Eugene, writing in the third person, as the “Director”, for the official Diary of the Youth Congregation spoke about the importance of his baptism anniversary on 2 August.
The Reverend Director reminded the congregants that the next day would be his birthday, but that this commemoration had no value in his eyes. What is infinitely more precious for him is the anniversary of his baptism which took place on August 2, 1782. He begged all the congregants to help him thank God for so great a grace, for which he declared he can never be grateful enough and asked them to join their prayers with his, which stand in need of this support if he is to summon up the hope of seeing them accepted by God.
Diary of the Aix Christian Youth Congregation, 31 July 1814, O.W. XVI,
The next Diary entry refers to this event:
A number of congregants thought they could find no better way of following the Director’s wishes than by coming and assisting and uniting themselves with the Holy Mass he offered this morning in the chapel of the Congregation.
Diary of the Aix Christian Youth Congregation, 2 August 1814, O.W. XVI
“Rituals, anthropologists will tell us, are about transformation. The rituals we use for marriage, baptism or inaugurating a president are as elaborate as they are because we associate the ritual with a major life passage, the crossing of a critical threshold, or in other words, with transformation.” Abraham Verghese
It was not until I met St. Eugene that I really noticed anyone celebrating their Baptism. All I know about my baptism is that it took place in the hospital when I was born because the nurses did not expect me to live. It was not something to be celebrated. And yet when I ponder it now I can only agree with Eugene on it’s importance in my life. It was almost like a branding that took place on my soul, my being. My personal experience of God, of hearing I have called you by name, you are mine” – God claiming me perhaps.
I have also thought this morning on how much of affect Eugene had and continues to have on the lives of others. He truly affected the lives of the youth that he worked with as is evidenced above and it continues on today for it is in coming to this place that I have reflected on the power and place of my own baptism. I am filled with gratitude that I have been claimed by God – for it was God doing the claiming. Always God is the initiator and I can but respond -it is all grace that we are given. There is a piece which I think is called ‘Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring’ that I hear playing off and on and through my head. I don’t know if there are words for it – they are not necessary. As I give thanks it is the tune that moves through my heart today. O happy day.