What's in a name (Revisited)?

I wrote a previous post with the title What's in a Name? with the story of Sts. Stephen and Gerard.  Tonight, I'd like to revisit the topic, except that there's a twist in this entry. 

After my post a couple of days ago when I mentioned the gifts of the Holy Spirit, I got to thinking--I couldn't, for the life of me, remember the name of the saint I took when I was confirmed.

Being the resourceful person I am (humble, too!), I found the e-mail address for the church I was attending when I was confirmed.  I wrote a letter with the facts as I knew them--that I was confirmed in either 1966 or 1967, the name of my sponsor (Albert Alva), and my name.  I also wrote that I was pretty sure I chose the name of Michael, Albert, or Gregory.  Three very "manly" saints.  They would be the names at the top of my list.  No other names even came to my mind. 

I got my reply via AOL today.  The woman who responded has a very good sense of humor.  Her email simply said, "Much to your SURPRISE, you chose none of the mentioned names.  You chose......"  Then she made me scroll down to the name.  I had a very good laugh most of the day when I thought of her creativity and wit in letting me know how bad my memory really is.

Where was I?  Oh yeah!  The name I chose was JAMES!  Now my dilemma is to try to figure out which James I had in mind when I chose him.  Or did I choose him?  In those days, if you didn't choose a name by a certain date one was chosen for you.  Knowing how I procrasinate, this may have been the case.  If it was, no wonder I couldn't remember!  But if I did choose the name, why?  Well, obviously it can't be a bad thing--he is a saint, after all.  But which one? 

James the Greater?  Hmmm, one of the "Sons of Thunder" and part of a "group within a group" of the Apostles, along with Peter and John.  These three Apostles alone were admitted to be present at the miracle of the raising of Jairus's daughter (Mark 5:37; Luke 8:51), at the Transfiguration (Mark 9:1; Matthew 17:1; Luke 9:28), and the Agony in Gethsemani (Matthew 26:37; Mark 14:33).

How about James the Lesser?   James was called to the Apostolate with his brother Jude; in all the four lists of the Apostles, he stands at the head of the third group (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13).  Of James individually we hear no more until after the Resurrection. St. Paul (1 Corinthians 15:5-7) mentions that the Lord appeared to him before the Ascension.  The Epistle of St. James reveals a grave, meek, and calm mind, nourished with the Scriptures of the Old Testament, given to prayer, devoted to the poor, resigned in persecution, the type of a just and apostolic man.

Thinking about the holy day of obligation tomorrow (The Feast of the Immaculate Conception) also reminded me that we will celebrate in a couple of days the appearance of Our Lady of Guadalupe, who appeared to another "St. James" of sorts.  Juan Diego is Spanish for John James.  Of course John and James were brothers, the sons of Zebedee.  I highly doubt that Juan Diego was the choice I made, since he was canonized just a few years ago.

After considering all that I read today and trying to apply them to my spiritual growth, I've decided it doesn't matter which James I was thinking of as a teenager.  It only matters what I am thinking now.  And right now, I think I would take any one of them as patron saint, if they will have ME.