Topic: If You Could Pick a Different Saint

[pmpn8rGPT]

If you could pick a different saint to be your patron, who would it be?

Mine, would be St. Barnabas (in case you couldn't tell, I'm a little nuts over his interpretation of Mosaic law)



Feel free to choose more than one...

[Kerdy]

I honestly am happy with my Patron Saint.  The good news is, they are all my Saints.  Woo-hoo!

[JamesR]

I wouldn't because I already got to pick my patron Saint. The more and more I struggle in my faith, the more I realize how similar me and St. Augustine are and how I hope to come out of it like he did.

[Justin Kissel]

St. Gregory the Theologian (rather than St. Justin Popovich, not that I don't like having St. Justin as my patron)...

[pmpn8rGPT]

I wouldn't because I already got to pick my patron Saint. The more and more I struggle in my faith, the more I realize how similar me and St. Augustine are and how I hope to come out of it like he did.

Even though I don't venerate Augustine, I can definitely see him being your patron, you two do have a lot in common, as far as the events in your life so far from what I can tell...

[Tikhon.of.Colorado]

I love St. Tikhon, and his life certainly inspires me to have strong faith among difficult circumstances.  I would, however, choose a saint with a name more common in the English language. 

I haven't given much thought into this, but perhaps St. Andrew, who brought Christianity to my Slavic ancestors.  Or St. Michael (Michael is my middle name.)

I love St. Tikhon, though.  I've gotten used to the name.  Everyone at school seems to think that I'm from Russia, anyway, so it's cool.  I feel like a bit of a hipster with it, though.

[OrthoNoob]

My patron is Samuel the Prophet. I was born with him, I kept him (for a couple of reasons), and I expect I'll die with him.

But if I had to choose another...

I'd pick either a royal saint (I like Constantine, Vladimir, and Nicholas) or St. Patrick of Ireland.

[Quinault]

I am very happy with my chosen patron saint, Saint Xenia of St. Petersburg.

[Andrew Crook]

if I could have picked a different saint it would have been St. Irenaeus because I was extremely confused by New Age, Baha'i and Neo-Gnostic ideas before I ever found out about Orthodoxy.  My priest just insisted on NOT calling me Irenaeus though because it's a foreign sounding name and then it's really obvious I would have been a "convert"

[Alpo]

An absurd question. There's nothing wrong with my name.

[pmpn8rGPT]

An absurd question. There's nothing wrong with my name.

I'm just saying if you wanted to...

[Cyrillic]

St. Gregory of Nyssa.

[pmpn8rGPT]

if I could have picked a different saint it would have been St. Irenaeus because I was extremely confused by New Age, Baha'i and Neo-Gnostic ideas before I ever found out about Orthodoxy.  My priest just insisted on NOT calling me Irenaeus though because it's a foreign sounding name and then it's really obvious I would have been a "convert"

Interesting that you say that, my parents wanted to give me that one but my godparents insisted on not giving me that one, and thus, I have St. Luke...

[choy]

I was taught in the RC that our patron saint was whoever had their feast day on your birthday.  So I didn't know that you can pick someone different.  Will I be asked to choose one when I am chrismated?  I already have St. John Maximovitch in mind.

[Justin Kissel]

There are various options, though which ones are available will depend on the priest/bishop and your situation in particular. To give four examples from my own past of how things can work out: I (Justin) took the name of Justin Popovich as my patron saint, though at the time he was only approved for "local veneration" by the Serbian Church, and wouldn't be officially glorified until 10 years later; my wife (Cecilia) chose the name Mary of Egypt, and the priest allowed it, even though she already had a Christian name, because of special circumstances; my daughter Athanasia was given a Christian saint's name at birth, and so also has St. Athanasia as her patron; my daughter Sahara didn't have a Christian name, so in conversation with our priest it was decided that she would have a St. Stephanie as her patron. So, when receiving communion, the priest says Justin, Mary-Cecilia, Athanasia, and Stephanie.

[pmpn8rGPT]

I was taught in the RC that our patron saint was whoever had their feast day on your birthday.  So I didn't know that you can pick someone different.  Will I be asked to choose one when I am chrismated?  I already have St. John Maximovitch in mind.

My patron (St. Luke) is October 18/October 31, I was born in July...

Lord Have Mercy

[JamesR]

My birthday is February 18th, are there any Saints on that day?

[TheMathematician]

My birthday is February 18th, are there any Saints on that day?

St. Theodosius of Chernigov

http://www.stjohndc.org/Russian/saints/SaintsE/e_0002c.htm

[Justin Kissel]

My birthday is February 18th, are there any Saints on that day?

St. Leo the Great, Pope of Rome
Saint Flavian the Confessor, Patriarch of Constantinople
Saint Agapitus the Confessor and Wonder-worker
Martyrs Victor, Dorotheus, Theodulus, and Agrippa
Saint Cosmas, monk of Yakhromsk
New-Martyr Priest Alexander Medvedsky and Hieromonk Benjamin
Martyrs Leo and Parigorius of Patara in Lycia
Martyr Publius
Saint Nicholas the Katholikos of Georgia
Saint Theodore (Komogovin) of Serbia
Venerable Colman, Bishop of Lindisfarne

-- Source

[Quinault]

Interestingly (though not purposefully) our eldest daughter's namesday is on my birthday. And my husband's namesday is 1 day before our eldest daughter's birthday.

[jmbejdl]

I picked my patron saint so nobody - but of course I was an adult convert. I actually think I have several patrons even if only the one is formally so and I've been told that this is fine, that effectively those saints we become particularly attached to become patrons as well, so I don't think it's ever necessary to think about who you might have instead of the one you have already.

James

[TheMathematician]

I still would have picked, in keeping with the name(sort of) that i was given, St. John Chrysostom, but I have a particular fondness for St. Sava of Serbia.

[simplygermain]

My name is Jonathon by birth and I have always had a love for Jonathan of the OT. At baptism I took the name of the Saint who's liturgy I first prayed, St. Germanus (Germain) Bishop of Paris.

St. Herman of Alaska has been like a guiding spiritual father to me for the last two years. It is like he adopted me, while St. Germain has been more of one who continually prays for me. I can feel them both when I pray.

Ironically, their names are synonymous. Germain, Herman, Germanos, Iermanos, German... Funny because I am English/Irish!

I haven't the slightest as to why the Lord has given me these two great men to be such close brothers to me, but I love them and see many connections in my life where they are at work. God loves us dearly to give us such glorious saints to be our friends.

[mike]

St. Herman of Alaska has been like a guiding spiritual father to me for the last two years. It is like he adopted me, while St. Germain has been more of one who continually prays for me. I can feel them both when I pray.

Ironically, their names are synonymous. Germain, Herman, Germanos, Iermanos, German... Funny because I am English/Irish!

These are the same names...

[Tommelomsky]

The first one that appeared to me was St Patrick and then Archangel Michael.
But i have grown fond and touched by St Seraphim of Sarov.

How much of a hopeless case am I?

[Basil 320]

I have always felt the protection of my patron saint, St. Basil, "Archbishop of Cesarea at Capadocia and Great Hierarch," and I am also attached to the "patron and protector" of my beloved parish, "the Holy Chief Apostle Paul, Apostle to the Nations."  I have also felt his intervention in the affairs of my parish, especially when I asked for his intercession for various needs of our parish.  I recall one of our former parish priests advising me at times when something of some risk was undertaken, "St. Paul will take care of us."

[simplygermain]

St. Herman of Alaska has been like a guiding spiritual father to me for the last two years. It is like he adopted me, while St. Germain has been more of one who continually prays for me. I can feel them both when I pray.

Ironically, their names are synonymous. Germain, Herman, Germanos, Iermanos, German... Funny because I am English/Irish!

These are the same names...

uh. Yes. Synonymous.

[mike]

St. Herman of Alaska has been like a guiding spiritual father to me for the last two years. It is like he adopted me, while St. Germain has been more of one who continually prays for me. I can feel them both when I pray.

Ironically, their names are synonymous. Germain, Herman, Germanos, Iermanos, German... Funny because I am English/Irish!

These are the same names...

uh. Yes. Synonymous.

Same, not synonymous. How names can be synonymous?

[pmpn8rGPT]

St. Herman of Alaska has been like a guiding spiritual father to me for the last two years. It is like he adopted me, while St. Germain has been more of one who continually prays for me. I can feel them both when I pray.

Ironically, their names are synonymous. Germain, Herman, Germanos, Iermanos, German... Funny because I am English/Irish!

These are the same names...

uh. Yes. Synonymous.

Same, not synonymous. How names can be synonymous?

It is possible in some ancient pictograph alphabets. 

[Tikhon.of.Colorado]

-Changing my answer-

I wasn't aware that saints' names and patronage is given by the child's date of birth.  Looking at the saints on my birthday, and considering that my grandfather was from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, I would've chosen St. Moses the Hungarian.
http://orthodoxwiki.org/July_26

I believe that I have several patron saints, which have all been close to me since I read about them.  St. Silouan, St. Petka of Iasi, St. Tikhon of Moscow, and St. Moses the Hungarian.  They have all been very close to me, and wonderful intercessors before Christ with my prayers. 

I love St. Tikhon, though.  He is the one who brought my parish from Eastern Catholicism into Orthodoxy.  He set foot in my town one hundred years ago, and my great grandfather (a Polish mill worker) actually went to see him when he came.  He is very close to me.

[mike]

St. Herman of Alaska has been like a guiding spiritual father to me for the last two years. It is like he adopted me, while St. Germain has been more of one who continually prays for me. I can feel them both when I pray.

Ironically, their names are synonymous. Germain, Herman, Germanos, Iermanos, German... Funny because I am English/Irish!

These are the same names...

uh. Yes. Synonymous.

Same, not synonymous. How names can be synonymous?

It is possible in some ancient pictograph alphabets. 

What?

Synonyms - different words that describe same or very similar thing, like car - vehicle.

To the OP: this  thread is stupid.

[JamesR]

I've already decided that if in the rare case my mother ever converts to Orthodoxy, her matron is going to be St. Monica to match me. I can definitely see her being St. Monica enduring hardship from my father in the past.

[simplygermain]

St. Herman of Alaska has been like a guiding spiritual father to me for the last two years. It is like he adopted me, while St. Germain has been more of one who continually prays for me. I can feel them both when I pray.

Ironically, their names are synonymous. Germain, Herman, Germanos, Iermanos, German... Funny because I am English/Irish!

These are the same names...

uh. Yes. Synonymous.

Same, not synonymous. How names can be synonymous?

It is possible in some ancient pictograph alphabets. 

What?

Synonyms - different words that describe same or very similar thing, like car - vehicle.

To the OP: this  thread is stupid.

synonym: A word having the same or nearly the same meaning as another word.
This is the definition I am using for how I used the word. I didn't realize I was going to meet the Grammar Gestapo today.

You know what Mike, that is a really inhospitable thing to do. Didn't your mother teach you any manners?
Do you only correct people on internet forums, rather than in person where they can tell you how uncharitable it is to your face?

Actions like that can chase off people who would rather benefit from visiting this forum.

[Nephi]

I love St. Tikhon, though.  He is the one who brought my parish from Eastern Catholicism into Orthodoxy.  He set foot in my town one hundred years ago, and my great grandfather (a Polish mill worker) actually went to see him when he came.  He is very close to me.

That's a pretty neat relationship.

[Peacemaker]

We all need someone praying for us, and to become a Saint is no easy task. Be thankful for who is praying for you, because they do it out of love for you and your salvation. I don't think we should say, if we could pick a different Saint, but instead if we could pick a different attitude for our Saint.

I thought about who my Saint would be for a long time and I'm happy to have St. John of the Ladder praying for me. I need his prayers to help me to keep climbing and his strength if I start to slip, to hang on.

However God willing, if and when I become a monk my name will be changed again. I don't know who'll it'll be and I won't get to pick it. But I have faith in the Lord that whoever the Abbot picks for me will be through the Grace of God. It's a sign of great obedience to accept and love the name given to you. And if God wills it and if I live long enough, maybe He will let me enter the Grate Schema and my name would be changed again, giving me more chances to humble myself.