My patron saint is Lydia of Thyatira (a.k.a. Lydia Purpura), and she’s a main character in my first novel, along with a girl who shares her name. The novel, Letters to Saint Lydia, was released by Conciliar Press in 2010. Writing this book was an amazing experience, and it made me feel closer to my saint as a person.
Who is your saint? Why? Have you ever had a special experience with her or him? I would LOVE to hear your stories, so this page is a place for you to tell them. Get posting!
I wish I had a saint. It sounds silly, maybe, but since I was chrismated in the Antiochian church, my then-priest never thought it was important to have one. However, since I was baptized Catholic, I did have a baptismal name….maybe I should make her my patron saint?
What do you know about her? I don’t think there are any accidents. Maybe she has been your patron all along, just waiting for you to realize that she is there.
Your baptismal name is the name of the saint with whom you would celebrate your name day. That saint would be an inspiration to you in your struggles to be a good person, knowing that someone human as yourself has fought the good fight and won the race. If you or your priest cannot find a saints name associated with your baptismal name, you can celebrate on all saints day. However, it is pretty easy to associate your name with a saint’s name that is close. For example, Melina would celebrate on the feast day of St. Melania and my name Argerios can be celebrated on the feast of the Holy Anangyroi. Whenever your feast day is, many years!
I was amazingly blessed that my non-Christian parents gave me not only the name of a saint, but the name of a saint I probably would have chosen for myself out of all the saints I know. St. Katherine of Alexandria was everything every girl wants to grow up to be–a brilliant and beautiful princess with all the best and brightest young men seeking her hand–but she chose the heavenly Bridegroom over them all. I especially love that she defeated 150 philosophers in debate and converted them all to Christ!
That debate must have been something to see! Are there any records of what she said to them?
Mine is St. Elizabeth the New Martyr, a truly amazing saint. Of course, since I’m cradle Orthodox, my parents got to pick and choose. St. Elizabeth was kind of able to do everything—she was more or less a princess married a man she loved, which was also a good political match, and then became an abbess after he died. Well, actually, was killed—she had some tragedy in her life too, having to live through the Russian revolution. She is particularly known for her compassion and selflessness—she tried to call her father’s killer to repentance, and died in a mine shaft while tending another man’s injuries. Really quite amazing. And we thought saints were just in the old days.
Your saint is definitely amazing! I learned about her this summer, and I really admired her ability to respond with love to situations that would have destroyed most people. She had every reason NOT to be the great person she was (money, power, bad stuff happening to her), and she was still a great person anyway.
And good point that saints aren’t just in the old days!
I read about many saints before I was Chrismated, and chose St. Basil the Great, because he was such an incredible writer. At times I have felt inspired by him, and also challenged, because he was very outspoken and clear in his expectations of right action. My middle name is Ann, and I also feel an affinity to the mother of the Theotokos. Also feel a connection to the Blessed Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain; dreamt of him after reading just a paragraph about his life, and since have read much more. Currently am reading about the Elder Thaddeus of Serbia who reposed in 2003.
This is an impressive “cloud of witnesses”! You seem to feel very close to your patron, which I think is a gift.
Thanks, Melinda. I very much enjoyed reading your novel last fall. Looking forward to your next creation.
I’m so glad you liked it! My next is in the hands of the publisher at the moment, but I’ll keep you posted.
My saint is Kassiane. When I was becoming Orthodox I thought I was going to pick a different saint but she came to me and I knew right away this was the saint for me!
I love that! This is just what happened to me. I think they pick us, not the other way around.
Read it, liked it, thanks for it
My patron saint is St. Elizabeth, mother of St. John the Baptist (the Forerunner). “Elizabeth” is my middle name given to me at birth. I grew up in the Southern Baptist church. When I met my husband and we had been dating a while, I attended church (Orthodox) with his family and *knew* I had found “THE” church. I converted before we were married. I chose “St. Elizabeth” (at the time) as it was convenient and she was most familiar to me.
The comment above “sometimes the saints choose us”… I couldn’t agree more. It would be a great amount of time and personal study, before I would begin to understand Orthodox saints and their role. After we had our sons, I felt this tremendous “tug” to move….long story short, we would eventually move to rural Georgia where we’ve lived now for 8 years and our sons have had a wonderful and very unique childhood “in the wilderness”. Because we relocated to another region of the state, it put our boys in numerous Orthodox activities that they may not have necessarily participated in had we not moved….. I feel a great sense of commonality with St. Elizabeth as a mother protecting her sons from “the world.”
Thank you for allowing us to share our patron saints!
Harriette
http://southernorthodoxmom.wordpress.com
Harriette,
Yes! I think I know just what you mean. They DO choose us. Another thing I love about your story is that it shows how you grew. One of the things that convinces me over and over again that Orthodoxy is “THE” church, as you say, is that we can feel ourselves growing and changing in it. There is life here. That experience is what gives me peace about the things I don’t understand yet but hope to, over time.
It is the binding element of Orthodoxy that grows us and moves us forward. Orthodoxy is a living, breathing life – yes! I completely know what you mean about having peace about what we do not yet understand or comprehend……I am right there elbow-to-elbow with you!
: )
Glad to have you there! More is better.