Changes

[[Image:Martin of Tours.jpg|right|thumb|St. Martin of Tours.]]Our father among the saints '''Martin of Tours''' (Latin: Martinus), was a [[bishop]] of Tours in the fourth century. He showed interest in Christianity at an early age. After service in the Roman army, he was [[baptize]]d and became a [[disciple ]] of St. [[Hilary of Poitiers]] who was prominent in the trinitarian disputes with the [[Arianism|Arian]]s. He was acclaimed bishop of Tours in 371. He founded the [[monastery ]] Marmoutier where he led a austere life with cave-dwelling [[cenobitic|cenobite]]s. [[Veneration ]] of Martin was very popular in western Europe during the middle ages. After his death he was buried in Tours where, in time, a large [[basilica]] was built as the shrine of St. Martin of Tours. His [[hagiographer ]] Sulpitius Severus, a contemporary, recorded the events in his life.

Martin was born in 316 or 317 in Sabaria, Pannonia, in present day Hungary, into a military family. His father was a tribune in the Imperial Horse Guard and was stationed in Ticinum, Cisapline Gaul, which is modern day Pavia, Italy. He was named after the Roman god Mars. Against his parents’ parents' wishes, young Martin began attending church at the age of ten, becoming a [[catechumen]]. At the age of fifteen, and being the son of a Roman officer, he was required to join the cavalry. In the course of his duties in 334 he was stationed at Samarobriva, Gaul, modern day Amiens, France.[[File:Saint Martin of Tours and the episode of the cloak.jpg|left|thumb|250px|St. Martin and the cloak]]It was while in Amiens that he experienced a vision that became a memorialized event in his life. He had met at the gates of the city of Amiens a scantily dressed beggar for whom Martin cut in half his military cloak to share it with the beggar. That night he dreamed of [[Jesus]] wearing the half cloak that Martin had given away and heard Jesus telling the [[angels]]: "Here is Martin, the Roman soldier who was not baptized. He has clad me." Confirmed in his intent by this vision, Martin was baptized and after serving two more years left the army. He then traveled to Tours, to become a disciple of St. Hilary of Poitiers.

It St. Hilary was a chief proponent of Trinitarian Christianity and opposed the [[Arianism]] of the Visigothic nobility. Martin returned to Italy after Hilary was while exiled. In Italy, he confronted the Arian Auxentius, [[Archbishop]] of Milan, who expelled Martin from the city. Martin then found refuge and lived the life of a hermit on an island in Amiens that he experienced the Tyrrhenian Sea. Martin rejoined Hilary when Hilary returned to Poitiers in 361. Here, Martin established a vision monastery that in time became a memorialized event the Bendictine [[Abbey]] of Liguge. From his monastery, Martin traveled and preached throughout western Gaul, the memory of which is remembered in many local legends. In 371, Martin was acclaimed bishop of Tours. As bishop of Tours he greatly impressed the city's inhabitants with his lifedemeanor and zeal in destroying the pagan temples. Sulpicius Severus recorded in the ''Vita'' of St. Martin many of the events of this period. He had met at Sulpicius further recorded Martin's withdrawal from the gates tensions of the city to the monastery, Marmoutier, that he founded across the Loire river from Tours. Here Martin led a austere life among the cave-dwelling cenobites who had gathered around him. St. Martin of Amiens Tours died on [[November 11]], 397, at Candes. ==His Memory==The basilica built over his grave as a scantily dressed beggar for whom shrine to St. Martin cut of Tours was a major stopping point on pilgrimages during the middle ages. During the Wars of Religion in half his military cloak 1562, the Huguenots sacked the shrine and, it was completely destroyed during the French Revolution. Two streets were built over the site to share ensure it could not be re-built.  St. Martin of Tours continues to be remembered in many parts of western Europe through annual processions and the giving of presents to children on his day, [[November 11]], instead of [[December 6]] (St. [[Nicholas of Myra|Nicholas]]) or [[December 25]] ([[Christmas]]). His [[feast day]] is sometimes celebrated on [[November 12]]. ==Hymns==[[Troparion]] ([[Tone]] 4) [http://oca.org/FStropars.asp?SID=13&ID=103285] :In signs and in miracles you were renowned throughout Gaul.:By grace and adoption you are a light for the world, O Martin, blessed of God.:Almsdeeds and compassion filled your life with their splendors,:Teaching and wise counsel were your riches and treasures,:Which you dispense freely to those who honor you. [[Kontakion]] (Tone 8) [http://oca.org/FStropars.asp?SID=13&ID=103285]:As a devoted man of God, you proclaimed His mysteries,:And as a seer of the Trinity, you shed your blessings on the beggarOccident. That night he dreamed :By your prayers and entreaties, O adornment of Tours and glory of Jesus wearing all the half cloak that Church,:Preserve us, O Saint Martin had given away , and heard Jesus telling save all who praise your memory. ==External links==*[http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?SID=4&ID=1&FSID=103285 St. Martin the Merciful the angels “Here is Bishop of Tours] ([[OCA]])*[http://goarch.org/chapel/saints/2369 Saint Martin, Bishop of Tours] ([[GOARCH]])*[http://www.roca.org/OA/33/33h.htm St. Martinof Tours] ([[ROCA]]) from ''Orthodox America'', the Roman soldier who was not baptizedissue 33, v. He has clad meIV, no.3, September, 1983*[[w:Martin of Tours|''Martin of Tours'' at Wikipedia]] [[Category:Saints]][[Category:French Saints]][[Category:Pre-Schism Western Saints]][[Category:4th-century saints]] [[ro:Martin de Tours]]