De sancto Martino episcopo
The Soldier of Christ
Martin's early life, his military service, and his famous act of charity in dividing his cloak are recounted.
Martinus is like 'holding Mars'—that is, war—against vices and sins; or Martinus is like 'one of the martyrs,' for he was a martyr at least in his will and in the mortification of his flesh; or Martinus is interpreted as 'irritating,' 'provoking,' or 'ruling.' For by the merit of his holiness, he provoked the devil to envy, stirred God to mercy, and ruled his own flesh through constant maceration. Reason or the soul ought to rule this flesh, as Dionysius says in his letter to Demophilus, just as a master rules a servant, a father a son, or an elder a lascivious youth; Sulpicius Severus, a disciple of Saint Martin whom Gennadius counts among the illustrious men, wrote his life. Martinus was born in Sabaria, a town of the Pannonians, but was raised in Italy at Pavia with his father, a military tribune. He served under the Caesars Constantine and Julian—though not by his own choice, for having been divinely inspired from childhood, he fled to the church when he was twelve, asked to be made a catechumen, and would have entered the desert then, had the infirmity of his flesh not stood in the way. But when the Caesars decreed that the sons of veterans should serve in place of their fathers, Martinus, at fifteen years old, was pressed into military service. He was content with only one servant, whom he nevertheless served, often ministering to him and taking off and cleaning his boots. One winter day, while passing through the gate of Amiens, he encountered a naked beggar. When he had received no alms from anyone, Martinus, realizing that this man had been saved for him, grabbed his sword, divided the cloak he was wearing, gave half to the poor man, and put the rest back on. The following night, he saw Christ clothed in the part of his cloak with which he had covered the beggar, and he heard Him saying to the angels standing around: 'Martinus, still a catechumen, has covered me with this garment.' And so, the holy man, not puffed up by glory but recognizing the goodness of God, had himself baptized at eighteen; yet, at the urging of his tribune—who promised that once his term of office was over he would renounce the world—he served in the military for two more years. Meanwhile, when barbarians invaded Gaul, Julian Caesar distributed money to the soldiers to prepare for battle, but Martin, no longer wishing to serve, refused to accept the bonus, telling Caesar, "I am a soldier of Christ; I am not allowed to fight." Indignant, Julian claimed that he was resigning from the military not out of religious conviction, but out of fear of the impending battle. Martin replied to him fearlessly, "If this is attributed to cowardice rather than faith, then tomorrow I will stand unarmed before the battle line, and in the name of Christ, protected by the sign of the cross rather than by shield or helmet, I will safely penetrate the enemy's ranks." He was then ordered to be kept under guard so that he might be exposed to the barbarians unarmed, just as he had said. But the next day, the enemy sent an embassy, offering all their possessions and surrendering themselves. Thus, there is no doubt that such a victory was granted without bloodshed through the merits of the holy man.
Trials and Miracles
Martin faces robbers, demonic temptations, and Arian persecution, while demonstrating his power to raise the dead.
Afterward, having left the military, he went to Saint Hilary, the bishop of Poitiers, and was ordained an acolyte by him. He was warned by the Lord in a dream to visit his parents, who were still pagans, and as he set out, he predicted that he would suffer many hardships. For while in the Alps, he fell among robbers, and when one of them raised an axe against him... Before his head could be struck, another stepped in to take the blow of the attacker's right hand. With his hands still bound behind his back, he was handed over to one of them to be guarded. When the robber asked if he had been afraid, he replied that he had never felt so secure, because he knew the mercy of God would be with him most of all in times of trial. the mercy of God most of all in trials that would speak to him. He began to preach to the robber and converted him to the faith of Christ. The man who brought Martin back to the path, leading him back in a praiseworthy way, later finished his life. After he passed through Milan, the devil appeared to him in human form and asked where he was headed. When he replied that he was going wherever the Lord called him, the devil said, "Wherever you go, the devil will be against you." But when Martin replied, "The Lord is my helper; I won't fear what..." ...man can do to me," the devil vanished at once. He converted his mother, but his father remained in error. When the Arian heresy was spreading throughout the world and he stood against it almost alone, he was publicly beaten and driven out of the city. He returned to Milan and established a monastery there, but was driven out by the Arians and went to the island of Gallinaria with only one priest. There, he ate a poisonous plant called hellebore among other herbs, and feeling death approaching, he drove away all danger and pain through the power of prayer. Hearing, however, that the blessed Hilary was returning from exile, he set out to meet him and established a monastery near Poitiers. While he had a certain catechumen with him, he left the monastery for a short time and, upon returning, found him dead without baptism. Leading him into his cell and prostrating himself over his body, he restored him to his former life through his prayer; the man himself used to relate that while he had been assigned to dark places after the sentence was passed upon him, it was suggested to the judge by two angels that this was the man for whom Martin was praying, and so it was ordered that he be brought back by those two and returned alive to Martin. Furthermore, he restored to life another man who had ended his life by hanging.
Bishop of Tours
Martin is reluctantly made bishop and continues his life of extreme asceticism and miraculous power.
But when the people of Tours were without a bishop, they begged him to be ordained for them, even though he resisted strongly. However, some of the bishops who had gathered resisted this, because he was unkempt and looked unimpressive; among them, one named Defensor was the most prominent. But since the reader was missing at that moment, someone picked up the psalter and read the first psalm he found, where this verse appeared: "Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babes you have perfected praise, to destroy the enemy and the defender." And so, that Defensor was refuted by everyone. Once he was ordained bishop, since he could not bear the tumult of the people, he established a monastery about two miles outside the city, where he lived in great abstinence with eighty disciples. Nobody there drank wine unless they were forced to by illness; a softer lifestyle was considered a fault. Many cities chose their bishops from among them. When a certain person was being venerated as a martyr, and Martin could find nothing about his life or merit, he stood over the tomb one day and prayed to the Lord to reveal who he was or what his merit had been. Turning to his left, he saw a very dark shadow standing there, which, when adjured by Martin, said that he had been a robber and had been executed for his crimes. Martin immediately ordered the altar to be destroyed. It is also read in the Dialogues of Sulpicius Severus and Gallus, disciples of Saint Martin—where many things were added that Severus had left out of his Life—that Martin once went to the Emperor Valentinian for a certain necessity, but the emperor, knowing he wanted to ask for something he didn't want to grant, had the palace doors closed against him. But Martin, having been turned away twice, wrapped himself in haircloth, sprinkled himself with ashes, and spent a week fasting from food and drink. Then, prompted by an angel, he went to the palace and reached the emperor without anyone stopping him. When the emperor saw him coming, he was angry that he had been let in and refused to stand up, until fire covered the royal throne and began to burn the emperor himself from behind. Then, angry at Saint Martin, he stood up and confessed that he had felt divine power; he embraced him warmly and granted him everything he asked for before he even spoke, and offered him many gifts, but Martin would not accept them. In that same dialogue, it is also written how he raised a third dead person to life. For when a young man had died and his mother was begging blessed Martin with tears for the resurrection of her son, he knelt in the middle of a field where a countless multitude of pagans were present, and as everyone watched, the boy rose. Because of this, all those pagans were converted to the faith. Even inanimate things, plants, and irrational animals obeyed this same holy man.
Authority Over Creation
The elements, animals, and even the devil submit to Martin's holiness and command.
Inanimate things like fire and water obeyed him; for when he had set fire to a certain temple, and the flames were being carried by the wind to an adjoining house, Martin climbed onto the roof and threw himself directly into the path of the oncoming fire. Immediately, the flame was turned back against the force of the wind, so that it looked like a clash between the elements fighting each other. A ship was also in danger, as is read in the aforementioned dialogue, and a certain merchant who was not yet a Christian cried out, 'God of Martin, save us!' and a great calm followed immediately; the same happened with plants, for when he had torn down a very old temple in a certain place and wanted to cut down a pine tree dedicated to the devil, the peasants and pagans resisted, and one of them said, 'If you have confidence in your God, we will cut down this tree, and you catch it; if your God is with you, as you say, you will escape.' With his consent, he stood where the tree was to fall, and as it was already coming down toward him, he made the sign of the cross, and it turned to the other side, nearly crushing the peasants who were standing in a safe place; seeing this miracle, they were converted to the faith. Irrational animals also obeyed him many times, as is read in the aforementioned dialogue. For when he saw dogs chasing a small hare, he commanded the dogs to stop chasing the animal. They stopped immediately and remained fixed in their tracks as if bound; a certain serpent also, as he was crossing the river. Martin said to the serpent, 'In the name of the Lord, I command you to go back.' He turned back immediately at the saint's word, crossed to the other bank, and Martin, sighing, said: "The serpents hear me, but men do not." Similarly, when a dog was barking at one of Martin's disciples, he turned to it and said: "In the name of Martin, I command you to be silent." The dog fell silent immediately, as if its tongue had been cut out. Blessed Martin was also a man of great humility; for instance, when he met a leper in Paris who was horrifying to everyone, he kissed and blessed him, and the man was cleansed immediately. Even when sitting in the sanctuary, he never used a chair; in fact, no one ever saw him sitting in the church. He would sit on a rustic little stool, which they call a tripod. He was of great dignity, for he was called an equal to the apostles, and this was because of the grace of the Holy Spirit, which descended upon him in the form of fire to strengthen him, just as it did for the apostles. It is read in the aforementioned dialogue that one time, while Martin was sitting alone in his cell and his disciples Severus and Gallus were waiting outside the door, they were suddenly struck with a wonderful terror as they heard many people talking together inside the cell. When they later asked Martin about it, he said: "I will tell you, but I ask that you tell no one: Agnes, Thecla, and Mary came to me." And not only on that day, but he often confessed that he was visited by them, and he claimed that the apostles Peter and Paul often appeared to him.
Patience and Compassion
Martin's virtues of justice, patience, and charity are tested and proven through his interactions with the poor and the proud.
He showed great justice; for when he had been invited by the emperor, named Maximus, and the cup had been offered first to Martin, with everyone expecting him to pass it to the king after himself, he gave it to his own priest, judging no one more worthy to drink after him, and considering it unworthy to prefer either the king or the king's inner circle to his priest. He showed great patience; he maintained such patience in all things that, even though he was the high priest, he was often harmed by clerics without consequence, yet he repelled them from this because of his charity. No one ever saw him angry, no one saw him grieving, no one saw him laughing; there was never anything in his mouth but Christ, and never anything in his heart but piety, peace, and mercy. It is also read in the aforementioned dialogue that, while Martin was traveling one time on a donkey, dressed in a rough garment and a black, hanging cloak, some soldiers coming from the opposite direction were terrified, threw themselves to the ground in a sudden leap, and grabbed Martin and beat him severely. He, however, offered his back to those striking him as if he were mute, but they raged all the more because he seemed to despise the blows inflicted upon him, as if he did not feel them. Immediately, however, the animals remained so fixed to the ground that, no matter how much they were whipped, they could not be moved, as if they were made of stone, until they returned to Martin and confessed their sin, which they had committed against him in ignorance; he gave them permission to leave, and the animals moved off at a brisk pace. He showed great assiduity in prayer, because, as is said in his legend, no hour or moment ever passed in which he was not occupied with either prayer or reading. Yet, between reading and working, he never relaxed his mind from prayer; for just as it is the custom for blacksmiths, who strike the anvil while working for a certain relief from their labor, so Martin, while he was doing anything, was always praying. He showed great austerity toward himself; for Severus reports in a letter to Eusebius that when Martin had come to a certain village in his diocese and the clerics had prepared a bed for him with a great deal of straw, he shuddered at the unaccustomed softness while resting there, for he had been accustomed to sleeping on the bare ground with only a single hairshirt thrown over it. Therefore, moved by this offense, he got up, threw away all the straw, and placed himself on the bare ground. But around midnight, all that straw caught fire, and Martin, awakened, tried to get out but could not; he was caught by the fire, and his clothes were already burning. Returning, however, to his usual refuge of prayer and making the sign of the cross, he remained intact in the midst of the fire and felt the flames, which he had previously experienced as burning, to be cooling. The monks, stirred by this, rushed over and brought Martin out from the middle of the flames, unharmed, though they had thought him already consumed; he was full of compassion for those who had done wrong, because he received everyone who wanted to repent into the embrace of his compassion. For when the devil criticized Martin for receiving those who had once fallen back into repentance, he answered him: "If you yourself, you miserable creature, would turn away from harassing humanity and repent of your own deeds, I, trusting in the Lord, would promise you the mercy of Christ." He was full of pity for the poor; it is recorded in the aforementioned dialogue that as Martin was heading to church on a certain feast day, a naked beggar followed him. Martin told his archdeacon to clothe the man, but when the archdeacon delayed, Martin went into the vestry, gave the man his own tunic, and told him to leave immediately. When the archdeacon urged him to proceed with the solemnities, he spoke of himself and replied that he could not go until the poor man had received his clothing. The archdeacon, however, didn't understand; because Martin was covered on the outside by his cape, he didn't see that he was naked underneath, and so he claimed the poor man wasn't there. But he said to him, "Have the clothing brought to me, and the poor man won't be left waiting to be clothed." Compelled. The archdeacon went to the market, bought a cheap, short tunic—what is called a paenula, meaning almost nothing—for five silver coins, and angrily threw it down at Martin’s feet. He put this on in private; its sleeves reached to his elbows, and its length to his knees, and in this way he went forward to celebrate Mass. While he was celebrating Mass, a globe of fire appeared over his head, visible to many who were there; for this reason, he is called a peer to the apostles. Master John Beleth adds to this miracle that when he raised his hands to God during Mass, as is the custom, his linen sleeves slid back. Since his arms were neither thick nor very fleshy, and the tunic only reached his elbows, his arms remained bare. Then, miraculously, golden and gem-studded bracelets were brought by angels, and his arms were covered with dignity. Seeing this on one occasion, he said: 'He has fulfilled the Gospel command; he had two tunics and gave one to him who had none.' 'You,' he said, 'ought to do the same.' He had great power in casting out demons, often driving the demons themselves out of people. It is also read in the aforementioned dialogue that a certain cow, agitated by a demon, was raging everywhere, goring many people, and running furiously toward Martin and his companions on the road; he raised his hand and commanded it to stop. As it stood motionless, he saw the demon sitting on its back, and rebuking it, he said: 'Depart, you deadly one, from...' '...this creature, and stop tormenting an innocent animal.'
The Final Departure
Martin discerns the devil's final deceptions and passes into heaven, witnessed by other holy bishops.
As he left, the cow immediately threw itself at his feet, and at his command, it returned to its herd completely tamed. He possessed a great subtlety for recognizing them; for the demons made themselves so visible to him that they could be clearly seen by him in any form whatsoever. Sometimes the demons appeared in the guise of Jupiter, most often Mercury, and occasionally Venus or Minerva. They would present themselves to him in these guises, but he would rebuke them all by name; he found Mercury particularly troublesome, and he used to say that Jupiter was brutish and dull. On one occasion, the devil even appeared to him in the form of a king, adorned with purple, a diadem, and golden boots, with a serene expression and a cheerful face. After they had both been silent for a long time, he said, "Acknowledge, Martin, whom you worship; I am Christ, and as I am about to descend to earth, I wanted to reveal myself to you first." When Martin remained silent in astonishment at this, he said again, "Martin, why do you hesitate to believe, when you see me?" "I am Christ." Then, taught by the Holy Spirit, he replied, "The Lord Jesus Christ did not predict that he would come adorned in purple and a diadem. I will not believe that Christ has come unless he appears in the same habit and form in which he suffered, and unless he bears the marks of the cross." At this word, he vanished and filled the whole cell with a stench; Martin, however, had known of his own death long before, and he even revealed it to the brothers. Meanwhile, he visited the diocese of Gandacensis to settle a dispute. While traveling, he saw cormorants in a river lying in wait for fish and catching them, and he said, "This is how the demons work: they lie in wait for the unwary, catch the unsuspecting, devour those they have trapped, and are never satisfied by their devouring." He commanded them to leave the deep water and head for the wilderness, and the flock immediately gathered and made for the mountains and forests. After staying in that diocese for some time, he began to lose his physical strength and told his disciples that he was now being released from his body. Then they all wept and asked, "Father, why are you leaving us, or to whom are you abandoning us in our desolation?" "For ravenous wolves will attack your flock." And he, moved by their prayers and tears, wept as well and prayed like this: "Lord, if I am still necessary to your people, I do not refuse the labor; your will be done." He was almost in doubt about what he preferred, because he did not want to abandon them, nor did he want to be separated from Christ any longer. So, when he had been held by the distress of fevers for some time and was asked by his disciples to have some bedding placed on his small bed, where he was lying on haircloth and ashes, he said, "It is not fitting, my sons, for a Christian to die anywhere but on haircloth and ashes; if I leave you any other example, I have sinned myself." He kept his eyes and hands always fixed on heaven and did not relax his spirit from prayer; and when he was lying on his back and was asked by the priests to relieve his little body by turning onto his side, he said, "Let me be, brothers; let me look toward heaven rather than the earth, so that my spirit may be directed toward the Lord." And saying this, he saw the devil standing by: "Why are you standing there, you bloody beast?" "You will find nothing deadly in me; the bosom of Abraham will receive me." And in this voice, under Arcadius and Honorius, who began around the year... In the year 695 of the Lord, and in the 81st year of his life, he gave up his spirit to God; his face shone as if already glorified, and a choir of angels was heard by many singing in that same place. At his passing, the people of Poitiers and Tours gathered, and a great dispute arose there. The people of Poitiers said, "He is our monk; we claim him as one entrusted to us." To them, he replied, "He has been taken from you, but given to us by God." . In the middle of the night, therefore, all the people of Poitiers were fast asleep, and so he was taken out through a window by the people of Tours, carried by boat along the Loire, and brought to the city of Tours with great joy. Now the blessed Severinus, Bishop of Cologne, while making his usual rounds of the holy places after Matins on Sunday, heard angels singing in heaven at the very hour the holy man died. He called his archdeacon and asked if he heard anything. And when the archdeacon said he heard nothing, and the archbishop urged him to listen carefully, he began to stretch his neck upward, prick up his ears, and stand on his tiptoes, supporting himself with his staff. But while the archbishop prayed for him, he said that he heard certain voices in heaven. The archbishop replied to him, "It’s my master Martin who has departed from this world, and now the angels are carrying him up to heaven." Demons were present and wanted to hold him back, but finding nothing in him, they retreated in confusion. The archdeacon therefore noted the day and the hour, and he realized that Martin had passed away at that very time. Severus, the monk who wrote his life, also testifies in a certain letter that after he had fallen into a light sleep following Matins, Saint Martin appeared to him dressed in white, with a glowing face, starry eyes, and purple hair, holding in his right hand the book that Severus himself had written about his life; and when he saw him ascending into heaven after the blessing and longed to go up with him, he woke up. . After this, when messengers arrived that same night, he heard that Saint Martin had passed away; on that same day, Saint Ambrose, the bishop of Milan, fell asleep while celebrating Mass at the altar between the prophecy and the epistle, and because no one dared to wake him and the subdeacon would not dare to read the epistle without his command, they woke him after two or three hours had passed, saying, "The time has already passed and the people are very tired of waiting; let our master command that the cleric read the epistle." He said to them, "Don’t be troubled, for my brother Martin has departed to God, and I was present at his funeral and paid my respects, but I couldn’t finish the final response while you were waking me." Then they noted the day and the hour and found that Saint Martin had indeed passed to heaven at that time. As Master Johannes Beleth says, the kings of France were accustomed to carry his cape into battle, which is why the guardians of that cape were called chaplains.
Legacy and Veneration
The translation of his relics and a final reflection on his life as a model of Christian perfection.
Sixty-four years after his death, when the blessed Perpetuus had magnificently enlarged his church and wanted to move his body into it, they spent three days and nights in fasting and prayer, yet they couldn't move his tomb at all; just as they were about to give up, a very beautiful old man appeared and asked, "How long will you delay?" "Don't you see Saint Martin ready to help you, if you just lend a hand?" Then he placed his hand with theirs, and with great speed they lifted the tomb and placed it in the spot where it is now venerated. After this, the old man was never seen again; this translation is celebrated in July. Odo, Abbot of Cluny, reports that at that time all the bells in every church rang without anyone touching them, and all the lamps were lit by divine power. It is also said that there were two companions at that time, one blind and the other crippled. The blind man carried the crippled one, and the crippled one showed the blind man the way; in this way, by begging, they made a great deal of money. But hearing that many sick people were being healed at the body of Saint Martin when his remains were carried in procession around the church, they began to fear that the body might be carried past their house and that they might be cured. They didn't want to be healed, lest they lose their source of income. Therefore, they fled from that street and moved to another, where they thought the body would certainly not be carried. As they were fleeing, they suddenly ran right into his body, and because God often grants gifts to those who don't even want them, both were healed immediately against their own will, though they were very upset about it. Ambrose says this about Saint Martin: Blessed Martin destroyed the temples of profane error, raised the banners of piety, raised the dead, drove savage demons from possessed bodies, and relieved those suffering from various illnesses with the remedy of salvation. He was found to be so perfect that by covering Christ in the poor man, he had clothed the Lord of the world with the garment he had received as a beggar. O happy generosity, by which the divinity is covered! O glorious division of the cloak, which covered both the soldier and the King! O priceless gift, which earned the right to clothe the divinity! Lord, you worthily bestowed the rewards of your confession upon him; worthily did the ferocity of the Arians submit to him; worthily did he not fear the tortures of his persecutor out of love for martyrdom. What will he receive for the offering of his whole body, he who for the sake of a small piece of clothing earned the right to clothe and see God? Thus he brought medicine to those who hoped in him, so that he might save some through their prayers and others through the sight of him.
Read the original Latin
Martinus quasi Martem tenens, id est bellnm, contra vitia et peccata, vel Martinus quasi martirum unus, Fuit enim martir saltem voluntate et carnis mortificatione, Vel Martinus interpretatur quasi irritans vel provocans seu dominans. Ipse namque per meritum suae sanctitatis irritavit dyabolum ad invidiam, provocavit Deum ad misericordiam, dominatus est carni suae per macerationem continuam. Cui scilicet carni ratio sive animus dominari debet, ut dicit Dionysius in epistola ad Demophilum, sicut dominatur dominus servo aut pater filio aut senior lascivo juvenculo, Ejus vitamSeverus cognomento Sulpicius discipulus sancti Martini, quem Gennadius inter illustres viros connumerat, scripsit. — Martinus Sabariae Pannoniorum oppido oriundus, sed intra Italiam Papiae alitus cum patre suo, tribuno militum, sub Constantino et Juliano Caesaribus militavit, non tamen sponte, quia ab infantia divinitus inspiratus, cum esset annorum duodecim, invitis parentibus ad eeclesiam fugit et catechumenum se fieri postalavit, et extunc eremum intrasset, nisi carnis infirmitas obstitisset. Sed cum Caesares decrevissent, ut veteranorum filii pro patribus militarent, Martinus, cum esset annorum quindecim, ad militandum urgetur, uno tantum contentus servo, cai tamen Martinus serviens saepius ministrabat et calceamenta detrahebat atque tergebat. Quodam hyemali tempore per portam Ambianensium transiens panperem quendam nudum obvium habuit. Qui cum a nullo elemosinam accepisset, Martinus hunc sibi servatum intelligens arrepto ense chlamydem, quae sibi supererat, dividit et partem pauperi tribuens reliquam partem rursus induit. Sequenti igitur nocte Christum chlamydis suae, qua pauperem texerat, parte vestitum vidit ipsumque ad circumstantes angelos sio loquentem audivit: Martinus adhnc catechumenus hac me veste contexit.
Unde vir sanctus non in gloriam elatus, sed Dei bonitatem cognoscens, cum esset annorum decem et octo, baptizari se fecit el adhuc ad instantiam tribuni sui, qui tempore sui tribunatus expleto se-wsaeculo abrenuntiaturum promittebat, per biennium militavit, Interea irruentibus intra Gallias barbaris Julianus Caesar contra eos pugnaturus pecuniam militibus erogavit, at Martinus nolens deinceps militare donativum recipere noluit, sed Caesari dixit: Christi ego miles sum, pugnare mihi non licet. Indignatus Julianus dixit, quod non religionis gratia, sed metu belli imminentis militiae renuntiaret. Cui Martinus intrepidus respondit: si hoc ignaviae, non fidei adscribitur, crastina die ante aciem inermis adstabo et in nomine Christi signo crucis, non clypeo protectas aut galea hostium cuneos penetrabo securus. Unde- custodiri jubetur, ut inermis, nt dixerat, barbaris objiceretur. Sed die sequenti hostes legationem miserunt sua omnia seque dantes. Unde non dubium est, meritis sancti viri talem victoriam sine sanguine datam esse. Exinde relieta militia ad sanctum Hilarium Pictaviensem episcopum perrexit et ab eo acolytus ordinatus mos netur a domino per soporem, ul parentes suos adhuc gentiles visitaret, Profectus igitur multa adversa passurum se esse praedixit. Nam inter Alpes incidit in latrones, cumque unus securim in.
eaput ejus vibrasset, ictum ferientis dextrae sustinuit alter. Vinctis tàmen post tergum manibus uni eorum custodiendus traditur, percunctanti vero latroni, an timuisset, respondit, nunquam e ita fuisse securum, quia sciret. misericordiam Dei maxime in. tentationibus affaturam. Incipiensque latroni praedicavit et ipsum ad fidem Christi convertit. Qui Martinum ad viam. reducens laudabiliter. postmodum vitam finivit.
Cum autem Mediolanum praeteriisset, dyabolus in humana specie sibi obvius fuit et, quo tenderet, requisivit. Cui cum respondisset, se, quo eum dominus vocaret, tendere, ille ait: quocunque ieris, dyabolus tibi adversabitur. Cum autem Martinus sibi respondisset: dominus mihi adjutor est, non timebo, quod. faciat mihi homo, statim ille evanuit. laque matrem convertit, paler vero in errore permansit, Sed cum haeresis Ariana per tolum orbem pullalaret et ille paene solus obsisteret, publice caesus et extra civitatem ejectus Mediolanum rediit et ibi sibi monasterium statuit, sed inde ab Arianis ejectus ad insulam Gallinariam cum uno solo presbitero perrexit, ubi helleborum gramen venenatum inter alias herbas in cibum sumsit et vicinam mortem sentiens omne periculum et dolorem virtute orationis fugavit. Audiens vero, quod beatus Hilarius de exsilio rediret, obviam ei profectus est et juxta Pictavium monasterium ordinavit, ubi, cum quendam adhuc catechumenum haberet, parumper a monasterio discedens et rediens reperit eum sine baptismo defunctum. Quem in cellam ducens et super ejus corpus se prosternens ipsum sua oratione ad vitam pristinam revocavit, ldem vere homo referre consuevit, quod, dum super eum data sententia obscuris locis deputatus fuisset, per duos angelos judici est suggestum, hunc esse, pro quo Martinus oraret Jassum est igitur, ut per ipsos duos reduceretur et Martino vivus redderetur. Alium insuper, qui laqueo vitam finierat, vitae restituit.
Verum cum plebs Turonica episcopo careret, ipsum plarimum renitentem sibi ordinari petiit. Quidam autem ex episcopis, qui convenerant, eo, quod deformis esset habitu et vultu despectabilis, resistebant, Inter quos praecipuus fuit quidam nomine Defensor. Sed cum lector tunc deesset, quidam accepto psalterio primum, quem invenit, psalmum legit, ubi versus hic erat: ex ore infantium et lactentium Deus perfecisti laudem, ut destrnas inimicum et defensorem, Et sic ille Defensor est ab omnibus confutatus. Ordinatus itaque episcopus cum populi tumultum non ferref, duobus fere milliariis extra urbem monasterium constituit, ubi cum LXXX discipulis in multa abstinentia vixit. Nam ibi vinum memo biberat, nisi quem infirmitas coegisset; mollior habitus ibi pro crimine erat. Plurimae civitates de his episcopos éligebant. Cum quidam sub nomine martiris coleretur et a Martino nil de ejus vita vel merito inveniri posset, quadam die super sepulchrum stans oravit domimum, ut, quis esset vel cujus meriti, indicaret. Conversus ad laevam vidit umbram nigerrimam stare, qui a Martino adjuratus dixit, se latronem fuisse et oh scelus perenssum esse.
Continuo igitur Martinus altare destrui praecepit. Legitur quoque in dyalogo Severi et Galli discipulorum sancti Martini, ubi multa suppleta sunt, quae in ejus vita Severus dimiserat, quod Martinus quodam tempore Valentinianum imperatorem pro quadam necessitate adiit, sed ille sciens eum velle petere, quod ipse nolebat dare, fores palatii sibi claudi fecit. At Martinus semel atque iterum passus repulsam cilicio obvolutus et cinere conspersus per unam hebdomadam cibi et potus abstinentia maceratur. Tunc monente angelo ad palatium venit et nullo sibi prohibente ad imperatorem usque pervenit. Quem cum venientem videret, iratus, quia fuisset admissus, i assurgere noluit, donec sellam regiam ignis operiret et ipsum imperatorem a parte posteriori ignis succenderet. Tune sancto Martino iratus assurgens virtutem divinam se sensisse confessus est multumque ipsum complectens sibi omuia, antequam rogaret, concessit multaque munera obtulit, sed Martinus non accepit. In eodem quoque dyalogo legitur, qualiter tertium mortuum suscitavit. Cum enim quidam juvenis defunctus fuisset et mater pro resuscitatione filii beatum Martinum lacrymis exoraret, iste in medio campi, ubi erat innumerabilis multitudo gentilium, genua flexit et cunetis videntibus puer surrexit, Quapropter ommes illi gentiles ad fidem conversi sunt, Eidem quoque viro sancto obediebant etiam insensibilia, vegetabilia et irrationabilia.
Insensibilia sicut ignis et aqua, Nam quum in quodam fano ignem misisset, in domo proxima adhaerente agente vento flamma efferebatur, Tuno Martinus super tectum domus adscendens obvium se flammis advenientibus inseruit. Mox contra vim venti flamma retorquetur, ut conflictus quidam compugnantium inter se elementorum videretur. Navis etiam quaedam cum periclitaretur, ut in praedicto dyalogo legitur, quidam negotiator necdum christianus exclamavit: Deus Martini eripe nos, et statim tranquillitas magna successit, Similiter vegetabilia, Nam cum in qnodam loco templum antiquissimum diruisset et arborem pini dyabolo dedicatam vellet excidere, ohsistentibus rusticis et gentilibus unus eorum dixit: si de Deo tuo fiduciam habes, nos hane arborem snocidemus et tn eam suscipe, et si tecum est Deus tuus, ut dicis, evades. Quo annuente succisae arbori et jam versus eum ibidem ligatum cadenti siguum crucis opposuit et in aliam partem rediens rusticos, qui in tuto loco erant, fere oppressit, qui viso miraculo ad fidem conversi sunt. lrrationabilia quoque animalia sibi pluries obedierunt, sicut legitur in praedicto dyalogo. Cum enim canes lepusculum insequentes vidisset, imperavit canibus, ut animal insequi desisterent. Mox illi constiterunt et quasi vincti in suis vestigiis fixi manserunt, Serpens eliam quidam, eum fluvium. quendam natando transiret, Martinus ait ad serpentem: in nomine domini jubeo te redire.
Mox se ad verbum sancli retorsit et in ripam aliam transmeavit et ingemiscens Martinus ait: serpentes me audiunt et homines non audiunt. Canis similiter quidam cum cuidam ex Martini discipulis latraret, ille ad eum conversus ait: in nomine Marlini jubeo te obmutescere. Canis continuo obmutuit, ac si linguam habuisset abscisam. Fuit autem beatus Martinus multae humilitatis, nam leprosum quendam cunctis horribilem Parisiis obviam habens ipsum osculatus est atque benedixit statimque mundatus est. In sacrario quoque residens nunquam cathedra usus est, nam in ecelesia nemo unquam eum sedere conspexit: sedebat autem insellula rusticana, quos tripodes vocant. Multae dignitatis, quia par apostolis dictus est, et hoc propter gratiam spiritus sancti, qni in eum in specie ignis ad robur descendit, sicut fuit in apostolis. Legitur enim in praedicto dyalogo, quod quadam vice, dum Martinus in cella solus sederet, et Severus et Gallus ejus discipuli prae foribus exspectarent, subito mirabili concussi horrore plures in cella audiunt insimul colloquentes, De quocum postmodum Martinum requisivissent, ille ait: dicam vobis, sed vos, quaeso, nulli dicatis; Agnes, Thecla et Maria ad me venerunt. Nec tantum illo die, sed saepius se ab iis confessus est visitari et Petrum et Paulum apostolos a se saepe videri perhibuit.
Multae justitiae, eum enim ab imperatore, nomine Maximo, invitatus fuisset et Martino poculum primo fuisset oblatum, sperantibus cunetis, ut post se regi tribueret, presbitero suo dedit nullum aestimans digniorem , qui post se deberet bibere, et indignum judicans, si aut regem aut regis proximos presbitero praetulisset. Multae patientiae; tantam enim in omnibus patientiam servabat, quod, cum esset summus sacerdos, impune saepe a clericis laedebatur neca sua eos propter hoc caritate repellebat, Nemo illum unquam vidit iratum, nemo moerentem, nemo ridentem, nunquam in illius ore nisi Christus, nunquam in illius corde nisi pietas, nisi pax, nisi misericordia inerat. Legitur quoque in praedicto dyalogo, quod, dum Martinus quadam vice in veste hispida, nigro et pendulo pallio cireumtectus super asellum procederet, equis de contra venientibus expavefactis milites in terram saltu praecipiti se dederunt et Martinum arripientes graviter verberaverunt, llle autem quasi mutus caedentibus terga praebebat, sed magis illi furebant eo, quod ille quasi non sentiens verbera illata contemnere videretur. Protinus antem animalia adeo humo fixa permanebant, ut quantumcumque flagellata velut saxea moveri non possent, quousque ad Martinum redeuntes et peccatum suum, quod ignoranter in eum commiserant, confitentes, ille iis licentiam dedit et gradu concito animalia processerunt. Multae assiduitatis in orando, quia, ut in legenda sua dicitur, nunquam ullà hora momentumque praeteriit, quo non aut orationi aut lectioni incumberet, Inter legendum tamen et operandum nunquam animum ab oratione laxabat, nam ut fabris ferrariis moris est, qui intra operandum pro quodam laboris levamine incudem feriunt, ita Martinus, dum aliquid ageret, semper orabat. Multae austeritatis in se ipso; refert enim Severus in epistola ad Eusebium, quod, cum Martinus in quandam villam suae dyoecesis venisset et clerici lectam Sibi plurimo stramine praeparassent, ille ibidem requiescens insuetam mollitiem perhorrescit, quippe qui nuda humo uno tantum cilicio superjecto cubare consueverat. ltaque permotus injuria surgens stramentum omne projecit et se super nudam humum collocavit, circa mediam vero noctem tota illa palea igne accenditur et Martinus excitatus, dum exire tentaret, sed nequiret, ab igne capitur et ejus jam vestimenta uruntur. Rediens vero ad solitum orationis confugium et crucis emittens signaculum in medio ignis intactus permansit et flammas sensit rorantes, quas male expertus erat urentes.
Monachi igitur excitati concurrunt et Martinum, quem jam consumtum putabant, de medio flammarum illaesum educunt, Multae compassionis erga delinquentes, quia omnes- volentes poenitere compassionis sinu recipiebat. Nam et cum dyabolus Martinum reprehenderet, cur semel lapsos ad poenitentiam reciperet, eidem respondit: si tu ipse, o miserabilis, ab hominum infestatione desisteres et te factorum tuorum poeniteret, ego tibi confisus in domino Christi misericordiam pollicerer. Multae pietatis erga pauperes; legitur in praedicto dyalogo, quod Martinum in quadam festivitate ad ecclesiam tendentem pauper quidam nudus secutus est, Martinus autem archidyacono praecepit, ut egentem vestiret, sed cum hoc ille facere distulisset, ingressus Martinus secretarium tunicam suam illi tribuit et continuo abscedere jussit. Cum ergo archidyaconus moneret, ut ad sollemnia peragenda procederet, ille de se loquens respondit, se ire non posse, donec pauper vestem accipiat. Archidyaconus vero non intelligens, quia, cum extrinsecus cappa teclus essét, ipsum nudum interius non videbat, pauperem non adesse causatur. At ille: mihi, inquit, vestis deferatur et pauper non aderit vestiendus. Compulsus. ille ad forum vadit et quinque argenteis tunicam vilem et curtam, quae dicitur paenula, qnasi paene nulla, rapiens ante pedes Martini iratus projecit.
Quam ille secreto induit, cujus manicae usque ad cubitum et longitudo usque ad genua protendebatur, et sic missam celebraturus procedit. Dum autem missam celebraret, globus igneus super caput ejus apparuit et a multis ibidem visus fuit, Ob hoc par apostolis dicitur. Huic antem miraculo addit magister Johannes Beleth, quod, eum in missa manus ad Deum, ut moris est, levaret, manicis linteis retro labentibus, cum nec brachia ejus essent grossa nec multum carnosa nec praefata tunica protenderetur nisi usque ad cubitum, remanserunt eadem brachia nnda, Tunc miracnlose torques aurei et gemmati deferuntur ab angelis et brachia decenter operiuntur, ? :)Qui etiam tonsam quadam vice conspiciens : evangelicum, inquit, mandatum ista complevit; duas tunicas habuit el unam non habenti largita est,-ita-et. vos, inquit, facere debetis, Multae potestatis erga daemones pellendos, saepe enim ipsos daemones ex hominibus expulit. Legitur etiam in dicto dyalogo, quod quaedam vacca a daemone agitata, cum ubique saeviret et multos confoderet et versus Martinum et socios suos in itinere furibunda concurreret, ille manu elevata ipsam sistere jubet. Qua immobili permanente vidit daemonem dorso illius insidentem , quem increpans : discede, inquit, funeste de. pecude et innoxium animal agitare desiste.
Quo protinus discedente vacca ad ejus pedes prosternitur et ad ejus imperium cum omni mansuetudine ad gregem suum revertitur. Multae subtilitatis ad eos cognoscendos; daemones enim sibi ita eonspicabiles reddebantur, ut aperte ab ipso sub quacunque imagine viderentur. Nam interdum daemones in Jovis persona, plurimumque Mereurii, aliquando Veneris vel Minervae. transfiguratos se ejus vultibus offerebant, quos ille omnes suis nominibus increpabat, Mercurium maxime patiebatur infestum, Jovem brutum atque hebetem esse dicehat, Quadam etiam vice dyabolns in forma regis purpura et dyademate et aureis caligis ornatus sereno orelaetaque facie sibi apparuit, cumque diu ambo tacuissent: agnosce, inquit, Martine, quem colis; Christus ego sum descensurus ad terras, prius me tibi manifestare volui. Ad hoc cum adhuc Martinus admirans taceret, rarsus ait: Martine, cur dubitas credere, cum me videas? Christus ego sum, Tunc ille a spiritu sancto doctus ait: dominus Jesus Christus non se purpuratum, inquit, et dyademate renitentem venturum esse praedixit, ego Christum nisi in eo habitu et forma, qua passus est, nisi crucis stigmata praeferentem venisse non credam. Ad hanc vocem ille disparuit et totam cellam foetore complevit, Martinus autem obitum suum longe ante praescivit, quem eliam fratribus revelavit. Interea Gandacensem dyoecesin causa sedandae discordiae visitavit, pergens vero vidit mergos in flumine piscibus insidiantes et quosque capientes: forma, inquit, haec daemonum est, insidiantur incautis, capiunt nescientes, captos devorant, saturari nequeunt devorantes.
Imperat igitur, ut relicto gurgite desertas peterent regiones, statimque grege facto montes silvasque petierunt. In illa igitur dyoecesi aliquamdiu commoratus viribus corporis coepit destitui et discipulis indicat se jam resolvi. Tunc omnes flentes: cur nos, inquiunt, pater, deseris aut cni nos desolatos relinquis? invadent enim gregem tuum lupi rapaces, Et ille eorum motus precibus fletibusque flens quoque sic oravit: domine, si adhuc populo tuo sum necessarius, non recuso laborem, fiat voluntas tua. Dubitavit enim paene, quod mallet, quia nec hos deserere nec a Christo volebat diutius separari. Itaque cum aliquamdiu molestia febrium teneretur et a discipulis rogaretur, ut in lectulo suo, ubi in cilicio et cinere decumbebat, stramentum aliquod poneretur: non decet, inquit, filii, christianum nisi in cilicio et cinere mori; ego si vobis aliud exemplum relinquo, ipse peccavi, Oculis ac manibus in coelum semper intentus invietum ab oratione spiritum non relaxabat, el cum supinus semper jaceret et à presbiteris rogaretur, ut corpusculum mntatione lateris relevaret: sinite me, inquit, fratres, sinite coelum potius respicere, quam terram, ut spiritus ad dominum dirigatur. Et haee dicens vidit dyabolum assistere: quid hic, inquit, adstas, cruenta bestia? nihil in me funestum reperies, Abrahae me sinus recipiet.
Et in hao voce sub Arcadio et Honorio, qui coeperunt circa annum. domini GCCXCV, vitae ejus LXXXI spiritum Deo reddidit vultasque ejus tamquam jam glorificatus resplenduit ac chorus angelorum ibidem concinens à mnltis auditus fuit, Ad ejus transitum- Pictavi sicut Turonici convenerunt ibique magna altercatio orta est. Dicebant enim Pictavi : noster est monachus, nos requirimus commendatum. Quibus ille: vobis ablatus est nobis a Deo donatus. . Nocte igitur media Pictavi omnes penitus sopiuntur et sic a Turonicis per fenestram ejectus per Ligerim navigio ad urbem Turonicam cum magno gaudio deportatur. Beatus autem Severinus Coloniensis episcopus, cum die dominica loca sancta post matutinas more solito circuiret, illa hora, qua vir sanctus obiit, angelos cantantes in coelo audivit vocansque archidyaconum interrogat, si aliquid audiret, Et cum se nihil audire diceret et archiepiscopus, ut diligenter auscultaret, moneret, coepit sursum collum extendere, aures erigere et super summis articulis baculo se sustentans stare. Sed dum archiepiscopus pro eo orasset, quasdam in coelo voces audire se dixit.
Cui archiepiscopus: dominus meus Martinus est, qui migravit e mundo, et nunc angeli eum in coelum deferunt. Daemones autem affuerunt, qni eum retinere voluerunt, sed nihil in eo reperientes confusi recesserunt. Archidyaconus igitur diem et horam notavit et tunc Martinum migrasse cognovit. Severus etiam monachus , qui vitam ejus scripsit, cum post matutinas leniter obdormivisset, sicut ipse in quadam epistola testatur ,-sanetus- Martinus albis indutus, vultu igneo, stellantibus oculis, crine purpureo, tenens librum in manu dextra, quem de vita ejus idem Severus scripserat, eidem apparuit, cumque post benedictionem in coelum conscendere ipsum videret et cum eo adscendere cuperet, evigilavit. . Post hoc autem nuntiis venientibus eadem nocte sanctum Martinum migrasse audivit, Eo quoque die: sanctus Ambrosius Mediolanensis episcopus missam celebrans super altare inter prophetiam et epistolam obdormivit, et eum nullus eum excitare praesumeret et subdyaconus nisi ipso jubente epistolam non auderet legere, transactis duarüm vel trium horarum spatiis excitaverunt eum dicentes: jam hora praeteriit et populus valde lassus exspectat, jubeat dominus noster, ut clericus epistolam legat. Ad quos ille: nolite turbari, frater enim meus Martinus ad Deum migravit et ego ejus funeri interfui et obsequium praebui, sed ultimam responsionem vobis excitantibus explere non valui, Tunc illi diem ex hora notantes invenerunt sanctum Martinum tunc migrasse ad coelum. Cappam ejus, ut ait magister Johannes Beleth, reges Franciae in proeliis portare consueverunt, unde ipsius cappae custodes cappellani dicebantur.
Post mortem autem ejus anno sexagesimo quarto, cum beatus Perpetuus ejus ecclesiam magnifice ampliasset et in eam corpus ejus transferre vellet, semel et bis et tertio jejuniis et vigiliis insistentes sepulchrum cjus nulla- ' tenus movere- potuerunt, cumque vellent dimittere, quidam senex puleherrimus iis apparuit dicens: usque quo tardatis? non videtis sanctum Martinum paratum juvare vos, si manum apponitis? Tunc ille cum iis manum supposuit et cum summa velocitate sepulchrum levaverunt et in loco, ubi nunc colitur, posuerunt. Senex autem ille post hoc nusquam comparuit, Haec translatio in mense Julii celebratur. Refert Odo abbas Cluniacensis, quod tunc omnes campanae in omnibus ecclesiis nullo tangente pulsabantur et omnes lampades divinitus accendebantur. Fertur quoque, quod tunc duo socii erant, quorum unus erat caecus etalter contractus, Caecus autem con tractum ferebat et contractus caecoviam demonstrabat, sicque taliter mendicantes multam pecuniam acquirebant. Audientes vero, quod ad corpus sancti Martini multi sanabantur infirmi, cum in translatióne ejus corpus circa ecclesiam processionaliter duceretur, timere coeperunt, ne praedictum corpus juxta domum, ubi manebat, duceretur et sic ipsi forsitan curarentur, Nolebant enim sanitatem consequi, ne deperiret materia quaestus sui. Quapropter de illa Slrata fugientes se ad aliam transferebant, per quam corpus nequaquam duci putabant.
Dum ergo fugerent, corpori ejus de improviso protinus obviaverunt, et quia Deus multa praestat invitis, ambo contra eorum voluntatem continuo sunt curati, licet de hoc plurimum tristarentur. Ambrosius autem de sancto Martino sic ait: beatus Martinus profani erroris templa destruxit, vexilla pietatis erexit, mortuos suscitavit, ab obsessis corporibus daemonia saeva exclusit ac variis laborantes languoribus salutis remedio sublevavit. Qui ita perfectus inventus est, ut Christum texisset in paupere et veste, quam egenus acceperat, mundi dominum induisset. O felix largitas,qua divinitas operitur! O chlamydis gloriosa divisio, quae militem contexit et regem! O inaestimabile donum, quod vestire mernit divinitatem! Digne huic, domine, confessionis tuae praemia contulisti, digne ei Arianorum subjacuit feritas, digne amore martirii persecutoris tormenta non timuit," Quid erit pro oblatione integri eorporis recepturus, qui pro quantitate vestis exignae Deum vestire meruit et videre? Sio sperantibus contulit medicinam, ut alios supplicationibus, alios visu salvaret,
The Golden Legend (Legenda Aurea) companion
Continue through all 240 chapters, one saint a day
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The Legenda Aurea was organized for day-by-day use across the liturgical year, and Chosen Portion restores that original one-feast-per-day reading rhythm
- A complete saint's life or feast reading most days in 5-10 minutes
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