On Choosing a Patron Saint
Hello everyone, God bless you! In this brief reflection, aimed towards inquirers of the Orthodox Faith and catechumens of the Orthodox Catholic Church, I hope to lay out a sensible method through which one can decide their patron saint.
But before we get to that, what is, in the simplest terms, a patron? It is someone who has finished the race, and is rooting for you to finish as well. The patron is, among the saints, someone who has you under their wing, and roots for you in your spiritual endeavors. And you, on earth, aim to emulate them in their piety and holiness, and aspire to glorify God like they did.
Their name becomes your name.
Allow me to share why I chose the holy Prophet and King David as my patron.
Why I chose David as my patron intercessor is largely twofold.
David is mainly responsible for the Book of Psalms- which serves as the backbone and foundation of Christian prayer life. From olden times, Israel praised our true God with the devotionals in this book. Our Saviour Himself and the Holy Apostles chanted from it. The first services of the Church were composed from the Psalms- in which all states of a human’s soul before God are found: praising, thanking, blessing, rejoicing, repenting, lamenting and even complaining. The list goes on. To this day, no church service is free from Psalmic prayer- the Hours, Vespers, Compline, Matins, and the Divine Liturgy all start and end with the Psalms. Naturally, all Christians should pray with the same voice of old.
For me, this was something of utmost importance. Picking David as my patron was an effective way for me to constantly remember the Psalter (a more liturgical name for the Book of Psalms).
When newcomers to the Holy Church are granted the option to choose a patron- they are encouraged to pick a canonized saint they see a part of themselves in, who also is someone they would like to be more like as they grow in the Christian Faith. David was a poet and a great lover of music, a lot like myself. In his youth he was the underdog who went up against daunting odds. And in his more mature years, he is a model of repentance, and was a regal man after God’s own heart- these are things that I pray to emulate. David zealously fulfilled the will of our true God and he endured a lot of conflict- all for the glory of our God, humbly and with faith bearing the sorrows sent in punishment for his wretched and depraved sins.
Through all the saints I went through, though all holy and valid options, the life and legacy of King David resonated with me the most.
Many different things from various saints can attract people’s attention. If you are theologically inquisitive, Saint John of Damascus or Saint Symeon the New Theologian may be wise options for you. If you are a woman who loves to debate people, Saint Catherine of Alexandria was just that! If you are a woman who struggled- or continues to struggle- with lust, Saint Mary of Egypt is a powerful ascetic you should consider looking into! So on so forth.
You assess who you relate with and can grow in devotion to.
With that in mind, I decided that King David’s name was going to be my Christian name, the name that I go before our true God.
The way I see it, this beautiful Faith- passed down through time in generations, through blood, sweat, tears, laughter, celebration, and joy- is, in a way, a song. And the Orthodox Catholic Church is the Orchestra. By King David’s intercession, I find my place in it with a new name, as we all can by the prayers of the holy saints and the Lady Theotokos. In Christ, we become New Men and New Women- denying the sinful passions and dismantling the snares of the Devil.
Glory be to God, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
