Name Calling

 This morning, I heard a story about Maya Angelou.  She was about six years old when someone called her the "N" name.  From the age of six to her death in her old age, that still hurt.

When I was about six, another kid asked me (not called me) if I were a "Mick." I went home and asked my father if I were a "Mick."  He said, "No, you are a little "Limey(1), a little Frog(2), and mostly a Lit(3)." 

(1) English
(2) French
(3) Lithuanian

If this image is copyrighted, please tell me and I will give you credit.

I Call You by Name

Bible Sharing last night had a new person.  We were reading Sunday's Gospel, John 6:1-15 and the newbie noticed that "...Andrew, Simon Peter's brother..." was pointed out.  "Is it important?", she asked.  This question led to a discussion of names.

Throughout scripture, names are important.  I'll quote directly here:

Names are significant in the Bible, and they have a variety of functions.

For instance, a biblical name could record some aspects of a person’s birth. Moses was given his name because his mother drew him out of a river (Exodus 2:10). His name literally means “to draw out.” Jacob and Samuel also serve as examples (Genesis 25:6; 1 Samuel 1:20).

Biblical names sometimes expressed the parents’ reaction to the birth of their child. Examples include Isaac (Genesis 21:6) which means “laughter”, and Abimelech (Judges 8:31) which means “my father is king.”

Biblical names were sometimes used to secure the solidarity of family ties. An example of this is found in Luke 1:59 when John the Baptist was nearly given the name of his father.

Biblical names could be used to communicate God’s message. The prophet Isaiah named his first son Shear-jashub which means “a remnant shall return” (Isaiah 7:3). This was in line with God’s message to the Israelite people that they would be reduced to a mere remnant of what they once were, and would eventually return from exile to the promised land.

Biblical names were also used to establish affiliation with God. All the names ending with -jah or -el(and there are many of those) are saying “with the Lord” or “with God.” 

Then you have the giving of a new name. This was used to establish authority over another, or to indicate a new beginning or new direction in a person’s life. For instance, Pharaoh changed Joseph’s name to Zephenath-paneah when Joseph entered his service (Genesis 41:45), another Pharaoh changed the name of the Jewish king Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim (2 Kings 23:24). While in Babylonian captivity, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were forced to change their names to Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 1:6-7). Name changes indicating a new life direction include Abram to Abraham (Genesis 17:5), Cephas to Peter (Mark 3:16), and some would say Saul to Paul (Acts 13:9).

This is from Wes Woodell's The Overflow. Later on, in the session, someone remembered the affect of Jesus naming "Mary," when Mary Magdalene was crying because she found Jesus' tomb empty.  She immediately, recognized Who was speaking her name.  It was the same voice that she was conversing with before He said her name.  But the pronouncing of her name gave meaning to her identity.  And isn't this true with ourselves, also?  When we hear our names pronounced, we perk up.  We are pleased with the acknowledgement of our identity.  Personal identity that a name gives us is why names are important.  

Since my name is "Faith," I feel that I have a special understanding of the importance of names.  As a child, the name was too different.  It made me extremely shy.  As a college student, a clerical error gave me the opportunity to change it.  My first and second names were switched.  Coincidentally, at the time I was a fan of  F. Scott Fitzgerald.  This author's name gave me the inspiration to start identifying myself as F. Donna (Last name).  Everyone called me Donna.  

I was Donna for about ten to fifteen years.  During this time, I slacked off in my relationship with God.  I think of it as "losing my faith."  Not "losing as lost;" rather more like "slacking."  My relationship with God was put on hold.

This changed when I worked as a real estate broker.  My manager and mentor told me I was crazy to drop my first name.  The name, "Faith" is what made me stand out.  Of course, I knew that too well! But when you're a salesperson, name recognition is the name of the game.  So my business cards read Faith D. Flaherty.  Also at that time, God came knocking but that's a different post.  The point being, the name Faith was changed just at the time my religious consciousness was reawakened.  Coincidence?

All this discourse over the importance of names.  I contend that your name gives you a personal identity and uniqueness.  Our names affect us psychologically, religiously, relationally, as well as legally.  Names are so important that the Catholic Church recognizes the naming of a person in a beautiful sacrament--another cool reason I'm glad I'm Catholic.

The priest asks the parents, "What name do you give your child?"  (I picture all action in heaven stopping and ears bending down to listen.) Then the priest invites the parents and godparents to trace the sign of the cross on the person's forehead.  

The indelible sign of Christianity.  I pray, that like Mary Magdalene, we will hear Jesus call us by our very own name. 

Evangelizing with Names

Isaac Blessing Jacob
by
Govert Flinck 1638

Michelle was shocked this morning, to read how duplicitous, Jacob and his mother were, in Genesis 27.  She had named her son, Jacob, without knowing the Old Testament story.  However, she felt better after reading Genesis 29-36.

Bible Study is reading about Jacob in Genesis.  Michelle brought up the subject of names.  We moms discussed names, a bit.  They all decided they were going home to "google" their children's name.

Not me!  I KNOW how important names are.  With a name like Faith, you better believe that I put a lot of thought into naming my children.

Then this morning, I was reading Todd Aglialoro's Catholic Answers regarding naming your baby. He lists five rules to giving names: (1) Mary and Joseph are now the unusual names.  (2) Not too difficult names like obscure Old Testament figures.  (3) Middle names are important, too.  (4)  Use your head, think about the name for awhile.  (5) Take the name from the Bible.

I like # 1.  When you name your babies, Mary and Joseph, and people ask how to spell them, or if they are family names, etc., you are being given the chance to evangelize.  No, they are named after the Mother of Jesus, and the patron of the Catholic Church.  Thanks for asking.

My Favorite Story About Pope Francis I

There are many endearing stories circling our new Pope Francis I.  We hear about how he likes to mingle with the people, walk the barrios, ride the bus and subway, etc.

My favorite is why he chose the name Francis.  Yes, it was because the pope has a soft spot for the poor, nature, and the simple life.  But the name has a more deeper meaning than Francis of Assisi.

Pope Clement XIV suppressed the Jesuits in 1767.  (The usual political BS)  It was whispered in Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio's ear, to take the name Clement XV as sweet revenge on Clement XIV.

Our future Pope took revenge the Christian way--through reconciliation.  You see, Clement XIV belonged to the Franciscan Order.  The founder of the Franciscans was St. Francis of Assisi.  Hence, our future Pope reconciled the Jesuits and Franciscans, plus honored one of his favorite saints, by choosing the name Francis.

BTW, these two religious orders concelebrated the Pope's Inaugural Mass. The superiors, Jesuit, Father Adolfo Nicolas, and Franciscan Father Jose Rodriguez Carballo were chosen to concelebrate.

Above photo shared under a creative commons license

The Importance of a Name

My granddaughter's Baptism, where she was given the common Christian name, Lucy, with common spelling.

All my life I have struggled with my name, "Faith."  From childhood to adulthood, I hated my name.  It made me a shy child.  It made me different.  And as a child, that's not a good thing.  I remember as a Brownie Girl Scout, knocking on doors to sell my cookies, and people yelling from inside, "Who is it?"  I would answer, "Faith."  They's say, "Who?"  I'd repeat, "Faith, even louder."  They'd repeat louder, "Who?"  (In fact, this happens today, too.)  People never understood what I was saying.  So I tended to not enter into situations that would possibly involve people asking my name.

I know as an adult, you're probably thinking, "but I like different names".  That may be nice to read a pretty sounding name, as a character in a book, but in reality, living with a different name can be a burden.  It makes me wonder about the intelligence of parents who give their babies different names.  Don't they think?  Rather, what are they thinking?  Certainly, not about the child!  Don't they realize that they are assigning their child to a lifetime of giving their name--numerous times, explaining their name, spelling their name, and maybe even ridicule?

One reason for a parent giving a child a name that is different, and which I think is despicable is, "I like it."
How selfish can you get?  "I like it!"   Not a thought given to the child.  "I..." !!!!!!!

May God forgive your selfish, egoistic, affected, self-centered, self-interest, self-seeking, self-regarding thoughtlessness; because your child may not.


The same prayer also holds true to those (selfish, egoistic, affected, self-centered, self-interest, self-seeking, self-regarding thoughtless) parents who change the spelling of a common name to make it different.  They have just burdened their child with a weird name--every blasted time they say their name, they have to include the spelling.  I know many of these parents.  And the reason they give for changing the spelling of a common name is precisely to make it different.  Yes, that's the reason.  Believe it.  Again, they are not thinking of what they are doing to the child; they liked it.


All my life I have been on this rant.  People with common names have no clue how serious I am.  A person's name can shape the personality of that person.  I know first hand--it made me shy.  Since most people have ordinary names, they think I'm exaggerating.  I remember the first speech I gave at Toastmaster's was on this subject.  A first speech in Toastmaster's is an introduction of oneself.  I was too shy to talk about me, so I took the focus off me and talked about nomenclature, in general.  The speech turned into a similar sort of rant, like this post.  You know what happened?  They laughed at me.  Yes, they thought I was giving a humorous speech!  I even told them to stop laughing because I was serious.  Yes, all those "Johns and Anns" could not relate.

When I went to college, I thought I'd be rid of the name.  I went by "F. Donna."   That's my first initial and middle name.  I got the idea from F. Scott Fitzgerald.  It worked.  But!  I then had to explain what the "F" stood for.  When people heard that "F" stood for "Faith," I was subjected to being reprimanded for being ashamed of a pretty name, for dishonoring my parents for not using that name, to the usual jokes about the name "Faith,"  yada yada....to the point of my feeling silly for wanting to change "Faith" to "Donna".  It was silly.  It backfired.  It caused me more embarrassment.  

Interestingly, I dropped that affected "F. Donna," on the advice of my manager.  We were real estate brokers.  He said that no one would remember Donna.  People would be more likely to remember Faith, and in Real Estate, you want to be remembered, so people will think of you when they want to sell or buy property.  Since I regretted the "F. Donna," change, anyway, I welcomed the chance to go back to my given name.

Recently, two happenstances have occurred to bring these hurtful remembrances to the forefront.  One is an audio book, and the other is Pope Benedict XVI's homily on the Feast of Epiphany.

I am listening to Richard Russo's Bridge of Sighs. The major character is Louis Charles Lynch.  Unfortunately, his life took a turn when his kindergarten teacher read his name as "Louis C."  From then on, Lou became known as "Lucy."  If I were in graduate school, I'd write my dissertation on how the nickname, "Lucy," helped to shape the life of this child, Louis C. Lynch, and  even continued to determine his adulthood.  But I'm not writing a dissertation, so I just listen and empathize.

I realize that the parents of Louis C. did not purposely give their son a name that set him up for ridicule.  **it happens.  But my point is the importance of names, and this novel is an excellent example.

The other circumstance was the homily the Pope gave when he baptized 21 babies of Vatican employees.
In his homily, B16 recommended that people give their children distinctively Christian names because in today's denigration of family culture, kids need all the help they can get. A patron saint will aid the child to grow in faith, and hopefully inspire the child to live up to Christian ideals.

While, I certainly can see where B16 is coming from, I must add my own codicil.  I recommend parents give their children common Christian names.  (Reread my first few paragraphs if you don't remember why.)

I know what of I speak.  I have a Christian name, and that Christian name, for most of my life, has caused me problems.  As a child, it caused embarrassment.  As a teenager, ridicule.  As an adult, sometimes embarrassment, sometimes ridicule, sometimes attention,  all of it unwanted.


There are two other people in the world with my name--at least on Facebook.  We've connected (Thank you, Mark Zuckerberg).  In commiserating about our name, we listed the jokes we've heard, i.e.,  "Do you have two sisters named Hope and Charity?".  It was a sad list.  It's not funny to me.  I fail to see the humor in ridicule.  Although, I understand that most people don't intend to be hurtful.  "Oh Lord, forgive them.  They know not what they do."  (Luke 23:34)

All because of a name.

Names are important.  Parents think of the child; not what you like--the child, the child, the child!  A name can influence a person's life.

And you want to know the kicker?  My name has nothing to do with Christianity, nor religion, and definitely not God.  My father gave me the name "Faith," with hopes that I would believe in nothing--except myself.

I guess I showed him.

Related articles

• Pope Decries Giving Kids Non-Christian Names (foxnews.com)
• Pope Urges Parents to Stop Giving Children Non-Christian Names (foxnews.com)
• Pope makes a plea to parents to give their children traditional names (dailymail.co.uk)
• Pope baptizes newborns in Sistine Chapel (foxnews.com)