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St. Martin of Tours
Feast Day: November 11
We know only a little about many early saints. But we know quite a lot about Martin, who was born in a.d. 316. We know that his parents were pagans who believed in many gods. But at age 12, Martin decided to become a Christian and believe in only one God.
At 15, Martin became a Roman soldier like his father. But Martin later quit the army. Why? Because he believed that Christians worked for life, not death. When he was 46, Martin went to Poitiers. There he gathered a group of hermits into a monastic community—the first in France.
In 371, the people of Tours, France, made Martin their bishop. Until his death in 397, he taught them that Christians forgive their enemies; feed the hungry; clothe the naked.
In addition to all these facts about Martin, we know one beautiful legend. One wintry day, when he was about 21, Martin met a beggar shivering in the bitter cold. Martin immediately took off his soldier’s cloak and cut it in half. He wrapped one half around the beggar and the other around himself. People laughed at Martin when he did this, but the beggar thanked God.
That night, Jesus, covered by half of the torn cloak, visited Martin in a dream. This vision taught Martin a truth he remembered all his life—Christ lived in that beggar! The spirit of Jesus lives in each of us!
