As today is All Saint's Day I wanted to acknowledge it somehow.

I thought perhaps I'd just do a quick write-up about my confirmation saint, Saint Barbara and why I chose her. I had compiled a short list of ten or so names which perhaps some day I will post because I was impressed and inspired by several. It was a really hard decision!

I finally settled on Saint Barbara for two main reasons.

1) My mother's name is Barbara. I thought it might please her if my saint had the same name. So it was a way to honor her and be closer to her. Also in some fashion I thought it might ease Mom's mind on my converting to the Catholic faith if she had any issues over my switching from the way I was raised. Just recently I realized I may have an even closer family connection to the name. My grandmother's family was Catholic and my grandfather was Methodist. My grandmother died giving birth to her forth child. Mom was only three at the time, so she never really got a chance to know her mother. Of course, without her presence, the children went to my grandfather's church and were raised Methodist. But listening to the Litany of Saints being sung and hearing "Saint Elizabeth and Barbara, pray for us," I thought perhaps since my grandmother was Catholic perhaps my mom and Aunt Elizabeth Anne were named after the saints. I even rationalized why the boys weren't - the firstborn was named after his father, and since she died in childbirth with the last one she didn't have a say in his name. So by picking Barbara I may have picked the same saint my grandmother picked for Mom!

2) St Barbara is the patron saint of explosives. Monkeys is exEOD. Had I been Catholic and married to him at the time he was in the service, I'm sure I'd have been calling on St. Barbara a lot. :) I figure she was watching over him all that time anyway, so I owe her!

She also has a really neat story that's easy to remember, so I can tell people about her if asked.


My icon is Saint Michael the Archangel. One of my favorite prayers is dedicated to him.
Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle;
be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray:
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen
I think it's beautiful and poetic and powerful and needed.

Also, he's being featured prominently on Supernatural right now. He's way more awesome then they are letting on. If in one of the many universes out there there exists a universe where I'm married to Jensen Ackles and we have a son... I'd make sure his saint was Michael. :)