Daily Thoughts: I found it rather interesting and even ironic
as I read about St. Martin of Tours this morning before celebrating mass. St.
Martin was born in Pannonia (Hungary). In his teens he became a Roman soldier
following in his father’s footsteps but at 18 he was baptized and decided that
his new found Christian values and military service were incompatible so he got
his release from the army. He moved to the Gaul region of France where he
founded a monastery with a small group of disciples. Eventually despite St.
Martin’s strong protests the people of Tours proclaimed him their bishop.
The irony of the above story is that every year we celebrate
Veterans Day in the United States on the feast of St. Martin of Tours, yet it
was Martin who chose to leave the military because he felt his Christian values
were incompatible with it.
The second thing that caught my attention about St. Martin’s
story is that it was the people of Tours who made St. Martin their bishop.
Now we have to put this story in context. St. Martin lived
in the fourth century and obviously life was different, military service was
different and Church was different. As a Church over the centuries we have
changed our stance on serving in the military and on how we choose bishops. Yet
it is interesting how this story about the life of St. Martin of Tour can make
us stop and think about life today and the choices and decisions that we make
in regards to our faith and our Church.
Our readings to offer us perhaps different challenges than
those of St. Martin and the Church. In our first reading today from the Book of
Wisdom (Wisdom 6:1-11), the writer addresses the leaders of nations. The author
tells them that God will hold them accountable for their actions, that God will
judge them strictly. As this point we might say, well that has nothing to do
with me I am not in a position of power, authority or influence. However in
everyday life we can often throw our weight around and impose our will even
when we only have a small amount of authority and power. Remember Wisdom tells
us that “the lowly may be pardoned out of mercy but the mighty will be mightily
put to the test.” (Wisdom 6:6). We might well pause in the midst of our journey
of life to consider other and their needs a little more carefully.
In our Gospel (Luke 17:11-19) Jesus responds with mercy to
the ten lepers who asked for mercy. Yet it is the Samaritan in the group who
returns to offer thanks. How often do we get caught up in the attitude that “Life
is about me!” How often do we forget that all we are and all we have comes from
God and when those good moments happen; when life falls into place for us; when
things work out just as we had planned. How often do we remember to pause and
say thank you?
If we look at the history of the world, the history of life,
the history of the Church, great decisions have been made but so to have
mistakes and poor choices. Things have constantly changed sometimes for the
better, sometimes for the worse yet what has endured is the presence of God.
As Jesus tells us in the Gospel today, faith and thankfulness
are key ingredients in the journey of life. We need to have faith, to trust in
God’s mercy. We also need to be thankful for that mercy each and every day of
our life.
Today we are thankful to all the women and men who have
served this country, many of whom offer their lives in that service. But we
also know that many of the wars they were sent to were unnecessary. They were
power decisions by people in power. They wasted the lives of many though death and
the disruption of good lives. Let us ask for God’s mercy and healing for all
who need it. Let us ask God’s mercy upon all who sent these women and men in
harm’s way. And let us ask God to beat our bombs and guns into plow shares and
hope that one day women and men will never have to train for war again!
Blessings and peace to all Veterans today and happy St.
Martin of Tours feast day to all! Enjoy your Wednesday everyone!
Daily Prayer:
Loving God, on this Veterans Day –
Make us instruments of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let us sow love,
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.
O God of Peace, grant that we may not so much seek
to be consoled as to
console,
to be understood as
to understand,
to be loved, as to
love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
(Adapted from a prayer
attributed to St. Francis of Assisi)
A Runner’s Thoughts: “For every runner who tours the world
running marathons, there are thousands who run to hear the leaves and listen to
the rain, and look to the day when it is suddenly as easy as a bird in flight.”
(George Sheehan)
Daily Blessing: Wednesday greetings and blessings to all. I
hope your Wednesday, your Hump Day, has started off well. It looks to be
another rainy day here in Pelham.
I would like to send a shout out to my sister, Bernadette and my brother-in-law, John as they return from their journey to Italy and celebrate their 43rd Wedding Anniversary today! Sate travels and Happy Anniversary! Many blessings today and always.
As we celebrate this Veteran’s Day I ask God to bless us all
today with a sense of reverence for life and the presence of God. There were
many women and men who served our country by giving their life and we ask God
to hold them today and always in his eternal hands. Countless others served yet
returned home with shattered lives and like the ten lepers in the Gospel today
we ask God’s mercy from them. Finally we ask God to strengthen our faith so
that we may believe in the mercy of God that can bring healing, health and
peace to all.
Loving God bless us with your peace so that the struggles,
the difficulties and the challenges of this day do not get us down but help us
to know of your presence and love in our life!
Loving God renew our spirits so that we may live this day in
your service, in your presence and in your love. Help us to always be thankful
for all that you have done for us. Amen! Blessings to all Veterans! And
blessings to all who serve in the military may you make it home safely and
soon! Happy Veterans Day to all! Happy Feast of St. Martin of Tours to all!
Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul
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