I work at the church in the baptismal room. Who is baptized among us? Whoever you want — both old and young.
For example, a young man in glasses came to us, asked what was required for baptism, how much it cost, and left. I haven’t been there for three weeks, but then, I see, he’s appeared again and asks to baptize him. I asked why he didn’t get baptized when he came to us for the first time.
— So, — he answers, — then I had no money, but today they gave me a scholarship at the institute.
When they told the priest about this, he grabbed his head:
— Did you really think that I wouldn’t have baptized you without money? — he asked the student.
And he was shy and answered:
— Why free if I can pay.
It was very interesting when a whole family came to us to be baptized: a husband, wife and two-year-old son brought them. They are young, they just graduated from university three years ago, they both work.
She had known nothing about God since childhood, but when she got married, her husband explained everything about Him to her, because he had long since started reading the Gospel, and so they decided to be baptized.
First, the wife and son were baptized. When she stood after baptism, it was impossible to look at her without tears: she was fair, pretty; big, clear eyes, blond hair loose over the shoulders, a floor-length baptismal shirt with long sleeves, and holding a candle like an angel of God!
Well, the boy is mischievous: he kept being capricious and snatched the shaving brush from the priest’s hands. True, he had a hard time later: when his godfather carried him around the baptismal font, the little one fell into the burning candles with his bare heels every time, and it’s clear that he was in pain.
The husband was baptized two months later, and then he felt unprepared. It was so touching: he was young, about twenty-eight years old, his godfather was a match for him, and the priest was a little older. After the sacrament, the three of them left the church, and I had Easter on my soul all day…
There was another special incident, a long time ago, a visiting priest told about it.
A schoolgirl of about fourteen came to him and asked:
— Baptize me, I believe in God. He asks her:
— Where are the parents, why did they come alone?
— Mom died, dad is very busy, and I have no one else.
— Who is your dad? — the father is interested. The girl named the name of a very famous boss in that city. The priest shook his head.
— I can’t baptize without my father’s consent.
The girl left, then came again and asked to be baptized again. But the priest does not agree. Then she asks:
— And if I bring you a note from my father, will you baptize?
— I will baptize, — answered the priest.
What do you think? She brought: “I have no objection to my daughter’s baptism,” and a signature. They christened her… How happy she was, and everyone rejoiced with her. Then she brought her father to the priest. What a girl!
And recently we had a whole story: an elderly woman came and said that her little granddaughter was wasting away. No matter who she took her to, there was no help: he was about to die. She kept trying to persuade her son and daughter-in-law to baptize the child so that at least he would feel good after death, but they didn’t want to listen, and last night the daughter-in-law suddenly gave her consent. So the grandmother came to find out if the child could be baptized now? They said: bring it. She came with her godmothers, and the child’s mother joined them. And she looked at the priest with such evil eyes, she just didn’t have the strength. But the priest is not ours, but they sent him for a month while Father Konstantin was on vacation, and he was so young and good…
The child was completely dying, he didn’t even cry, but only moaned. But do you know what happened? The baby has come to life! By evening he felt better and started eating, and then he started to improve completely.
Yesterday his mother came running with a large bouquet of flowers.
— Where is your young father? He saved my son, I brought him flowers.
And the priest worked for Father Konstantin for a month and returned to his parish.
The mother sat with us for a long time and kept saying:
— Now let someone tell me not to baptize the child — I’ll scratch out his eyes.
What else do you want? tell? Last Thursday, the father and mother brought their first child to be baptized, and their godfathers were with them.
The sacrament is over, it’s time to leave, and the child’s father is standing aside, and, I see, very upset.
The priest has already taken off his epitrachelion and is untying the straps. Then he approached him and said:
— I can’t understand what’s happening to me. This is my first time in church, but I felt so good here that my whole soul lit up and everything around seemed different. And so I think: my son is baptized, but I am not… Baptize me too…
The priest looked at him, and he was all trembling. He put on the stole again and baptized him right there.
Ask, and it will be given to you. True stories about God’s miraculous help.
Holy Land Charitable Foundation
Investment in the Soul!
Orthodox stories from life
