Baptism is the one of the most significant events in a person’s life.  It is the very first sacrament of the Church that we participate in. Through baptism we become heirs to the heavenly kingdom and are called to the duty of serving Christ through our lives.  Christ himself established this divine sacrament when He was baptized by John the Baptist. (Matt. 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22)  He gave a distinct meaning to baptism by becoming an example for each of us.  After His resurrection Our Lord told His disciples: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”(Matthew 28:19)  The sacrament of baptism is the precondition of becoming a Christian and inheritors of eternal life.  Christ himself said: “‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit” (John 3:5).  Just as a man’s earthly birth happens only once, likewise the spiritual rebirth of a man can only happen once from the baptismal font of the Church.  It is a spiritual birth and, as St. Paul stresses, there is “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Eph. 4:5)  Through baptism man enters into the Church, becoming its member and being adopted by the Heavenly Father.  Through baptism we are cleansed of our original sin and we receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit and become a “new creation”.  In the Armenian Church, the service of confirmation follows immediately after the baptismal service.

Confirmation

During the sacrament of confirmation the newly baptized person is anointed with Holy Muron.  The sacrament of confirmation is the sacrament of the coming of the Holy Spirit because through it the newly baptized receives the gift of the Holy Spirit.  This gift of the Holy Spirit is very important in helping us to live a God pleasing life and in being triumphant over the powers of evil.  According to Armenian tradition confirmation is an inseparable part of the baptismal service, which in a way completes the sacrament.  During the service the priest anoints the following body parts of the newly baptized:  forehead, eyes, ears, nostrils, mouth, hands, heart, back, and feet.  Through this anointment the Holy Spirit comes and abides in the newly baptized just as it came upon Christ in the form of a dove immediately after His baptism.  At that moment the human spirit and body becomes confirmed and receives the divine blessings so that our human soul can be strengthened through His power.  Thus, through the baptism and confirmation man regains the joy of having a pure relationship with God.