Feast Day of St. Martin of Tours
It is interesting that the feast day of St. Martin of Tours is on Veteran’s Day. St. Martin was a soldier for Rome who, upon conversion, refused to continue as a soldier. Franciscan Media tells us:
”A conscientious objector who wanted to be a monk; a monk who was maneuvered into being a bishop; a bishop who fought paganism as well as pleaded for mercy to heretics—such was Martin of Tours, one of the most popular of saints and one of the first not to be a martyr.
”Born of pagan parents in what is now Hungary, and raised in Italy, this son of a veteran was forced at the age of 15 to serve in the army. Martin became a Christian catechumen and was baptized when he was 18. It was said that he lived more like a monk than a soldier. At 23, he refused a war bonus and told his commander: ‘I have served you as a soldier; now let me serve Christ. Give the bounty to those who are going to fight. But I am a soldier of Christ and it is not lawful for me to fight.’ After great difficulties, he was discharged and went to be a disciple of Hilary of Poitiers.”
St. Martin of Tours, pray for us.