It is a
known practice in the Orthodox Church that every person, child or adult, should
have a godparent (sponsor) at the time that they enter into the faith through
Holy Baptism and Chrismation. To be a godparent is at the same time a great
honor and a tremendous responsibility. God asks each godparent to assist in
leading souls along the narrow path which leads to the Kingdom of Heaven. For
this reason the role of the godparent is not to be minimized or trivialized. It
is in fact a role that is holy and needs to be taken seriously.
The task
of steering a child along the narrow path, and bringing them up according to
the law of God is perhaps the greatest of all things in life. St. Theophan the
Recluse says that there is no holier act. What better thing can we offer our
children than to lead them to our Lord and teach them to imitate Him in their
life.
The
challenge of raising up a child in the teachings of God is perhaps far greater
today than ever before. We are contending against many negative influences that
carry with them great appeal. Due to the fallen state that we are in, and the
unhealed passions that remain within us, the things that are most harmful are
the things that are most enticing. With the many obstacles and temptations, the
parents along with the godparents, must help the precious souls entrusted to
them through the course of life.
While it
is an honor to be asked to be a godparent, one should make sure that the
potential sponsor will be committed to the responsibility. The role must be honored
and not taken lightly. Every godparent will be accountable to God as to whether
or not he or she has fulfilled their duties. Prospective godparents must know
their faith, or at least be in the process of learning their faith and be
committed to a life in Christ. One problem today is that people who are called
upon to be godparents do not know their faith and are not regular participants
in the life of the Church. This is also true for some parents. Consequently a
child who is baptized may never know anything about Jesus Christ and the
Church.
In the
early Church heavy emphasis was placed on the educating of the faithful and
those who desired to come into the Christian faith. As Christianity spread in a
pagan world, the need to teach individuals before their baptisms became
crucial. The systematic instruction, which was a preparatory stage for baptism
was and is called "catechism."
During
catechism one learned the basic elements of the Christian faith and moral life.
We see the importance of these teachings and the teachings themselves in the
4th Prebaptismal Catechesis of St. Cyril of Jerusalem. The candidate had to be
introduced by one of the faithful, called anadochos, (the godparent to be) and
be examined by the "doctors" (the Bishops) who were in charge of the
catechumens, to ensure that clear spiritual motives led him to enter the
Church. Other than in cases of urgency, baptism was not something that was
rushed. Not only did the candidate need to understand the teachings of Christ
and the Church, but he also had to be living by them.
The
anadochos which means one who receives (the person out of the font), was
responsible for the candidate and played a very important role during the
process of his Catechesis and even after the candidate had been baptized. This
obviously took place primarily with adult candidates or young people. However,
as the faith spread and as entire families were coming into the Body of Christ,
infant baptism became more the norm rather than the exception. With the
emergence and common practice of infant baptism, the anadochos was called upon
to be the spokesperson for the infant at their baptism.
The
godparent, therefore, is the representative of the infant who is being admitted
into the Church of Christ. He speaks for the infant and vows that he will do
all he can to assure that the child will be a true soldier of Christ and a
devoted member of His Church. He accepts the sacred responsibility of guiding
the child into the understanding and practice of the teachings of the One Holy
Catholic and Apostolic Church. The godparent makes a public profession of the
Nicene Creed during the Baptism. Likewise, his renunciation of the devil is
made on behalf of the candidate for Baptism. The godparent implicitly pledges
himself to aid his godchild in whatever necessities that may arise, but most
especially in the giving of a good Orthodox Christian example to the Godchild.
How
should one go about choosing a Godparent?
1.
Parents must exercise the greatest care in the selection of godparents for
their children. Certainly they will never select atheists or agnostics, or
persons who are lukewarm toward the Church. This would obviously defeat the
purpose of having a godparent in terms of their role.
2. The
Godparent must bring godliness and holiness to the child. Godparents are
parents representing God or parents on God's behalf.
3.
Parents should not choose godparents because they feel obligated, or because
they think that if they don't ask a certain person or couple that they will be
offended. Many, if not most situations, where people who have chosen someone to
be a godparent out of guilt or obligation, end up being disastrous.
4. The
faith of the godparent and their involvement within the sacramental life of the
Church is crucial. The person who confesses Jesus Christ as His Lord cannot
ignore and violate in word and deed this faith. How can he promise God that he
will make certain that the child will grow to be a true follower of Christ,
when he himself lives a life of unbelief and disobedience?
5. It
goes without saying that the godparent must be an Orthodox person. How could
someone who is not Orthodox provide the proper religious education, example and
inspiration to his godchild? It should also be noted that an Orthodox Christian
who has not had his or her marriage blessed in the Orthodox Church is excluded
from exercising the privilege of serving as a godparent, because they are not
considered to be in good standing with the Church.
6. The
Church also cautions us to select a person who has reached the age of reason
and moral responsibility (at least 12 years of age). It is also good to look
for godparents outside of the family. In this way, the family grows and special
bonds are created.
What are
some other things that are expected of the Godparent?
1. It is
a gross misunderstanding to think that the only duty of the godparent is to buy
a new outfit and a cross for the infant. Certainly this is a beautiful
tradition, but the emphasis must not be on the material but rather the
spiritual. Many times people are so concerned with the clothing, the cross, the
martyrika, (witness pins) and the luncheon afterwards, that they forget the
magnitude and the awesomeness of the great mystery and the great gift of Holy
Baptism. Both the parents and the godparents should be careful not to fall into
this trap, but instead to keep their minds focused on the most important aspect
and that is the baptism itself.
2. The
godparent should make a faithful commitment to join the struggle with the
parents, guided by the Church, to bring the infant carefully and prayerfully
along the difficult road to Heaven.
3. After
the baptismal service is finished, the godparent delivers the child into the
arms of the mother in front of the congregation. As she receives the child, now
baptized, sealed and illuminated, she kisses the hand of the godparent as a
token of the spiritual relationship that is established between the godparent
and the family. This is a Christian expression of gratitude and respect.
4. If the
godparent lives in the same city, it is customary for the godparent to bring
the infant (or accompany the newly illumined adult) to Holy Communion with the
lit baptismal candle for the next three Sundays. After three Sunday's the
candle is no longer used, but it is good for the godparent to take the child to
communion each week.
5. A
faithful godparent will make the effort to maintain close contact with their
godchild, building up their relationship. The main focus, however, is the
progress of the child in the knowledge and practice of the Christian life. He
should at all times model a Christ-like example. For this reason it is
important that the godparent stay on top of their own spiritual life. The
godparent should pray, fast, read from Holy Scripture, and participate in the
sacramental life of the Church. As they grow and mature in the faith, they will
in turn be able to offer more and more to their godchild who has been entrusted
to them. To neglect their own spiritual life is ultimately to neglect the
spiritual life of their godchild.
6.
Godparents are encouraged to call to remembrance the sacred and joyous moment
of Baptism, which may be done by participating in "Godparents'
Sunday", a National Observance by the Greek Orthodox Church in America.
7.
Appropriate gift-giving honoring the occasion of the godchild's nameday,
birthday or baptism day, could include such things as icons, a Bible, and
religious books that will be helpful in building up the spiritual life of the
child. These are the most important, but it is not wrong to give other things
as well that the child would enjoy and make use of.
8. Most
of all, the greatest duty of the godparent is to pray fervently for their
godchild that God will always watch over them and guide them throughout his/her
life. The Akathist to the Mother of God the Nurturer of Children could be read
by the godparent and they could simply replace the word "child" with
"godchild".
The role
and responsibility of the Godparent can be summed up in the Divine Commandment
that is read from the Holy Gospel at the service of Baptism. "Teach them
to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the
close of the age." It is truly an honor to be called upon to be a godparent.
May we all live a life close to the Church, seeking help from Christ, that we
may fulfill our sacred duty as godparents in a way pleasing to God.
Source: http://orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/godparenting101.aspx
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