Patron Saints 2011

[Lil Red]

It's that time of year again! We are getting close to the Church's New Year (November 28), and so it is time to ask the Holy Spirit to pick for us a patron saint. [url="http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/index.php?showtopic=101352"]Here's last year's post[/url].

I came across a beautiful Catholic devotion recently, one that I want to do for you all. Basically the idea is that I would put together saints names in a basket, and pull one for anyone who wants one. The patron saints for this coming year that are in the mix: the "standards", patrons of vocations, defenders of the faith, martyrs, families, marriages, children/babies/pregnancies, and the poor. Please, pass this onto anyone who you think would like a saint picked for them. Here's a little more on this devotion:

[i]Religious orders, both male and female, particularly in the 1800's and early 1900's got into the habit of drawing a saint's name at the close of each year, and that saint would be their "patron" for the coming year. St. Faustina writes about this in her diary, but it was not an unusual practice at all. The saying is, "you don't choose the saint, the saint chooses you - that in the realm of the Eternal, they know better than you what your needs for the coming year will be, and so they "choose" to be with you, through it. But the point is to not simply pull the saint but then develop a bit of a relationship with him/her -ie, learn about them, include them in your prayers, ask them to pray for you, and (when praying) to join you in prayer -that sort of thing.[/i]

[color="#4B0082"]“There is a custom among us of drawing by lot, on New Year's Day, special Patrons for ourselves for the whole year. In the morning during meditation, there arose within me a secret desire that the Eucharistic Jesus be my special Patron for this year also, as in the past. But, hiding this desire from my Beloved, I spoke to Him about everything else but that. When we came to refectory for breakfast, we blessed ourselves and began drawing our patrons. When I approached the holy cards on which the names of the patrons were written, without hesitation I took one, but I didn't read the name immediately as I wanted to mortify myself for a few minutes. Suddenly, I heard a voice in my soul: ‘I am your patron. Read.’ I looked at once at the inscription and read, ‘Patron for the Year 1935 - the Most Blessed Eucharist.’ My heart leapt with joy, and I slipped quietly away from the sisters and went for a short visit before the Blessed Sacrament, where I poured out my heart. But Jesus sweetly admonished me that I should be at that moment together with the sisters. I went immediately in obedience to the rule.”

Excerpt from Divine Mercy in My Soul, the Diary of St. Faustina[/color]

If you would like a saint, message me with your name or if you are comfortable, post here. if the Holy Spirit has already given you one, feel free to share here in this thread. please tell me a little of yourself (if i don't already know you): student? discerning? oldest/youngest sibling? any worries about the coming year? etc....

BTW, don't feel like I'm ignoring you if I don't pm you with your saint right away.

God bless,
Lil Red

[let_go_let_God]

Will this be a random draw or will you be finding the Saint?

I'm interested, will be married on January 7, a new youth minister/dre and an only child. I'm in!

God bless-
LGLG

[Lil Red]

i have already picked the saints - they are all in a bowl, waiting for someone. It's taken me a few weeks to find all the different saints.

[let_go_let_God]

Oh BTW my experience from this in the past year is I currently have Christ the King. At first it was very hard to learn to be "subordinate" to a King, but in a year I've learned to be patient, kind, and obedient (although I'm still working on that). The cool thing is I fell in love with a church before I left. It became my spiritual home and sanctuary. I learned much in a short time there. I will be getting married this January there. It is the Cathedral of Christ the King.

God bless-
LGLG

[Lil Red]

[quote name='let_go_let_God' timestamp='1288904413' post='2184903']
Oh BTW my experience from this in the past year is I currently have Christ the King. At first it was very hard to learn to be "subordinate" to a King, but in a year I've learned to be patient, kind, and obedient (although I'm still working on that). The cool thing is I fell in love with a church before I left. It became my spiritual home and sanctuary. I learned much in a short time there. I will be getting married this January there. It is the Cathedral of Christ the King.

God bless-
LGLG
[/quote]
beautiful. thank you for sharing that.

[the_rev]

I'm interested, I am a college senior, a seminarian studying for the priesthood, and also am an only child. I just lost my grandmother in July and will be applying to major seminary in the upcoming months.

[truthfinder]

It is the feast of my patron saint today, that you picked last year. Funny coincidence. I'm interested again in you picking one for me. I'm a discerning student. If you need to know more, PM me.
Thanks.

[Tally Marx]

I would like for you to draw a saint for me, Lil Red!
I'm a student, the eldest child of quite a few siblings, and I am discerning.
If you need to know more, please drop me a PM.

Pax,
~Tally

[Piccoli Fiori JMJ]

+JMJ

I would like a Saint, please! I am in the midst of waiting for student loans to be paid off/taken care of so I can enter the Poor Clares! I have a younger sister, 6 cats and a Welsh Corgi (lol), and my parents marriage is on rocky ground (and has been for years) and I've been praying for my dad's conversion for years.

[awyers]

Could you pick one for me please

[TeresaBenedicta]

I would like one, please! Let's see... I'm a discerner, trying desperately to overcome my student debt to enter a community. First year out of school, working as a DRE/Youth Minister.

[dominicansoul]

I would like one, too.

[cmotherofpirl]

I'm not participating this year dearie, Nov 28th is the date our church finds out its new saint name, so I will be petitioning who-ever-it-is full time for the sake of our parish.

[elizabeth09]

I am uncertion about my future, do you have a saint for that? PM, me, please.

[fides quarens intellectum]

What a really neat idea! i didn't know they used to do that.

[quote name='Lil Red' timestamp='1288903280' post='2184890']
If you would like a saint, message me with your name or if you are comfortable, post here. if the Holy Spirit has already given you one, feel free to share here in this thread. please tell me a little of yourself (if i don't already know you): student? discerning? oldest/youngest sibling? any worries about the coming year? etc....
[/quote]

We'll take one, please. Thanks for organizing this!

[let_go_let_God]

Red When will you be drawing?

God bless-
LGLG

[Lil Red]

[quote name='let_go_let_God' timestamp='1288972732' post='2185159']
Red When will you be drawing?

God bless-
LGLG
[/quote]
to be honest, I will probably draw next week. I would like to go to Confession and receive the Eucharist before I start drawing. So many amazing things happened with this last year, so I want to make sure I've got some 'armor' on, if you know what i mean.

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

Will you draw for me, too? I have some ideas about possible patron saints for me for the next year, but your drawing could open my mind to a new idea. (I doubt that the two most likely patron saints on my list are on yours--they are pretty obscure.)

I'm single, but currently "vowed" to two chronically ill cats, who allow me to live with them and take care of all their needs. The odds don't look good for me remarrying, but I'm very open to that "miracle."

I'm chronically ill, and mostly homebound, and would LOVE for my health to measurably improve over the next year. I also would love the "miracle" of being cured. Since that looks unlikely, I have lots of decisions and changes to make in the next year to help me better cope with my physical condition, especially emotionally. I very much need friends and other support nearby to help me.

Spiritually I am very confused, and am trying to be patient in terms of knowing what God wants from me.

I wondered why this mattered, but I am the middle of three children. (No children of my own.) All of my family are atheists, with the exception of my mother, whom I'm not sure about (and I think she'd say the same). My family lives 2,000 miles away which is both good and bad, but, on the whole, except for my mother, my relations with the individual members of my family mostly range from "not very good" to "poisonous" to "have no contact at all."

[Lil Red]

[quote name='IgnatiusofLoyola' timestamp='1288983423' post='2185223']
Will you draw for me, too? I have some ideas about possible patron saints for me for the next year, but your drawing could open my mind to a new idea. (I doubt that the two most likely patron saints on my list are on yours--they are pretty obscure.)

I'm single, but currently "vowed" to two chronically ill cats, who allow me to live with them and take care of all their needs. The odds don't look good for me remarrying, but I'm very open to that "miracle."

I'm chronically ill, and mostly homebound, and would LOVE for my health to measurably improve over the next year. I also would love the "miracle" of being cured. Since that looks unlikely, I have lots of decisions and changes to make in the next year to help me better cope with my physical condition, especially emotionally. I very much need friends and other support nearby to help me.

Spiritually I am very confused, and am trying to be patient in terms of knowing what God wants from me.

I wondered why this mattered, but I am the middle of three children. (No children of my own.) All of my family are atheists, with the exception of my mother, whom I'm not sure about (and I think she'd say the same). My family lives 2,000 miles away which is both good and bad, but, on the whole, except for my mother, my relations with the individual members of my family mostly range from "not very good" to "poisonous" to "have no contact at all."
[/quote]
a reason that i ask for backgrounds (if a person is open to share) is that I pray for each person before I pray for the Holy Spirit would guide my hand in drawing a saint's name. ... something along the lines of (remembering from last year):

"Father, I thank you for this person I am drawing for. Lord, this person is really struggling right now with their family, and they are concerned for what the future holds. I ask that the Holy Spirit would pick a saint for them to look up to in these regards, someone that would pray with them and for them, someone that would help them grow closer to your Son, Jesus Christ, and ultimately union with you in heaven. Amen"

[Archaeology cat]

Oh, to share my one from this past year, you picked the Sacred Heart of Jesus for me, which was so fitting since I'd been feeling more drawn to a devotion to the Sacred Heart.