St Martin of Tours, AD 316-397

Let’s end with a famous incident in the life of St Martin of Tours.  Martin was 17 years old at the time, and was a soldier in the Roman army.  He was also a catechumen, that is, he was under instruction for Baptism and Confirmation.  One bitterly cold winter’s night, as he was riding back to the barracks on his horse, he saw at the gate of the city a poor, starving beggar, with nothing to protect him from the biting cold.  Martin could not give him any money, because he had already given away his last coin.  So he took his warm, full military cloak, and with his sword cut it in two.  One half he gave to the beggar, the other half he put round his own shoulders like a cape.  That night he had a dream, and in the dream there appeared to him Jesus, clad in the half of the cloak which he had given to the beggar.  And Jesus looked at him and said. “Martin, who is but a catechumen, has covered me with his garment”.  So what Martin did for the beggar, he did for Jesus himself.

And this applies still more when we help our fellow Christians in trouble.  Indeed, Jesus has told us that if we feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, and visit the sick, we do it as for him.  “…just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” (NRSV, Matthew 25:40).  And if we do not help such people in trouble, it is as if we did not help him.

SUMMARY

1. To love my neighbour means to bear goodwill to everyone, and to treat all other people well, no matter whether we like them or they like us.

2. Jesus has told us that, if we help people in distress, it is as if we helped him

References

1. Penstone, M.M. (1911) Church study, London: National Society.

2. Jusserand, J.J. (1920) English wayfaring life in the Middle Ages, London: T. Fisher Unwin Ltd.

3. Pontius the Deacon (3rd century A.D.) The life and passion of Cyprian, Bishop and Martyr.  Available from: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf05.iv.iii.html  (Accessed 20 August 2010) (Internet).