Amazing Giver: How St. Martin of Tours Prepares us for Advent
Giving half his cloak to a beggar, changed this man’s life forever.
It was Christ disguised on a cold night as a beggar when the young solider Martin of Tours felt his heart moved with pity for him. I wrote about that amazing incident that led to sainthood here: https://www.tektonministries.org/the-many-ways-to-celebrate-st-martin-of-tours/
While St. Martin of Tours is celebrated in November just a few weeks before our Thanksgiving tables are laden with food and surrounded by loved ones, I think he is preparatory saint for Advent. Advent is a time of preparation for the little King of Love that was born in the stable of Bethlehem and changed the world. It’s THE inciting moment in Salvation History. Just as the poor beggar was the inciting moment in the salvation of St. Martin of Tours.
WHAT’S LUKE GOT TO DO WITH IT?
Jesus as a grown man told a lot of stories to help people visualize the Kingdom of Heaven. In Luke 3:11 John the Baptist is giving a proclamation about Christ. He is telling us Christ is coming. It was just before John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. The people are stirred up asking John what they need, how to be holy, and how to prepare for Jesus. John has just called them a brood of vipers in need of repentance.
John says, “in reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” Giving is a form of repentance here. Sharing is a form of love of neighbor. It’s about cleaning our hearts to help others and prepare our hearts to receive the greatest possession: Jesus Christ.
HOW THIS TIES IN WITH ADVENT
The world-wide church will start offering penance services in every parish. It’s a time for the faithful to come to confession before Christmas. It’s a way to cleanse our hearts and figure out what we need to do in preparation for the Kingdom of God. It’s about being ready to hold baby Jesus when he comes to us at Christmas. Advent follows Thanksgiving in the United States and is four weeks before all the flurry of Christmas. It’s a time for us to focus on what matters; the babe in the Christmas creche.
Instantly, we are asked to slow down and not get caught up in the rush of materialism that surrounds Christmas time. We are to increase our prayers. There’s a little secret here. The more we slow down the better our Christmas celebrations will be. The more we can “savor God’s goodness,” Psalm 34:9.
If we are savoring turkey and dressing and then later Christmas cookies why not savor the reason behind it all: Jesus Christ?
GIVE LIKE LUKE 3:11
The remarkable promotion of Christmas can lead us to the sweet pondering of how to prepare for it through a season of giving. Advent is a time to give away the only thing we own: our sins. Everything is given to us from God, our homes, our clothes, our cars, and our families. But sin is the only thing we own completely in our lives and we need to give it away to the Lord of all Mercy in the Sacrament of Confession.
It’s also a good time to clean our homes. Because we live there and we want it to flourish. Give away those toys no one uses anymore. Give away the clothes you don’t use. If you have two coats – I have a lot more than two coats—the Scripture asks you to just give one away. I have a lot of outgrown children’s coats, that were barely worn before my children grew to a different size—and I have given those away. In the spirit of St. Martin of Tours, I know giving them away is me giving something to Christ.
NOW IS THE TIME
There is no better time to clean out your closets, under your bed, and all your cupboards. You cannot out -give God. I think this cleaning spurs us to also clean our hearts. Christ said we must not be like the Pharisee’s who only clean the outside of the bowl and leave the inside defiled. He was talking about our sins. We don’t just want our homes clean for loved ones; we want our hearts washed clean too.
Living Luke 3:11 also means reaching out to those family members we might be odds with. Send them a written note, email them, text them, or call them. Do all of those if you need. Try to reach out even if they don’t respond. Its’ a way of giving them part of your cloak. Only God knows how that gift might change their hearts and yours.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Advent cleaning right here for your heart and home:
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