When a Child is born into our Orthodox Church Community
Have you ever wondered about the process by which newborns are received into the Orthodox church? Our rich tradition begins from the first day of a child’s life and continues with the sacraments of Baptism, Chrismation, and the reception of Holy Communion. It is a process full of God’s grace. Even before a child is born the parents have been blessed by God to participate in the very divine act of giving life, literally participating in God’s creation. Once the child has been born the Church guides the parents through the first steps of the child’s entry into ecclesiastical life and participation in the sacraments and Holy Mysteries. The following is a brief outline and commentary on these important steps.
1. On the first day of a newborn’s life, parents are asked to call the priest to visit the hospital or home, so he may pray for their health and salvation as well as that of their newborn. During this brief visit the priest prays, “We give thanks to Thee, for Thou has been well-pleased even now to bring to birth into the world a human being from Thy servants (the name of the mother) and (the name of the father); we pray of Thee, O lord our God, to bless this baby here present.” In this way, the priest welcomes the child into the world with prayer on behalf of the entire church community.
2. On the eighth day the formal prayers of naming a child occur. Recall that, in the book of Genesis, God blessed Adam to name every creature in the world. Likewise, parents are given God’s blessing to name their children. The reason this short service takes place on the eighth day is because it symbolizes the first day of the new Creation. Every week has seven days, beginning with Sunday and ending on the Sabbath (Saturday). The Church refers to Sunday as both the first and eight day because Pascha, the Lord’s Resurrection, is the first day of the new creation in Christ Jesus. Therefore, it is on this eighth day that the Church formally names the child with a Christian name as he or she enters as a member of the Kingdom of God, through Jesus Christ. These prayers typically take place in the home of the parents and child. The prayers of naming state, “O Lord our God, we pray Thee and beseech Thee, let the light of Thy countenance be signed upon Thy servant, (name given to the child), and let Thy cross of Thine only-begotten Son be signed in his (her) heart and Thoughts… And grant, O Lord, that Thy holy Name may remain not denied on him (her), as he (she) is united in due time to Thy holy Church and perfected through the fearful mysteries of Thy Christ.”
3. The Churching of the child occurs on the 40th day, just as our Lord was brought to the temple by His parents on the 40th day following His birth (February 2nd). Likewise, we bring our children to the church to offer them to God in His temple. We offer the child and present him to God’s love, to His protection. A promise to baptize the child is made this day and a prayer is offered that, “In due time he/she will receive Holy Illumination.” Furthermore, on the 40th day, or the Sunday closest to the 40th day, the parents bring their child to the Church where the priest reads the prayers for the mother and child. The child is formally presented to God in His temple and Sanctuary in addition to the Church community. This service of Churching states, “O Lord, God Almighty, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has fashioned all nature, both rational and irrational, through Thy Word and has brought all things from non-being into being, we pray Thee and beseech Thee save this Thy handmaiden (the name of the mother) by Thy will… And bless this child born of her, increase, sanctify, grant understanding, bestow wisdom, and a good frame of mind.” The Church recognizes that each new life belongs to God alone and is made in His image and likeness. As with all of creation, God literally creates and brings life from nothingness into being. On the morning of the Churching the parents stand with their child in the entrance to the Church as the priest prays over them. Next the priest carries the child and presents him or her to God and the Church saying, “the child of God is Churched in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” The child is then brought into the sanctuary and taken around the Altar by the priest as he recites the prayer of Saint Symeon, the one who received Christ into the temple on His 40th day. Lastly, the priest says a closing prayer before the icon of Christ and the Theotokos prior to returning the child back to his or her parents.
Please note that Churching Service, just like Baptism, is not formally part of the Divine Liturgy on Sunday. In our parish we do the service of Churching just before the Divine Liturgy begins, so that the mother and father may be present for the entire Divine Liturgy and partake of Holy Communion on that day.
4. Baptism is the sacrament following the 40th day Churching and takes place in our tradition anytime following the Churching and usually within the first six months of life. Baptism is a sacrament which begins an individual’s life in the Church; it is one’s initiation into the Orthodox Faith. We state in this service that when the child is immersed into the Baptismal waters the child dies to old and fallen Adam, and as the child rises from the water the child rises in Christ Who is the new Adam, one who is obedient and blessed by God. It is on this day that we say this child becomes an heir of the Kingdom of God, a son or daughter of the Light – a son or daughter of the Living God. Through the sacrament of Baptism, one participates in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. After emerging from the Baptismal waters, the priest leads the parents and the child around the font as the choir sings, “As many as have been Baptized into Christ, have put on Christ.” (Galatians 3:27).
Parents are urged to wisely choose Orthodox godparents who will assist them in raising the child in the Orthodox faith. The godparents will stand and answer for the child throughout the service of Baptism and Chrismation and will bring the child to their first communion. The godparents should be righteous faithful members of the Church who will be strong examples and guides for the child as he or she grows in the Orthodox faith, even throughout adulthood. Choosing godparents who know and live the Orthodox faith is essential for the well being of the child’s life in Christ.
5. Immediately following Baptism the sacrament of Chrismation occurs (known in the western Church as confirmation). It is a separate sacrament even though it may appear to some that it is part of the Baptismal service because it is taking place on the same day. In the Orthodox Church, Chrismation is the sealing of the reception of the Holy Spirit. The priest anoints the child with Holy Myrrh on the eyes, ears, mouth, hands, and feet and each time he makes the sign of the cross on the child he says, “Seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
6. Following both the sacraments of Baptism and Chrismation, the child then partakes of the sacrament of Holy Communion for the first time. After having received the Body and Blood of Christ the newly illumined child is now as fully a member of the Church as you and I. The Orthodox Church thus completes a threefold initiation process for every person in honor of the Holy Trinity.
The tradition of the Church is that the godparents, in addition to the day of Baptism, also bring the newly Baptized child to Holy Communion on the following Sunday. The newly Baptized child is the first in line for Holy Communion that day. Thereafter, the parents or godparents bring the child to Holy Communion.
As can be seen from the above, the Orthodox Church takes seriously the life and salvation of every newborn child. At St. George Orthodox church, we encourage all our parents to avail themselves of the prayers and blessings of the priests and the entire community for their children. Furthermore, we encourage parents to bring their children regularly to church from infancy, so that their children will grow strong in their faith as sons and daughters of the Living God. We pray that the youngest members of our community may come to know God’s great love and mercy, and that each child may experience true Christian life, joy, peace, and love, which come from Christ alone.
Please feel free to contact Fr Joseph Purpura with any questions you may have regarding the above sacraments or to schedule an appointment. FrJoseph@SaintGeorgeMontreal.org 514-276-8533 ext 201
Saint George Orthodox Church
555 rue Jean-Talon Est
Montreal, QC H2R 1T8
The citations above are from the book of “Services of Initiation into the Holy Orthodox-Catholic and Apostolic Church,” published by The Antiochian Orthodox Institute, LeVerne, CA, 2017.