How important it is for a baby, as soon as he has learned to smile at your smile, to offer an icon to the Mother of God and say: “Child, look, this is the Most Pure Virgin Mary. Come on, kiss the icon.” And carefully bring the icon to the baby’s mouth and forehead. Godless mothers, instead, with their painted lips, kiss the baby’s mouth, teaching him the rule of bad manners.
How important it is to cross three fingers over the baby when he wakes up, as soon as he looks at the light of God with his little eyes, to sign the cross over him, to say: “Christ is with you, my child!”
How important it is to baptize, to consecrate a bottle of Baby Mix with the sign of the cross.
How important it is, while grinding an apple in a saucer with a blue border, to say: “Lord, the eyes of all trust in You, and You give us food in due season.”
How important it is to always remain in prayer, and breathe with a prayerful heart, to sanctify the little heart, still pure, innocent, immaculate of your child.
How important it is to bring a baby to church, so that he gets used to the mysterious flickering of lamps, to the shine of candles, so that he hears the priest, who teaches him, the baby: “Peace to all.”
And this will be a child of peace, a child of obedience, a child of diligence, a child of humility, and not a child of unbelief, a child of bitterness, a child of wrath, a child of godlessness, a child of destruction.
Archpriest Artemy Vladimirov
Saint Charitable Foundation Earth
Investment in the Soul!
