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brian
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| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Chicago South Burbs, Illinois USA |
| Posts: | 742 |
| First Name: | brian | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | methodist, evangelical, anglican, catholic |
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Posted: Thu Dec 7th, 2006 02:22 pm |
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| I see many priests and religious who seem to have two names. like Fr. John Mary, and the like. is it special for religious to take on two names, or can lay people do the same thing if they wish for their confirmation name?
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CajunRick
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| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 5079 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
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Posted: Thu Dec 7th, 2006 02:35 pm |
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brian wrote: I see many priests and religious who seem to have two names. like Fr. John Mary, and the like. is it special for religious to take on two names, or can lay people do the same thing if they wish for their confirmation name?
I have friends with two names as well. Mary Beth plays the guitar at our Church, Mary Ellen is a Eucharistic Minister, Jo Ann is involved with me in bereavement ministry, etc.
Religious often take a different name to indicate the change in their spiritual life. My friend Mark became Father Gregory when he joined the Benedictine order, but he signs his name "Gregory Mark" and uses the initials GMB.
It wasn't unusual in Jesus' time, either. The evangelist Mark is often called John Mark, Matthew was also known as Levi, Saul became Paul, etc.
I don't see any reason why you couldn't take two names when you're confirmed. John Paul I did it when he became pope, and he was the first ever to take two names. John Paul II, of course, was the second.
____________________
Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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brian
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| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Chicago South Burbs, Illinois USA |
| Posts: | 742 |
| First Name: | brian | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | methodist, evangelical, anglican, catholic |
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Posted: Sun Dec 10th, 2006 03:02 am |
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| wcan you choose an angel name, like Raphael? and why are the angels called saints if they are not human? is it because they have appeared as humans?
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CajunRick
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| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 5079 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
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Posted: Sun Dec 10th, 2006 11:15 am |
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brian wrote: wcan you choose an angel name, like Raphael? and why are the angels called saints if they are not human? is it because they have appeared as humans?
Yes to the first and and no to the last.
One of the definitions of "saint" is "ideal: model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal" and that certainly fits the holy angels. So yes, you may use an angels name (Michael, Gabriel, Raphael) as a confirmation name.
Don't confuse "saint" with "canonized saint." Through the process of canonization, the Church recognizes that someone has attained heaven. All Saints' Day is the feast for the countless saints who have not been officially canonized. I am certain that many people I know and many members of my family are saints, but they will never be canonized.
2 Corinthians 1:1 in the Douay-Rheims reads, "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother: to the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints that are in all Achaia."
So Paul is recognizing that even the living are saints, as long as they present a model of excellence and perfection, as Mother Teresa and John Paul II did while they were still in this life.
____________________
Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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David W. Emery
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| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Brownsville, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 1790 |
| First Name: | David | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Catholic |
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Posted: Sun Dec 10th, 2006 02:36 pm |
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Brian, the word “saint” is an English borrowing of the French form of the Latin word “sanctus,” meaning “holy.” It is an adjective. In Christian usage, it refers to persons who are holy, not just to those who are recognized through the process of canonization as having attained heaven through a high degree of sanctification. Since the angels live in heaven, it should be obvious that they are holy. Therefore it is perfectly legitimate to refer to them as saints.
In Christian tradition, there are only a few known names of individual angels. Three of them appear in the bible: Michael (“Who is like God?” — because he defends heaven against the demons), Gabriel (“Power of God” — because of his connection with the incarnation) and Raphael (“God’s Remedy” — because he aided the younger Tobias in his quest).
A fourth name sometimes heard in Christian circles, Uriel (“Flame of God”), comes from apocryphal books of Jewish tradition/folklore and is not recognized by the Catholic Church. Much is made of Uriel and other apocryphal angels in Gnostic literature, such as the Kabbalah.
David
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