How to Choose Your Confirmation Saint
Consider recommitting to your baptismal name., Understand the significance of the confirmation name you choose., Research the lives and spiritual commitments of the saints.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Consider recommitting to your baptismal name.
The 3 Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation) each mark significant milestones in the lives of young Catholics.
The bond between baptism and confirmation is perhaps the most direct.
The Catechism says that confirmation is the deepening of baptismal gifts as bestowed by the Holy Spirit.
Church leaders, therefore, encourage youths to reinforce that connection by accepting their baptismal name for confirmation.
Keeping one's baptismal name constitutes a formal renewal of the graces bestowed at baptism. -
Step 2: Understand the significance of the confirmation name you choose.
Many young Catholics choose a new Christian name for confirmation.
This is in no way a renunciation of their baptismal names, but rather, it symbolizes their entering a new stage of their lives as Catholics.
This important spiritual conclusion complements the conscious decision to pursue the sacrament.
The confirmation name you choose can be the name of a Catholic whom you admire or a patron saint whose life was dedicated to pursuits similar to you own. , Many confirmation-age Catholics study the lives of patron saints and take the name of the one whose life most closely parallels their own.
There are several thousand beatified saints whose lives and testimonials of faith are well-documented.
Saints had roles in virtually every walk of life, including:
Occupations and activities:
All saints had devoted relationships with God and the Church, but not all were clergy.
Saint Luke the Evangelist was a patron of artists.
Other saints were physicians and apothecaries, poets and writers, and soldiers and servants.
Religious life:
Perhaps the largest group of saints is those whose backgrounds are directly linked to the Church.
Saint Pope Pius X used Vatican finances to build hospitals and care for the poor.
Other saints with formal roles in the Church include priests and nuns, cardinals and bishops, and missionaries and monks.
Many led colorful lives of personal achievement and sacrifice that young Catholics often find inspirational.
Physical and spiritual conditions:
The Church lists saints whose faith endured despite severe personal hardship.
Saint Ava of Denian was born blind but was healed by faith.
Other saints faced similar obstacles, like deafness or debilitating disease that some Catholic youths can relate to.
Some rose to sainthood after leading lives of martyrdom and slavery.
Particular interests:
Confirmation candidates with a deep interest in animals can research the stories of the patron saints of specific creatures.
Young athletes may choose Saint Sebastian as their spiritual guide.
Sebastian was known for his physical prowess and endurance.
Cities and nations:
People with a strong connection to their communities and countries may wish to take the name of a saint of that region.
Many Catholics who aspire to public service will research saints who took a similar path in the military or government. -
Step 3: Research the lives and spiritual commitments of the saints.
Detailed Guide
The 3 Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation) each mark significant milestones in the lives of young Catholics.
The bond between baptism and confirmation is perhaps the most direct.
The Catechism says that confirmation is the deepening of baptismal gifts as bestowed by the Holy Spirit.
Church leaders, therefore, encourage youths to reinforce that connection by accepting their baptismal name for confirmation.
Keeping one's baptismal name constitutes a formal renewal of the graces bestowed at baptism.
Many young Catholics choose a new Christian name for confirmation.
This is in no way a renunciation of their baptismal names, but rather, it symbolizes their entering a new stage of their lives as Catholics.
This important spiritual conclusion complements the conscious decision to pursue the sacrament.
The confirmation name you choose can be the name of a Catholic whom you admire or a patron saint whose life was dedicated to pursuits similar to you own. , Many confirmation-age Catholics study the lives of patron saints and take the name of the one whose life most closely parallels their own.
There are several thousand beatified saints whose lives and testimonials of faith are well-documented.
Saints had roles in virtually every walk of life, including:
Occupations and activities:
All saints had devoted relationships with God and the Church, but not all were clergy.
Saint Luke the Evangelist was a patron of artists.
Other saints were physicians and apothecaries, poets and writers, and soldiers and servants.
Religious life:
Perhaps the largest group of saints is those whose backgrounds are directly linked to the Church.
Saint Pope Pius X used Vatican finances to build hospitals and care for the poor.
Other saints with formal roles in the Church include priests and nuns, cardinals and bishops, and missionaries and monks.
Many led colorful lives of personal achievement and sacrifice that young Catholics often find inspirational.
Physical and spiritual conditions:
The Church lists saints whose faith endured despite severe personal hardship.
Saint Ava of Denian was born blind but was healed by faith.
Other saints faced similar obstacles, like deafness or debilitating disease that some Catholic youths can relate to.
Some rose to sainthood after leading lives of martyrdom and slavery.
Particular interests:
Confirmation candidates with a deep interest in animals can research the stories of the patron saints of specific creatures.
Young athletes may choose Saint Sebastian as their spiritual guide.
Sebastian was known for his physical prowess and endurance.
Cities and nations:
People with a strong connection to their communities and countries may wish to take the name of a saint of that region.
Many Catholics who aspire to public service will research saints who took a similar path in the military or government.
About the Author
Ashley Myers
Experienced content creator specializing in hobbies guides and tutorials.
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