Memorial of St. Martin of Tours

Today is the feast of St. Martin of Tours, a veteran who served in the Roman Empire, a man honored by our own St. Benedict who dedicated a chapel to him at Monte Cassino.  It is also Veterans Day when we honor the men and women who sacrificed so selflessly to preserve our freedom and principles, 24 million in our country today, including men in our own community, those who have died and those who are still living,

During the nineteenth-century, many Frenchmen were influenced by secularism, agnosticism, and anti-clericalism. They deserted the church in great numbers.  But St. Martin was a soldier, so devotion to him was an exception. For those serving in the military, he was a model of right behavior.  He was brave, shared his goods with the poor, performed his required military service, followed legitimate orders, and respected authority.

St. Martin was especially popular in France during the First World War when anti-clericalism declined, when priests served in the army as chaplains, and more than 5,000 of them died in the war. The city of Tours became a place for national pilgrimages. When the armistice was signed to end World War One, it was signed on St. Martin’s day. 

You have all heard of Indian Summer, those very warm days that often happen in late Fall.  But have you heard of Saint Martin’s Summer?  It’s based on the story in which St. Martin cut his military cloak in half to clothed a shivering beggar.  Facing a long ride home in freezing weather, St. Martin saw the dark clouds suddenly clear away and the sun shone so intensely that he was kept quite warm by its heat.  Such pleasant weather is rare in November, so the phenomenon is called St. Martin’s Summer. 

You are also very familiar with the 40 days of Lent following Mardi Gras in preparation for Easter.  But have you heard of the 40 days of fasting following the feast of St. Martin of Tours in preparation for Christmas?  It was called St. Martin’s Fast.  So, like Mardi Gras, on the feast of St. Martin people ate and drank very heartily for the last time before the fast began.  Wouldn’t it be nice if we had a big dessert waiting for us today, on this St. Martin’s day?

Most of us are not veterans like Fr. Ephrem, Br. Paul Leonard and Br. Philip, who served in the U.S. armed forces. However, as a veteran in today’s Telegraph Herald writes “we can all wear and defend our values, even if we do not all wear uniforms” or are conscientious objectors.