Christ’s Soldier 

St. Martin of Tours (316-397 A.D.) was the son of an officer in the imperial army of Rome. As such, Roman law required him to enter the emperor’s service at the age of 15. By then, however, Martin’s sole desire was to be a servant of Christ. It was not easy to live as a Christian in the Roman legions. He was surrounded by cruelty, debauchery, and all forms of immorality. But he remained true to his faith, unfailing in kindness and sharing what he had with those in need. As a Roman soldier, his insistence on serving his servants often made things awkward. But Jesus, Martin’s master, had made Himself Martin’s servant. Martin was simply imitating the Lord. 

The most famous episode in the life of St. Martin is recorded in the biography written about him by his contemporary, St. Sulpicius Severus: “At a certain period, when he had nothing except his arms and his simple military dress, in the middle of winter, a winter which had shown itself more severe than ordinary, so that the extreme cold was proving fatal to many, [Martin] happened to meet at the gate of the city of Amiens a poor man destitute of clothing. [The beggar] was entreating those that passed by to have compassion on him, but all passed the wretched man without notice.” Seeing this, Martin knew he had to do something. “Yet, what should he do? He had nothing except the cloak in which he was clad, for he had already parted with the rest of his garments for similar purposes. Taken, therefore, his sword with which he was girt, he divided his cloak into two equal parts, and gave one part to the poor man, while he again clothed himself with the remainder.” This act exposed Martin to the elements but also to the mockery of his fellow soldiers, who thought the sight of a Roman soldier with half a cloak looked ridiculous. But that night, Christ appeared to Martin in a dream, surrounded by angels, wearing the piece of cloak that the soldier had given to the beggar. Martin understood that by caring for the poor man he had cared for Christ. He eventually left the army, sought guidance and formation from St. Hilary of Poitiers, received Holy Orders and became the bishop of Tours, renowned for his holiness and pastoral zeal for souls. As Caesar’s soldier, Martin knew the demands of successful military campaigns. As a Christian and a bishop, he knew where the true field of battle lay and how to defeat the enemy. Not with swords and arrows but with a contrite heart, confidence in the mercy and grace of Christ Jesus, and ever readiness to perform sacrificial acts of charity towards one’s neighbor in imitation of Our Savior, who made Himself our neighbor and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us.  

On Sunday, 11/23, our parish will be sponsoring an event called “Saintsgiving” from 12:30-3:30pm in McDermott Hall. There will be live music, games, snacks, and a food truck to purchase lunch. We will also be collecting food and new/lightly worn coats to help people in our local community who are in need. Come by for some fun and for a chance to be (at least in a small way) like St. Martin, whose feast day is this Tuesday, Nov. 11. 

posted 11/8/25