Patron saints are asked to intercede in prayer before God. On the day of the angel (name day), when celebrations are held in honor of the saint chosen as the patron saint, it is advisable to commune and confess. The patron saint of a person is considered to be a saint whose name he received at baptism, or whom he chose on his own.
Instructions
Step 1
Find your baptismal certificate or, if not, an entry in the required journal of the temple where you were baptized. A person who has gone through the rite of baptism receives the name that is available in the Orthodox calendar. Thus, a saint with the same name becomes his heavenly patron, the day of remembrance of which falls on the first date after a person's birthday. This day will henceforth be called the name day.
Step 2
When determining your heavenly patron, omit the names of the new martyrs in the calendar, since the saint must be glorified (canonized) before the date of your baptism. If the name you received at birth does not belong to any of the canonized saints, at baptism you will receive another, the closest in meaning or sound. If it is not possible to find an analogue, the choice of the name is made by the parents or the baptized himself.
Step 3
Contact your confessor or the parish priest to whom you are confessing if there are several saints with the required name, and you do not know which of them should be chosen as your heavenly patron. The clergyman can himself "appoint" a certain saint for you or name the criteria on the basis of which you can make your own choice.
Step 4
Choose the saint whose commemoration day is closest to your birthday, or simply the most "popular" among the names of the same name. With a more serious approach to solving this issue, you should read the lives of all saints and choose someone who is closer to you, and with whom you feel a spiritual kinship.
Step 5
Make your patron saint of your profession your heavenly intercessor to enlist his help in your work. In this case, choose the saint whose deeds were closest to your specialty. Saints who have long been revered in your family or in the area in which you live, chosen as heavenly patrons, will help to achieve harmony in the home and will preserve family ties.
