Today, the Church honors St. Martin of Tours, who left his post in the Roman army to become a “soldier of Christ” as a monk and later as a bishop. Although his parents were non-religious, he felt an attraction to the Catholic faith (which had become legal throughout the empire in the year 313). He received religious instruction at age 10, and even considered becoming a hermit in the desert. Circumstances, however, forced him to join the Roman army at age 15, when he had not even received Baptism.
St. Martin strove to live a humble and upright life in the military, giving away much of his pay to the poor. His generosity led to a life-changing incident, when he encountered a man freezing, without warm clothing, near a gate at the city of Amiens in Gaul. As his fellow soldiers passed by the man, Martin stopped and cut his own cloak into two with his sword, giving one half to the freezing beggar. That night, the unbaptized soldier saw Christ in a dream, wearing the half-cloak he had given to the poor man. Jesus declared: “Martin you have clothed me with this garment.” Martin knew that the time for him to join the Church had arrived!
He remained in the army for two years after his baptism, but desired to give his life to God more fully. After living as a Catholic for some time, he traveled to meet Bishop Hilary of Poitiers, a skilled theologian and later canonized saint. Martin’s dedication to the faith impressed the bishop, who asked the former soldier to return to his diocese after he had undertaken a journey back to Hungary to visit his parents. While there, St. Martin persuaded his mother, though not his father, to join the Church.
St. Martin was ordained to the priesthood and eventually was made Bishop of Tours in France. Once appointed, he chose to live simply, dress plainly, and owned no personal possessions. Even into old age, St. Martin continued to live an austere life, focusing entirely on the care of souls.
Let us pray. “O God, you gave us Saint Martín, full of your Holy Spirit, always having inexhaustible charity for the needy. You filled him as well with love and generosity, especially when he saw the beggar who was freezing from cold, without knowing that in truth he was Christ your Son. By your grace, St. Martin never sought recognition, but only the chance to serve his neighbor, and to dedicate his life to you. By your same grace, allow us to imitate St. Martin and, so, be dedicated to whomever is in need this day. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.”
Veterans Day Bonus: St. Martin is the Patron Saint of Soldiers https://www.nationalshrine.org/blog/reflecting-on-veterans-day-and-the-patron-saint-of-soldiers/
