2007 Saint For the Year

In my hometown there is this devotion all our Catholic families partake in. It’s the practice of picking from a big bag of saint that have been writing down on slips of paper. Whichever Saint is picked is our special saint for the year. It is a lot of fun to do each year especially when you begin to see the connection between yourself and the saint that has choosing you.

St. Faustina actually did the same thing with her sisters I have learned. In her diary she writes.

“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"

In the past I’ve just had my mom pick out names for my family, since we did not live nearby anymore. But now I am thrilled to say I have a bag full of names as well. I’m hopeful that perhaps we can start the devotion in my own Catholic community. I believe it’s a wonderful way to start the year out right. The children love picking their saint and possibly learning about someone they haven’t heard of before. The Saint I picked or I guess I should say Saints were Sts. Cosmas & Damian. Our household will also be having The Prophet Elijah, St. Patrick, Sts. Joachim and Ann, St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori and St. Timothy as our families Saints for this Year.

Over at A Catholic Life Moneybags, as he likes to be called, is doing the same thing. He asks that people that would like to participate send their name or screenname, and a saint is picked at random to be their holy protector for the year. What a wonderful idea to spread the devotion, so I thought I would pass on the invitation to anyone who is interested. If anyone would like, I would gladly, prayerfully, pick out a Saint for those of you that want to partake in it or you can go through Moneybags site. He has a lovely blog, and I have been enjoying browsing through it.