The birth of a child
The birth of children is a joyous event in the life of the church. It is a family's participation in the creative will of God. As such, our Holy Church has a number of special prayers for the birth of the child.
Prayer for the first day of birth
This prayer is a prayer of thanksgiving for the birth of a child. Through this prayer we offer glory to God for giving life to the new child. We also pray for the mother's health and recovery, asking God to keep her and the child safe. This prayer can be read in the hospital or in the home.
Prayer for the naming of a child
This prayer is offered on the eighth day, and is sometimes referred to as the Prayer on the Eighth Day. On this day, the child is brought to the church by its father or future baptismal sponsor. The prayers again offer thanksgiving to God for the birth of the child. The prayers commemorate the saint whose name the child will bear henceforth.
This prayer service corresponds to the Circumcision of the Lord (January 1st).
Prayer of churching
The Forty-Day Churching Service is a pre-baptismal rite conducted for a newborn infant forty days following his or her birth. Sometimes the exact date is not practical and so these prayers can be offered a few days after. During this dedication service, the newborn is introduced into the worshipping community of faith as a peripheral member of the Body of Christ, in one sense becoming a catechumen and beginning his or her preparation for full membership through baptism and chrismation. Prayers are also offered for the mother, thanking God for the new life that has come into the world and for preserving the mother during her pregnancy and delivery. If the mother is an Orthodox Christian, she should plan to receive Holy Communion – as should the father (so long as they are Orthodox Christians) – as soon as possible.
This prayer service corresponds to the Presentation of the Lord (February 2nd).
To organise any of these prayer services, please contact Fr Peter.