Martin of Tours was born to pagan parents in the early fourth
century. His father was a Roman military officer and tribune. He
discovered Christianity and became a catechumen in his early teens. He joined
the Roman imperial army at age 15, serving in a ceremonial unit that acted as
the emperor’s bodyguard, rarely exposing him to combat. Then he became a
cavalry officer, and assigned to garrison duty in France. Martin was baptized
into the Church at age 18.
Just before a battle, Martin
announced that his faith prohibited him from fighting; circumstances had it
that he was not forced into battle thereafter, most likely because of heavenly
intervention. After his military service, Martin became a spiritual student of
St. Hilary of Poitiers. He was abused by heretics because of his faith, but
converted many of them. Soon Hilary and Martin formed what would become the
Benedictine abbey of Liguge. They
preached and evangelized through the French countryside.
When the bishop of Tours died
in 371 Martin was the immediate choice to replace him; he declined but was
declared bishop by popular acclamation and consecrated July 4, 372. As bishop,
he lived in a hermit’s cell near Tours. Other monks joined him, and a new house,
Marmoutier, soon formed. He rarely left his monastery or see city, but
sometimes went to Trier, Germany to plead with the emperor for his city, his
church, or his parishioners. When he died in 397, Martin was the first
non-martyr to receive the ranking of a saint.
The
first reading from Isaiah fits the feast: Martin of Tours was
anointed by the Spirit of the Lord to
bring glad tidings to the lowly, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty
to captives and release to prisoners. He did this by allowing the Spirit to
work through him. We, each, in our own circumstances of life can do the same
today because we are baptized into the life of Christ and possess the same
vivifying Spirit.
The gospel passage confirms
the ministry of the bishop of Tours: he cared for Christ’s little ones as he
would care for Christ himself; and he is now being rewarded for his effort. We
must follow Christ’s mandate and Martin’s example and do the same: remembering
at all times that whatever we do to
anyone, but especially the least brothers and sisters of Christ we do directly
to him. We may even dream of Christ appearing to us wearing the clothes of
the person we have helped – as he did to St. Martin of Tours.
I give
you a new commandment; love one another as I have loved you.
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