As we are prone to sickness,we ought to pray for one another's quick recovery;
it doesn't mean that we have to make any prayers only on anyone's birthday that
is in contravention against the doctrine and teaching of the Orthodox faith, the
reason for not celebrating the birthdays till about 3 decades back. Our duty is
to follow the commandment.
1.Since we are violating the commandment not to celebrate the birthday, the holy
Qurbana celebrated on that day may not be heard because it infringes the Mosaic
commandment of 'don't take my name in vain'. Saul , the first king of Israel,
set apart the fatty animals for giving sacrifice to the Lord against the
commandment of God not to bring any booty from the Amakalites for a sacrifice to
the Lord. Since he disobeyed God he was severely punished and the evil spirit
thus haunted on him led to his and his son's suicidal death.
2. Most of the global population is under the carnage of so many maladies that
have caused by our own avarice and wickedness. The high-tech life that is the
haven of disparities and the resulting exploitations have converted the
electronic global village as a place of untold human sufferings due to the
inhuman behaviours and cut throat transactions. It is the ripe time for the
shepherds to sacrifice their life for the flock, instead of celebrating the
birthday and other occasions of individuals, pray for the suffering humanity and
give some money through fasting and frugal living during every day of the year.
It is a crime to squander our time and money for our own pleasure and individual
gaiety by birthday and wedding anniversaries.
3.As Jesus took His birth in the manger among the lambs and suffered, our
birthday is inviting suffering by our sacrifice. Our birth is not important to
anybody because no one is indispensable in this plane of life. If we don't do
our assigned duty of sacrifice, God will employ somebody else to do His set
task. we are not important because we are only a breath. There is no need of
remembering a breath that is only an insignificant passing wind. Don't take any
ownership because God is the owner of everything and everybody. Felicitating our
birthday or 'sapthathi' becomes a sign of ego that is a rebellion against the
Creator. This is the reason for not celebrating our birthday since the beginning
of time, that is for the last 6000 years.
4. Wishing birthday to the shepherd is equivalent to giving our benedictions to
the spiritual Father. The spiritual Fathers who are the ambassadors of God give
us life spiritually; how can we validate by giving wishes and benedictions to
them backwards? It is like putting the cart in front of the horse.
Anything excess is bad.The routine sacraments are enough for shepherds and the
flock; birthday remembrance is an excess that is to be deleted from our
religious life. Unless such irreligious and pagan customs are obliterated from
our spiritual life, I fear that we invite the evil spirits into our spiritual
life and spiritual venues. Wishing birthday wishes that invite some underhand
benefits from the hierarchy and vice-versa is to be banned and discouraged from
the body of the church. This is a pagan ritual; otherwise it is to be
authenticated and validated by a Kalpana from the Head or the Holy Synod of the
Church.

E.S.John, Australia