Mastering Spirit: Monica

I don’t know about you, but when I hear the name Monica I immediately think of Monica (Geller) Bing from my favorite TV show Friends!  And while I’d love to write an entire blog post about Monica, or Friends, for that matter, this post is about a different Monica; ME!

I have chosen Monica to be my confirmation name.  I do struggle with feeling like Monica is a very modern name to be that of a saint, but after doing a bit of research, I couldn’t imagine taking any other name.

Back in high school, I would have taken the confirmation name Mary.  It is my mother’s given name and I thought that would be a nice way to honor her.  Plus, let’s face it, to a high schooler, it was an easy choice; no research necessary as Mary is one of the most famous saints.

However, as an adult, I needed a name that reflected me, not my mother and I was a little more willing to do some research to find the appropriate name.

So what aspects of me, did I want this name to reflect?  Well my profession, seemed like a good place to start, because I believe I have talents that drew me to this profession; empathy, good listening skills and emotional insight (to name a few).  Upon further reflection, I realized these talents were transferable to other aspects of my life, for right now, mainly being a wife, but what about the future when I become a mother?

Could it be possible to find someone that was the patron saint of Mothers, Wives and Counselors?  Turns out it was incredibly simple. 

Enter St. Monica.  So, St. Monica is known for watching over mothers, wives and counselors, which would have been enough to sell me on taking her name.  But she possessed other qualities, mainly motivation, determination and consistency, that I wish I had more of.

St. Monica was made to look over me and some of the major things I want to accomplish in my life (being a good wife, mother and counselor) and by taking her name I hope to begin to embody the qualities she possessed that I feel I’m lacking in (motivation, determination and consistency).

I have been blogging more consistently recently, so maybe Monica is already working her magic