The Church welcomes a newborn child and—as soon as the child gains a little strength—invites him to the temple for baptism. Baptism is a spiritual birth. From that moment, the person no longer walks through life alone but together with Christ, whose path ends in eternity. Among the seven Church sacraments, baptism is the first…
The 50th Apostolic Canon prescribes deposing a bishop or priest who does not perform the Sacrament of Baptism with three full immersions. The New Testament provides several examples of baptism, all of which were performed in bodies of water: John the Forerunner baptized in the Jordan; the Ethiopian eunuch was baptized in a river; and…
“What dangers might a person face during the catechumenate period or immediately after baptism? Sometimes, especially during the process of becoming churched, a person sees or experiences “scary things” from demons. How can this be explained, and how can one protect themselves from such attacks?” The venerable Abba Dorotheus, in his book Spiritual Instructions, writes that…