 |
| St. Martin of Terracina (Feast Day - November 12) |
Verses
Martin received mighty glory from God,
Which he seized by being adorned with mercy.
Which he seized by being adorned with mercy.
He was from Savaria in Pannonia, renowned in his generation and greatly recognized among the Illyrians. Adorned with the apostolic office, the Arians plotted against him. Many times he was publicly beaten by them, then banished. Going to Milan, the same thing was done to him by the Bishop there named Auxentios, who was an Arian. The renowned one was therefore forced to flee to the deserted and uninhabited island of Pantelleria in the Tyrrhenian Sea. There he lived in silence, eating only the roots of plants.
Later he became Bishop of the Church of Terracina. The renowned one shined and progressed to such an extent in his love for the poor, that first of all he distributed all his belongings to the poor. Afterwards, although he wore only one garment, when he saw someone who was impoverished freezing, he ripped his only garment from the knee, and he gave it to the poor man. Once the Saint saw someone who was dead, and as he was being brought to burial, a slanderer would not allow him to be buried, falsely saying that he owed him money. The Saint therefore raised the dead man from the dead, and pointing to the slandering liar, he ordered that he die instead of the one who was dead. In this manner therefore did the thrice blessed one live a God-pleasing and wondrous life, and reposed in peace.