual growth godson, give him advice in difficult life situations. In a word, take care of him along with his parents, because now you are responsible for the new member christian church before God.

Being chosen as godparents of a child is a very honorable mission. Few modern married couples have thought about what qualities a godmother should have. After all, as you know, the godparents (godparents) will subsequently be the child’s spiritual parents, who are responsible before God for the behavior and actions of their godson. Very often, close friends or relatives are invited for this, who do not fully understand what the responsibilities of the godfather and mother will be.

What is a godfather for?

Being a godfather means teaching your godson to love the world around him, giving him spiritual education according to the principles of the Orthodox Church, teaching him prayers and attending church with him. It is very important to remember that it is the recipient, and not the grandparents, who takes financial care of the child if his parents are sick and incapacitated: good nutrition, buying clothes and toys, assistance in obtaining an education and profession - this is all that should making a godfather for raising his son or daughter. Also, according to the canons of the church, in the event of the loss of physical parents, it is he who becomes the first applicant for the adoption of a minor godson or goddaughter.

How to prepare for Baptism?

So, the decision has been made - the recipient has been chosen, and he has given his consent. The godfather must know that this is a sacrament, and before it you need to fast for several days, and you need to carefully prepare for the ritual itself:

1. The day before, visit the church where the service will be held and talk with the priest. He will tell you what is needed for a child to be baptized, how the sacrament will take place, etc.
2. Confess and receive communion. Now these requirements are not mandatory, but are very much welcomed by the church.
3. Learn the “Creed” prayer by heart.
4. Discuss with the godson’s parents whether they need any help: organizing transport, preparing a banquet, etc.

Of the things that a godfather should give at baptism, the most obligatory is pectoral cross and a thread (chain). Some limit themselves to only this, while others give icons, toys, etc. If there is no godmother, then do not forget that the recipient will need to buy more, as well as a diaper (sheet) in which to wrap the baby.

What does the receiver do during the ritual?

The responsibilities of the godfather at Baptism include:

It happens that for some reason parents want to change their godfather, but they don’t know if this can be done. The clergy explain that in Orthodox faith this cannot be done.

Becoming a godfather is a great responsibility, because you are responsible to the church for your godson. Try to cultivate in him love for God and neighbor, tell him about his sins and protect him from them, and also do not forget the godson in your prayers.

DatsoPic 2.0 2009 by Andrey Datso

Quite a few of us were baptized as infants. And of course, we cannot remember how it all happened. It may also happen that we are asked to become the godmother or father of the baby. And then, we need to know the whole Sacrament of Baptism and whether we can become someone’s recipient. And when a joyful event occurs in our family - the birth of a child, then we need to think about who we can entrust with the spiritual upbringing of our child.

What should a godfather do during Baptism?

Being a godfather is very responsible and honorable. The Orthodox Church conducts small children through the rite of Baptism according to the faith of their godparents and parents. Since, by participating in the Sacrament, godparents take on great responsibility for the little parishioner of the Church, of course, they should be Orthodox believers.

Only according to the faith of parents and godparents, the Orthodox Church baptizes infants. When the sacrament of baptism of the baby is performed, his godfather (of the same gender as the child himself) will hold his godson. We understand that a little person, when Baptism occurs, is not able to comprehend what is happening, therefore his godfather will pronounce the vow of faith before Christ for him and, accordingly, renounce Satan. And from this moment on, the Angels begin to protect the baby through the faith and prayers of the godparents and parents.

Responsibilities of godparents after Baptism.

It is very important that godparents participate in Church life, that they are not so-called believers, but truly live Orthodox customs. Why is this so important? After all, the duties of godparents begin to come into force after Baptism, and are not limited only to the rite of the Sacrament.

Let's look at the three main responsibilities of godparents:

Prayer – the godfather is obliged to constantly be in prayer for his godson. He asks God to keep the child and give wisdom as he grows. The godparent, by example, should teach the godson to remain in prayer with reverence, respect and gratitude to God. The child needs to know that we place all our worries in the hands of a loving God. And that prayer is a conversation with God the Father, which He always expects from us.

Creed – when the baby grows up and begins to understand the basics of existence, we need (as godparents) to lead him to a conscious prayer of repentance. And then, again, showing an example of personal spiritual life, teach them to follow Christ. With love in our hearts, and only this way, we can make a child fall in love with God.

Moral teaching – a child from a very young age will learn to abide in love, virtue, and mercy, when the godparents spend a lot of time teaching the child this. The child must understand that being a Christian and simply being called are two different things.

The Church teaches us that on Judgment Day we will give an account to God for how we brought our godson, as well as our children, to Christ. Our godchildren will be a clear indicator of how obedient and faithful we ourselves have been to God. Therefore, accepting an agreement to be a godparent is very, very responsible and we must not forget about this.

What can you give to your godson?

Certainly, a good gift for our godson there may be a pectoral cross. What it will be made of will depend on the capabilities and efforts of the godparents. But the main thing is that the cross should be of the shape that is accepted in Orthodox Church.

And even earlier, in those distant times, it was customary to give a silver spoon as a gift. This spoon was called a “tooth gift.” It was used when the baby first began to eat from a spoon.

Today, few people can afford such a gift. But if you don’t have enough money for a silver spoon, the baby’s daily items will come in very handy. You will please not only your godson, but also his parents.

How to choose the right godfather for your child?

It is very important that godparents be baptized Orthodox believers. Pay attention to whether your godparents can instill in the child a love for God and the Church. Do they themselves have a church life to be good example for your baby? We should not base our choices solely on financial assistance from godparents or friendly feelings.

You need to think about whether your successors will be spiritual educators for your child?

It is possible for the child to have one godfather. It is important that he be of the same gender as the baby. And of course, so that he has the above criteria.

Who shouldn't be a godfather?

Under no circumstances should non-Christians - Muslims, Jews, atheists, Buddhists, and so on - be godparents. Even if these people are your close friends and good buddies, under no circumstances should you transfer the spiritual education of your child to non-Christians.

There are exceptional options - when there is no Orthodox friend nearby, then you can admit to the Sacrament of Baptism one of your friends who belongs to a different Christian denomination: Protestant or Catholic. This can only happen if you are confident in the person's sincere walk for Christ.

There is also an old tradition of the Orthodox Church that a husband and wife cannot become the adoptive parents of the same child. Therefore, young people who want to get married should think about this before responding to an offer to become godparents to one child.

Is it true that a girl can only baptize a boy first?

There is such a superstition, but this opinion has nothing to do with Christian roots. This erroneous transmission of an initially false view gave rise to such a superstition that if the first godson is a girl, this will prevent the young woman from getting married. An Orthodox Christian should not base her opinion on fictitious restrictions that are not taught by the Orthodox Church.

Conclusion.

Obviously, it would be reasonable if people with life experience in Christian life having a good conscience and respect from people and God. If, moreover, we can see the good fruits of their upbringing of their own children, then our hearts will be calm and grateful to God for the help provided in guiding our children through the lives.

Responsibilities of the godfather during the ceremony

Responsibilities of a Godfather much more serious than many people think. Godparents are not just a formal status, they are a great responsibility for the godson throughout his life. And if parents are not chosen, then the choice of godfather and mother is perhaps the most important step in the spiritual development of a child. Of course, it all begins with the sacrament of Baptism, during which godparents become full participants in the second birth of a person. Birth, which helps to inherit eternal life and symbolizes joining the Church of Christ. After the ceremony, godparents are responsible before God for the faith of their godson.

Before Epiphany

As soon as you have received an offer to become a godfather or mother, you can and should begin preparing the ceremony itself. Whatever your beliefs, it would be a good idea to read Holy Bible and at least briefly familiarize yourself with the foundations and rules of the Christian faith.

It should be noted that the godfather does not have to undergo any special preparatory ceremonies. You may not fast, not confess, and not receive communion. However, if the future godfather is a believer, all of the above points will be observed even without special recommendations. In any case, it is better to follow certain rules, even if this is not a prerequisite.

The godfather will have to take part in the preparation of the ceremony itself. If you have the honor of becoming a godfather, go to the temple where the Baptism is to take place and talk to the priest. There they will tell you in detail what exactly you need to buy for the ceremony.

As a rule, a baptismal set and a towel are required for the Sacrament. The set includes an elegant children's shirt and a cross, and the baby will need a towel after immersing himself in the font. According to a long-standing tradition, the godmother buys a cross for a goddaughter, and the godfather buys a cross for a godson. But this is not at all a necessary condition. One of the godparents can buy everything you need.

Responsibilities of the godfather during Baptism

The direct participants in the Sacrament, as a rule, are the priest, godparents and the baby himself. The natural father and mother are destined for the fate of passive observers. They pray on the sidelines with other invitees.

If they are going to baptize a boy, then the godfather should hold him in his arms during the ceremony, the mother just stands nearby, and if the main participant in the Sacrament is a girl, then she is in the arms of the godmother, the godfather is near them.

The ritual begins with the priest walking around the temple and reading prayers. The godparent and godson then face west, and the person being baptized answers a few questions from the priest. If the child is too young, his godfather answers for him. During the Sacrament itself, the godparents read the “Creed” prayer and, on behalf of the godson, pronounce a vow of renunciation of Satan. After washing in the font, the child is taken into his arms by the godfather if a boy was baptized, or by the godmother if a girl was baptized. Then the baby is dried and dressed in a baptismal shirt.

One of the most pleasant moments of any christening is the giving of pre-prepared gifts from the godmother and godfather.

After Baptism

After Baptism, during which you voluntarily take on difficult responsibilities for spiritual and moral education and support throughout your life little man, you will be required to strictly follow some rules.

If natural parents are obliged to love, feed, care for and protect their child, and this is their parental duty, then the godfather is obliged to give the child the most complete spiritual education. In addition to accompanying his moral development, the godfather is obliged to help the parents in socializing the godson and caring for him.

The Godfather is an earthly Guardian Angel, ready at any moment to receive the baby, like own child, if something happens to his parents. And his main task is to pray for his godson.

What is spiritual accompaniment and how to understand it? The godfather must in every possible way protect the child from temptations and sinful temptations, to which almost all children are exposed during adolescence. He will take on part of the worries regarding the placement of his godson in professional field, helping him decide on the choice of future field of activity. And, of course, give wise advice before the godson enters into marriage, thereby taking responsibility for the future happiness of the young.

Having such a wide range of responsibilities, you cannot perceive them as a formality, because, ultimately, it is now largely up to you how successful the little person’s life will be. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully consider the offer to become a godfather, and you should agree to it only if you feel the strength to meet high requirements.

Conscious choice

Don’t think that your godfather’s worries will be limited to buying a cross and regular name day gifts. This is not the responsibility of a godfather. During Baptism, you renounce before God everything devilish and all mortal sins for your godson. You are vouching for the child, which means you yourself must meet the high standard that you have set for your ward.

Besides the heavy burden of responsibility, there are many benefits to being a godfather. So, for example, you have a wonderful opportunity to put everything in its place in your own life. By rethinking all your actions and desires, you will become even closer to the image of a real godfather that the Church paints for us.

You shouldn’t give up the chance to make your life more harmonious, because your godson’s worldview depends on your calmness, prudence and success. Try to become a real example for him.

Concern for the moral character of the godson’s real parents may also fall on your shoulders. If there is no mutual understanding in the family, and the child is perceived as a burden, it is you who must help the parents realize the full significance of their duty to the child. Try to become a Guardian Angel not only for the baby, but also for his family. Grow spiritually with him, develop. You will be able to comprehend the full depth worldly wisdom, which has developed over centuries, and become a significant part of the life of a little person.

Being a godmother means taking responsibility for the baby, playing a big role in his life. Before God, a mother is a spiritual mentor. Her responsibilities are very significant and numerous, and all of them relate to the spiritual development of the child and his involvement in the church.

The ritual of baptism is sacred. After the baby is immersed in the font, the clergyman hands him over to his godparents. And, handing over the baby, he at the same time places on them the responsibility to take care of the spiritual education of his godson.

During baptism, a spiritual relationship is established between the godson and godparents (they are called godparents). Not every woman is suitable for this role. There are certain requirements for selection. The baby's natural mother cannot become godmother, and the same applies to the adoptive one. Moreover, godparents cannot be married to each other.

Nowadays, traditional baptismal duties have been somewhat distorted. But a godmother is a mother before God. It is important for her not only to completely take care of the child during christening, but to raise him, engage in spiritual development and involve him in the church after. And the most important thing is to take on the role of parents if something happens to them.

In order for the ceremony to take place according to traditions, the recipient must meet certain requirements:

There were often cases when joining the church occurred after participation in the ritual. The main thing when choosing a godmother is to give preference to a person who will feel responsible and will take both the sacrament of baptism and the subsequent spiritual education of the baby seriously.

Today, any baptized girl who is chosen among relatives or close friends can become a successor. As practice shows, the godmother is usually chosen by the mother.

What is a godmother supposed to do?

The responsibilities of the godmother are clearly defined, therefore, based on church statutes, she must:

• pray for the spiritual development and health of the baby;
• introduce the child to church, attend it together, and as he grows older, introduce him to Orthodox traditions, take you to the temple of God and be a real mentor;
• providing support and assistance is mandatory;
• to be a good example, that is, it should embody the ideal of an Orthodox believing woman, capable of guiding her to perform pious deeds.

The duties of the godmother include explaining what the Bible is, reading it, and explaining the meaning of religious rites, holidays and traditions. Having your own children, younger sisters and brothers, as well as nephews should not become an obstacle to caring for your godson.

What is needed for christening

Christening is a significant event symbolizing the birth of a child. It is believed that performing it helps the child’s life to be sinless and pious.

The recipients take the baby in their arms immediately from the font, when he is clean, devoid of sinful thoughts and deeds, when original sin has been removed from him. After dipping, the baby is dressed in a ritual shirt (kryzhma) and a cross is put on his neck .

In the time of our ancestors, the purchase of a cross was carried out by the godfather, but the woman brought the kryzhma. Today, this tradition is somewhat broken, and sometimes all the important attributes are acquired by the parents themselves.

Since at present the christening cover in its true form is a rare find, its analogues can be a shirt, an openwork diaper or a towel, always new, which have not yet been washed.

What a child’s spiritual mentor should know

Preparation must be done in advance. At the same time, knowledge of the prayers that will be required at baptism is mandatory. In addition, you need to understand their meaning and the meaning of the sacrament itself. Although nowadays few people learn prayers by heart, and during the ceremony those present simply repeat the words after the clergyman or read from sight.

Note! Regardless of the fact that now for many this is just a formality, a woman who makes an effort to live according to the commandments should become a godmother.

It is important to know several prayers:

• "Our Father";
• "King of Heaven";
• “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice.”

Reading the Creed is also very important. The prayers reflect the essence of the Orthodox Christian faith. Ideally, everyone present should know them. Although now this is very rare.

To better understand the need to know prayers, it is worth noting that the first “Our Father” is a direct appeal to the first one standing in Holy Trinity- To my father. Christians believe that people learned this prayer thanks to their Savior. “Our Father” is the personification of the desire for life, which is so pleasing to the Lord God, as well as hope in his favor and care for every mortal.

“To the King of Heaven” is an appeal to the Holy Spirit, who, during the sacrament, invisibly cleanses the baby’s soul from sins, gives him the strength to overcome any obstacles that may arise on the path to salvation, and the strength to bear his life’s cross.

“Rejoice to the Virgin Mary,” or “Ave Maria,” as it sounds in Latin, is a greeting Holy Virgin. With this prayer, the Archangel sent by God greeted the Virgin Mary. By reading “Rejoice to the Virgin Mary,” we show respect to her.

As for the Creed, these are the main dogmatic provisions of Orthodoxy that are needed for baptism. Since the baby is not yet able to pronounce the Symbol and answer to the celebrant, the recipients do this for him. Actually, this is what they should teach their godson in the future.

Nowadays, raising a child in the traditions of Orthodoxy is very hard work that is simply impossible to do on your own. You need to pray to God to help and send strength, and also to understand and thank him.

Rules for godmother

To begin with, you need to come to church several times to talk with the catechist. This is followed by the purchase of everything necessary, since after dipping the baby must be wrapped in new, clean clothes. Before baptizing the baby, the woman chosen for this important role must confess and receive communion. In addition, there are a number of rules that are also required to be followed.

As already mentioned, she must be baptized. Moreover, the ceremony does not necessarily take place in infancy. In some cases, this may occur already at a more conscious age. The main thing is that the decision to come to faith is thoughtful and sincere.

Attention! Representatives of another faith cannot be recipients. During the sacrament, participants are required to wear their cross on their chest.

But as for the natural parents, they may profess a different faith or even be atheists, although such situations are extremely rare. The Church welcomes the choice of relatives as successors, since these ties are the strongest and break much less often when compared with friendly ones.

Useful video: everything about godparents: theory and practice

Responsibilities of a godmother during the baptism of a girl and a boy

When a girl undergoes the ceremony, the spiritual mother must be present, while as for the godfather, he can be present in absentia. The mother bears great responsibility for the girl and represents a spiritual mentor for her.

Responsibilities of a godmother at baptism:

1. Some time before the sacrament, he reads a prayer for the child, as well as the Creed.
2. She must enter the church with her head covered with a scarf and wearing a long, modest dress.
3. After dipping the baby into the font, first of all he takes his goddaughter in his arms and puts it on her white clothes, symbolizing purity and innocence.
4. While walking around the font, following the priest, who reads prayers for the child, he holds the baby in his arms.

When a boy is initiated into the faith, a big role is given not to the godmother, but to the godfather. He is entrusted with the main responsibilities at baptism.

It is believed that for a boy, it is the man who will later be the spiritual mentor and answer to God for the actions of his godson. At this time, the godmother performs the same functions as for the girl, with the exception that after immersion in the font, the child is given into the arms of the godfather.

In addition, the priest carries the boy behind the altar, which is not done with girls.

Useful video: about godparents

Conclusion

Currently, few people follow the rules of baptism, although this ceremony is performed by the majority of Christians. And many people greatly simplify the duties of a godmother, reducing it only to participation in the sacrament. But those who honor church traditions, will definitely choose a successor who is strong in faith and will be able to fulfill everything that is required of her.