Apparently this tradition goes back to the middle ages, where nuns and monks would draw a saint to be their patron of the year. According to tradition, the saint chooses you. St Faustina records the devotion in her diary.
"There is a custom among us of drawing by lot, on New Year's Day, special Patrons for ourselves for the whole year. In the morning, during meditation, there arose within me a secret desire that the Eucharistic Jesus be my special Patron for this year also, as in the past. But, hiding this desire from my Beloved, I spoke to Him about everything else but that. When we came to refectory for breakfast, we blessed ourselves and began drawing our patrons. When I approached the holy cards on which the names of the patrons were written, without hesitation I took one, but I didn't read the name immediately as I wanted to mortify myself for a few minutes. Suddenly, I heard a voice in my soul: ‘I am your patron. Read.’ I looked at once at the inscription and read, ‘Patron for the Year 1935 - the Most Blessed Eucharist.’ My heart leapt with joy, and I slipped quietly away from the sisters and went for a short visit before the Blessed Sacrament, where I poured out my heart. But Jesus sweetly admonished me that I should be at that moment together with the sisters. I went immediately in obedience to the rule.”
So my patron saint for this year is...
St. Paschal Baylon
Throughout 2014, I will try to learn more about him, and ask for his intercession in deepening my relationship with God. Just from reading some online, he's a patron saint of cooks, shepherds and Eucharistic congresses and associations. His feast day is May 17.
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