Importance of remembering our birthday
For the founder of the order of Lady of Charity (today Congregation of Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd), of the Congregation of Jesus and Mary and the Company of the Sons of the Heart of Mother Admirable, that constitute the Great Eudist family, we are indebted to God since the very day of our birth. John Eudes thus proposes obligations we should fulfill to God, Mary, and the Angels and to the saints at the time of our birth. According to Saint John Eudes, It is important to think of our birth, in the belief and wonder that Jesus Christ went through the same state of mortal life like us, making all our actions and achieving all his works. But we should not forget Mary who is our model of Christian life.
Saint Jean Eudes goes even further when talking about everyone’s birth and the duties which we should have had toward God if we had reached the age of reason: "since the first moment of your life and while in the breast of our mothers,” (O.C. I, 497). He proposes several duties which we have to carry out when we think of our birth:
I am infinitely thankful, o my God, for me and for all the creatures, especially for my own dear friends, for the fact that you gave us the being and the life, and also a person capable of knowing you and loving you. We give you thanks because you kept us alive in the bosom of our mothers before holy Baptism. Because, unfortunately! Had we died in this state, before being delivered from the original sin by the grace of holy baptism, as an infinity of others died in that state, we would never have seen your divine face, and we would have been deprived forever of your holy love. Oh! May all your Angels and your saints bless you eternally for this very particular favor you gave to us (O.C. I, 499)