St. Martin of Tours (Nov. 11)
When I was received into the Catholic Church on November 11, 1992, I chose for
my confirmation name "Martin of Tours." For one thing, that day is his
feast. Before that, I had been a Lutheran--Luther was named "Martin" because he
was born on the Eve of St. Martin's Day. St. Martin is the patron saint of
military chaplains, which I was. And the "Mother Church" of Acadiana in
Louisiana is St. Martin of Tours, in St. Martinville.
Biography
From the Catholic
Encyclopedia (edited):
 Bishop; born at Sabaria (today Steinamanger in German,
or Szombathely in Hungarian), Pannonia (Hungary), about 316; died at Candes,
Touraine, most probably in 397. In his early years, when his father, a military
tribune, was transferred to Pavia in Italy, Martin accompanied him thither,
and when he reached adolescence was, in accordance with the recruiting laws,
enrolled in the Roman army. Touched by grace at an early age, he was from
the first attracted towards Christianity, which had been in favour in the
camps since the conversion of Emperor Constantine. His regiment was soon
sent to Amiens in Gaul, and this town became the scene of the celebrated
legend of the cloak. At the gates of the city, one very cold day, Martin
met a shivering and half-naked beggar. Moved with compassion, he divided
his coat into two parts and gave one to the poor man. The part kept by himself
became the famous relic preserved in the oratory of the Frankish kings under
the name of "St. Martin's cloak". Martin, who was still only a catechumen,
soon received baptism, and was a little later finally freed from military
service at Worms on the Rhine. As soon as he was free, he hastened to set
out to Poitiers to enroll himself among the disciples of St. Hilary, the wise
and pious bishop whose reputation as a theologian was already passing beyond
the frontiers of Gaul. Desiring, however, to see his parents again, he returned
to Lombardy across the Alps. The inhabitants of this region, infested with
Arianism, were bitterly hostile towards Catholicism, so that Martin, who
did not conceal his faith, was very badly treated by order of Bishop Auxentius
of Milan, the leader of the heretical sect in Italy. Martin was very desirous
of returning to Gaul, but, learning that the Arians troubled that country
also and had even succeeded in exiling Hilary to the Orient, he decided to
seek shelter on the island of Gallinaria (now Isola d'Albenga) in the middle
of the Tyrrhenian Sea.
As soon as Martin learned that an imperial decree had
authorized Hilary to return to Gaul, he hastened to the side of his chosen
master at Poitiers in 361, and obtained permission from him to embrace at
some distance from there in a deserted region (now called Ligugé)
the solitary life that he had adopted in Gallinaria. His example was soon
followed, and a great number of monks gathered around him. From this later developed the celebrated
Benedictine Abbey of Ligugé. Martin remained about ten years in this
solitude, but often left it to preach the Gospel in the central and western
parts of Gaul, where the rural inhabitants were still plunged in the darkness
of idolatry and given up to all sorts of gross superstitions. The memory
of these apostolic journeyings survives to our day in the numerous local
legends of which Martin is the hero and which indicate roughly the routes
that he followed. When St. Lidorius, second Bishop of Tours, died in 371
or 372, the clergy of that city desired to replace him by the famous hermit
of Ligugé. But, as Martin remained deaf to the prayers of the deputies
who brought him this message, it was
 necessary to
resort to a ruse to overcome his resistance. A certain Rusticius, a rich
citizen of Tours, went and begged him to come to his wife, who was in the
last extremity, and to prepare her for death. Without any suspicions, Martin
followed him in all haste, but hardly had he entered the city when, in spite
of the opposition of a few ecclesiastical dignitaries, popular acclamation
constrained him to become Bishop of the Church of Tours. (Legend
has it that he tried to hide, but he was pointed out by squawking
ducks/geese)
Consecrated on 4 July, Martin brought to the accomplishment
of the duties of his new ministry all the energy and the activity of which
he had already given so many proofs. He did not, however, change his way
of life: fleeing from the distractions of the large city, he settled himself
in a small cell at a short distance from Tours, beyond the Loire. Some other
hermits joined him there, and thus was gradually formed a new monastery,
which surpassed that of Ligugé, as is indicated by the name, Marmoutier
(Majus Monasterium), which it has kept to our own day. Thus, to an untiring
zeal Martin added the greatest simplicity, and it is this which explains
how his pastoral administration so admirably succeeded in sowing Christianity
throughout Touraine. Nor was it a rare occurrence for him to leave his diocese
when he thought that his appearance in some distant locality might produce
some good. He even went several times to Trier, where the emperors had
established their residence, to plead the interests of the Church or to ask
pardon for some condemned person. His role in the matter of the Priscillianists
and Ithacians was especially remarkable. Against Priscillian, the Spanish
heresiarch, and his partisans, who had been justly condemned by the
 Council
of Saragossa, furious charges were brought before Emperor Maximus by some
orthodox bishops of Spain, led by Bishop Ithacius. Martin hurried to Trier,
not indeed to defend the gnostic and Manichaean doctrines of Priscillian,
but to remove him from the secular jurisdiction of the emperor. Maximus at
first acceded to his entreaty, but, when Martin had departed, yielded to
the solicitations of Ithacius and ordered Priscillian and his followers to
be beheaded. Deeply grieved, Martin refused to communicate with Ithacius.
However, when he went again to Trier a little later to ask pardon for two
rebels, Narses and Leucadius, Maximus would only promise it to him on condition
that he would make his peace with Ithaeius. To save the lives of his clients,
he consented to this reconciliation, but afterwards reproached himself bitterly
for this act of weakness.
After a last visit to Rome, Martin went to Candes, one
of the religious centers created by him in his diocese, when he was attacked
by the malady which ended his life. Ordering himself to be carried into the
presbytery of the church, he died there in 400 (according to some authorities,
more probably in 397) at the age of about 81, evincing until the last that
exemplary spirit of humility and mortification which he had ever shown. The
Church of France has always considered Martin one of her greatest saints,
and hagiographers have recorded a great number of miracles due to his
intercession while he was living and after his death.
The St. Martin's Canon
Anonymous, 14th century. From a manuscript of the Monastery in
Lambach, Austria. Three Parts. (As
related by Maria von Trapp).
Martin, dearest Master, now let us all be gay!
We would do you honor on this your festal day.
The geese are fat and tender, sweet and cool the wine.
We'll boil them and we'll fry them and on them richly dine.
St. Martin Links:
|
