Page 108 - THE ARMENIAN CHURCH_Neat

Rich Spirituality 109

of the Apostolic Creed is recited: "We believe in
the all-holy Trinity, in the Father and in the Son
and in the Holy Spirit, the annunciation of
Gabriel, the birth of Christ, His baptism, His
passion, His crucifixion, His burial for three
days, His resurrection, His divine ascension, His
sitting at the right hand of the Father, and His
awesome and glorious second coming – we con-
fess and believe." Then everyone proceeds to
the baptismal font. The Epistle of St. Paul to
the Colossians (3:24-29) is read, followed by
a passage from the Gospel of St. John (3:1-8),
concerning what a human being has to do in
order to be born again. The child is pre-
sented to the celebrant, preferably his parish
pastor, who asks, "what does this child wish";
the godfather answers, "faith, hope, love, and
baptism" as essential ingredients of the Chris-
tian life. Then the child is immersed hori-
zontally three times in the water, into which
the holy muron is poured three times; water
is then poured on the child three times,
symbolizing Christ's three days in the grave
(Col. 2:12), while the celebrant, mentioning
for the first time the name of the child, says:
"This (the name) servant of God, who has come
from catechumen to baptism, is baptized in the
name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; and
having been bought by the blood of Christ
from servitude of sin, receiving adoption of the
Heavenly Father, becomes heir of Christ and a
temple of the Holy Spirit."