The baptismal font in the language of the Church Fathers is the Divine Womb whence we receive the second birth as children of God. Baptism is truly a birth. "But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:12-13).

When a person is Baptized, they descend into the baptismal font. As the water closes over the head, it is like being buried in a grave. When the newly baptized emerges from the water, it is like rising from the grave. Baptism represents our old, sinful nature dying and then being resurrected again by Christ in a new and cleansed form. As St. Paul says, "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death. We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father we, too, might walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:3-4).

The water

The water is used for cleansing. In Baptism it expresses the fact that through this sacrament Christ cleanses us of all sins. The Priest blesses the Baptismal waters in the Font by calling on the Holy Trinity,

Do You Yourself, O loving King, be present now also through the descent of Your Holy Spirit and hallow this water.

Then he makes the sign of the Cross three times over the water saying,

Let all adverse powers be crushed beneath the signing of Your most precious Cross.

The naked infant

The infant is baptized in its naked state to denote that just as we came out of our mother's womb naked so we emerge naked out of the womb of God -- the baptismal Font. The removal of all clothes also signifies the putting off of the old man which will be cast off entirely through Baptism.

Immersion into the Baptismal font

In obedience to Christs words, the Priest Baptizes the child with the words,

The servant of God (name) is baptized in the name of the Father. Amen. And of the Son, Amen. And of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

At each invocation the Priest immerses and then raises the infant up again. After the Baptism the Priest places the child in a new linen sheet held by the Godparent(s).