Meet the family...

Back in February I mentioned that we would be selecting saint names as part of our chrismation process. Just thought I'd post a little update to tell you "who" we are.....

St. Herman of Alaska

Erik initially was favoring St. Innocent, but was impressed more -at least I think - by the humble nature of St. Herman. He was a Russian monk who was one of the first missionaries to Alaska and beloved by the native people there. He built a school, and I think he helped develop a written language. And he defended the Aleut people against the frequent exploitation of the Russian fur traders. He was not necessarily  highly educated and never aspired to "advance" in any sort of way. He lived a pretty solitary and ascetic life.  He was not a priest, yet the people referred to him as "father" so that certainly speaks to his commitment to them. Overall, he was a good man and I think that really says it all.

St. Brigid of Ireland

After taking several weeks of my usual indecision and waffling and a last minute flirtation with Hermione, I finally settled comfortably with dear Brigid. While her hagiography is muddled with that of the Celtic Brigid, there are characteristics about her that stand through all the various legends and folklore. Primary was her generosity and compassion for the poor. There seemed to be a gentleness about her although she was also a woman of intelligence, committment, and strength. While Hermione seemed to share more of my actual personality traits - I was once described by someone as having "piss and vinegar" and Hermione seems to have had more than a fair amount of sass - Brigid is the one who, at the end of the day, I desire to emulate and grow to be more like.  I desire her prayers for my growth and hope that one day those same qualities will be seen in me.

St. Basil the Great

Erik and I agreed that while we wanted the kids to have some say in their saint names, we did want to at least narrow down the options for them.  For Quincy we both went immediately to the Church Fathers and various other theologian/scholarly types because - and I really don't want to sound like that incredibly annoying overly proud mother - but he really is a bright kid with a genuine thirst for knowledge and understanding.  From there it was narrowed pretty quickly to the 3 Cappadocian Fathers -- Gregory the Theologian (of Nazianzus), Gregory of Nyssa, and his brother Basil.   All great men, but after some discussion over what they all did, looking at their various icons, and assuring Quincy that Basil is not just an herb, this is who he chose.  We were also quick to point out that he is the only one with "the Great" attached to his saint.  Now when asked, he states his saint name with pride.

St. Anna

Okay, okay, I will admit that I had my preferences for who Addie should pick, but forced myself to go ahead and let her be involved in the process even though I knew that meant the decision would most likely come down to which icon had the most pink in it.  I was really pulling for Hermione (it was only when Adelaide rejected her that she made her way over to my list), but there was also St. Helen who I was partial to because it was my grandmother's name.  And I believe we also had Susannah and Sophia.  While there were little details that she was quick to point out in each one, much to my surprise it was Anna that she kept coming back to as her favorite.  We explained that she was the mother of Mary and a very special woman indeed to have raised a daughter worthy to be the bearer of God.  Anna and her husband Joachim were very devout living simply and giving much of what they had to the poor and to the temple.  They were also barren, though,  and prayed for the miracle that Abraham and Sarah had received.  When that prayer was answered through God, they devoted their precious daughter to God.  The rest is, quite literally, history.

St. Jude

When Milo was born, we new there was a chance we would be heading down this Orthodox road so we went ahead and gave him a saint name at birth.  A brother of Christ and one of the 12, we actually preferred the name based on the tradition of the Western Church.  (The Eastern Church doesn't really do the "patron" thing.)  In the west, St. Jude is recognized as the patron saint of lost or hopeless causes.  The one who cares for those people and things that all others have abandoned.  Yeah, that's a trait I would be happy to see in my boy.

And their ya have it.