It's my birthday ~ but when was I baptized?

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jmjconder

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Today is my birthday. I have had family call…people on Facebook message me…friends say Happy Birthday…my husband made me a wonderful dinner and bought me a beautiful gift. However, I am especially sad this year because it bothers me to admit I do not even know the date of my baptism. I know I can find it out and I know I will.

I wonder why as faithful Catholics we do not celebrate the day of our Baptism day as THE day…as THE day of our birth. Why is our physical birthday the day we celebrate and not our spiritual birthday? Our physical birthday does not open the gates of heaven for us…it is our spiritual birthday. Yet we are still so attached to our physical birthday and today I cannot even tell you the date of my Baptism.

Please do not wish me a Happy Birthday…it is not my real birthday and I am sorry to tell you today I cannot tell you the date of my spiritual birth.
 
Hey, God is just as much responsible for the miracle of your physical birth as your spiritual one - why shouldn’t the fact of you being born int this world be celebrated?

What about all the poor little babies or other people who have not (or not yet) had the chance of being baptised - is their existence meaningless, should their being made in the image and likeness of God not be given thanks for?

Clearly Christ thought being physically born was pretty darn important - so much so that He hallowed the womb of the Blessed Virgin who physically bore Him and made her immaculate in order for her to be worthy of the honour. And so much so that His birth was hailed by angels, shepherds and Magi as good news of great joy, not so much His baptism, important as that was.

Remember He didn’t have to be physically be born at all, He could’ve miraculously appeared as a foundling babe or full-grown man instead. That choice shows the importance of our physical birth.

So - I am going to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY! And thank God for the miracle of your being alive for another year. Life is so important that it is a grave sin to take it without good reason remember - and that applies equally to baptised and non-baptised, saint and sinner.

‘Your life’s a miracle’, as Shakespeare said in King Lear - and I for one am going to show some gratitude to God for it!
 
Why not celebrate both? You get gifts on your Birthday, and give gifts on your Baptismal Day!
 
bpbasilphx said:
And don’t forget name days! That’s important, too!
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Yeah, in Eastern Europe (where my family originated) name days are a big deal. A name day is the feast of whatever saint you happen to be named after, so for example someone named Peter or Paul would have their nameday on June 29th, the feast of Sts Peter and Paul.
 
I think both birthdays are pretty special, for different reasons 🙂

However, I know what you mean cause I also don’t know the date of my baptism, and I don’t know if I ever will 😦
 
“jmjconder” I agree with the others. The day of our physical birth is VERY important. Were it not… there wouldn’t be such an enormous outcry… about the Right to Life and abortion issues.

Do you happen to know what parish your parents lived in at the time of your birth? Most parishes keep pretty good records of the Sacraments. You should be able to find out, fairly easily the exact day of your Baptism.

God bless you, dear soul. :flowers:
 
It’s true - our birthday / date is the day our BODY / SOUL entered this world. Our Baptismal day is the date our SOULS were cleansed of original sin and born into the Catholic Church. I know my Baptismal date and often used to remind my Godmother (who had forgotten). I’m lucky. Mine falls on a feast day of the Blessed Mother - but I just don’t live up to it. Mea culpa, Beata Maria ! Please intercede for your poor, sinful child.
 
The entire Church observes the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord – I think He would want us to celebrate our birthdays too.
 
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