Church Services
April 22, 2006 - Though He needed it not, Jesus Christ was baptized at the age of 30 by St. John the Baptist in the River Jordan, thus fulfilling Scripture, establishing the start of His ministry, and setting the example for all Orthodox Christians to follow. In the early Church, only adults received the Sacrament of Baptism and then only at one time of the year - PASCHA. Today most Orthodox Christians receive Baptism as infants throughout the year, shortly after their birth. SS. Peter and Paul Orthodox Church witnessed the adult Baptism and Chrismation of her newest parishioner - Amanda McLaughlin - at noon on Great and Holy Saturday, April 22, 2006, just hours before the celebration of PASCHA - the Feast of Feasts. Below is a photoreport on Amanda's Baptism and Chrismation and her reception into our Church as an Orthodox Christian.
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This photoreport covers all three Offices - Prayers at the Reception of a Catechumen, Holy Baptism and Chrismation, and Ablution. Above left, the baptismal candles and, above right, the baptismal implements including the container holding the Holy Oil, lie on the Winding Sheet in anticipation of the beginning of the service.
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The Service for the Reception of Catechumens begins at the entrance to the body of the Church with a renouncement of Satan and former beliefs and a Profession of Faith. Above left, Rev. David Garretson prays over Amanda. Just as infants have Godparents (Sponsors), so too Amanda had Sponsors - parishioners Karen and Gregory Berezniak (above right). It is the responsibility of the Sponsors to see that the newly-Baptized and Chrismated Orthodox Christian conducts herself henceforth in a manner consistent with Orthodox Christian teachings. Both the person about to be baptized and her sponsors hold white baptismal candles during the service. Below right, Amanda reads the Profession of Faith (the Nicene Creed) ["I believe in one God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible...."] as Fr. David listens to her profession of belief. Notice that both the catechumen and the cleric are wearing a white garment and vestments, respectively - white being the symbol of purity. Fr. David would have been wearing white vestments regardless - given the time of day on Great and Holy Saturday. Nonetheless, clerics wear white vestments for Baptisms throughout the year as they do on the Feast Day of Theophany - the celebration of Christ's Baptism.
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As the Service of Baptism begins, we see above left the baptismal font - containing water which will be sanctified through the invocation of the Holy Spirit - and the three lighted white candles which are at the front of the font. Above right, Fr. David signs the water thrice with the sign of the Cross, dipping his fingers therein and breathing upon it, saying thrice, "Let all adverse powers be crushed beneath the sign of the image of thy cross."
In the photo above, we see Fr. David anointing Amanda with Holy Oil. He takes the oil with two fingers and makes the sign of the Cross upon her brow, her breast, and between her shoulders, saying: "The handmaid of God, Elizabeth (Amanda), is anointed with the oil of gladness in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen." And then Fr. David anoints Amanda's breast and shoulders, saying: "Unto the healing of soul and body." Then he anoints her on the ears, saying: "Unto the hearing of faith." Likewise, she is anointed on the hands while the priest says: "Thy hands have made me and fashioned me." And the feet are anointed with the priest praying: "That she may walk in the way of thy commandments."
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At this point in the baptismal service, an infant would be immersed three times in the baptismal font. As our Church does not have provision for adult immersion, Fr. David thus pours water (above left) from the font over Amanda three times, saying: "The handmaid of God, Elizabeth, is baptized, in the name of the Father, Amen. And of the Son, Amen. And of the Holy Spirit, Amen." He then blesses her Baptismal Cross (above right). Below, Amanda's newly-blessed Baptismal Cross is placed upon her by her sponsor, Karen Berezniak.
Then follows the Service of Chrismation. As the photos above and below left show, Fr. David anoints Amanda - who has now been baptized - with the Holy Chrism, making the sign of the Cross on the brow, on the eyes, on the nostrils, on the lips, on both ears, on the breast, on the hands, and on the feet, saying each time: "The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Amen."
Above right, Fr. David offers his Stole to Amanda. Clasping Fr. David's stole, the two make a triple circle around the baptismal font (below left). The circle typifies eternity. Therefor, the triple circling of the font with lighted tapers signifies that the newly-baptized (illiumined) person has entered into eternal union with Christ, the Light of the world.
Above right, Fr. David reads from the Gospel of Matthew which includes the words of Christ: "Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
And then was served the Office of Ablution which, in the early Church, was observed eight days after Baptism but is now commonly combined with the Offices of Baptism and Chrismation. Part of the Office of Ablution is the shearing of the hair (photo above). The shearing of the hair signifies that the newly-baptized person has dedicated herself to the service of God, and to obedience; because the cutting of the hair has always been the symbol of submission and servitude. It is also symbolical of the scriptural offering of the first-fruits.
Above left - the newest parishioner of SS. Peter and Paul Orthodox Church stands before the icon of NewMartyr Elizabeth of Russia - Amanda's Patron and role model. When she presents herself for Holy Communion, Fr. David will refer to her as "the handmaid of God, Elizabeth...". Above right - your reporter is very serious by nature so it was not he who provoked this response. However, someone said something which provoked this response from the two primary participants in the Service of Baptism and made this photo too precious to withhold from this permanently archived photoreport. Below - Amanda poses with Rev. David Garretson and her two sponsors - Karen and Gregory Berezniak.
Several hours after her Baptism, Amanda was present at the Paschal Nocturne and Paschal Divine Liturgy. As the newest member of our parish, Amanda was accorded the honor of being the first to partake of the Sacrament of Holy Communion (below left and right). "The handmaid of God, Elizabeth, partaketh of the precious and holy Body and Blood of our Lord, and God, and Saviour, Jesus Christ, unto the remission of her sins, and unto life everlasting. Many Years! Mnogaya Lyeta! to the handmaid of God, Elizabeth.
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