Called by the Same Name
After making note of every trim and fixture in the hallways, I stumbled into the dining room. Big questions loomed on all of our minds, but the ones here seemed manageable. I filled my mug with coffee, not tea. Let’s have one, no, two individual servings of vanilla cream. With mug in hand, I searched the room for a welcoming smile. This was the first “Bethany Brunch” in this new old house. Trying not to spill my coffee, I joined a group of women in conversation, eager to make friends and deepen my own discernment while hoping I could keep my bubbling hanger (hunger + anger) to myself.
One of the women in our group asked the Los Angeles Carmelite Sister in our circle, “How did you get your name?” Each community receives their religious name differently. Often, the soon-to-be Sister submits three names for the community to decide on. Sometimes she can submit her baptismal name as one of them. Like changing one’s name when someone gets married, it’s another sign that a Sister has given their whole life for Christ.
My jaw began to dig into my upper teeth.
In recent years, I have come to love my baptismal name. My first name comes from a tree whose leaves crowned Olympians and poets in Ancient Greece. The middle name took second place because my parents couldn’t agree on the nickname they would call me if it were my first name. Now that I knew my name represented a victor’s crown, how could I give it up?
With a little less than a breath after her story ended, the concern burst out of me. Face unchanged, her eyes met mine. “What’s your name?” When I told her, a smile spread across her face. “That’s my baptismal name too!”
My mouth remained open as she reached into her bag and handed me her driver’s license, which still had her baptismal name on it. I smiled in surprise. Even the spellings matched.
To this day, this moment makes me smile. I am grateful to have encountered a Sister who had the same concerns as me during her discernment. It was also a sign that the Lord knew where my heart was and continued to meet me there during my discernment. Every day, God sends His brides into our lives and creates these big little moments to remind us that we’re not alone.