It’s the Feast of St. Martin of Tours, 3rd Class, with the color of White, and a commemoration of St. Menna, Martyr. In this episode: today in Church History: “The Fourth Lateran Council Opens in Rome (1215)”, the meditation: “The Patience of God”, and today’s thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre.
Have feedback or questions about the DD or our other shows? podcast@sspx.org
Sources Used Today:
- “The Patience of God” — From Epiphany to Lent
- Spiritual Journey — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press)
Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >>
When the people of Tours wanted Martin for their bishop, a man came to him begging him to visit his sick wife. At least, that was the story. Once Martin was out of his monastery, people were waiting to escort him to Tours. Some of the bishops took one look at his shabby clothes and unkempt hair and decided he’d never do. The people wanted him anyway.
That’s Saint Martin of Tours, whose feast we celebrate today, November eleventh. You probably know the story of the young soldier who cut his cloak in two for a beggar. I’ve always liked what happened after he became a bishop. He still had very little use for fine clothes.
Martin’s biographer, Sulpicius Severus, tells us that the new bishop first tried living in a little cell beside the church. There were too many people coming and going for him to pray in peace, so he moved a short distance outside Tours. There, between a cliff and the Loire River, he established the monastery we know as Marmoutier.
Some of the monks lived in wooden huts. Others hollowed out shelters in the soft rock. A number of them came from noble families. Imagine growing up with servants and then finding yourself living in a hole in a cliff. From that community came men who would become bishops themselves. They had seen a bishop up close, and they knew how little he needed for himself.
Centuries later, Martin’s feast took on a life of its own. In parts of Germany, children carry homemade lanterns through the streets and sing songs about him. A rider dressed as Martin may lead the procession, and children act out the sharing of the cloak. In some places, there’s roast goose for dinner. A popular legend says Martin hid among geese to escape becoming bishop, and their honking gave him away. Sulpicius tells the story about the sick woman. The geese came later.
Sulpicius also gives us a glimpse of Martin at the end of his life. He was exhausted, and his disciples begged him to stay with them. Martin told God he was willing to go on working if his people still needed him. The man who once had to be coaxed out of his monastery was ready, even then, to stay with the people who’d come to fetch him.
Saint Martin of Tours, pray for us.
– – – – – –
Explore more:
- Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional– it’s a perfect companion!
- Subscribe to this Podcastto receive this and all our audio episodes
- Subscribe to the SSPX YouTube channelfor video versions of our podcast series and Sermons
- FSSPX News Website:https://fsspx.news
- Visit the US District website:https://sspx.org/
What is the SSPX Podcast?
The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.
What is the SSPX?
The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood.
Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls.
Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it.