By father Andreas Agathocleous
In the Orthodox Church, we celebrate only the birthday of Christ in Christmas, the Birth of the Virgin on September 8, and the Birth of John the Baptist on June 24.
Surely the birth of any person brings joy “that a person is born into the world” and for the child whose parents are Christians and therefore will be baptized shortly, the blessing of its adoption by God is added to the joy.
There have been people whose presence in this world has brought great beneficence, such as the discovery of treatments from serious illnesses, facilities in the lives of millions of people, freedom from long-term work, and many others.
The presence of John the Baptist, whose birthday is celebrated by our Church on June 24, has direct reference to the coming of the Savior of the world.
As a prophet of God, he revealed to people His Will, preached and prepared the way in the hearts of the Jews so that they would accept Him, the one whose history was written before Him, therefore they were awaiting Him. As a Baptist he received people who wanted to confess their sins and to repent, thus by being baptized with water they prepared themselves for the baptism of the Spirit.
We are not, of course, all born for the same role. But we are all destined for the Kingdom of God, where His love and the fullness of our existence will be experienced.
Why does it matter by who and where we were born? Christ invites us to fulfill our personal destination wherever we are. For, indeed, the purpose for which we have come to this world is fulfilled
• if we suffer the difficulties and trials that we experience;
• if we do our duty consistently within the family, at work, in society;
• if we try to apply the commandments of the Lord in our everyday life, and especially love and humility;
• if we live simply and silently the ecclesiastical life, which unites us in a sacramental way with Christ to the Way, the Truth and Life;
• if we prepare ourselves, with realism and prudence, to leave this life without leaving loose ends in our relations with God and our fellowmen.
The anniversary of our birthdays will show us the years that have passed by once and for all but also the years we expect to come. But all these, all those befores and afters, do not belong to us. Because we only have the present, which, soon, will also become past.
Thus, we realize that it doesn’t matter how many years we have lived, but how we lived. And when we realize it, we will be able to repent without guilt and without psychic complexes that crash without restoring, but with the repentance that goes forward “concerning the Chief Agent and Perfecter of our faith, Jesus.”
The one who John the Baptist had preached, declared and showed us as the savior of the world and benefactor of our souls.