SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
Matthew 28:19
About Baptism
Baptism is a Sacrament of starting a new life with Christ.
The word baptize (baptizo) comes from the Greek word βάπτειν or baptivzw which means "to dip, plunge, or immerse" something entirely, e.g. into water.
Through the act of immersion, the baptized person dies to this world and is born again in the resurrection of Christ into eternal life.
Baptism existed in a different form back in the Old Testament. Starting with the New Testament Jesus showed us the new way of baptizing "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit". Being Himself sinless and not having a need to repent, He got baptized by John to show that He was God’s “Beloved Son,” the Saviour and Messiah, the “Lamb of God who takes upon himself the sins of the world” (See Mt 3, Mk 1, Lk 3, Jn 1–3).
Jesus teaches that to enter His Kingdom, we must be baptized by “water and the Holy Spirit” (John 3:5) Our entrance into the Kingdom is an entrance into the life of the Church, as this is where the Kingdom of God is made real in the world. This entrance begins with the Holy Mysteries (Sacraments) of Baptism and Chrismation. In these Holy Mysteries, we receive the grace of God through the baptismal water and the holy “chrism”, which is a seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.
If you/ your child/ your future godchild
is planning to get baptized
We invite you to have a chat with Father Valeriy.
He'll walk you through the preparation process. The talks are necessary for those who will get baptized. In case it's a child, the talks are necessary for parents and godparents.
Starting the preparation
Whether you are the one who is going to get baptized, your child, your future godchild, or just a person you care for, we recommend learning more about the history of the Sacrament, read in advance baptismal prayers.
All this will help you to fully take part in baptism, and for those, who already are baptized - rediscover the Sacrament once more for yourselves.
Here are some sources we found, which you can rely on for providing trusted information:
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Baptism memo (rus). Prepared by Minsk Theological Academy
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Baptismal prayers (rus, en). Prepared by the Holy Protection Church