Wisdom from the Rule
Spiritual Lessons from St. Martin of Tours
These reflections are collected and presented by the Benedictine Institute and are intended for private use at Saint Martin University. Excerpts are taken from Sulpicius Severus, ‘Life of Martin’ and “Epistles” from The Complete Works. Trans. By Richard J. Goodrich (Newman Press: New York/Mahwah, NJ: 2015). All rights reserved.
Introduction
In conjunction with Veteran’s Day, on November 11th, the Church also honors and annually recognizes the Patron Saint of veterans and conscientious objectors alike, our own University patron, St. Martin of Tours (316/318 – 397). Martin of Tours is one of the most compelling and beloved of the Saints –the 4th Century cavalry soldier of the Roman army, later-turned conscientious objector to the pax Romana, missionary, exorcist, monk and Bishop.
Martin was born in present day Hungary where his father, a tribune in the Roman army, was stationed. He would later on spend much of his youth in Pavia, northern Italy before being conscripted as a young teenager into military service in part because of his father’s own military rank. Martin was born into a world of widespread and entrenched pagan influences, yet equally one wherein Christianity was no longer being officially persecuted by the Roman Empire due to the Edict of Milan in 313 promulgated by Constantine the Great. Nevertheless, this time was fraught with ambiguity and instability, as the Roman empire was teetering on its eventual collapse. Neither of Martin’s parents were baptized Christians, though in his later missionary work, having for a time returned back to his birthplace, his mother too would become baptized, while his father had adamantly refused Martin’s invitation.
In this volatile mix, Martin’s life in so many countless ways witnessed to the truths of the Gospel and a life of heroic virtue, humility and charity and was very quickly and universally seen as exemplary of how to live a life of Christian holiness in this new dawning era of uncertainty and instability. Martin would go on to serve in the Roman army for nearly ten years in the cavalry division – the reason why he is so often depicted as riding a horse – though it is frequently remarked that he refused many of the luxuries and privileges that went along with being a Roman officer, preferring instead a certain ‘monkish simplicity’. Of all the stories of Martin’s youth as a military officer, it is unquestionably one story that throughout the ages that best captures the compelling
witness of Martin’s holiness – that is, the story of the Sword and the Cloak as Martin divides his cloak with a beggar.
The following portraits are taken from one who knew Martin personally, Sulpicius Severus, contained in his Life of Martin (first published in 396) as they attest to both Martin’s charitable ‘foolishness’ and wise example in exemplifying the marks of Christian holiness and sanctity.
St Martin - Icon of Charity
And so at a certain time, when he possessed nothing more than his weapons and a single military uniform, in the middle of a winter that had raged more cruelly than usual, with the result that the power of the cold had extinguished many lives, he met a naked beggar at the gate of the city of Amiens. This man begged those who were passing by to pity him, but everyone was passing by his misery in silence.
Martin, full of God, understood that the beggar had been reserved for him, as the others were not extending mercy. What could he do? He had nothing more than the military cape that he was wearing for everything else had been used up in similar works. And so, taking the sword that he wore, he divided his cloak in half and gave part of it to the beggar. He put the other half back on. Some began to laugh about this deed because he looked unsightly with half of his uniform cut off. Nevertheless, many whose minds were more sensible moaned deeply because they had not done something similar, especially when they possessed more than enough to clothe a poor man without incurring their own nudity.
The following night, after he had fallen asleep, he saw Christ in the cloak, the part of the garment that he had used to cover the beggar. He was commanded to look most diligently at the Lord and to acknowledge the garment he had given as his own. Then he heard Jesus speaking in a clear voice to the multitude of angels who were standing around him, 'Martin, while still a catechumen, clothed me with this
garment.' Truly the Lord was mindful of his own words that he had spoken before: 'Whatever you have done for one of the least of these, you have done for me.' He declared that through Martin's action towards the poor man, he had been clothed, and in order to offer testimony to confirm such a good work, he deigned to display himself dressed in the garment that the poor man had received.
The most blessed man was not carried away by this vision into human boastfulness, but rather he was becoming acquainted with the excellence of God in his work. (from Sulpicius Severus, Life of St. Martin, ch. 3)
Prayer
Blessed St. Martin of Tours, Obtain for us not only forgiveness, but also a spirit of love towards neighbor, enabling us to be compassionate.
Obtain for us the grace to love all people as brothers and sisters with a pure and disinterested heart.
May we, like you, one day enjoy the blessed vision of God forever and ever. Amen.
St. Martin – Soldier of Christ and Conscientious
Objector
Meanwhile, the barbarians had invaded Gaul, and the Caesar Julian, having gathered the army together near the city of the Vangiones, began to distribute a donative to the soldiers. As was customary, the soldiers were being called forward individually until the distribution came to Martin. Then, judging this to be an opportune time in which he could win his release - for he believed that he would lack integrity if he took the donative but then did not fight - he said to Caesar, "So far I have served you. Allow me now to be a soldier for God. Let those
accept your donative who will fight, but I am a soldier of Christ. I am not permitted to fight."
But then the tyrant raged against these words, saying that Martin wanted to withdraw from the army out of a fear of the battle that was to occur on the next day, and not from a religious reason. Then Martin, intrepid, or rather a man made even stronger by the terror unleashed against him, said, "If my desire is attributed to cowardice rather than faith, then tomorrow I will stand unarmed in front of the battle line. In the name of the Lord Jesus, by the sign of the cross, protected by neither sword nor helmet, I will walk through the enemy formation unharmed."
Julian ordered that Martin be taken into custody in order to force him to carry out his words by being exposed unarmed before the barbarians. But on the following day, the enemy sent envoys to seek peace; they surrendered themselves and all their possessions.
Who can doubt from this that the blessed man gained a victory? God arranged it so that he would not be sent into battle unarmed. Although the Holy Lord could have guarded his own soldier among the swords and spears of the enemies, nevertheless so that the eyes of the saint should not be violated by looking upon the deaths of others, God removed the need to fight. Christ did not have to demonstrate any victory on behalf of his soldier, other than one in which no one was killed; the enemy was conquered without bloodshed. (Severus, Life of St. Martin, ch. 4)
Prayer
Dear well-beloved Saint, you were first a soldier like your father. Converted to the Church, you became a soldier of Christ, a priest and then a Bishop of Tours.
Lover of the poor, and model for pagans and Christians alike, protect our soldiers at all times. Make them strong, just, and charitable, always aiming at establishing peace on earth.
Amen.
St. Martin – Theological Studies and Missionary Evangelist:
Next, after abandoning the army, Martin headed for the holy bishop Hilary of the city of Poitiers, whose trustworthiness in the matters of God were well-known and acknowledged, and for a considerable time, Martin stayed with Hilary. Now Hilary attempted, after making Martin a deacon, to entwine him more tightly and bind him to divine ministry. But after Martin resisted repeatedly and proclaimed that he was unworthy of the office, Hilary, a man of greater discernment, understood that Martin would only be able to be tied down in one way, namely, if he imposed the type of office upon him that would be seen as something of a detrimental position. Consequently, he ordained Martin an exorcist. Martin did not refuse this ordination, in case it might appear that he had despised such a humble post.
Shortly thereafter, he was warned in a dream that he should visit, out of religious concern, his homeland and parents, who were still occupied with paganism. He departed with the support of Saint Hilary, who with many prayers and tears had extracted a promise from Martin that he would return. Martin was gloomy, they say, as he began that pilgrimage, having attested to the brothers that many adverse things would come against him, which later events proved.
First, while following a track through the Alps, he came upon a band of robbers. When one of them raised his axe and aimed a stroke at Martin’s head, another robber grabbed the right arm of the man wielding the axe. Nevertheless, Martin’s hands were bound behind his
back, and he was handed over to one man to guard and plunder. After this man led Martin to a more remote region, he began to question him, asking who he was. Martin replied that he was a Christian.
The robber asked if he was afraid. Then Martin, with great confidence, professed that he had never been so safe, for he knew that the mercy of God would appear especially in times of trial. In fact, he felt greater grief for that man, who was, as one might expect, unworthy of the mercy of Christ, because he was living as a robber.
And entering into a gospel discussion, he proclaimed the word of God to the thief. To make a long story short, the thief believed and, escorting Martin, returned him to his path, asking Martin to pray to God on his behalf. In later years, this same man appeared, leading a religious life, so that these events that we have related above might be heard from that man himself. (Severus, Life of St. Martin, ch. 5)
Prayer
"Lord, if your people need me, I will not refuse the work. Your will be done." Amen.
St. Martin – Ordained as a Bishop, Still Lives as a Humble Monk
Martin was sought to become the bishop of the church at Tours. When it proved difficult to extract him from his monastery, a certain Rusticius, one of the citizens, had his wife pretend to be sick, and then by throwing himself down before Martin’s knees, he convinced him to come out. Crowds of people from the city had been arranged along the route; he was escorted under a certain kind of custody into the city. Most amazing was that the crowds had gathered not only from Tours, but from neighboring cities as well, in order to cast their ballots. By the
single will of all the people, by the same wish and same decision, Martin was deemed most worthy of the bishopric; how lucky would be the church that would have such a priest!
Nevertheless, a few men and some from among the bishops who had been summoned to ordain the high priest were stirred up and they impiously fought against this selection. They were saying that Martin was a contemptible person who was unworthy of the bishopric: his appearance was despicable, his clothes were filthy, and his hair was unkempt. The folly of their words, which only declared him an illustrious man even though they wanted to censure him, was mocked by the saner decision of the people. These men were not permitted to disrupt what the people were planning by the will of God….
But now, having assumed the episcopacy, Martin showed such quality and greatness that it is beyond my abilities to capture his excellence. For he persevered most steadfastly in the qualities that he had displayed before his election: the same humility resided in his heart, the same economy marked his choice of clothing. Thus, full of power and grace, he executed the office of bishop, but not as one who had abandoned the purpose and virtue of the monk. For some time, he lived in a cell that was attached to the church; then, when he was unable to bear the disturbances of those who were crowding around, he established a monastery for himself nearly two miles away from the city.
This was a place that was so secret and remote that he had no desire for the solitude of the desert. For on one side, it was encircled by a cliff that had been cut out from a high mountain; the River Loire had enclosed the remaining level ground in a loop that was drawn back a little. It was only possible to reach the monastery by one road, which was long and very narrow.
He had a cell built from wood, and many of the brothers build their cells in a similar manner. Others made refuges for themselves by hollowing out the rock of the overhanging mountain. There were nearly eighty disciples who were being trained in accord with the example of their blessed teacher. No one there was allowed to have anything of his own; all things were held in common. It was not permitted to buy or sell, as is the custom of many monks, for there was
to be no art practiced there except that of the copyists, and this work was relegated to the youngest of the monks. The elder monks were kept free for prayer.
It was very unusual for any of them to go outside their own cell, except when they came together at the place of prayer. All the monks received their food together after the hour of fasting. No one drank wine, unless compelled by sickness. Many were clothed in garments of camel hair; softer cloth was regarded as criminal there. What might seem a great marvel was necessary, because there were many nobleman among the monks who, having been brought up in a very different way, had forced themselves to embrace patience and humility. We see that many of these men later became bishops; for what city or church would not desire for itself a priest who had been trained by Martin? (Severus, Life of St. Martin, chs. 9-10)
Prayer
O God, who are glorified in the Bishop Saint Martin both by his life and death, make new, we pray, the wonders of your grace in our hearts, that neither death nor life may separate us from your love. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
St Martin – Spiritual Battles & Master of Discernment
Frequently, however, the devil, while he was trying to ridicule that holy man with the thousand ways he had of harming someone, used to present himself to Martin, visible, in radically different forms…. Against these manifestations, Martin, ever undaunted, used to protect himself with the sign of the cross and the aid of prayer. Jeers were
frequently heard as the throngs of demons were heckling him with their brash voices. But realizing that all their words were false and empty, he was unmoved by the phenomena. Some of the brothers used to attest that they had heard a demon rebuking Martin in a brazen voice, asking why Martin received among the brothers in his monastery certain monks who had been baptized at one time, had squandered this sacrament through various errors, but then later had repented. The devil recounted the crimes of each man. Martin, contradicting the devil, had firmly responded that past transgressions were cleansed through conversion to a better life, and those who stopped sinning would be absolved from their sins through the mercy of the Lord….
I should not appear to pass over how the devil tempted Martin with great skill during those days. For on a certain day, he appeared in Martin’s cell while Martin was praying. Radiant light went out in front of him and wrapped around him to make it easier to deceive people, as he had taken on the brightness of lightning. He also had wrapped himself in a royal gown, had crowned himself with a diadem of gems and gold, and had covered his feet with gold. His face was so calm and his appearance so cheerful that no one would believe he was the devil. Martin had been stupefied by the initial sight of him, and the two maintained a great silence for a long time. Then the devil spoke first and said, “Recognize whom you see, Martin! I am Christ! I am about to descend to earth, but I wanted to display myself to you first.” When Martin remained silent and offered no response of any kind to these words, the devil dared to repeat his audacious claim, saying, “O Martin, why do you fail to believe when you can see that I am Christ?”
When the Spirit revealed that he should know that this was the devil and not the Lord, Martin said, “The Lord Jesus did not predict that he would return dressed in purple or wearing a shining crown. I will not believe that Christ has come unless I see him in the same clothing and form in which he suffered, and unless he displays the marks of the cross.” With these words, the devil immediately vanished like smoke, and the cell was filled with a great stink, a certain sign left behind that he had been the devil. I learned about the incident that I have just related from the mouth of Martin himself, just in case anyone suspects that this is only a fable. (Severus, Life of St. Martin, chs. 22, 24)
Prayer
“Caritatem non dereliquere” [“Neglect not charity.”]
Amen.
The Death of Martin
Martin had known of his death long before it arrived, and he told the brothers that the end of his body was near. Meanwhile, an occasion arose for him to visit the diocese of Condes. The clergy of that church were fighting among themselves, and Martin wanted restore peace, although he clearly could not ignore the approaching end of his days. Nevertheless, he would not excuse himself from traveling for this reason, and he decided that this final act of his powers would be good if he died after restoring the peace of the church.
He was detained in that village or church to which he had gone for a considerable length of time. He restored peace among the clergy, and when he thought about returning to his monastery, he began to feel the strength suddenly ebbing out of his body; summoning the brothers, he indicated that he had reached his end. They all began to mourn and grieve, and in lamenting voices, they said, ‘Why are you deserting us, Father?....We know that you desire to be with Christ, but your rewards are safe and will not be diminished if they are postponed. Instead, have pity on us, whom you abandon.’
Then Martin, moved by these tears, always overflowing with the mercy of the Lord in his heart, was said to have wept. Then, turning to the Lord, his only reply to those who were weeping was, ‘Lord, if I am still necessary for your people, I do not object to the work. Let your will be done.’
Clearly, positioned between hope and grief, he had nearly doubted which he ought to prefer. He did not want to desert his people, nor
did he want to be separated from Christ any longer. Nevertheless, placing no importance on his will and leaving nothing to his desire, he committed himself entirely to the decision and power of the Lord. Thus, he prayed, ‘Continuing to fight in this body is onerous, Lord, and it is enough now that I have fought for so long; but if you command me to continue in this labor on behalf of the soldiers in your camp, I will raise no objections nor offer the exhaustion of old age as an excuse. Devotedly, I will carry out your tasks, and I will serve as your soldier under your banner for as long as you command; no matter how much I desire a discharge after my labor on account of age, the spirt is the conqueror of the years, and it does not know how to yield to old age. But if your spare me more toil at this age, your will, Lord, is what is best for me. You yourself will watch over these people for whom I fear.’
O ineffable man, undefeated in toil, and not to be defeated by death, who never inclined toward either side, who did not fear dying nor raise objections to a continuing life. Although he was in the grip of fever for several days, he did not turn aside from the work of God…. Consequently, with his eyes and hands always fixed on heaven, he did not permit his undefeated spirit to relax from prayer. When the priests, who had gathered around him at that time, asked if he could relieve his body by rolling on his side, he said, ‘Permit, permit me, brothers to gaze upon heaven rather than earth, so that my spirit will be directed toward the way it must take in order to travel to the Lord.’ After speaking these words, he saw the devil standing nearby. ‘Why do you stand there, cruelest of beasts?’ he said. ‘You will discover nothing in me, unclean beast. I am being received into Abraham’s bosom.’
With these words, he offered his spirit to heaven.
St Martin, Pray for us.