Singing the Baptismal Services
with the Divine Liturgy
This article covers the practical aspects of singing the service of Baptism and Chrismation when celebrated together with the Divine Liturgy. It assumes that you are familiar with the material in the article on Singing the Baptismal Service.
You will need a copy of the baptismal service as used in your parish, a copy of the green Divine Liturgies book, and this leaflet with propers for the baptismal service.
Baptism with the Divine Liturgy
The service begins in the narthex (porch or vestibule), just like the regular baptismal service:
- Reception into the catechumenate
- Exorcisms
- Profession of faith and commitment to Christ
- Baptism
- Chrismation
After the chrismation, the deacon or priest intones a Small Litany with the usual responses (see DL 122), and the cantor leads the singing of "All you who have been baptized" (three times) while the priest leads the newly baptized in procession around the font. At the "Glory.... now and ever.... Have been clothed with Christ...", the procession goes back into the middle of the church if necessary, and the Divine Liturgy continues as usual with the final singing of "All you who have been baptized...."
On most days, including Sundays, the hymns at the readings, and the readings themselves, will be the proper ones for baptism (see Singing the Baptismal Service). But on feasts of the Lord and the Theotokos, and on Sundays from Pasch to All Saints, we use the hymns and readings of the feast or Sunday.
At Holy Communion, the newly baptized and chrismated (and their sponsors) should be the first to receive Holy Communion, immediately after the clergy. The Communion Hymn(s) of the day are sung..
After the Ambon prayer:
- In some parishes, the priest may complete the churching by taking the child in procession around the altar (if male) or the tetrapod (if female). But this has the disadvantage of taking attention away from the baptismal procession, and the reception of Holy Communion, and redirects it so a ceremony that was originally intended to allow an UNbaptized child to remain in church.
- According to tradition, the priest sprinkles the newly-baptized with holy water, removes the chrism, and cuts a bit of hair from the head of the newly-baptized in the form of a cross (the "first tonsure", signifying dedication to God). These customs, originally from the services of Thomas Sunday when baptism took place on Pascha, are being restored in some places. The only response is an "Amen" after the tonsure.
Then the Divine Liturgy continues with "Blessed be the name of the Lord." It is customary to sing "Many years" for the newly-baptized after the dismissal.
Depending on local custom, the priest may conclude the baptismal service of an infant with the rite of churching, at the end of which the priest says or sings the Prayer of Simeon ("Now you may dismiss your servant, O Lord") before the Royal Doors, while holding the newly baptized child. In rare occasions, the priest may want the cantor to sing this; music can be found on page 452 of the Divine Liturgies book (listen).