Since being elected to the Pontificate, Pope Francis has really been pushing for the faithful around the world to know the date of their own Baptism. So many of us know our own Birthdays, Anniversaries, etc, but very few of us know the date of our Baptism. This could possibly be the most important day of our lives. But why?
Baptism denotes the day when we were incorporated into God's family. We become God's adopted children. At each Baptism, we can imagine that what happened at Jesus' very Baptism, happens to us. The heavens tear open, the Holy Spirit descends upon us, and the voice of God says "this is my beloved Son/Daughter, with whom I am well pleased." At that very moment, on the level of our very soul, we receive an indelible mark always claiming us for God. It helps us know how to get back home after our earthly pilgrimage is over.
Aside from life itself, the gift of being part of God's family could be the greatest gift we have ever received. Through the gift of Baptism, God shares His love for us, saying that He wants to be with us forever. But God is not going to force us into a relationship with Him. He isn't going to force us to choose Him. He gave us free-will. We honor God by choosing Him in our daily decisions. The more we honor God and want Him to be part of our very lives, we understand more of the world He made around us. We understand more of His Divine will.
May we seek to deepen our relationship with God each and every day.