Wednesday, January 19, 2005

Take your pick

Let's say, for hypothetical purposes, I wanted or needed to pick a saint's name for my reception into the Catholic Church. (It's always tickled me a bit to imagine having a saint's name, since so far my only "Christian name" is, well, just my name as a Christian.) I'm considering either someone paired with my birthday (July 9) or with this coming Easter (March 27).

Any thoughts?

How does one go about picking a name saint? Inchoate spiritual affinity? Vocation and patronage? Mere good taste for names? (For that matter, what about godparents and sponsors?)

I'll continue to pray and think about this idea, but for now here a few "favorites" I've bounced around:

Augustine Zhao Rong (July 9, China, missions)

Godfrey of Duynen (July 9, Real Presence, anti-Calvinism) or perhaps any of the Martyrs of Gorkum

Ignatius of Loyola (July 31, the Exercises, Counter-Reformation) or perhaps some other Jesuit, such as Francis Xavier (December 3, Far East, missions, healing) or Peter Claver (September 9, missions, slaves, Africans)

Francis de Sales (January 24, writers, practical piety, anti-Calvinism)

John the Apostle (December 27, writers, theologians)

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