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Views from the Choir Loft

The Legacy of Martin of Tours

Fr. David Friel · November 11, 2016

S OUR COUNTRY observes Veterans Day today, we, as a Church, celebrate the patron saint of soldiers, St. Martin of Tours. I have long felt a special connection to St. Martin.

As a child, I read a short book about Martin, and his story absolutely captivated me. Years later, I found myself praying to him (among other saints) during my training as a Navy chaplain.

The magnificent chapel of the college seminary in Philadelphia (pictured at right) is known as St. Martin’s Chapel. It was in this place that my life of prayer was formed and deepened. It was also in this chapel that I first sang in a choir and played the organ. It was ultimately in this chapel that I was ordained a deacon.

Whenever giving a tour of the seminary to a group of visitors, on entering the chapel, I would always point out the small, stained glass windows set inside the huge, wooden doors (pictured below). On the left door is a depiction of Martin as a soldier, and on the right door is an image of Martin as a bishop, representing the two major phases of his extraordinary life.

On reaching the sanctuary with the tour group, I would point out the paintings in the apse, which portray important scenes in Martin’s life. The left-most painting captures a remarkable story of his encounter with the Lord, and it seems like a story worth retelling today.

The story begins when Martin was a teenager, a catechumen, and a soldier in the Roman army. He came one day upon a beggar who was shivering from the cold. Moved with compassion for the fellow, he took off his cloak—part of his uniform—and cut it in two, giving half of it to the poor beggar.

I have often wondered why Martin did not give the beggar the whole cloak. That certainly would have been a nice thing to do and a great act of charity. But it also would have sent a very different message than what he actually did.

Had Martin given away his whole cloak, he would have sent the message that: “You’re needy, and I’m not. I can give you my cloak and go get another one for myself. I’m giving, and you’re taking.”

By tearing his cloak in half and sharing it, though, Martin sent a very different message. His message was: “We’re brothers. You’ll be a little bit cold, and so will I. Your problems are my problems. We’ll suffer together.” By doing what he did, Martin not only addressed the physical needs of the beggar, but, more importantly, established a real sense of fraternity with him.

The story about St. Martin goes on, because, some time later, he had a dream in which he had a vision of our Lord. In that dream, Jesus appeared to him wearing the half cloak he had given to the beggar. This was a very concrete symbol of Christ’s words, “Whatever you do to the least of My brethren, you do unto Me” (Matthew 25:40).

Even more than that, though, our Lord was sending the same message to Martin that Martin had sent to the beggar. Our Lord was saying, effectively: “We’re brothers. Your problems are My problems. We’ll suffer together.”

The message our Lord delivered to St. Martin of Tours is a message He shares, also, with us.

Martin’s cloak, thereafter, was treated as a most valuable relic, and pieces of it were frequently carried into battle. The relics were often cared for by priests, who came to be known as capellani. Eventually, all priests serving with the troops in battle came to be known by this name, from which the English word “chaplain” derives.

As we honor our veterans today, let us pray for the intercession of St. Martin of Tours upon all those in military service. In serving their country, may they serve, also, the Lord!

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and serves as Director of Liturgy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Bugnini’s Statement (6 November 1966)
    With each passing day, more is revealed about how the enemies of the liturgy accomplished their goals. For instance, Hannibal Bugnini deeply resented the way Vatican II said Gregorian Chant “must be given first place in liturgical services.” On 6 November 1966, his cadre wrote a letter attempting to justify the elimination of Gregorian Chant with this brazen statement: “What really gives a Mass its tone is not so much the songs as it is the prayers and readings.” Bugnini’s cadre then attacked the very heart of Gregorian Chant (viz. the Proprium Missae), bemoaning how the Proprium Missae “is completely new each Sunday and feast day.” There is much more to be said about this topic. Stay tuned.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Luis Martínez Must Go!
    Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Urgent! • We Desperately Need Funds!
    A few days ago, the president of Corpus Christi Watershed posted this urgent appeal for funds. Please help us make sure we’re never forced to place our content behind a paywall. We feel it’s crucial that 100% of our content remains free to everyone. We’re a tiny 501(c)3 public charity, entirely dependent upon the generosity of small donors. We have no endowment and no major donors. We run no advertisements and have no savings. We beg you to consider donating $4.00 per month. Thank you!
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

Is this the dumbest statement ever written? “When considering texts for his motets, Gombert obtained his inspiration from Scripture—such as the Psalms—as opposed to the liturgy of the Roman Catholic church.”

— Wikipedia

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