A soldier of Christ
by Mike Oettle
STAINED glass windows most often show Martin of Tours, as he has become known, as a Roman soldier with half a cloak – he has cut the cloak in two and given the other half to a beggar. And since after cutting his cloak, Martin had a vision of Jesus Christ, who told him that his gift had been to Him, the Lord also is seen in some windows.
But that is far from all there is to Martin, and the simplest
way of telling it is from the beginning. His name (Martinus) tells us that he
was dedicated to Mars, the Roman god of war, and he came from a pagan military
family: his father was an officer in the Roman army, serving at the time of
Martin’s birth at Sabaria in the province of Pannonia.[1] Martin grew up at Ticinum, in Cisalpine Gaul,[2] and was drawn to Christianity at the age of 10, enrolling as a catechumen.[3] He appears to have been drafted into the army at the age of 15 as veterans’ sons usually were, and served in the cavalry of the Imperial Guard.
The turning point in his life came one icy winter night as he
rode into the city of Samarobriva in Belgica[4] and saw a naked beggar shivering. Impulsively, Martin took off his snow-white cavalry cloak and cut it in half with his sword, wrapping the beggar in one half.
The next night he dreamed of the event, but in his dream found
himself in Heaven, and that the beggar was Jesus, dressed only in Martin’s
jagged half cloak and telling the angels: “Martin, still a catechumen, covered
me with this cloak.” Not long after this experience Martin was baptised.
His attitude towards soldiering changed. The popular cavalryman
began to feel that military service was incompatible with Christianity and
wanted to buy himself out. Just after being promoted, he applied for a
discharge on the eve of a campaign. Regarded as a coward, he was refused his
application. “I am Christ’s soldier,” he responded. “I am not allowed to
fight.” He offered to stand in the front rank in battle, armed only with a
cross. Martin was imprisoned but was soon discharged.
Martin, aged about 20, had no clear idea about his future, but
he then met St Hilary, Bishop of Limonum,[5] in Aquitania, and the two became firm friends. Hilary (also remembered as Hilarius or Hilaire of Poitiers), seeing potential in him, taught him theology and ordained him.
Martin now desired to share his joy in Christ with his parents,
and went to join them in Pannonia (Hungary), where he became a missionary,
moving later to Illyricum.[6] However, the Arian heresy had become increasingly strong in the outer provinces of the Empire, and the Arians
expelled Martin.
(Arius of Alexandria [AD 250-336] taught that Jesus of Nazareth
was a created being, not truly divine. His opponents held that this made Christ
a demigod, which meant that God could not be One, and instead taught that
Father and Son were of one essence, a teaching which later gave rise to the
doctrine of the Trinity.)
Martin headed for Limonum to see his friend Hilary, but on
hearing that Hilary, too, had been expelled by Arians, remained in Mediolanum
(Milan) – until the Arians removed him from that city as well. He turned to a
monastic way of life on an island in the Gulf of Genova (Genoa), and remained
there until 360, when Hilary was restored to Limonum.
There is more to tell about Martin, but it will take too long to
swallow in a single sitting: a second article follows. Already we can see why
he is known as patron saint of pacifists. In the next article we will see how he became especially revered as a bishop.
