Do you know the responsibilities of godparents? What are the responsibilities of a godmother?
Are you preparing to become a godfather or godmother? Do you know the responsibilities of godparents? Are you ready to take responsibility for the spiritual upbringing of your baby? In this article we will tell you whether it is necessary to baptize in childhood, what criteria are used to select recipients, and why it is so important to raise a child in the faith.
Future godparents, together with the baby in their arms, approach the temple. One of the receivers asks:
- Does anyone know “I Believe”?
“I know,” the second one answers.
- Phew, well, if the priest asks, you’ll tell me.
Unfortunately, this is far from being an anecdote, but is often repeated in real life situation. Many godparents do not understand their function at all and do not know what responsibilities fall on godparents. We will talk further about the meaning of baptism, the role of recipients for infants and the responsibility of fathers and mothers.
Baptism - spiritual birth
The sacrament opens the door to the life of the Church for the baptized person. From this moment a person becomes a Christian and can fully participate in the Sacraments.
Moreover, it is no coincidence that baptism is also called the second, or spiritual birth of a person. According to Christian teaching, human life does not end with earthly boundaries. We are all called to eternity. A true Christian - a believer who has received holy baptism, participates in the Sacraments, and keeps the commandments - is called to eternal residence in the Kingdom of Heaven along with the Most Holy Trinity, the Mother of God and the saints.
This hope of eternal joy in paradise was given to humanity by the risen Christ. He is the Son of God, dwelling with the Father. But if we follow Christ, we will also become sons and daughters of God and will be able to say the “Lord’s Prayer” (addressing God with the words “Our Father”) without remorse.
What is needed for this? Baptism and life according to the commandments.
In his letter to the Galatians, the Apostle Paul writes:
As many as you were baptized into Christ, you put on Christ / all of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ (Gal. 3:27).
Baptize in infancy or in adulthood?
For years, debates have continued even among believers: is it possible to baptize a baby? Or should we wait until the child grows up and comes to this consciously?
If you are believing parents, full members of the Church, who want to raise your own children in the Christian spirit, then there are no questions for you. You are fully capable of vouching for your children before God.
It’s a different matter if parents baptize their children only because “that’s how everyone does it” or “the child won’t get sick.”
It’s more like some kind of magical-ritual attitude towards the Church: if a child is sick, he needs to be baptized, if he’s sick again, he needs to be given communion. Who thinks that a baptized boy or girl was born for eternal life? What's on Last Judgment will he be judged as a Christian, and not according to his conscience?
Therefore, parents, when answering the question “Is it possible to baptize a baby?”, should not forget about responsibility. Yes, you can be baptized in infancy, but then the responsibility for the spiritual development of the child falls on the birth parents and godparents. But on the other hand, they open up to this kid new world and the door to new life. In the Gospel of John, Christ says directly:
unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God (John 3:5).
Are parents ready to bear such responsibility? Or, perhaps, we also need to prepare ourselves? To do this, it’s worth at least attending catechetical conversations, which are held in many churches nowadays. At such meetings, priests or competent laity will talk about faith, the Church, the meaning of the Sacraments and eternal life.
Responsibilities and duties of godparents
If the father and mother nevertheless decide to baptize the child, they must decide on the place where the Sacrament will be performed and the recipients. Receivers are not just some good friends or promising people who can then be invited to all holidays and called “godfathers”.
These are, first of all, believers who are ready to vouch for your baby before the Lord. The newborn does not yet have his own faith, so baptism is performed according to the faith of the parents and recipients.
Who can be godparents?
Only Orthodox Christians, and ideally not nominal believers, because otherwise they will not be able to fulfill the duties of godparents. How to tell a child about God if you have no personal relationship with Him? How to bring your godson to Communion if you yourself do not confess or receive communion?
Atheists, heterodox, and criminals cannot become recipients. In our time, monks and nuns are also not allowed to become disciples. Previously, such a regulation did not exist. But today such a ban is explained by the fact that participation in baptism distracts monks and brings them closer to the worldly environment.
How many godparents should you take?
Another popular question: how many godparents should there be? In fact, only one, and of the same gender as the person being baptized. It is he who makes the vows on behalf of the baby, about which we'll talk below.
But today the practice of taking a pair of godparents has spread: a woman and a man. Some parents even invite two or even three couples. But such an act is hardly dictated by piety. Most often, parents cannot decide or even do this for mercantile purposes. But that's not what we're talking about now.
What vows does the godfather/godmother take?
For some reason, many people believe that the duties of godparents include only the unmistakable recitation of the Creed. Yes, indeed, during the Sacrament of baptism, recipients usually read the “Creed,” thereby testifying to their involvement in the Church. But that's not all. In addition to agreement with the main church dogmas, they boldly point to participation in Christ and renunciation of Satan. The priest asks the godfather or godmother three times:
Do you deny Satan, and all his works, and all his angels (demons), and all his ministry, and all his pride?
And the receiver also answers three times: “I deny.”
Then the priest asks the question again: “Have you renounced Satan?” And the godfather or mother must consciously answer: “I have renounced.” All this ends with the words of the clergyman: “Blow and spit on him.”
Please note: on behalf of the baptized person, the recipient testifies that the devil no longer has any power over him. If you don’t have faith, you don’t want to live like a Christian, then can you dare to spit on the devil and completely renounce him? Can you be compatible with Christ?
It is about the latter that the priest further asks: are you compatible with Christ? Do you believe Him? If a person answers: I am united, I believe in Him as Christ and God, then he makes a serious vow. A vow to participate in the spiritual upbringing of the child, to teach him the basics of faith, so that the baptized baby will grow up as a Christian and be grateful for the excellent choice they made in their childhood.
As you understand, not every person is suitable for such a responsible mission. To select worthy candidates, study in detail the responsibilities of godparents.
Responsibilities of recipients
- As a believer, the recipient must teach the basics of faith to his godson as well: talk about God and the Church in an accessible way.
- The godparents also bear the responsibility of prayer: from that day on, they pray for the baby as well. And when the child grows up, they explain to him the meaning of prayers and help him learn the first prayer texts.
- Together with the parents, the child receives Holy Communion.
- On by example shows the meaning of Christian virtues and life according to the commandments. It is much easier for a child to see from the example of godparents what love, mercy, and goodwill are than to hear it in a moralizing conversation.
To fulfill these duties of godparents, the godparent needs to work on himself all the time. Much still depends on the parents: if they are believers not only in words, then the child will absorb faith along with the atmosphere in the family.
If parents are only formally Orthodox or, even worse, behave Christianly only on Sundays in church, and on the street and at home “as they have to,” then it will be much more difficult for the children to come to God. But the worst thing is if the parents at one time answered positively to the question “Is it possible to baptize a baby?”, but were absolutely not ready for this. They do not live like Christians and do not raise their children in the faith. In this case, it will be very difficult for godparents to fulfill their duties.
You will learn how to prepare godparents for baptism from this video:
When a baby is born, it is under the supervision of its parents and grandparents. However, these are not the only people who take a very close part in the fate of the child, in his training and upbringing. Many parents today seek to baptize their baby, thereby introducing him to a new spiritual life.
As a rule, from this moment on the child has so-called godparents. As you know, they have many responsibilities, especially for the godmother. She is the only one who takes on such great responsibility. Of course, this is the desire not only of the parents themselves to do a certain person godparent to his most beloved baby in the world, this is also a desire, an act of the person himself who becomes godfather. Who clearly understands that with this responsibility, the desire to become a foster parent, a number of specific responsibilities arise. Naturally, some of them have to be observed unquestioningly, since from that moment on the godson is their child, albeit not by blood, but by spirit and faith.
What responsibilities do a godmother have?
Firstly, this, of course, is the duty to be close to your godson. Naturally, life is unpredictable, and can sometimes scatter the closest people different corners countries. In this case, you need to at least keep in touch by phone, mail, Internet, and in no case forget about each other.
Secondly, godmother, helps raise a child in the spirit of Christianity, introduces Christian morality, talks about God, takes him to church, teaches him to pray. If the godmother sincerely believes in God, the godson will definitely grow up with faith in his soul. This is much more important than giving your godson his favorite toys. Although this point should not be overlooked. Sometimes dear mother does not buy the child the toy he likes, not because there is not enough cash, but for other reasons. Occasionally, the godmother can surprise the child.
Thirdly, the godmother, or as we popularly say, the second mother, must definitely arrange holiday walks for her godson, so that the baby also changes his surroundings and looks at some of life’s delights with different eyes. And the baby’s parents will have a little rest, and most importantly, they will have time to miss their child.
Fourthly, a godmother is a godmother because you can rely on her even in difficult times. When a child gets sick, she is the one who enjoys the greatest trust. Taking care of the baby is also her responsibility, especially when the child is not feeling well and he just wants to lie under a warm, fluffy blanket, play around, watch evening programs, etc.
Fifthly, the godmother must protect and never tell anyone the secrets of the child entrusted to her. She must treat him with all warmth and love and keep all his secrets. After all, the psychology of a child is like a thin thread, which once broken, cannot be made the same again. And besides, the child’s memory is so good that the baby will remember everything for quite a long time.
To summarize the above, I would like to add that the godmother is given a very important role throughout the child’s life, from christening to adulthood. The child also gets it into his head that, if anything happens, for any reason, happy or sad, the baby can always turn to his godmother, knowing in advance that there will be no refusal of help.
Have you been chosen as godmother? This is a great honor and a great responsibility. The responsibilities of the godmother are not limited only to the sacrament of baptism and congratulating the godson on the holidays - they will continue throughout life. What are these responsibilities? What do you need to know about the sacrament of baptism? What to buy? How to prepare?
Baptism - the essence and meaning of the rite of baptism
The rite of baptism is a Sacrament in which the believer dies to a sinful carnal life in order to be reborn by the Holy Spirit into spiritual life. Baptism is cleansing man from original sin
, which is communicated to him through his birth. Just as a person is born only once, and the Sacrament is performed only once in a person’s life.
How godparents prepare for the baptism ceremony
You should prepare for the Sacrament of Baptism in advance.
- Two or three days before the ceremony, future godparents should repent of your earthly sins and take communion.
- Directly on the day of baptism It is forbidden to have sex and eat food .
- At the baptism of a girl godmother will have to read the prayer “Creed” , at the baptism of a boy he reads it godfather .
Responsibilities of a godmother. What should a godmother do?
A child cannot choose his godmother himself; his parents make this choice for him. The exception is the older age of the child. The choice is usually determined the closeness of the future godmother to the family , a warm attitude towards the child, the principles of morality that the godmother adheres to.
What are the responsibilities godmother?
- Godmother vouches for the newly baptized child before the Lord.
- Responsible for spiritual education baby.
- Takes part in life and education the baby on a par with biological parents.
- Takes care of the child in a situation where something happens to the biological parents (the godmother can become the guardian in the event of the death of the parents).
Godmother is spiritual guide for her godson and an example of a Christian lifestyle.
The godmother must:
- Pray for the godson and to be a loving and caring godmother.
- Attend church with a child , if his parents do not have such an opportunity due to illness or absence.
- Remember your responsibilities on religious holidays, ordinary holidays and weekdays.
- Take problems in your godson's life seriously and support him during difficult stages of life .
- Be interested and promote a child's spiritual growth .
- Serve example of godly living for the godson.
Features of the baptism ritual
How is the sacrament of child baptism performed?
Requirements for a godmother at a christening
The most important requirement for godparents is be baptized Orthodox who live according to Christian laws. After the ceremony, godparents must promote the spiritual growth of the child and pray for him. If the future godmother has not yet been baptized, then she must be baptized first , and only then – the baby. Biological parents may be completely unbaptized or profess a different faith.
- Godmother must be aware of your responsibility for raising a child. Therefore, it is welcomed when relatives are chosen as godparents - family ties are broken less often than friendly ones.
- The godfather can attend the girl’s baptism in absentia, godmother - only in person . Her duties include receiving the girl from the font.
Godparents We must not forget about the day of baptism
. On the day of the Godson's Guardian Angel, you should go to church every year, light a candle and thank God for everything.
What should a godmother wear? Appearance of the godmother at the christening.
The modern church is more loyal to many things, but taking into account its traditions is certainly recommended. Basic requirements for a godmother at baptism:
- Presence of godparents pectoral crosses (consecrated in the church) necessarily.
- It is unacceptable to come to baptism in trousers. Should wear a dress , which will hide the shoulders and legs below the knee.
- On the godmother's head must have a scarf .
- High heels are unnecessary. The baby will have to be held in your arms for a long time.
- Flashy makeup and provocative clothing are prohibited.
What do godparents buy for baptism?
- White christening shirt (dress). It can be simple or with embroidery - it all depends on the choice of the godparents. The shirt (and everything else) can be purchased directly from the church. At baptism, the baby’s old clothes are removed as a sign that he appears clean before the Lord, and the baptismal shirt is put on after the ceremony. Traditionally, this shirt should be worn for eight days, after which it is removed and stored for life. Of course, you cannot baptize another baby in it.
- Pectoral cross with an image of the crucifixion. They buy it directly from the church, already consecrated. It doesn’t matter - gold, silver or simple, on a string. After baptism, many people remove the crosses from their children so that they do not accidentally harm themselves. According to church canons, the cross should not be removed. Therefore, it is better to choose a light cross and a rope (ribbon) so that the baby is comfortable.
- , in which the baby is wrapped after the Sacrament of baptism. It is not washed after the ceremony and is stored as carefully as a shirt.
- Cap(kerchief).
- The best gift from godparents would be cross, icon or silver spoon.
Also for the baptism ceremony you will need:
- baby blanket. For a comfortable baby in the baptismal room and warming the baby after the baptismal bath.
- Small bag, where you can put a lock of the baby’s hair, cut by a priest. You can keep it with your shirt and towel.
It is advisable to make sure in advance that the items will suit the baby.
After the baptism ceremony
So, the baby was baptized. You have become a godmother. Of course, according to tradition, this day is a holiday. It can be celebrated in a warm family circle or crowded. But it is worth remembering that christening is, first of all, a celebration of the spiritual birth of a baby. You should prepare for it in advance and thoroughly, thinking through every detail. After all spiritual birthday, which you will now celebrate every year, is much more important than the day of your physical birth.
This summer I became a godmother. She treated the sacrament of Baptism with all responsibility and reverence. Baptism is a person's decision to become a Christian. If parents perform Baptism for a child, then the helpless little man they choose godparents. One godfather for a boy or one godmother for a girl is considered sufficient.
Who can be godfather
When choosing a godfather for their child, parents must be sure that the godparents will take responsibility for the responsibilities that the rite of Baptism entrusts to them.
The child's parents themselves, people serving as monks or nuns, the unbaptized, non-believers, the mentally ill and people who are drunk cannot be godparents.
What a godmother needs to know
The godmother must understand and realize the meaning of the rite of Baptism and live according to the commandments of God. You must know the following prayers: Our Father, the Heavenly King and the Creed. The Creed is read by the godparents during Baptism.
What to prepare before baptism
The godmother must prepare a gift for her godson. It is best to consult with the child's parents. For my daughter, I bought a silver cross with a chain and the book “The Basics of Orthodoxy.” Gifts should be from the heart.
I also bought a baptismal set for the girls in advance. It includes a white lace robe to make it easy to undress the child for swimming in the font, a scarf and socks. Such baptismal sets, separately for girls and boys, are available for sale in the church store.
We talked with our parents about how we would spend the day after the whole ceremony.
It is better if there are the closest people. This day should pass without fuss and hassle.
How to behave during Baptism
The attitude towards the temple should be reverent. When entering a temple, you need to cross yourself. The woman must wear a headdress. You should choose modest clothing so that your arms and shoulders are covered. You are not allowed to enter the temple in trousers.
During the ceremony, Father explains everything in detail. It is necessary to repeat prayers after him. After washing the child in the font, he is given into the hands of the godmother.
The child should be familiar with his godmother so that he is not afraid and does not experience stress from an unfamiliar environment. But even if the child cries, it’s okay. Father conducts his service and the children gradually calm down.
What should a godmother do after baptism?
Immediately after baptism, Christenings are celebrated. The invitees gather at the table. It would be better if the godmother takes on some of the troubles on this day.
In the future, the godmother should be there at important moments in the life of the goddaughter. Don’t forget her on Birthdays, Church holidays and other significant days in the child’s life.
For loving heart Great opportunities open up for mothers. When talking about responsibilities, I would like to clarify that these responsibilities are very joyful. Lead a person’s life according to God’s law.
Not everyone is trusted to be godparents. We must be proud of this and be a true friend, mentor and spiritual guardian of the child.
From the rite of Baptism, the child has not only a godmother, but also a Guardian Angel who will accompany him throughout his life.
During Baptism, a large role and responsibility is given to the godmother. After all, her duties are not limited to the Sacrament of Baptism and congratulations to the godson on worldly and church holidays– they will last throughout life.
The godmother must help the parents prepare for the Sacrament and the celebration of christening, that is, the duties of the godmother at baptism begin long before the ceremony itself.
Preparing for Baptism
Only an Orthodox Christian who has received Holy Baptism can be a godmother. If the future godmother has not yet been baptized, then she is baptized first, and only then the baby. Before performing the sacrament, the godmother must:
- 2-3 days before the ceremony, repent of your earthly sins and take communion.
- On the day of baptism it is forbidden to eat or have sex.
- The godmother must know the “Symbol of Faith” and “Our Father”. During the baptism of a girl, the godmother will have to read the Sacrament “Symbol of Faith” at a certain moment (when baptizing a boy, this is done by the godfather).
The godmother must take care of the gift to the godson and other things that are necessary for the ceremony:
- White christening shirt– it can be plain cotton or with openwork embroidery (at the choice of the godparents). Traditionally, the shirt is placed on the baby immediately after the ceremony and he must wear it for eight days, after which it is removed and stored throughout his life.
- Pectoral cross. It can be bought by the godmother herself (or godparent) or both godparents together. It doesn’t matter what kind of cross it is (gold, silver or simple) - it must be with a crucifix and the child should not remove it after the sacrament.
- Towel– desirable large sizes, because the godson will be wrapped in it after Baptism. It cannot be washed after the ceremony and the godson must carefully keep it throughout his life.
A baptismal shirt and a cross can be purchased directly at the church. If the cross was not purchased from a church, it will need to be consecrated in advance.
In addition to these mandatory things, the godmother must ensure that the child’s parents take with them:
- A cap (or scarf) so that the child’s head can be covered.
- A baby blanket to warm the baby after the bath and swaddle him in time.
- A small bag in which you can put a lock of a child’s hair cut during Baptism (it can also be stored with a towel and shirt).
And of course, don’t forget about the gift. Traditional gifts on the day of Epiphany are a cross, a small icon with the name of the Guardian Angel, and a silver spoon.
Rite of Baptism
When going to church, make sure that your appearance corresponded to the traditions and requirements of the church:
- Availability pectoral cross the godmother must have it;
- You cannot wear trousers to baptism. You should come in a dress or skirt that covers your shoulders and legs below the knee.
- The godmother must have a scarf on her head;
- Don't put it on high heels- it will look indecent in church, and you will have to stand with the child in your arms for a long time;
- Provocative clothing and makeup are prohibited in church.
If a girl is baptized, then holding her in her arms during Baptism is the duty of the godmother. She must receive the baby after immersion in the font in a towel and dress the child. When a boy is baptized, these procedures must be performed by the godfather, but the godmother must always be nearby and help him during the ceremony.
It is good if the child has experience communicating with his godmother before Baptism - this will help him more easily cope with stress during the ceremony. The godmother needs to be prepared to be able to calm (perhaps rock) the baby.
The Baptism ceremony usually lasts about an hour, after which, according to tradition, everyone is invited to a festive feast. It is the godmother's duty to help organize this holiday in advance, help parents in holding the holiday, or take care of the baby while parents are busy with holiday preparations.
Remember that from now on, you must share all the worries and concerns about your godson with your parents and help them in everything.
Responsibilities of a godmother after Baptism
The godmother vouches for her godson before the Lord and is responsible for his spiritual and Christian upbringing:
- Takes part in the life and process of raising the child on an equal basis with biological parents;
- Prays for the godson and takes care of him;
- Attends church with his godson if the parents do not have such an opportunity;
- On religious holidays, on the day of the Angel and other holidays, he remembers and observes his duty to his godson;
- Takes the problems in the godson’s life attentively and seriously and supports him at difficult stages;
- Promotes and participates in the spiritual growth of the child;
- Serves as an example of pious life for the godson;
- Takes care of the child if something happens to the biological parents (in the event of the death of the parents, he becomes the guardian).
The duties of a godmother continue throughout her life and one must try to fulfill them with full care. clear conscience, since she is responsible before God for her godson.
