St. Elizabeth ~ Mother of the Forerunner

Years ago
on the Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist
my spiritual father gave me my name's Saint,
St. Elizabeth the Mother of St. John the Baptist.
She is celebrated both
on this feast and on a feast in September.
*
I blogged a few years back
about how I did not yet have the icon
of my name's Saint
and felt it would come when it was supposed to.
*
For my first names day
on the summer feast of
St. Elizabeth the Mother of St. John the Baptist 
as a married woman
Mr. Husband got me this icon!
*
It just came in the mail today!


I knew where I would put it, as I explained
to Mr. Husband that I had a place for her waiting
since the time I put up my icons in my
icon corner.

She's right next to
St. Irene of Chrysovalantou
who is the Patron I took at my chrismation
but never felt called to change my name to her name.
*
One of the female monastics
I talked to years ago
said that we can have more than one Patron Saint.
Some of my 'most special' ones are seen on my wall in the
picture above.
St. Nicholas, St. George, St. Spyridon,
St. Herman of Alaska, St. Phanourios,
St. Irene and St. Elizabeth

I told Mr. Husband years ago of
Kathleen Norris writing of the
Catholic Saint Theresa the Little Flower
that she was offered a ribbon and said
I choose all.
Mr. Husband says I am the same;
all the ribbons is one of our
family sayings.
Well, when it comes to Saints and Icons,
It's a good thing in my book.

The paper icon is of the
Mother of God of Hawaii
that was recently given to me and is a
real blessing to me.

 

My first icon:
St. Xenia of Petersberg.
Above is St. John of Rila and St. Barbara.
*
I've been waiting for the icon of St. Elizabeth
for a long time
and so glad she is with me now.
*
Though I remember years ago when my Ukrainian mother
helped me put up my icons
in my second apartment in Ottawa,
a sunny U-shaped apartment with carpet,
white and black linoleum in the kitchen,
and a lovely little icon area...
I was so relieved to have icons up,
my relief was palpable but
I was merely laughed at:
do you think the Saints are only with us when we can see them
in their icon?! 
*
So it is.
St. Elizabeth has been with me for a very long time.
I even have an older plaque of the name
Elizabeth: beloved of God
that my Mom found for me.
*
I always knew that was what my name meant.
It was wonderful to see how indeed
my spiritual father knew
that St. Elizabeth the Mother of the Fore-runner
is my name's Saint.
*
Mr. Husband and I were recently inspired to
add a small prayer to our patrons and I am delighting
in this prayer to St. Elizabeth:

As the full moon brightly reflects the light of the sun,

you reflected the glory of the Messiah, the Light of wisdom!

With Zachariah you walked in all of the Lord¹s commandments,

Elizabeth, beloved by God.