Being Godparents

This has been in my Blog It list since last October. Owing to work on the one hand and to the holidays on the other, I’ve never really got down to writing this blog which is a very important part of my adult life. So today, I’ll go back to October and tell you about one of the most wonderful, most touching experiences in my life. That of being a godmother for the first time.

 

On October 11^th 2009, Alkis and I became the happy godparents of Alkistis – the youngest daughter of Zoe, Alkis’ niece. Both Alkis and I were very honoured when Zoe and Stratos asked us to be the godparents of their adorable baby girl. Alkistis was 10 months old in October and she really behaved herself during the christening at the church of Chrysopolitissa in Larnaca. Being godparents is not only a touching experience but also involves a lot of responsibility as the spiritual parents of the child.

 

Unlike most babies on the day of their christening, Alkistis hardly cried and seemed to be enjoying the ceremony. The Greek Orthodox  ceremony of the baptism consists of the following procedure:

The Renunciation and the Acceptance –  the child will be held by Godparent or Godparents (Nonos and Nona in Greek) as they stand in the narthex of the church facing east (towards the altar). The priest, standing in front of them, blows three times into the child’s face in the form of the cross to drive away any evil spirits and adverse power and blesses the child each time saying “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen”. He then places his hands on the child’s head, which symbolizes the taking of possession of the candidate in the name of the Holy Trinity and recites a prayer addressed to the Triune God: “In your name, O God of truth..I lay my hand on your servant who has been found worthy to seek salvation in your Holy Name and protection under the shelter of your wings. Banish from him the old error, fill him with faith and hope in you..so that he might know that you are the only true God..Grant him the ability to live in accordance with your commandments.”

The Exorcisms – The prayer is followed by three exorcisms and yet another prayer, the prayer of acceptance, at the end of which the priest, in summary of all that was said before, asks God to drive out and banish from the child any and every evil and impure spirit which may be hiding and lurking in his heart and make him a reason-endowed sheep in the holy flock of Christ, an honorable member of the Church, child and heir of the kingdom. The child and Godparent will then be asked to face west and renounce Satan and all his works, and all his worship and all his angels, and all his pride in a question and answer form three times and then asked to breath (instead of the old tradition of spitting) down on Satan. Facing west signifies the west, a place of natural darkness, where the Devil, who is darkness himself, makes his abode.

The Confession of Faith – Then the child and Godparent will face east again and affirmatively answer The Priest who will ask them (three times) if they have pledged their allegiance to Christ.

The Service of Baptism

The Blessing of the Water – Now that the child is ready, they will enter the Church and the Priest will ask the Holy Spirit to come down and bless and consecrate the water in the font and make it an instrument of salvation.

The Blessing of the Oil and Anointing – Once the blessing of the water is complete, the Godparent will offer a small bottle of olive oil over which a prayer for the banishment of evil is read to make it “an anointing of incorruption, a weapon of justice, a renewal of soul and body, a defense against every influence of the Devil and a release from evil to all those who are anointed with it, or partake of it.” Some of this oil is then poured crosswise three times on the water in the font in order to render the consecration of the water complete. The child (now naked) will be anointed with the blessed oil on the forehead, nose, ears, mouth, chest, legs, feet, hands and back. The Godparent will then anoint the child, to prepare him, just as an athlete prepares, to battle the demon whom he has just renounced and to slip away from the grip of sin. 

The Baptism – Now the child will be immersed in the font three times with prayers, and then handed to the Godparent who is waiting for him with a white sheet.

The Sacrament of Chrism (Confirmation)

Now newly baptized, the child will be chrismated with Holy Myrrh on the same parts of the body where he was earlier anointed with oil. Holy Chrism is the seal of the gift of the Holy Sprit, which brands all baptized persons with a seal which sets them apart as inalienable possessions of Christ. That is, the Holy Spirit embraces them and envelopes them like a shield and an armor of faith to enable them to live the faith into which they have just been baptized. This is why Chrismation is also known as the Sacrament of the Holy Spirit.

The Tonsure

Following the Baptism and Chrism, the Priest will tonsure the child by cutting some of his hair crosswise to signify: that Christ will be the head of the child from now on, that he will reject other allegiances, the first sacrifice from his body to God.

 
  
  
The Vesting

The Priest now blesses the child and places a white garment of righteousness on him. The child will leave to be dressed and the Priest will read additional prayers at this time. The child will return fully dressed and undergoes the ablution or symbolic washing away of the Myrrh and then receives the blessing of Christ. The Godparent will then take the child’s baptismal candle and will then be lead three times around the font. This is an act of rejoicing with the angles in heaven at the return of a lost sheep, and with the other Christians present at the addition of one more member to the flock of Christ.

The Readings

The readings follow from the Epistle of Paul to the Romans (6, 3-11) where Paul makes the comparison between the immersion and emersion with the burial and resurrection of Christ and from the Gospel according to St. Matthew (28, 16-20) where the Divine Institution of Baptism was established by our Lord.

Holy Communion

The whole ceremony ends with the partaking of Holy Communion by the child, his first taste of the Body and Blood of the Lord, so that just as nature nourishes the newborn infant physically with milk, likewise the Grace offers to it Holy Communion as spiritual food as so as he is born through baptism. Finally the Priest places a blessed gold cross around the neck of the child. The child will then be presented to the parents and the celebration can begin.

More Photos

Comments

[Alexia M]

Congratulations to the both of you! Zoe and Stratos have chose the best godparents for their daughter. And thanks for the wonderful photos and the info on the procedure.

[Christina]

Alkistis is a very lucky girl to have you and Alkis as godparents. Panda Axioi!

[Andreas]

Glyko mou pedi, I have known you since you were 16 and I know also how much you love children.You are the perfect gomother! Panta axia!

[Walid]

Habebti.
Hello thank you kindly for the wonderful blog.I am sure that you are the best Godparent some one to have.It is a grace to have you both.
You brought me back to the time I was baptized. I was three years old.I still remember how my Uncle asked the Bishop we need one strong priest to do it,to dive him in the water, three times.The boy is big.
Thank you for the full texts,the explanation, and the good photos specially the priest's photos, he is still the old traditional Orthodox Priest long hear and a long beard.God Bless All.
With love Walid.

[Tina]

What an honor to be chosen as Godparents!
I remember the ceremony very well when my little brother(six years younger than I) was baptised, and he SCREAMED throughout the water dunking bit. :-) How nice that little Alkistis(does she get called Alki?) seemed to enjoy herself throughout the ceremony(maybe becasue she was a little older, or it is more in her nature to be relaxed?)

[Lakis Ioannou]

You and Alkis are the best godparents a child can have! Na sas zisei!

[Constantinos]

I was only 26 when I baptised my brother's firstborn son. It was a great experience and a great honour. Since then we have had a very special bond - sometimes stronger than the bond between me and my own children. Even today - he is 21 - we still meet the two of us and talk about everything. I think that beautiful Alkistis couldn't have had better godparents than you and Alkis. Panta Axioi!

[Stefania]

I loved the photos. Alkistis is adorable and you and Alkis are the best godparents she could have. Na sas zisei, na ti xaireste.

[Anastasia]

Well...I can picture you, Walid, a three-year-old boy and the priest trying to talk you into imerging you three times in the holy water! This reminded me of the day when Alkis was chosen as the godfather of his nephew 28 years ago. His nephew was then 2 years old. He was baptized according to the catholic ritual but Alkis had to run after the boy in the church since little Costas thought he'd play hide and seek! The boy hid behind the altar, it took us a while to find him but he got baptized in the end!

[Anastasia]

Alkistis has been a very quiet baby girl since she was born. So, I guess it's a bit in her nature to be quiet. She is named after Alkis but we call her Alkisti not Alki.

[Anastasia]

I felt that special bond in the church between Alkistis and me. And that was a wonderful feeling.

[Anastasia]

Thank you all for your wishes - it's greatly appreciated.

[Laura]

Congratulations to you and Alkis on being godparents. Beautiful photos!