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Which saint's name did you take as your confirmation name and why?
I thought this might be an interesting topic of conversation that might help us all learn a little bit more about various saints. If you would like please share in the comments section.
I chose St. Augustine of Hippo. While I was in RCIA I was reading St. Augustine's Confessions. I will admit that I still haven't finished reading it. I think it's so deep that I have to take time off from it for lighter reading. I'll eventually get through it.
St. Augustine's mother was a very devote Catholic. In his own life he fell into heresy and spent much of his young adulthood searching for the truth. I felt like I identified with St. Augstine's struggle in accepting the Catholic Church's teachings. I've written more about this in an earlier post.
I'll also point out that this blog has been dedicated to the patronage of St. Augustine. See the side bar for a wonderful prayer from St. Augustine.
I thought this might be an interesting topic of conversation that might help us all learn a little bit more about various saints. If you would like please share in the comments section.
I chose St. Augustine of Hippo. While I was in RCIA I was reading St. Augustine's Confessions. I will admit that I still haven't finished reading it. I think it's so deep that I have to take time off from it for lighter reading. I'll eventually get through it.
St. Augustine's mother was a very devote Catholic. In his own life he fell into heresy and spent much of his young adulthood searching for the truth. I felt like I identified with St. Augstine's struggle in accepting the Catholic Church's teachings. I've written more about this in an earlier post.
I'll also point out that this blog has been dedicated to the patronage of St. Augustine. See the side bar for a wonderful prayer from St. Augustine.
12 comments:
As Western Christians St. Augustine is the father of us all.
However, as my confirmation name I chose St. John the Evangelist. This is because when I was younger I was given a plaque with my name (which is actually David and not Antonio).
David- "God's beloved." Presumably after King David who was "a man after the Lord's own heart."
St. John is also referred to as the one whom the Lord loved.
Also I am a great admirer of other Saints with the given name John: starting with St. John the Baptist, St. Augustine's Eastern contemporary St. John Chrysostom, along with the Spaniards San Juan de Sahagún, San Juan de la Cruz, and the Venerable John Henry Newman.
This last is a representative of a convert from the Anglican tradition like myself who comes from the Episcopal Church.
Lastly, a grandfather I greatly loved had this name and his death caused me to take Christianity more seriously to the point of being baptized. For although I was raised Episcopalian somehow this crucial act had not been performed. I had merely been "dedicated" at another protestant church.
On a more humorous note in College I got into the annoying habit of calling everyone John or Johnnie. And I'm sure that God has a sense of humor about this.
And I forgot to mention John Paul the Great whose witness set the stage for the religion of our entire generation. I mean he literally allowed for its possibility.
I'm a convert, and when I came into the church in the mid 80s, we weren't allowed to choose a name officially. Progressive force and all that.
So I privately chose my own: St. Joseph. And he's never let me down. =)
When I was confirmed, in the 5th grade, I looked through the book of saints and - not knowing anything about her, but liking the name - I chose Monica, patroness of mothers.
Now, fast forward to when I was 21 years old. My whole life, up to that point, I had no desire to be a mother! I wanted to be a professional working woman! Well, to make a long story short, I fell in love and am now a very happy mama times 3 so far! So, my "random" choice turned out to be a grace-filled one indeed.
I really like your blog! Sometimes, when surrounded by so many cradle Catholics, you start to think you're the only convert!
I chose St. Augustine of Hippo. I kind of had some rough years in college, and I felt I could really relate to St. Augustine's story. He's much more of a theologian than I will ever be, but he's a great Saint to turn to if you've had some rough points in your faith!
St. Columba. It was my interest in the early Church in Ireland and the British Isles, especially the influence of St. Columba (aka Columbcille), that started the chain of events leading to my conversion.
When I became a Catholic I chose St Margaret of Cortona beacuse her life had been hard and 'real'. But I found the Catholic church sadly lacking in care and compassion and knidness, instead I found it full of hard line traditional intolerant zealots so I returned to my original faith. Praise God.
Anonymous, I'm so sorry you had such negative experiences in the Catholic faith. May I ask how long you were a Catholic, and what is your original faith to which you returned?
I was received into the Church in December 1967 at age 21. At my confimation (Pentecost 1968), I chose the Blessed Virgin Mary as my patron saint. I had been strongly drawn to St. Monica, & my devotion to her has grown over the years, but since I could choose only one saint, it had to be Mary!
Sometimes the most compassion is found in the strongest hand.
Remember that the Church is not in the business of making everyone feel warm and cozy in this life. The Church's main concern is the care of souls and not of the things of this world but of those in the world to come.
Chris,
It's great to preach and it's fine to differ. If Catholicism works for you then that's great but I found it shallow and hypocritical. I found Jesus in Anglicanism but then I am a liberal not a conservative and I think God will forgive me for that don't you?
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