Martin, Bishop of Tours, 397
What a privilege to write a devotion for this special day, the Feast Day of Martin of Tours, our Patron Saint.
Legend has it that while still a catechumen preparing for baptism into the community of Christians, a young man named Martin was approached by a poor man asking for alms in the name of Christ. Martin, a military man and uniformed for the part, removed his sword from its scabbard and cut his large cloak in half, one for himself and one for the beggar. The following night Jesus appeared to Martin. Jesus was clothed in half a cloak and claimed to have gotten it from a young catechumen named Martin.
The fact that the young soldier shared his cloak and eventually opted for a sparse monastic life tells us that Martin was of a kind and gentle nature. These acts were expressive of that temperament.
Martin, however, remains a living example of sacrifice for entirely different reasons. Sacrifice has little to do with cloaks and even less to do with asceticism. Martin's sacrifice was his service as a bishop of the church. He was unpopular with many fellow bishops because he defended and cared for the poor and helpless.
Giving his cloak and living in a hermitage were things Martin wanted to do. They were expressions of his character. Serving the church as bishop was what Martin was called to do. The wonder of his service is that he steadfastly refused to shape his character to the office; he resolutely remained himself and thus shaped the office to himself.
The Collect (Prayer) for St. Martin’s Feast Day
Lord God of hosts, you clothed your servant Martin the soldier with the spirit of sacrifice and set him as a bishop in your Church to be a defender of the Catholic faith: Give us grace to follow in his holy steps, that at the last we may be found clothed with righteousness in the dwellings of peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, on God, fore ever and ever. Amen.
“Lesser Feasts and Fasts,” page 449
