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FEAST OF THE DAY

St. Martin of Tours was born of pagan parents around the year 316
in what is modern day Hungary. His father was an army veteran and
Martin was forced to enter the military at the age of 15. One story
about his life while he was in the military tells how he cut his cloak in
half and gave one of the halves to a beggar. That night, the beggar
appeared to him in a dream as Christ wrapped in half of Martin's
cloak.

At the age of 18, while he was still in the military, Martin was
baptized. He sought to give up his life in the military in order to serve
God better, and sometime after the year 339, his wish was granted.
Martin was relieved of his military duty, ordained, and set out to find
St. Hilary and become his disciple. Martin, now a monk, traveled with
Hilary to Poitiers in France and began to build a monastery. This
monastery became one of the first established in the West, and
Martin lived there for ten years while it became established.

Martin was very charismatic, and well known as a preacher, and he
became well known throughout much of France. The city of Tours
clamored for his ordination as their bishop, and reluctantly, he
accepted the post. Martin spent the rest of his life in Tours caring for
his flock. He died around the year 397 and is the patron of soldiers,
winegrowers, and France. Martin was the first saint who was not a
martyr to be honored with an annual feast in the Western Church.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Christ, the Master of humility, manifests His Truth only to the humble
and hides Himself from the proud. -St. Vincent Ferrer

TODAY IN HISTORY

537 St Silverius ends his reign as Catholic Pope
1215 4th Lateran Council (12th ecumenical council) opens
1918 at 11:11 a.m., an armistice goes into effect to end World War One

TODAY'S TIDBIT

The Fourth Lateran Council was held between November 11, 1215
and November 30, 1215. In the area of sacramental theology, this
council ordered the annual reception of the Sacraments of Eucharist
and penance by all Catholics, and defined and made the first use of
the term Transubstantiation to describe the miracle of the change of
bread and wine into Jesus' body and blood at the Eucharist. This
council also adopted several measures to battle the Albigensian and
Cathari heresies, and approve seventy canons to be added to
Church Law.

INTENTION FOR THE DAY

Please pray for all veterans of war and for peace throughout the
world.

Thought for the Day

Whenever you begin any good work you should first of all make a most pressing appeal to Christ our Lord to bring it to perfection; that he, who has honoured us by counting us among his children, may never be grieved by our evil deeds. For we must always serve him with the good things he has given us in such a way that he may never - as an angry father disinherits his sons or even like a master who inspires fear - grow impatient with our sins and consign us to everlasting punishment, like wicked servants who would not follow him to glory. No one should follow what he considers to be good for himself, but rather what seems good for another. They should display brotherly love in a chaste manner; fear God in a spirit of love.

-- St Benedict