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Celebrate Your Birthday in the Church
NCR ^ | December 30, 2009 | Joseph Pronechen

Posted on 12/30/2009 10:52:56 AM PST by NYer

When it comes to birthdays, we can rattle off the date without thinking. Most birthdays are marked with some celebration, too, whether simple or elaborate.

But how many of us can recite off the top of our heads the date of our baptism?

Msgr. Ernest Esposito, director of the Respect Life Office for the Diocese of Bridgeport, Conn., can. And he enthusiastically promotes the importance of celebrating baptismal anniversaries.

“Children and adults love to celebrate anniversaries of personal significant events,” he says, listing personal ones like birthdays and marriages, and civil ones such as Independence Day and New Year’s Day. All somehow mark new beginnings. But one tops them all: our baptism.

“In similar manner, and even more so,” he affirms, “on the anniversary of our baptism we should celebrate accordingly with deepest joy, gratitude and renewal the reality of our baptism — the event that established our life in Christ and which is the seed of eternal glory.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church notes that baptism marks the beginning of life in Our Lord: “Holy baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit” (No. 1213). “Thus the whole organism of the Christian’s supernatural life has its roots in baptism” (No. 1266).

On Jan. 10 we celebrate the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, and we can use it as a reminder for us to do the same. Christ’s baptism was the first act of his public life, so Pope Benedict XVI reminded the audience during his Angelus address on this feast in January 2009.

“This is a stupendous thing,” Benedict said, speaking of baptism. “Through baptism the human person is brought into Jesus’ unique and singular relationship with the Father, in such a way that the words that are spoken from heaven about the only begotten Son become true for every man and woman who is reborn from the water of the Holy Spirit: You are my sons and daughters, my beloved.”

Reason aplenty to celebrate. Msgr. Esposito does so in specific ways and recommends practices Catholics can easily adopt and adapt.

First, on his baptismal day anniversary, he makes a Holy Hour either at the church in New York where he was baptized or at a local church. He also renews his baptismal promises.

We can do likewise. And attend Mass, too.

Sometimes Msgr. Esposito gathers with friends in a local church or home for a prayer service, where everyone joins him in renewing their baptismal promises.

Then he continues celebrating by enjoying a meal. Even if he goes alone to his out-of-state baptismal church, he often returns home to meet with friends that night for dinner at a restaurant. If they can’t make it, he goes by himself in honor of this special anniversary.

Some families already celebrate baptismal days. Mark and Martina Erste do with their two teenage sons in their Bloomingdale, Ohio, home. “We always strive to make celebrations simple but profound,” Martina says. “We do a simple thing. We light their baptismal candles, and then they’ll renew their baptismal promises at dinner.”

Martina says there’s great benefit in celebrating this anniversary. She explains that with the renewal of the baptismal vows you’re saying, “I am continuing my faith each year. I agree to this. I will fight against Satan and do what it takes to live my faith.”

“We see that as a grace to continue their faith in a personal way,” she continues. “It’s personal, but also communal, because they say this at the table in front of everyone.”

The Erstes also talk about what happened at each son’s baptism and the celebrations that followed. For instance, one son was fully immersed, but at a different parish, the other wasn’t. Every few years the family watches videotapes of the two baptisms, which leads to talking about what baptism means.

Younger children are also able to recognize the specialness of the day.

Already, David and Jennifer Miller in Manassas, Va., celebrate withtheir two children, who are 2 and 6. The family, who enjoys living the liturgical year in their home, goes out to celebrate with family on baptismal anniversary days.

The Millers display and light their child’s baptismal candle — and that’s not the only day. “I bring out the baptismal candle on the birthdays, too,” says Jennifer, the founder/writer of the website FamilyFeastandFeria.wordpress.com. “The baptismal candle goes next to the birthday cake.”

“It’s your birthday,” she explains. “But more important is your birthday into the Church. That’s a more important occasion I want to remind them of on their birthday.”

Once the children make their first Communion, the Millers plan to add the renewal of the baptismal vows.

Already benefits shine. Jennifer describes how the boys, although very young, want to hear all about their baptisms. They ask questions like: “Who was there? What did you do? What did I do? Who was the ‘father,’ and what did he do?” The children see the priest who baptized them regularly at Mass, and they like to see the baptismal font.

“They’re very interested,” emphasizes Jennifer. “It has made a main impression on them, and it’s making an imprint of memories with them.”

It’s never too early, or too late, to learn the importance of recalling this sacrament. “ Dear friends,” said the Holy Father, “how great is the gift of baptism! If we make ourselves fully aware of it, our life will become a continual ‘grace.’”

That’s why Msgr. Esposito strongly encourages celebrating baptismal anniversaries. “If anything should be celebrated,” he says, “it should be that: eternal glory!”


TOPICS: Catholic; Prayer; Worship
KEYWORDS:

1 posted on 12/30/2009 10:52:58 AM PST by NYer
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To: netmilsmom; thefrankbaum; markomalley; Tax-chick; GregB; saradippity; Berlin_Freeper; Litany; ...

I always wish my daughter a “Happy Birthday” on the anniversary of her Baptism. That day will remain with me forever.


2 posted on 12/30/2009 10:54:14 AM PST by NYer ("One Who Prays Is Not Afraid; One Who Prays Is Never Alone" - Benedict XVI)
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To: NYer

When we were received into the Church, we had to dig out our baptismal cerificates — mine and the kids’ were easy, I have always kept them in the fire safe. But hubby’s took some digging - he was baptized in GA by his Methodist minister grandfather, but he lived in VA. Had to deal w/ 2 different Conferences and then discovered it had gone to Archives - but we got it. I’d have to look at them to get the dates though.


3 posted on 12/30/2009 11:01:26 AM PST by AnAmericanMother (Ministrix of ye Chasse, TTGC Ladies' Auxiliary (recess appointment))
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To: NYer

I was baptized April 1, 1973...no fooling :)


4 posted on 12/30/2009 11:03:24 AM PST by Hoosier Catholic Momma (Arkansas resident of Hoosier upbringing--Yankee with a southern twang)
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To: NYer

btt


5 posted on 12/30/2009 11:09:40 AM PST by Cacique (quos Deus vult perdere, prius dementat ( Islamia Delenda Est ))
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To: Hoosier Catholic Momma

Cute :-) You’re no fool ;-)


6 posted on 12/30/2009 12:11:07 PM PST by NYer ("One Who Prays Is Not Afraid; One Who Prays Is Never Alone" - Benedict XVI)
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To: NYer

We’ve always celebrated our children’s baptism dates. We had a plaque made with their names and the dates inscribed and hung it on our wall. We called it their “re-birthday” for their rebirth as children of God.

I still email them on their re-birthday and patron saint days.


7 posted on 12/30/2009 1:07:42 PM PST by Melian ("Here's the moral of the story: Catholic witness has a cost." ~Archbishop Charles Chaput)
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To: NYer

What an outstandingly awesome idea! I’m going to use this...

;-))


8 posted on 12/30/2009 5:48:28 PM PST by SumProVita (Cogito, ergo...Sum Pro Vita. (Modified Decartes))
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To: NYer
But how many of us can recite off the top of our heads the date of our baptism?

August 31. The year is not important.

9 posted on 12/30/2009 5:59:25 PM PST by Desdemona (These are the times that try men's souls. - Remember Christmas 1776)
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To: NYer
It's really easy for me to remember the anniversary of my baptism. I was baptized less than a minute after I was born, as "Baby Boy." On a couple of occasions, I have had to combine the "Baby Boy" baptismal certificate with a hand-written letter to my parents from the hospital priest and my birth certificate to demonstrate that the BB and I are one and the same baptized person. My parish supplied the rest of the rite outside of the essentials a couple of months later, after I came home.
10 posted on 12/30/2009 7:02:27 PM PST by magisterium
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