A woman attentively discusses with a counselor over a glass table during a session.

St. Martin of Tours - Patron Saint of Soldiers and Veterans

Today is … ℕ𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕞𝕓𝕖𝕣 𝟙𝟙, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟝 - 𝕍𝕖𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕤 𝔻𝕒𝕪!🎖

𝕊𝕒𝕝𝕦𝕥𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕍𝕖𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕤! 🫡

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞! 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗕𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂!🙏

Today was my first day out and about since returning from our family pilgrimage to Rome, Italy. As I attended morning Mass, I prayed for all Veterans, present and past and pondered about the saint we honor on this day, St. Martin of Tours ~ Patron Saint of all Soldiers and Veterans.

I didn’t know much about him, so when I got home, I sat with my youngest son (who happened to have the day off in honor of Veterans Day), and we decided to learn together.

We talked about how important it is to remember and honor the lives of the Veterans who have served and continue to serve our country. It takes a lot from a person to serve another. To be a Veteran means to have said “yes” to a call, to serve their country and their fellow man. To train, to fight, and even to risk one’s life for the rights and freedoms of others requires courage, strength, and love. That “yes” is a courageous “yes”.

As we continued learning and talking, I reminded my son that there are many ways people serve in this world. Today we focus on our brave military men and women and we thank them deeply. We also thank our first responders, public safety officers, and all who serve in quiet, often unseen ways. Service isn’t only a job title, it’s a heart posture. A true servant looks first to the person in front of them, before themselves.

I looked up the life of St. Martin of Tours and found his story on the “New Advent” website under “Church Fathers > On the Life of St. Martin (Sulpitius Severus).” The preface alone drew us in.

We learned that St. Martin was ordered by his father to serve in the military, even though it wasn’t his desire. Yet even within that role, he didn’t fall into the common vices around him. Instead, he served with love, humility, and deep devotion to God. His kindness and compassion reflected the love of Christ so clearly that everyone who met him felt it and in return, they loved him too.

One story stood out to us. St. Martin once met a poor man in the cold. Having already given away all he had, St. Martin took his sword and cut his cloak in half and gave one piece to the man and kept the other for himself. Some who saw him laughed at him, but he stood firm in his faith. That night, he had a vision of Christ wearing the half of the cloak he had given away. Christ said to the angels around Him, “Martin, who is still but a catechumen, has clothed Me with this robe.”

This echoes what Scripture teaches us:

“ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀʏ ᴡᴇ ᴄᴀᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʜᴇ ʟᴀɪᴅ ᴅᴏᴡɴ ʜɪꜱ ʟɪꜰᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ᴜꜱ; ꜱᴏ ᴡᴇ ᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ᴛᴏ ʟᴀʏ ᴅᴏᴡɴ ᴏᴜʀ ʟɪᴠᴇꜱ ꜰᴏʀ ᴏᴜʀ ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀꜱ. ɪꜰ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ʜᴀꜱ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅʟʏ ᴍᴇᴀɴꜱ ꜱᴇᴇꜱ ᴀ ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ɪɴ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴇꜰᴜꜱᴇꜱ ʜɪᴍ ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴀꜱꜱɪᴏɴ, ʜᴏᴡ ᴄᴀɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴏꜰ ɢᴏᴅ ʀᴇᴍᴀɪɴ ɪɴ ʜɪᴍ? ᴄʜɪʟᴅʀᴇɴ, ʟᴇᴛ ᴜꜱ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ɴᴏᴛ ɪɴ ᴡᴏʀᴅ ᴏʀ ꜱᴘᴇᴇᴄʜ ʙᴜᴛ ɪɴ ᴅᴇᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʀᴜᴛʜ.” ~ 1 ᴊᴏʜɴ 3:16-18

That is the heart of true love. Jesus laid down His life for us, not because we were worthy, but because His love makes us worthy. When we receive that kind of love, it changes how we see the world. It changes how we see our fellow neighbors. It changes how we see everything. We begin to see Jesus in everything and in others, and when we serve them, we serve Him.

The world may not understand this kind of love, but it is the only love that truly transforms. It moves us to put the needs of others before our own and not out of obligation, but out of true compassion and love. Why? Because we have felt Jesus’ love and compassion for us first!

So today, as we thank our Veterans for their service, let us also look to the example of St. Martin of Tours. May we, too, serve others with humble hearts, with compassion, and with Christ’s love shining through us. And may every act of service, whether big or small, be done with the excellence of love: our Class A+ Love for Jesus. Amen!

 ✝️St. Martin of Tours, Pray for Us! 🙏

With a heart of service, love and peace in Him,

America Nieto @ HTSFE & F2C

Sources for reflection:

Donate