November 11 2024 - St. Martin of Tours & Veteran's Day

 Today we celebrate two things: Veteran's Day, honoring the men and women who have served in the military, and the feast of St. Martin of Tours—a soldier, a bishop, and a saint.

The story of St. Martin is simple yet profound. Martin was a young soldier when one cold day, he encountered a beggar shivering in the street. Moved with compassion, he took his sword, cut his own cloak in half, and gave it to the man. That night, Martin dreamed of Jesus dressed in the half-cloak, saying to the angels, “See, Martin, though he is but a catechumen, has clothed me with his own cloak.”

This story reflects directly on today’s Gospel, where Jesus describes the final judgment, separating those who acted with compassion from those who did not. He tells his disciples that when they show love, mercy, and kindness to others—feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked—they are serving Him.

In giving his cloak to the poor, cold, destitute beggar, Martin was clothing Christ, and Martin’s dream that night confirms it.

Veteran’s Day adds another dimension to our reflection. St. Martin was a veteran. And we are grateful today for those veterans, who like Martin, sacrificed and served others, often enduring hardship and risk to protect those they loved, and even strangers they would never meet. Their courage and their sacrifices are acts of service, and on this day, we honor them with gratitude. 

Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel urge us to live this spirit of service and compassion every day. They invite us to consider: Do we see Christ in the people around us? Do we act on His call to serve the “least” among us—the poor, the sick, the lonely, the stranger?

Let us pray today for the grace to serve others with the same humility and love as St. Martin, and may we honor those who serve by following in their footsteps, bringing compassion and dignity to all, recognizing in each face the face of Christ our Lord for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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That the nations of the world will seek to work together in harmony and peace; we pray to the Lord:

That our homeland will be preserved from violence and terrorism; we pray to the Lord

In gratitude for the service of our veterans; for blessings upon them, and for all veterans who suffer the physical and psychological effects of war. May we prudently and wisely use and guard the freedoms for which our veterans labored and suffered.

For all veterans experiencing physical or psychological, that they may know God’s healing and strength, and that all veterans may be blessed for their self-sacrifice.

For all veterans who gave their life for our liberty, and for the repose of the souls of all of our beloved dead, family, friends, those whose names are written in our parish necrology, deceased priests and religious, for all the souls in purgatory, and for N. for whom this mass is offered.

God, Almighty Father, creator of mankind and author of peace, as we are ever mindful of the cost paid for the liberty we possess, help us to use that liberty to promote peace and justice and spread saving Gospel of Christ. Through the same Christ Our Lord.

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time 2021 - The sacrifices of widows and soldiers

 On November 11, 1919, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed an Armistice Day to be observed annually, to honor the armistice ending World War I—with major hostilities formally ending at the 11th hour of the 11th day of  the 11th month of 1918.  After WWII, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed into law, that November 11 would be a day to honor all veterans, and so our country celebrates Veterans Day, which will be observed this week. 

My father, uncles, and godfather are veterans of Vietnam. Both my grandfathers were proud veterans of World War II, and my great grandfather was honored as the oldest veteran of world war I in his hometown when he died.  

Providence would have it that November 11 is also the liturgical feast day of a veteran, one of our Church’s well known and beloved soldier Saints, Saint Martin of Tours, who is patron Saint of soldiers along with St. Michael, St. George, St. Ignatius of Loyola, and St. Joan of Arc.  

St. Martin of Tours was the son of a veteran, a soldier and officer in the Roman army. Martin was actually forced to serve in the army against his will at the age of 15. But, while serving in the army, he came to understand sacrifice, honor, loyalty as many soldier do. It was as a young soldier that Martin was exposed to Christianity—newly legalized after 300 years of persecution. Soon Martin began to desire baptism and was enrolled as a catechumen.

There is the famous story when on a bitterly cold day, the young soldier met a poor man, almost naked, trembling in the cold and begging at the city gate.  Martin had nothing but his weapons and his clothes.  So he drew his sword, cut his cloak into two pieces, and gave one piece to the beggar.  Some of the bystanders laughed at Martin’s foolish act of charity. But that night Martin had a vision of Jesus dressed in the cloak he had given to the beggar. The Lord said, “Martin, still a catechumen, has covered me with his garment.”

That which you did for the of my brethren you did for me. Martin, in sacrificing his cloak for a beggar, clothed Jesus. This beautiful scene is depicted in a stained glass window here at St. Ignatius in the east trancept. 

Martin’s act of charity toward that beggar, sacrificing the little he had to offer, was no doubt inspired by today’s Gospel, in which the poor widow gives, not from her surplus, but her livelihood. 

Remember, that widows had no inheritance rights in ancient Israel. They had to rely on their children, male relatives, or the charity of the community for survival. You could definitely say they had a fixed income. 

So, on this very fixed income, this widow makes pilgrimage to the Temple to worship her God. And in an act of love and devotion she takes two coins, representing a serious portion of her livelihood, and deposited them in the temple coffers to honor God and to provide charity for those who may have been worse off than she. Jesus notices this and praises her sacrifice, holding her up as a model for his disciples.

To most people, the scribes, the chief elders, the pharisees, and King Herod, these were the real pillars of the community. But, Jesus points out that the truly holy—those who are worthy of praise and emulation—are those who are beautiful and wealthy not on the outside, but on the inside.

Those truly worthy of praise are those whose generosity flows from their love of God, not the desire to be noticed by others. How often does Jesus condemns the scribes and pharisees for making a show of faith on the outside, while being far from God on the inside. He condemns them for the grievous corruption of what religious faith is supposed to be—not outward show, but inner union with the heart of God. 

The widow, the saints, like St. Martin, so many of our veterans who leave family and country to serve freedom, show us what the heart of God looks like: Self-sacrifice, trust in God, boundless generosity, willingness to mocked for charity’s sake, like Martin was mocked by his fellow soldiers, like the widow would have been mocked by her countrymen.

While visiting Cuba a few years ago, Pope Francis spoke of how the spirit of the world differs from the Spirit of Christ. He said, “The spirit of the world does not love the way of the Son of God, who emptied himself and became poor. He became nothing — he humiliated himself in order to be one of us.”  The world mocks the way of Christ. Self-sacrifice, faith, trust, these characteristics are not valued by modern society.

But the way that leads to life is the way of Christ—of self-emptying generosity. The saints who we began the month celebrating on All Saints day, over and over give us these powerful beautiful models of what holiness looks like. That when we give ourselves away like Christ we become rich in the things of God. 

So, please, sometime today or this week: think back to the example of the widow. How is God calling you to that sort of trust and generosity? On Thursday, think of the veterans, think of St. Martin, how are you called to give part of your cloak to the poor, in service of country, and church. 

On the day of our judgment, those things, those earthly treasures, the time we gave to God, will testify on our behalf. So may we be deeply and profoundly generous with God, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

January 20 2021 - St. Sebastian - Soldier Martyr

Saint Sebastian was a Christian who joined the Roman army in the third century. Because he was a highly capable soldier, he moved up the ranks quickly and became a Praetorian Guard for the Emperor Diocletian. Secretly, though, he spent as much time as possible evangelizing his fellow soldiers and would secretly visit the Christians who were arrested and sentenced to death. He was eventually discovered. By order of the Emperor Diocletian,  Sebastian was to be put to death by being shot with arrows.  He was shot by numerous archers.  But miraculously, he did not die. 

Artistic depictions always show the handsome young soldier, chained to a Roman column or a tree with arrows sticking out of him.  Having been left for dead, he was nursed back to health by another Saint, St. Irene.  One day, Sebastian heard that the Emperor was going to be passing by. When he did, Sebastian denounced the Emperor for his cruelty to Christians.  This time the sentence of death was carried out, and Sebastian was beaten to death with clubs.  His relics are kept at the Basilica of St. Sebastian in Rome.

Here is a martyr of tremendous courage and perseverance.  Perhaps this is why he is the patron saint of Athletes.  His courage and perseverance from 1700 years ago has left a lasting impression on history, and reminds us of the greatness that Christians are capable of and called to. 

Who are the pagan soldiers you are called to preach to and convert? Who are the Christians imprisoned you are called to visit? Who are the emperors you are called to denounce? What are the arrows that you are called to bear patiently, with fortitude and grace, and the sufferings you are called to offer up?

May the Holy Spirit help us to emulate the virtues of St. Sebastian and the great martyrs--who fear not those who could kill their bodies, but for their eternal soul and the souls of others. To obey God , to have compassion for unbelievers and prisoners, and not to fear the wrath of corrupt men, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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On this inauguration day, we pray for our nation and for the president-elect and his administration. 

As prayed by Archbishop John Carroll for the inauguration of our nation’s first president, we pray, that the God of might, wisdom, and justice, through Whom authority is rightly administered, laws are enacted, and judgment decreed, assist with Thy holy spirit of counsel and fortitude the President of the United States, that his administration may be conducted in righteousness, and be eminently useful to Thy people over whom he presides; by encouraging due respect for virtue and religion; by a faithful execution of the laws in justice and mercy; and by restraining vice and immorality. Let us pray to the Lord.

That the light of God’s divine wisdom direct the deliberations of Congress, and shine forth in all the proceedings and laws framed for our rule and government, so that they may tend to the preservation of peace, the promotion of national happiness, the increase of industry, sobriety, and useful knowledge; and may perpetuate to us the blessing of equal liberty.

We pray for all judges, magistrates, and other officers who are appointed to guard our political welfare, that they maybe enabled, by Thy powerful protection, to discharge the duties of their respective stations with honesty and ability.

We recommend likewise, to Thy unbounded mercy, all our brethren and fellow citizens throughout the United States, that they may be blessed in the knowledge and sanctified in the observance of Thy most holy law; that they may be preserved in union, and in that peace which the world cannot give; and after enjoying the blessings of this life, be admitted to those which are eternal.

November 11 2020 - St. Martin of Tours - What we were obliged to do

 

Many of us are familiar with images, perhaps from stained glass windows, of St. Martin of Tours, the Roman soldier, a top his horse, cutting his cloak in two in order to give half his cloak to the cold beggar. Not often depicted is what happened shortly after. In a dream or a vision, Martin is said to have been visited by the Christ Child, dressed in the cloak he had given to the beggar. The Christ Child said, “Martin, still a catechumen, has covered me with his garment.”

Martin, living centuries before great saints of the poor like Francis or Vincent de Paul, was for the early church a model of charity, a reminder of the Lord’s teaching that what we do for the least of our brethren we do for him.

How providential that our nation observes Veteran’s Day on the feast of St. Martin! For Martin’s story helps us, I think, to appreciate the sacrifices of our Veteran’s. They, in a very real sense, served Christ by serving their nation, the people of the nation, us. The put themselves in the service of the defense of our lives and our freedom, putting their own lives on the line, for us, and in doing so, they did for Christ. 

Like the servants in yesterday’s Gospel who claimed “we have done what we were obliged to do”, many of our veterans entered military service because they experienced a strong sense of duty and obligation to serve and preserve and fight for freedom, for their families freedoms, for their nation’s freedoms. 

And like Martin tearing his cloak, that service costs something. Many of our veterans sustain physical or psychological wounds that they carry for the rest of their lives—an amputated limb, or an amputated part of their psyche, post-traumatic stress, the trauma of witnessing their brothers-in-arms killed in action. 

So we do well to thank a Veteran today for his service, for we likely do not know the extent of his service, the price he continues to pay. And perhaps that word of gratitude might alleviate that ongoing price of service.

May we live ever grateful for the freedoms we enjoy because of the sacrificial service of others, may we do everything we can to preserve that freedom, and to use that freedom for the greater good, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the nations of the world will seek to work together in harmony and peace; we pray to the Lord:

That our homeland will be preserved from violence and terrorism; we pray to the Lord

That even in armed conflict, we may keep clearly before us the defense of all human rights, especially the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

For all veterans experiencing physical or psychological, that they may know God’s healing and strength, and that all veterans may be blessed for their self-sacrifice.

For all veterans who gave their life for our liberty, and for the repose of the souls of all of our beloved dead, family, friends, those whose names are written in our parish necrology, deceased priests and religious, for all the souls in purgatory, and for N. for whom this mass is offered.

God, Almighty Father, creator of mankind and author of peace, as we are ever mindful of the cost paid for the liberty we possess, help us to use that liberty to promote peace and justice and spread saving Gospel of Christ. Through the same Christ Our Lord.

Homily: November 11 - St. Martin of Tours & Veterans Day

On November 11, 1919, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed an Armistice Day to be observed annually, to honor the armistice ending World War I—with major hostilities formally ending at the 11th hour of the 11th day of  the 11th month of 1918.  After WWII, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed into law, that November 11 would be a day to honor all veterans, and so today our country celebrates Veterans Day.

And this is quite fitting, for today is a feast day of one of our Church’s well known and beloved soldier Saints, a patron Saint of soldiers along with St. Michael, St. George, and St. Ignatius, and St. Joan of Arc.

St. Martin of Tours, born of pagan parents, was the son of a veteran, a soldier and officer in the Roman army, though Martin was actually forced to serve in the army against his will at the age of 15.  While, serving in the army, Martin began to desire Christian baptism, and was enrolled as a catechumen.

There is the famous story when on a bitterly cold day ,the soldier, Martin met a poor man, almost naked, trembling in the cold and begging at the city gate.  Martin had nothing but his weapons and his clothes.  So he drew his sword, cut his cloak into two pieces, gave one to the beggar.  Some of the bystanders laughed at his now odd appearance, wearing only half a cloak; others were ashamed at not having relieved the man’s misery themselves.  That night in his sleep Martin saw Christ dressed in the cloak he had given to the beggar and said, “Martin, still a catechumen, has covered me with his garment.”

At the age of 23 he told his commander: “I have served you as a soldier; now let me serve Christ.”  Martin was discharged from the army and became a hermit under the direction of another saint, St. Hilary.

Martin was elected bishop, dedicated much of his efforts to evangelization, founded a monastery, and attracted many vocations to the monastic life.  He continued to live the ascetic life as a bishop, always keeping to heart, “that which you did for these least of my brethren, you did for me” as he did for that beggar.

St. Martin reminds us of our duty as Christians towards those in need, and our duty to conform ourselves to Christ whatever our vocation—through prayer, detachment from material things, prayerful and right living, that our whole lives might be put at the service of our King and shepherd, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

For all veterans: as we celebrate Veterans’ Day this week, may the Lord bless and reward those whose sacrifices have preserved our nation in freedom.  We pray to the Lord.