Rinaldi St.Martin Reflection Paper
According Rosenwein’s Reading the Middle Ages, a summary St. Martin’s life was written by Sulpicius Severus, a well-educated man who admired him. Martin was born in Modern Hungary into a pagan family. His father was a soldier and military tribune so Martin felt pressure to enroll as an imperial guard during his youth. However, Martin had a passion for serving God, so he ran away, against his parents’ wishes, and begged the church to take him in as a catechumen, or a “Christian convert under instruction before baptism”. He soon became completely devoted to God and at the early age of 12, longed to live his life in the desert to become a hermit. However, because he disobeyed his father, he was arrested and bound by the military oath. Because he was being forced to act as a solider, he used his surroundings as a mission field and showed kindness, affection, and patience which reflected his heart for being a monk. He was even humble enough to give an old beggar half of his clothing in the freezing dead of winter. Martin, in faithfulness to his oath, continued to serve the army for two years after his baptism. Throughout his devote journey, he performed many miracles, including raising a man from the dead, showing his dedication to his faith and his power that he received from God. (Rosenwein, 43)
Towards the end of the third century, asceticism became the goal in a devout Christian’s life due to the absence of threat against Christians and the lack of need for martyrdom. The notes about Martin’s life reflect this change in devotion by his desire to become a hermit and to surrender his life to God through his life, rather than his death. His actions also portrayed the importance of ascetic morals which were to imitate Christ through actions and life giving service. Because this reflection on St. Martin’s life was written by an admirer and also another believer, his input on Martin’s actions and intentions are going to be labeled to reflect God’s image in the most uplifting and positive manner possible. Also since Martin is a Saint, he can do no wrong due to the fact that his life is devoted to the Lord and he doesn’t conform to the mindset of the world. According to Stancliffe, one issue that arises from this hagiography is, that based on Sulpicius’ testimony of Martin’s life, the chronological details of events along with his death doesn’t add up. This could possibly mean the events that took place could be faulty in factual truth but the evidence of Gregory of Tours does add up with Martin’s recorded time of death. (114) Though many would take this description of his life to heart as inspiration and guidance to Sainthood, they should recognize that each event should be taken with a grain of salt, due to the fact that it has one perspective of his life from a single perspective, a fellow believer, not a roman pagan.
Clare Stancliffe, St. Martin and his Hagiographer: History and Miracle in Sulpicius Severus(Oxford historical monographs). Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1983. 112-114.
Rosenwein, Barbara H, Reading the Middle Ages: Sources from Europe, Byzantium, and the Islamic World. The Active Life: Sulpicius Severus, The Life of St. Martin of Tours. Peterborough, Ont.: Broadview, 2006. 43-47.
According Rosenwein’s Reading the Middle Ages, a summary St. Martin’s life was written by Sulpicius Severus, a well-educated man who admired him. Martin was born in Modern Hungary into a pagan family. His father was a soldier and military tribune so Martin felt pressure to enroll as an imperial guard during his youth. However, Martin had a passion for serving God, so he ran away, against his parents’ wishes, and begged the church to take him in as a catechumen, or a “Christian convert under instruction before baptism”. He soon became completely devoted to God and at the early age of 12, longed to live his life in the desert to become a hermit. However, because he disobeyed his father, he was arrested and bound by the military oath. Because he was being forced to act as a solider, he used his surroundings as a mission field and showed kindness, affection, and patience which reflected his heart for being a monk. He was even humble enough to give an old beggar half of his clothing in the freezing dead of winter. Martin, in faithfulness to his oath, continued to serve the army for two years after his baptism. Throughout his devote journey, he performed many miracles, including raising a man from the dead, showing his dedication to his faith and his power that he received from God. (Rosenwein, 43)
Towards the end of the third century, asceticism became the goal in a devout Christian’s life due to the absence of threat against Christians and the lack of need for martyrdom. The notes about Martin’s life reflect this change in devotion by his desire to become a hermit and to surrender his life to God through his life, rather than his death. His actions also portrayed the importance of ascetic morals which were to imitate Christ through actions and life giving service. Because this reflection on St. Martin’s life was written by an admirer and also another believer, his input on Martin’s actions and intentions are going to be labeled to reflect God’s image in the most uplifting and positive manner possible. Also since Martin is a Saint, he can do no wrong due to the fact that his life is devoted to the Lord and he doesn’t conform to the mindset of the world. According to Stancliffe, one issue that arises from this hagiography is, that based on Sulpicius’ testimony of Martin’s life, the chronological details of events along with his death doesn’t add up. This could possibly mean the events that took place could be faulty in factual truth but the evidence of Gregory of Tours does add up with Martin’s recorded time of death. (114) Though many would take this description of his life to heart as inspiration and guidance to Sainthood, they should recognize that each event should be taken with a grain of salt, due to the fact that it has one perspective of his life from a single perspective, a fellow believer, not a roman pagan.
Clare Stancliffe, St. Martin and his Hagiographer: History and Miracle in Sulpicius Severus(Oxford historical monographs). Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1983. 112-114.
Rosenwein, Barbara H, Reading the Middle Ages: Sources from Europe, Byzantium, and the Islamic World. The Active Life: Sulpicius Severus, The Life of St. Martin of Tours. Peterborough, Ont.: Broadview, 2006. 43-47.