St Martin of Tours

     Today, we celebrate another beloved friend in St Martin of Tours. Tours, a city in France, on the banks of the Loire and Cher Rivers. There, our Saint, a native of Hungary, is venerated in the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodoxy and Anglican and Lutheran religions. 

     He is well known as a man, once on horseback in the Roman Army, sharing his cloak, tearing it in half for a beggar to have. Later being revealed to him by Jesus, that the beggar was Jesus Himself. His father was a Senior Officer in the Roman military, thus was the beginning of what was meant to be a service by Martin in this military. Although, one day, on a cold winter's day, Martin came upon a beggar, freezing to death. Cutting his cloak in half and sharing it with the beggar, later revealing in a dream that the beggar was Jesus. 

    He became a Bishop who fought paganism as well as pleading for Mercy for heretics. He was an ordained exorcist and lived his life as a well-spoken man to all of the poor and those searching their hearts for the Truth. Some of the consecrating Bishops even thought his rumpled appearance and unkept hair indicated that he was not dignified enough for this office. How wrong they were! 

     Martin's worry about cooperation with evil, reminds us that almost nothing is either all black or all white. The Saints are human, like me and you and they faced perplexing decisions like us. As the author says, "any decision of conscience always involves some risk. If we choose to go North, we may never know what would have happened if we had gone East, West or South". He says, a hyper- cautious withdrawal from all perplexing situations is "not the virtue of Prudence, it is in fact, a bad decision, for not to decide is to decide".  That is why it is quite necessary to pray to God for direction in all things. A very great lesson for all ears to hear. 

     Let us all become aware of our decisions, like Saint Martin of Tours. Sharing our cloak with those who have none and loving all people with the "desire to love" leading our decisions. For Love conquers hate and is a sweet smelling salve to the cruel sore of society . St Martin of Tours, I love you, pray for us!