BEING  NAMED  AFTER

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Being Named After.”

Today is the feast of St. James – St. James the Great. He and his brother John, also great, were among the first 4 people called by Jesus to follow him.

At times he gets mixed up with James the Less – also one of the 12 apostles. Then there are the author of the Letter of James – a New Testament document – as well as James the Bishop of Jerusalem. These also we’re not sure, who’s who.

HAVING SOMEONE NAMED AFTER US

From what I read this morning in preparing this homily – we can leave those questions to further research and speculation.

However thinking about names can lead to a simple thought for today: Live a good life – so that people will name a baby after you.

I think that’s a noble theme….

When I do a baptism for  one or two babies – I ask couples why they chose the name they chose for their baby.

Sometimes they say it’s because there was this wonderful aunt or uncle – or grandparent.

Sometimes – it still happens – people are following a family tradition – Jr’s – or a parent’s name or a variation of it – or they add that middle name.

A childhood buddy named his adopted son after me – because he was born the day I was ordained a priest.

Recently the answer to my question about why parents chose a certain name was that the mom was naming her daughter after the nickname of a little girl who had cancer and was also filled with great courage. As nanny she said to herself, “If ever I have a baby girl,  I’ll name her Lula after that courageous little girl.”

SAINTS’ NAMES

The old tradition of naming a baby after a saint has certainly lessened – but because of that tradition – a lot of men have been named after James.

The stories of priests refusing to baptize a baby the name the parents came up with – because it wasn’t a saints’ name – certainly has stopped for the most part – but I still hear horror stories from the past.

Parents have the right to name their child the name they choose for their child. I do hear some horror stories about those choices.

CHOOSING A NAME: 4 SUGGESTIONS

If anyone is interested, having just said what I said, here are 4 thoughts about names for a baby.

First, choose a name that sounds sweet or neat or what have you – especially when combined with the kid’s last name. Sound is important! Someone said, “Go out on the back porch or front steps and scream: “_____ it’s time for supper.”  If the name doesn’t sound or seem right in a scream, think differently.

If it’s a boy, think of teenage boys making fun of a kid’s name. Lessen those possibilities – with the choice of the kids’ name.

Thirdly, don’t give a kid a name where people are going to be asking the person for the rest of their lives, “How do you spell that.” Or “How do you pronounce that?”

Fourth and last: pick a name that has a story – background – a reason –something to be proud of. For example, I’ve heard people say that the name they chose is  the name of a doctor or a nurse – who helped tremendously – or a buddy who died in the war or what have you. Give the kid a story that can be told through the years. Isn’t that one of the reasons why saint’s names came about. I’m proud that I was named Andrew because I was born on the feast of St. Andrew Avellino – and then the church dropped his name off the calendar. Then my father gave me my middle name, “Jackson” because when he was brought up in Ireland, he had heard the vocation plug: the seventh president of the United States might have been a Catholic – if there wasn’t such a shortage of priests.  Now that’s a story. Martin Luther was born the same day I was – but he was name Martin – because that’s whose feast day it was the next day when he was baptized.  Now that’s a story as well.

CONCLUSION

How about James or Jamie?

In today’s gospel we find out that James was a servant – but he was also someone who aspired to greatness. No wonder there have been so many people named “James”.

Why not live a live a life of great service for others?


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Painting on top: St. James the Greater, El Greco