On this Veterans' Day, the Church celebrates the life and ministry of a soldier, St. Martin of Tours, who lived in the fourth century. James Kiefer writes:
Martin was born around 330 of pagan parents. His father was a soldier, who enlisted Martin in the army at the age of fifteen. One winter day he saw an ill-clad beggar at the gate of the city of Amiens. Martin had no money to give, but he cut his cloak in half and gave half to the beggar. … In a dream that night, Martin saw Christ wearing the half-cloak. He had for some time considered becoming a Christian, and this ended his wavering. He was promptly baptized. At the end of his next military campaign, he asked to be released from the army, saying: "Hitherto I have faithfully served Caesar. Let me now serve Christ." He was accused of cowardice, and offered to stand unarmed between the contending armies. He was imprisoned, but released when peace was signed.
He became a disciple of Hilary of Poitiers, a chief opponent in the West of the Arians, who denied the full deity of Christ, and who had the favor of the emperor Constantius. … He eventually returned to Gaul. There he founded the first monastery in Gaul, which lasted until the French Revolution.
In 371 he was elected bishop of Tours. … The Feast of Martin, a soldier who fought bravely and faithfully in the service of an earthly sovereign, and then enlisted in the service of Christ, is also the day of the Armistice which marked the end of the First World War. On it we remember those who have risked or lost their lives in what they perceived as the pursuit of justice and peace.
So along with St. Martin we pray for all of those who have served in the armed forces. Let us pray, Jesus, you said, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Today we pray for those men and women who have, in their military service, sacrificed their time, strength, ambition, health and even their lives on this earth to benefit people, known and unknown. We honor our veterans in your name. We thank you – as we thank them – for their sacrifice. We ask you to return to them the favor of your blessing, a gift we on our own could never offer. We ask that you would give our veterans a peace beyond the peace they fought to secure, a peace in their own hearts, wrapped in the joy of a life touched by your strong hand. Amen.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: The Lujan family is in need to 2 couches. If anyone has a couch they are trying to find a home for, this would be a great place.
CALENDAR REMINDERS
Adult Christian Education: Focus on Islam. We concluded our review of the book. The next session for this class will be when Dr. Ahmed Ahmed will join us for a question and answer session. Once the date is finalized, I will announce it.
Sunday Screening Mammogram Program at St. Augustine on November 16, 2014. Please get the word out on this important project. They can contact Karen Lidstone at klidston@utmb.edu.
Our Church Thanksgiving Lunch will be Sunday, 23 November 2014 following the 9 AM Eucharist.
Please remember everyone on our Prayer List especially Patricia Florence’s family.
Your servant in Christ,
Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550
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