Today's Scripture Reading
Matthew 25:34-40 (NRSV)
Blog Reflection
St. Martin of Tours is one of my favorite Saints commemorated in our calendar. When I think of the great evangelical Saints like St. Francis of Assisi, St. Dominic, as well as missionaries like Mother Theresa of Calcutta and St. Vincent de Paul, they all got their start from St. Martin of Tours. At one point, St. Benedict had erected a shrine to St. Martin of Tours.
I just read a great article in the Daily Episcopalian about the connection between St. Martin of Tours and celebrating Veteran's Day. It appears that St. Martin was also a soldier in the army. It was during his journey toward a day of battle that he saw the naked man shivering in the cold, and using his own sword to divide his cloak in half, gave the other to the freezing man. Later, Martin had a vision of Jesus wearing the other half of his cloak. So, Martin lived out the meaning of the Gospel used for his Commemoration today. It also turns out that St. Martin was a peacemaker at a time when the Barbarians were going to attack. His refusal to participate in the battle, but placed on the front of the battle field, was among the reasons the Barbarians decided not to attack.
So many of our Veteran's are those who put their own lives on the line for our benefit. They risked their health. Their time with their families. Their own careers and many of them. Their whole lives so that we can enjoy the freedoms we often take for granted. Yet, as much as our Veterans have given on our behalf, so many of them have never been appropriately thanked, or received the care and compensation their sacrifices deserve. Many of them are poor. Others suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, anxiety, loss of the ability to parts of their bodies and more. Many of our Veterans are of mixed races, religions, sexual orientations, genders, gender identities/expressions, ages, speak and write in many languages, and abilities.
Our Veterans are the face of Jesus who is hungry, thirsty, naked, a stranger, in a prison of one kind or another, or sick. Turning our backs on our Veterans is to leave Jesus out in the cold, looking for some warmth. St. Martin of Tours reminds us that we must be willing to put ourselves out there for the cause of peace, and to serve others as Christ Himself. Serving God and one another, including our Veterans brings the Community of Christ closer together in hope, holiness and an opportunity for all of us to grow in our faith.
Let us all today say thank you to God for the witness of St. Martin of Tours, and our Veterans. May we express our undying gratitude to them, and do what we can to encourage our government, church communities and local communities to recognize and care for our Veterans. Remembering that when we serve and thank our Veterans, we honor and serve Christ Himself.
Amen.
Prayers
Matthew 25:34-40 (NRSV)
Jesus said, "Then the king will say to those at his right hand, `Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' And the king will answer them, `Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.' "
Blog Reflection
St. Martin of Tours is one of my favorite Saints commemorated in our calendar. When I think of the great evangelical Saints like St. Francis of Assisi, St. Dominic, as well as missionaries like Mother Theresa of Calcutta and St. Vincent de Paul, they all got their start from St. Martin of Tours. At one point, St. Benedict had erected a shrine to St. Martin of Tours.
I just read a great article in the Daily Episcopalian about the connection between St. Martin of Tours and celebrating Veteran's Day. It appears that St. Martin was also a soldier in the army. It was during his journey toward a day of battle that he saw the naked man shivering in the cold, and using his own sword to divide his cloak in half, gave the other to the freezing man. Later, Martin had a vision of Jesus wearing the other half of his cloak. So, Martin lived out the meaning of the Gospel used for his Commemoration today. It also turns out that St. Martin was a peacemaker at a time when the Barbarians were going to attack. His refusal to participate in the battle, but placed on the front of the battle field, was among the reasons the Barbarians decided not to attack.
So many of our Veteran's are those who put their own lives on the line for our benefit. They risked their health. Their time with their families. Their own careers and many of them. Their whole lives so that we can enjoy the freedoms we often take for granted. Yet, as much as our Veterans have given on our behalf, so many of them have never been appropriately thanked, or received the care and compensation their sacrifices deserve. Many of them are poor. Others suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, anxiety, loss of the ability to parts of their bodies and more. Many of our Veterans are of mixed races, religions, sexual orientations, genders, gender identities/expressions, ages, speak and write in many languages, and abilities.
Our Veterans are the face of Jesus who is hungry, thirsty, naked, a stranger, in a prison of one kind or another, or sick. Turning our backs on our Veterans is to leave Jesus out in the cold, looking for some warmth. St. Martin of Tours reminds us that we must be willing to put ourselves out there for the cause of peace, and to serve others as Christ Himself. Serving God and one another, including our Veterans brings the Community of Christ closer together in hope, holiness and an opportunity for all of us to grow in our faith.
Let us all today say thank you to God for the witness of St. Martin of Tours, and our Veterans. May we express our undying gratitude to them, and do what we can to encourage our government, church communities and local communities to recognize and care for our Veterans. Remembering that when we serve and thank our Veterans, we honor and serve Christ Himself.
Amen.
Prayers
Lord God of hosts, you clothed your servant Martin the soldier with the spirit of sacrifice, and set him as a Bishop in your Church to be a defender of the catholic faith: Give us grace to follow in his holy foot steps, that at the last we may be found clothed with righteousness in the dwellings of peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Holy Women, Holy Men, Celebrating the Saints, p.675).
Almighty God, we commend to your gracious care and
keeping all the men and women of our armed forces at home
and abroad. 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. (Prayer for those in our Armed Forces, Book of Common Prayer, p.823).
Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you
all poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy for us
to forget: the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick,
and all who have none to care for them. Help us to heal those
who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow
into joy. Grant this, Father, for the love of your Son, who for
our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for the Poor and Neglected, Book of Common Prayer, p.826).
No comments:
Post a Comment