St. Martin of Tours

“Little Mars”

313: Edict of Milan316: Martin Born in Hungary331: Martin “Drafted”335: Cloak Event & Baptism356: Leaves Army370: Elected Bishop of Tours397: Dies Nov. 8, Funeral 11th

St. Martin and the Beggar, by El Greco

Precocious Piety

10 Years old: Ran away for two days, became a catechumen15 Years old: Drafted, treats slave as his equal, ridiculed18 or 19 Years old: Cuts cloak for beggar, has vision of Christ in cloak

Charity of St. Martin by Simone Martini, Church of St. Francis, Assisi

Holy Boldness

40 Years old: Imperial Guard to fight barbarians at Worms-Donativum evening prior-Martin asks for discharge-Julian accuses cowardice-Martin offers to go into battle unarmed-Barbarians surrender in the morning St. Martin Leaves the Life of Chivalry and Renounces

the Army, by Simone Martini 1322-26

Poitiers and Parents

Makes way to St. Hilary in Poitiers-St. Hilary wants to ordain him deacon-St. Martin only accepts minor order of exorcist-Dream prompts him to visit parents to convert them

Ordination by St. Hilary, Cathedral of St. Gatien, Tours

Scandal of Heresy

Converts brigand on way homePagan parents:-Mother accepts Christianity-Father rejects: cites scandal of disunity in faith (Arianism)-Hassled by Arians, Martin goes to island hermitage

The Charity of St. Martin, Louis Anselme Longa

Alone at Last…Hello, who is it?

-Returns to St. Hilary, begins life as a solitary monk-Disciples gather-St. Martin raises the dead (twice)-Beginnings of monastic community (before Benedict)

St. Maarten, Antoon van Dijck

Shanghaied in Tours

368: St. Hilary dies-St. Martin is asked to become 3rd bishop of Tours-Refuses-Rusticius begs him to come see his sick wife-Crowd gathers as they walk-St. Martin is trapped!

Psalm 8: Out of the mouths of babes…

-Some bishops opposed St. Martin’s consecration-Leader was bishop of Angers Named “Defensor”-Lector delayed by crowd, someone opens a psalter and begins reading first passage he comes to: Psalm 8-Crowd roars approval, opposition crumbles

St. Martin & St. Christopher, by Pordenone 1528-29

This Means War!

First recorded act as bishop: uprooting a false devotionNext: Pagan shrines-Travels the byways, reaches the pagani-Destroyed pagan shrines-Cut down sacred trees-Miraculous protection converts many-Immediately built churches or monasteries to replace shrines

Tomb painting, St. Gatien Cathedral ca. 1200’s

Marching Orders: Mark 16:15-18

-St. Martin travelled well beyond his own diocese, all over France-Saw demons, exorcised many-Healed even more:Kissed a leper’s face, healed

Statue on Façade of Cathedral of St. Martin, Lucca, Italy

St. Martin and Imperial Rome

-Fame and occasional petitions for others brought about imperial contacts-Three vignettes:1. Dinner with Maximus and

other bishops2. Dinner with Maximus and his

wife3. Confronting Count Avitianus

The Charity of St. Martin, 15th c. book of hours of Etienne Chevalier

The Priscillian Incident

Complicated MatterPriscillian = Spanish Heretic-Gnosticism & ManichaeismUnsavory orthodox bishops get emperor involvedPolitical intrigue spins out of controlSt. Martin communes with unsavory orthodox to spare lives of Priscillianists in Spain

St. Martin fresco in Abbey Church of St. Hilary, Poitiers, France

Obedient to the End

Trip to Candes-restore peace to the clergyTells brethren end is nearTheir grief prompts him to pray as St. Paul did-God’s will be done, whether it mean life or deathTells off the devil, then diesBody looked transfigured

Devotion Rewarded

Men of Poitiers vie with men of Tours for body of the saintAll night vigil, men of Poitiers all fall asleepTourians slip body out window, down river on a boatNov 11th Funeral like a Roman general’s triumphal procession

Return of St. Martin’s Body, St. Gatien Cathedral, Tours, France

“Special Patron of the Whole World”

-Devotion to St. Martin floods France, spreads across Europe-Tours becomes pilgrimage destination, also on route to Santiago de Compostela-French Huegenots and later the French Revolution destroy tomb, burn relics-1880 Tomb rediscovered-1925 Basilica rebuilt Statue on Monastery of St. Martin Pinario,

near Santiago de Compostela

“Look After Your Own Everywhere”

The Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month…

WWI ends on feast of St. Martin of Tours-Patron saint of France-Former soldier, prayer ended a war in his lifetime-Eleventh day, Eleventh month, Eleventh hour-Salvation History is ongoing, God’s Providence continues to shape our lives and world events

The Challenge of St. MartinWhat ought we to learn?-Power of prayer-Prayer is first resort, not last-The poor are Christ Himself-Life is sacred-The devil is real, we are at war-Humility and obedience-Ardent devotion to the truth

Reliquary of St. Martin

Don’t Take My Word For It-Read!

• Sulpitius Severus:– On the Life of St. Martin– Dialogues (II and III)– Sacred History (Bk II, Ch. 50)– Letters

• Available at www.NewAdvent.org/fathers

• Régine Pernoud. Martin of Tours: Soldier, Bishop, and Saint. Trans. by Michael Miller. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006. (Catholic)

• Christopher Donaldson. Martin of Tours: Parish Priest, Mystic and Exorcist. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1980. (Anglican)