Does anyone wear Orthodox medallions?

[Sothron]

Just curious.

If some of you recall I work with a Greek Orthodox lady, a real yia-yia, and she and I have had some heated debates in the past. Mostly over St. Patrick and Western saints she feels are too "Catholic".

Please note we are generally friendly with each other. She refuses to call me Patrick (my real name is Timothy) as the rest of my church and the GOAC parish does because St. Patrick is my patron saint (see sig). She asked me to name my three favorite saints that I felt close to and I listed St. Patrick of Ireland, St. Isaac of Syria and St. Photius the Great. She insists on calling me Isaac, refusing to acknowledge St. Patrick.

Now I tell you that to bring you to this

We were eating next to each other at lunch while at work and I dropped something on the floor. Leaning down to pick it up my St. Patrick medallion slipped from around my neck and was dangling off the chain. I was about to tuck it back under my shirt when this olive skinned hand comes out of nowhere and grabs the medallion.

Looking up I see her peering down at my medallion with a frown a thousand miles long on her face. "Where did you get this..this thing?" she hissed and tugged on the medallion to emphasize her point.

Deftly I retrieved it from her grasp and tucked it under my shirt while I leaned up. "I ordered it online", I said innocently knowing what was to happen. "It was a Catholic website wasn't it?" she said WAY too quietly.

I *could* have said no but I knew it was the only place I could find one. I simply can not find an Orthodox medallion of St. Patrick. So I frowned a little, knowing what was coming, and nodded my head slightly.

"Why are you giving money to them? You are a catechumen giving money to Papists! You are actually wearing a Papist medallion! **Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy!**" **this was in Greek but I knew what she was saying**


She then gave me about a ten minute lecture on how a catechumen in her day (back in the Old Country) would never give money to Papists, especially to buy something religious. She then said she disapproved of ANY medallions. She only approved of wearing a cross or a prayer rope.

I will spare you the rest of the debate that spilled over into the rest of my lunch. However it did make me wonder if any of you wear a medallion of a saint? And if you do, do you possibly know of any Orthodox medallions of St. Patrick?

 

[Greg the byzantine]

She then gave me about a ten minute lecture on how a catechumen in her day (back in the Old Country) would never give money to Papists, especially to buy something religious. She then said she disapproved of ANY medallions. She only approved of wearing a cross or a prayer rope.

Back in the old country there were no Catechumens.

Medallions are not a big deal. My sisters wear little gold circle like medallions with the Theotokos embossed on them.

 

[SeraphimSarov]

D'oh, I'm wearing one... and it's a profile view of the person in question, so I probably should either stop wearing it or get another one...

 

[KoolKat]

along with my baptismal cross i have a medallion of the theotokos....

 

[Philothei]

Dear Patrick,

I would not spend a day talking to this woman... no offense but she is way into your business. What you wear is your business not hers. Yes, in Greece we wear medallions usually of Theotokos with child, and of Christ. My husband was wearing a big medallion of Christ before we got married but now he wears only a cross. Lots of people are wearing those in the old country.

You have to put her in her place and tell her that she is not your priest and she should not act in his place....lol... I know she means well but she have to be told that this is not her place.
Ask her how come Metropolitan Augustinos of Florina (of blessed memory) has a "western" name? that should make her "think" about calling St. Patrick pappist saint....lol....

God bless,
Philothei

 

[Tsarina]

along with my baptismal cross i have a medallion of the theotokos....

Me too!

I wear my baptismal cross with my little silver Theotokos medallion. I can't walk around without it.

 

[KoolKat]

Me too!

I wear my baptismal cross with my little silver Theotokos medallion. I can't walk around without it.

except, mine is gold.

 

[Sothron]

Well according to her all of Greece is some kind of Orthodox Paradise and the only real saints are Greeks and a grudging admission of other Eastern saints.

She really is a nice lady but she has some issues with Catholics and the (to her) far too "modern" OCA church. My priests have asked me to be patient with her and so has the GOAC priest. I just did not know if wearing medallions of saints (note saints not Theotokos) was considered too "Catholic" as well.

 

[Khaleas]

I wear a square icon of the Theotokos. I got it at the monastery in Finland and have worn it for two years now. I wear that one visible and the cross under my shirt.
It's a great conversation starter and today I was at AAA picking up some stuff and the man next to me was a Greek big cheese working at the NATO command here. He overheard me saying Finland and then he saw my necklace and said: Are you Orthodox? So we chatted for a bit... pretty coincidental.

It looks like this:

 

[Tsarina]

except, mine is gold.

Nice!

When i flip my Theotokos medallion around, on the back there is a three bar cross and under that it says, "Most Holy Theotokos save us".. which is written in Russian.

 

[Sothron]

Just looking at some of the replies it sounds like no one wears a medallion of a saint? Just the Theotokos?

 

[SeraphimSarov]

Just looking at some of the replies it sounds like no one wears a medallion of a saint? Just the Theotokos?

I was planning on it once I take a saint's name at chrismation...

 

[Tsarina]

Just looking at some of the replies it sounds like no one wears a medallion of a saint? Just the Theotokos?

My husband wears one of his patron saint, Holy apostle Andrew the first-called.

I know that in the future, i will get a patron medallion for each of my children.

 

[Greg the byzantine]

Greek big cheese

I guess he smelled like feta

Sorry I couldn't resist, I am in just one of those moods

 

[Philothei]

I do not wear one of either Theotokos or any other saint only my cross, but I know other people who do wear gold medallions of other saints, after their name sake.

Philothei

 

[KoolKat]

Nice!

When i flip my Theotokos medallion around, on the back there is a three bar cross and under that it says, "Most Holy Theotokos save us".. which is written in Russian.

mine doesn't have anything written on the back of it.

i only wear my baptismal cross (and medallion) when i go to church. i have a different cross for during the week, (with a thick chain 'cause if it's too thin i might break it, playing).

 

[kamikat]

I have a medal of St John the Wonderworker. Because it's kinda big and get tangled with my cross, I only wear it when I have specific need.

 

[Tsarina]

mine doesn't have anything written on the back of it.

i only wear my baptismal cross (and medallion) when i go to church. i have a different cross for during the week, (with a thick chain 'cause if it's too thin i might break it, playing).

I just wear the same one all the time, and never take it off. Having a thing chain can become a problem. Just get a ticker and stronger chain, and then you don't have to worry about breakage at all.

I have a medal of St John the Wonderworker. Because it's kinda big and get tangled with my cross, I only wear it when I have specific need.

Oh, a medallion of St. John the Wonderworker, id love to have one of those! I've been reading about this Saint in detail lately, and he's just so amazing!

My medallion and baptismal cross get tangled as well, but i still wear it together all the time. I feel naked without it.

 

[Orthosdoxa]

I don't have one, but I'd definitely wear one of St. John the Wonderworker. He saved our daughter's life and I can't even put into words how much we love him.

Hey Koolkat - I have that exact icon of St. Katherine- she's my patron as well. Tres cool.

 

[Matrona]

I have a little gold one of the Mother of God. And a lady I know has one of her that has on the back "I AM AN ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN IN EMERGENCY CALL AN ORTHODOX PRIEST". Yeah, she really gave money to "papists" to get that.