Have you been offered to become a foster child? Wait to agree or refuse, first we recommend finding out who he is, what his duties are. The recipient is not just a person who performs secular duties to the baby.
Who is he?
The successor is the godparent. According to the sacrament of the church, he receives the baby after immersion in the font, the priest passes the child. Hence the Slavic name - the recipient. The one who accepts a child is ready to instruct him in the Christian life and educate him in the faith.
The child is the second parent. He is responsible for the godson before the Lord spiritually. The business of blood parents is to feed, clothe, teach, the godfather has completely different goals. Raising a child in the Christian faith, as described above.
Duties of godparents
Sometimes people who don't know the simplest prayers go to godparents. Of course, they will be obliged to attend a course of lectures at the temple chosen for the baptism of the baby. This is where the steps to God end, as a rule. This is fundamentally wrong.
Very sad to seehow at baptism the recipients read the "Symbol of Faith", stuttering at every word, for they do not know them. What kind of spiritual upbringing of a child can we talk about if all the dogmas hidden in this prayer are alien and unfamiliar to godparents? By the way, the main duties of the recipients look like this:
- Teaching godchildren the faith of God.
- Teaching prayer.
- Visiting the temple with spirit children.
- Communion to the sacraments of godchildren.
- Instruction in godliness, chastity and Christian conduct.
- Self-regular church attendance, frequent confession, communion with the Holy Mysteries of Christ.
- Prayer for godchildren.
How many of us regularly go to church, know about the sacraments of the Church not from books and articles, try to live according to the commandments of Christ? Alas, there are many baptized in Russia, but very few Orthodox.
Conclusion
Before deciding to become a successor, you should carefully weigh your options. To admit to oneself, will it be possible to raise a godchild the way God requires it? For a spiritual child, you will have to answer to the Lord, you will be asked from godparents for his faith much more than from blood parents.
If a potential godfather goes to church regularly, lives a decent life, he has nothing to fear. People who do not know the basic prayers, who go to church occasionally and are far from God,it is advisable to refrain from becoming a spiritual parent.
