The decision to bring to the Christian faith, to save the soul of a child can be made at any time. It is considered correct to hold the Sacrament of approaching and communion with God on the 40th day after birth, but is it possible to baptize a child in fasting before Easter or on a great holiday, if the date falls on them. Doubts arise due to other restrictions in this period (you cannot get married), not every clergyman will agree.
The essence of the Sacrament of Baptism
The very first of the 7 main Sacraments in the life of a Christian is Baptism. The meaning is cleansing from original sin, repentance for what you have done, conditional death for earthly life, rebirth for eternal life. Only one who is born of water and the Holy Spirit will be able to enter the Kingdom of God. The main condition is true faith in God, the desire to unite with Christ.
Important! When newborns are baptized, parents and godparents must believe. Without true faith, sincere repentance, the Sacrament will not be fulfilled.
Do not confuse the action with something mystical. During Baptism, nothing supernatural happens. The Sacrament means that a person does not see what is actually happening. The Church calls on the Spirit of God to come and cleanse the soul from original sin, heal sickness, and comfort in grief. At this moment, a Guardian Angel appears in a baby or an adult, protecting him throughout his life, directing him to the true path.
When is the best time to baptize a child
There is no single answer. It is customary to baptize on the 40th day after childbirth and later, but it is also allowed on the 8th day. It all depends on the wishes of the parents, the specific situation.
On a note! In case of illness, threats to life, the baby can be baptized at any age, immediately after birth. If necessary, the Sacrament is allowed to be carried out even in the hospital ward, intensive care.
Up to 7 years old, the decision to baptize a child or not is made by the parents. At the age of 7-14, the consent of the child and his parents is required. After 14 years, the decision is made exclusively by a person who believes in God.
Any day of the week. Often churches set certain days, since besides Epiphany there are other services. But they can go to a meeting, deviate from the established order.
Is it possible to baptize in fasting before Easter?
Some parents want to baptize the baby on the 40th day after birth or on the 8th day, which may fall on the time of fasting, an important church holiday. The priests do not prevent anyone from going through the great Sacrament. It is believed that since a person can be born on any day for earthly life, then for spiritual life too, so there is no need to doubt whether it is possible to baptize a child in fasting before Easter.
Important! While cleansing the soul of an infant from original sin, one cannot make a new one by arranging a feast and merriment during the fast on the occasion of the christening.
Priests never prevent parents from wanting to baptize their child.
Why do priests not recommend baptizing a child in fasting?
The main reasons for the reluctance of priests to baptize a child in fasting before Easter are busyness and the tradition of celebrating in a not very modest way. At this time, drinking alcoholic beverages, noisy festivities, and eating many of the products present on the festive table are prohibited.
If the parents are sure that they will be able to celebrate the event modestly at the Lenten table, then the priest will not interfere with the initiation of a new person to God. Difficulty can arise only with free time, but with this the clergy go to the meeting and conduct the ceremony, despite the fatigue and busy schedule.
Attention! The priest will refuse to conduct Baptism if the godparents are not ready to take responsibility, do not understand, do not realize their role. Additional conversations may be needed, for this reason, you should agree with the priest for a specific date in advance.
Can you baptize on Easter?
The priest can refuse to baptize a child only in case of strong employment
The meaning of the celebration of Easter is victory and triumph over death, which now is not the end of everything, but opens the door to the Kingdom of God. Easter is celebrated for a whole week, with Easter services celebrating the victory of Jesus Christ over death.
Some parents wonder if their children are baptized during the week of Easter. Of course yes, but not every church will agree without good reason. Services are performed daily, the days are scheduled by the minute, the priest gets tired. For this reason, they may refuse to administer the Sacrament.
On a note! If necessary, the priest can agree to baptize the child on Easter after the celebratory liturgy.
Arguments "for" and "against" holding the Sacrament during fasting and Easter
Conducting the main Sacrament in the life of a Christian during this period has both positive and negative aspects. The reasons for baptizing a child in fasting or on Easter include:
- Cleansing the soul from original sin together with the general cleansing of the soul and body.
- The special condition of believers at this time contributes to the main condition for the sacrament - true faith.
- If you baptize on Easter, then relatives and friends will gather at the festive table for two reasons at once.
- There is a belief that those born on the bright holiday of Easter have special talents, and the same applies to the birth of the spiritual.
Arguments against:
- It is difficult to find a priest who agreed to baptize a child for no particular reason during fasting or Easter, because his time is scheduled by the minute, the all-night service takes a lot of energy.
- A large crowd of people can scare a newborn.
- Observing the fast before Easter, you should not arrange noisy festivities, you need to eat fast food.
Thus, it is possible to baptize a baby during Great Lent and Easter celebrations. It is important to take care of this in advance, find a priest who is willing to conduct the ceremony, godparents who are ready to take responsibility. It is imperative to attend the preliminary conversations with the priest. The main thing is to approach the upcoming Baptism with all responsibility and true faith.
