Veterans' Day & St. Martin of Tours

Today the Church honors the life and ministry of Martin of Tours and we as a nation remember all of our veterans.  It is interesting that these days coincide.  Martin of Tours was born in 330. His father was a soldier and Martin enlisted when he was 15. On a winter day, Martin saw a beggar at the city gate in Amiens. Martin did not have any money, so he cut his cloak in half and gave half to the beggar. That night in a dream, Martin saw Jesus wearing the part of the cloak he gave to the beggar. Martin had been considering becoming a Christian, and this ended his wavering; he was baptized. At the end of his next military campaign, Martin asked to be released from the military, saying: “Until now I have faithfully served Caesar, now let me now serve Christ."

Today we also remember all of those who have served this nation and who have put themselves in harm’s way because they were called by their nation to do so.  We owe these men and women much

Let us pray:  Almighty God, we commend to your gracious care and keeping all the men and women who have served and those who continue to serve in our armed forces both at home and abroad. For those who are still in service, defend them day by day with your heavenly grace; strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List.

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550