St. Martin of Tours

Feast Day: November 11

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Throughout his life, Martin faced many dilemmas. At the age of 12, he began to place each one before God.

Martin had been born to pagan parents in a.d. 316. When he was 12, he began to think about a serious question—should he remain a pagan and believe in many gods or should he accept the one God of the Christians? Martin became a catechumen.

A few years later, Martin met another dilemma. His father served in the Roman army, so at 15, Martin became a soldier too. Yet one question hounded him—should he follow Christ or should he kill others for the Roman Empire? Martin prayed, then he quit the army.

When Martin was 54, another dilemma leaped into his life. By that time, Martin had gathered a group of hermits into a monastic community—the first in France. But the people of Tours insisted that Martin leave the monastery and become their bishop. Martin prayed, then he went to the cathedral at Tours to be the bishop.

There, Martin taught the people all he knew about God’s kingdom. He preached the good news that God loved all people—pagan and Christian, heretic and saint.

Martin died in 397 at the age of 81. Soon, pilgrims traveled to his grave at Tours. There they honored a man who shared each dilemma with God. Martin knew how to talk to God and how to listen! These pilgrims asked him to talk and listen to God for them.

Connecting to Faith First® Legacy Edition

Junior High, Church History, chapter 5