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If You Could Choose A Religious Name For Yourself


tinytherese

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[quote name='Thomist-in-Training' post='1619967' date='Aug 7 2008, 01:15 AM']Haha! There are still enough pagan names... Perhaps in a hundred years there'll be some St. Kevins and St. Jessicas. But for the Carmelites it seems to be practically a requirement for sanctity to be named Teresa, which must be tough on the other 15 nuns in the convent who aren't named Teresa. :lol_roll:

Alter, Bl. Jordan is so wonderful! :)[/quote]

Actually, Kevin has been a saint for fifteen hundred years or so - follower & good friend of St. Patrick. And Jessica is probably a Latin feminine (and maybe diminuitive?) form of Jesse.

But it does raise the point - a lot of names that we now associate with saints started out as pagan names. When the pagan converted to Christianity and was later canonized, the pagan name got "baptized" as it were. There's really no reason that has to stop (for the Blakes and Kyles of the world), but in terms of choosing a religious name, the tradition is to choose the name that's already been "baptized."

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DiscerningSoul

[quote name='Thomist-in-Training' post='1619967' date='Aug 7 2008, 02:15 AM']Haha! There are still enough pagan names... Perhaps in a hundred years there'll be some St. Kevins and St. Jessicas. But for the Carmelites it seems to be practically a requirement for sanctity to be named Teresa, which must be tough on the other 15 nuns in the convent who aren't named Teresa. :lol_roll:

Alter, Bl. Jordan is so wonderful! :)[/quote]
Yeah for me . . .
The future Saint Jessica!!! :saint:

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I know earlier I posted some names...but the name I truly desire to have is:.......






Sister Mary Catherine of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus

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VeniteAdoremus

A friend of mine mentioned the option of picking the name you had planned for your future child(ren), should they ever come along. Which would make me Sr. Maria David Michael Mattheus Marcus Lucas Johannes. But I think I'll have to chew on that for a little while yet.

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puellapaschalis

[quote name='VeniteAdoremus' post='1620660' date='Aug 8 2008, 01:43 AM']A friend of mine mentioned the option of picking the name you had planned for your future child(ren), should they ever come along. Which would make me Sr. Maria David Michael Mattheus Marcus Lucas Johannes. But I think I'll have to chew on that for a little while yet.[/quote]

That would make me Sr. Scotland.... :unsure:

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Rising_Suns

[quote name='VeniteAdoremus' post='1618918' date='Aug 6 2008, 06:57 AM']The other thing I was thinking: are we slowly using up the saint names? If every parent names their children after saints, and all religious take a saints' name, and someone then becomes a saint... they'll just be Yet Another Teresia or John No Not That John And Not That One Either. I know we've been adding the surnames lately, but somehow that just doesn't sound as nice.[/quote]

I do not think there is a risk for that. If you consider the popes, they usually do not pick unique esoteric names, but rather common names of previous popes -- usually only differentiated by surname I, II, III, etc. (It is a certain tradition, that is to say; "I am not inventing something new or novel, but I am remembering my past and where we came from.")

As an aside, it is interesting to note that in today's age, we tend to think a name is just a name. However, in the Old Testament and early Christian Church, names had a profound meaning on who a person was to become. When Jesus renamed Simon Peter as Kephas, the rock, his name dictated who he was to become. Similarly, Saints who have chosen the surname "of the cross", usually later experienced great crosses in their lives. There is usually always a direct correlation to a chosen name, and the future life of the person (presuming the person lives a holy and devout life).

This is why it is so important that we choose a name carefully.

[quote]Many of the Sisters have told me that the names have grown on them as they have meditated on the mystery of their own name. They all say it seems to be a special way of the Holy Spirit speaking to their hearts.[/quote]

I think there is much truth to this.

Blessings.

Edited by Rising_Suns
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puellapaschalis

Besides, there are [i]loads[/i] of saints' names that for one reason or another aren't taken in religion. Maybe someone doesn't like the look of the names of the old English saints (can't imagine why, I think they're great, but then I'm a wierdo). It's just a question of digging, maybe ;)

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Domine ut Videam

[quote name='pan!c139' post='1627778' date='Aug 14 2008, 11:50 PM']:lol_above: That's what I would have chosen!

BTW, I am thinking of going to your college!!! How do you like it?[/quote]

Message me your questions.....but in short I wouldn't go anywhere else! I :love: it!

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