Sermon on the Feast of St. Martin, the Eleventh of November

Psalm 84:5–6

Happy the man whose help is from you: he has set his heart on ascending while in the valley of tears, in the place which he has built.

Prologue

The proclaimed words show explicitly enough that St. Martin has arrived at the glory of highness through divine help. That help is ready for all people. And just as St. Martin needed divine help in order to arrive at the glory of highness, so we, too, need divine help so that we can arrive at glory.¹ Therefore, in accordance with the exhortation of the Apostle in Hebrews 4:16: let us approach with confidence to the throne of his grace, that we may receive mercy and obtain grace in the favorable time, so that he may give me something to say, et cetera.

Sermon

Happy the man (Ps 83:6–7 [Vg]), et cetera.

It is a custom that when someone is promoted to a great status or to a great dignity, he and his relatives and friends commemorate this exaltation. This day St. Martin is promoted to the highest dignity and the highest place, namely, to the kingdom of the heavens. Therefore, Mother Church commemorates his happiness.

Concerning his happiness three things come up that we must consider on the ground of the words proclaimed. First, we can consider the beginning of his happiness;¹ second, the progress;² and third, the endpoint of his happiness.³

The origin or cause of his happiness was divine help, which is mentioned when it is said: happy the man whose help is from you. He has made progress in ascents: he advanced from one virtue to another, which is mentioned when it says: he has set his heart on ascending. The endpoint of his happiness is the gain of eternal happiness, which is mentioned when it says: in the place which he has built.¹ Why? The psalmist explains immediately² what he has said, as he adds: the giver of the law will also give a blessing; see: the divine help. [He continues:] they will go from one virtue to another; behold: the ascent from one virtue to another. The God of gods will be seen in Zion (Ps 83:8 [Vg]);³ lo: the place that he has built.

First, I say that the origin or the cause of arriving at a particular dignity is divine help. With our reason we find in creatures that when something reaches something by its own nature, it is the cause of it. As for those things that it does not reach by its own nature—like fire: it is warm by its own nature, and therefore it is the cause of the heating in those things which it does not reach by its own nature.¹ Well, God is happy by his own nature, and thus he is the cause of happiness in others.² Hence the Apostle says in 1 Timothy 6:15: our Lord Jesus Christ, whom the happy and only powerful king of kings and Lord of lordships will show. So no one can arrive at happiness unless by divine help.

Let us see what help the Lord grants us, so that mankind may arrive at happiness. I mention a triple help: first, God chides mankind; second, he teaches us; and third, he takes us up.¹

1. That God chides us is a way to happiness. Job 5:17 reads: happy the man who is chided by God. This correction pertains to being called.¹ Mankind is chided only because of sin. Being called happens from afar; through sin it happens that someone is far from God, as it says in Isaiah 59:2: your sins cause a division between you and your God.² The Apostle shows us the blessing of being called when he says in Romans 8:30: the ones he has predestined he has also called.³ And St. Martin was called by the Lord and was chided, that is, removed from original sin and preserved from actual sin.⁴ Isaiah 41:2: who has raised the just one from the east and called him to follow him? Those who are raised from sin are raised by God. Some are converted in the east—that is, in their boyhood⁵—just like St. Martin; when he was ten years of age, he became a catechumen, against his parents’ will.⁶ When he was twelve he thought of how he could become a hermit.

See that help: it is necessary for man that God chides him (cf. Heb 12:7). You should know that no matter how often you are chided by a human being, this correction is not worth anything, unless you become more intimate with God’s grace, which is calling you. Thus it says in Ecclesiastes 7:13: consider God’s works: no one can correct someone whom he has despised. So it is not worth anything that someone be chided by highly placed people or by others, unless God works in him through his grace.¹ God’s chiding of man is a sign of his love.² Thus we read in Proverbs 3:12: the Lord chides whom he loves.³ God chides man in three ways:

1.1. first, by inspiring fear. Hence we read in Sirach 1:27: who is without fear cannot be justified; fear of the Lord belongs to wisdom.¹ So we must apply ourselves to having fear [of God]. This is the first step to happiness.²

1.2. Second, God chides someone by forgiving him his sins. God is the only one who can forgive sins, according to Mark 2:7.¹ And in Psalm 27 we read: happy the ones whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered (Ps 32:1).

1.3. Third, God chides someone by pulling him away from sins. Isn’t it a divine blessing that, just as God forgives a man his sins, he also preserves him from sinning?¹ Augustine says this in Confessions, book II, chapter 7: I ascribe it to your grace and your mercy that you have melted away my sins like ice. Also, the many evil things I did not do I ascribe to your grace, because I was not able to do them.² Psalm 1:1 touches upon this happiness, saying: happy the man who did not go astray following the advice of the godless and did not come to a standstill on the way of sinners. St. Martin did not need this grace of the removal of sins, since we do not read about actual sins committed by him. But God chided him in this respect: that he preserved him from sinning.

2. Second, God offers his help to a man by teaching him. In Psalm 94:12 we read: happy the man whom you teach, Lord, and whom you instruct in your law. This is not a teaching that would only enlighten the intellect; it moves the affection as well.¹ The art of oratory has an effect on a judge’s affection. If this is the effect of human pleas, the effect of divine pleas² must be much stronger. Hence we read in John 6:45: everyone who has listened to my Father and has learned, comes to me. Someone listens to the Father when he is inspired with a good thing; someone who rejects inspired things does not learn. Isaiah has not acted in the latter way; he says in 50:5: God has opened my ear, and I have not objected; I have not recoiled, that I may listen to him as to a teacher. Someone who subjects his heart to the divine inspiration learns. This pertains to justification.³ The Apostle says in Romans 8:30: those whom he has called, he has also justified. There are three stages in the divine teaching (cf. 1 Cor 13:13).

2.1. First, he enlightens the intellect through faith.¹ This is the greatest teaching. Having a little bit of faith is more than knowing everything that all philosophers in the world have known.² Hence it says in Deuteronomy 4:6: show that wisdom and understanding of yours before the peoples. And in John 20:29 it reads: happy those who have not seen and yet believe.

2.2. Second, this teaching raises up the mind through hope. When the mind believes through faith, it is then elevated by hope.¹ This is the second stage of happiness. Psalm 40:5: happy the man whose hope is the name of the Lord and who has not looked at vain and unhealthy things that are false. Some do not trust in God, but in vain things. Which are vain things? Temporal goods, riches, honors, and the like.² Psalm 39:6 says: but still total vanity is the living man.³ So you should not put your trust in those things.⁴ Some, and that is worse, trust in unhealthy things; they turn to the interpretations of omens, predictions, and the superstitions of black magic.⁵

2.3. The third stage of this teaching is that it changes the affection through love, because it says in Tobit 13:17: happy all who love you.¹ St. Martin’s father and mother were pagans, yet still his soul did not sense anything but spiritual things (cf. 1 Cor 14:1),² and he was so erudite that he has written a book on the Trinity.³

3. The third divine help is that God takes us up (cf. Exod 19:4). Psalm 65:4 reads: happy the one whom you have chosen and taken up; he will live in your forecourts. This action of taking someone up pertains to the third blessing of God, namely, magnification. The Apostle says in Romans 8:30: the ones whom he has justified, he has also magnified. And how has the Lord magnified St. Martin? Surely with a triple step.

3.1. First, through the holiness of his works. If someone reads St. Martin’s biography, he will discover how grand he has been: how great his virtue, his abstinence, and his chastity have been. Genesis 26:13 says of such a magnitude that Isaac advanced and increased until the effect was great. St. Martin has been great in the observance of the commandments. Thus the psalmist says: happy those who hear your law and guard it in their whole heart.¹

3.2. Second, St. Martin has been great because of the greatness of [his] miracles. (a) He has raised up three dead people.¹ (b) His garments (cf. Acts 19:12) and the letters he sent cured those who were ill.² About this magnification we read in Sirach 45:2: he has made him great in the fear of enemies,³ (c) that is: of his enemies, the pagans (Sir 45:2 [Vg]), and by his words he has tamed monsters. For once there was a tree cut down, and he had placed himself in the path of its fall, and the tree fell over to the other side.⁴ (d) Likewise, he wanted to penetrate the troops of the enemies unarmed, and subsequently he tamed the monsters, because his enemies sent peace negotiators.⁵ Because of these miracles St. Martin must be magnified, like the Blessed Virgin, who has said: because he has done great things for me (Luke 1:49), namely, the greatest miracle of the miracles: that in her womb God became man and that she gave birth and yet she remained a virgin.⁶ Also for St. Martin he has done many great things. Because of this he must be magnified by all people.

3.3. The third step is proper to the magnification of the happiness of St. Martin, found in the spreading of his fame, all over the earth. For which is the devotion and which is the city where the name and the fame of St. Martin are not renowned? Psalm 137:2 (Vg): you have magnified your holy name above every name. Although a gloss¹ relates this to Christ, still it could be said of St. Martin. Think about the miracles he has done. So many kings, so many emperors have applied themselves to making a name for themselves on earth (Ps 48:12 [Vg]): some have built triumphal arches; others, houses and castles; and still their memory has perished with their sound (Ps 9:7). There are only a few who know who Trajan and Octavian were.² But St. Martin, who was lowly on earth—the effect [of his life] is great.³ It says in Job 29: upon hearing my name the ear has blessed me (Job 29:11). All who hear the story of St. Martin bless him.

The first point is clear now, namely, the beginning of how he became happy, which is the divine help, and how God chides and teaches man and takes him up.

Evening Collation

We continue with the progress of St. Martin to happiness, where it says [in the Psalm]: he has set his heart on ascending (Ps 83:6). Whoever wants to ascend to some high state must ascend little by little. Because St. Martin realized that he ought to ascend from the low state of misery to a high state, he prepared for himself the upward steps towards happiness. Well, in regard to St. Martin, we can consider a threefold ascent.

The first is by means of the sacrament of regeneration;

the second is according to the state;

and the third is according to merit.

1. First, I say that St. Martin has prepared for himself the ascent by means of the sacrament of regeneration.¹ And anyone on whom this benefaction of being regenerated in Christ is conferred, does not go up a little step. The Apostle says in Galatians 3:27: all who are baptized in Christ, you are clothed with Christ. It is not a little thing to be clothed with Christ and to be strengthened by him.² Song of Songs 4:2 says about this ascent: your teeth are like a shorn flock. Hairs are sins:³ the shorn flock that ascends from the bath consists of those who have been cleansed from sin through Baptism, and these ascend. This is signified in Matthew 3:16, where it says that Christ after being baptized ascended from the waters. St. Martin has thought much about how he could arrive at that benefaction, and later on he has carefully thought about how he could keep himself clean, free from sin.

2. The second ascent pertains to the state. Hence it says in Exodus 24:1: the Lord said to Moses: ‘Go up the mountain, you and the seventy elders of the house of Israel.’ The Lord said that the others should stay down and that only Moses should ascend; ordinary people do not ascend, because they do not reach for the state of highness. The elders ascended a little bit, but only Moses went up [all the way] onto the mountain (Exod 24:1–2). There are different states. If we consider the ascent of St. Martin in this respect, I say that he has ascended in three ways:

(2.1) first, from the military to the clerical state;

(2.2) second, from the clerical to the religious state;

and (2.3) third, from the religious to the pontifical state.

2.1. First, I say that St. Martin ascended from the military state to the clerical state, because the clerical military force¹ is higher than the worldly one. For worldly soldiers wage wars against enemies of flesh; we, however, wage the Lord’s wars against spiritual enemies. Hence the Apostle says in 2 Corinthians 10:4: the weapons of our military force are not of the flesh, but spiritual,² given by God for the destruction of errors, vices, and sins. About this ascent Isaiah 2:3 says: come, let us ascend to the mountain of the Lord and to the house of Jacob’s God, and he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his ways. The clerical state is a certain mountain.³ We ought to ascend to the Lord’s house and serve there and be taught in the teachings of the Church (cf. Matt 5:1–2). Hence it says: he will teach us his way, and we should not allow a contrary way. The Apostle says in Ephesians 5:3: let it not be mentioned among you; and that we ought to walk in the way of the Lord (cf. Eph 5:2, 8, 15). Someone who goes up onto the mountain of the Lord is chosen in the Lord’s rank (cf. Wis 5:5). So St. Martin ascended, because he was taught by St. Hilary, and was made a cleric by him.⁴

2.2. Second, St. Martin ascended from the clerical state to the religious state, since he became a monk in Italy.¹ Someone who strives to win a match abstains from all things (1 Cor 9:25). How much further does someone go in abstaining from things that hinder his duties? He would go as much further as his strife is more legitimate. Secular clerics have temporal goods, but religious do not have these, that they may not hinder them.² About this ascent Genesis 35:3 says: let us ascend to Bethel³ and live there, (abiding). Abiding is added, meaning: in no way going out of there. Religious ought to stay in the religious life and not leave it, unless for reasons that pertain to the salvation of souls. In Matthew, it is said of Jesus that he went up the mountain alone to pray (Matt 14:23).⁴

2.3. Third, St. Martin ascended from the religious state to the pontifical state.¹ This is the right ascent.² For what did he ascend? Surely for the service of the altar and for administering the sacraments of the Church. Concerning this ascent Sirach 1 says: in ascending to the holy altar, he has made his garment of sanctity glorious (Sir 50:11). Has the Lord magnified St. Martin in this way? Yes, he surely has, when a fiery ball appeared above him while he offered the sacrament of the altar.³

Furthermore, he ascended for the salvation of the peoples. Thus we read in Proverbs 28:12: there is much glory in the exaltation of the just ones, whereas the reign of the godless will ruin the people. One bad bishop, for sure, means ruin in many [people and things]. It is said in Obadiah 1: as the saviors ascend the mountains in order to administer justice (Obad 1:21), meaning: prelates ought to ascend for the salvation of souls. But the Lord complains about the evil ones in Ezekiel 13:5, saying: you have not ascended, away from the enemy; you have not placed yourselves upon the wall to defend the Lord’s house, namely, against the heretics and all who are evil. So St. Martin ascended in a threefold way according to his state.

3. But ascending according to one’s state would not be worth anything, unless someone ascends according to merit.¹ Therefore, St. Martin ascended three times according to merit. Thus says Pope Symmachus: someone who is more important in dignity must be considered most worthless unless he excels in knowledge and holiness.² Being a cleric does not amount to much if that man does not surpass a layman in virtue. In a similar way it does not amount to much being a monk or a bishop, unless one surpasses others in holiness of life.³ So it is necessary that someone who ascends according to the state also ascends in merit. About this ascent it is said in Song of Songs 3:6: who is she who ascends through the desert, like a little twig of smoke from the scents of myrrh and frankincense and every powder of the merchant? Who goes up like a twig of smoke, not of terrifying smoke, but of fragrant smoke. But whence does that smoke come? Certainly from the scents of myrrh, that is, the mortification of the flesh (cf. Matt 2:11, John 19:39), and of frankincense, that is, devotion (cf. Ps 141:2, etc.), and of every powder of the merchant, namely, all virtues.

3.1. In every state whatsoever someone ought to apply himself to advance. We will consider how St. Martin applied himself to advance in every state.

3.1.1. In his military state he applied himself to advance in mercy and devotion.¹ He also applied himself to advance in a reasonable way, because soldiers are eager to plunder.² By doing so he wanted to show that he was immune to this offense in his military state, and therefore he applied himself to mercy and devotion. Hence it is said in Luke 3:14 to soldiers: do not ransack anyone; make no false accusation against anyone and be satisfied with your wages.

3.1.2. Likewise, in the state of a cleric he applied himself to obedience.¹ He was most obedient: he gave up everything at a nod of St. Hilary. Hence it befits him what is said in Sirach 3:1 (Vg): the children of wisdom form the Church of the just ones.

3.1.3. Likewise, in the religious life he excelled in poverty and austerity.¹

3.1.4. Likewise, in the pontifical state he excelled in humility;¹ thus he has maintained the same humility in the pontifical state as he had maintained before, in accordance with Sirach 3:18: no matter how great you are, be humble in everything.² Sirach 32:1 reads: they have made you the leader; do not want to be exalted; but be among them as one of them.

3.2. See how St. Martin ascended [from state to state]. I say that he ascended with (3.2.1) prudence, (3.2.2) humility, and (3.2.3) fervor.

3.2.1. First, I say, he ascended with prudence¹ from the military to the clerical state; a war is initiated with preparation (Prov 24:6).² And he prepared this ascent well. Still, it was pleasing to him not to ascend on high; when St. Hilary wanted to make him a deacon, he did not want this, but he remained an acolyte.³

Likewise, he ascended from the clerical state and became a religious. Also he prepared this ascent well in his heart (Ps 83:6). But the ascent from the religious to the pontifical state he did not prepare in his heart, because he was promoted to be a bishop while he himself resisted. I say this with emphasis, because the pontifical state, although it is great, still must not be aspired to.¹ If someone said: I want to apply myself so that I can govern the Church well later on, he has not spoken well.² Thus Augustine says in book 19 of the City of God, chapter 19: the higher place, without which a people cannot be governed, even though it serves the Church as it is proper, is yet indecently sought after. He continues: and if no one put on this burden to acquire and examine the truth, it must remain vacant.³

3.2.2. Likewise, St. Martin ascended with humility. Thus it says: in the valley of tears (Ps 83:7 [Vg]). In the Gospel according to Luke 14:11 we read: if someone humbles himself, he will be exalted.

3.2.3. Likewise, he has made that ascent with fervor.¹ Hence it says: of tears; because of the greatness of the desire, he applied himself to shedding tears. Thus he could say with Psalm 42:2, 4: just as a deer desires the fountains of the waters so my soul desires you, O God; my tears have been my bread day and night, et cetera.²

So, because the saint we celebrate today has well prepared his ascent in the progress of happiness, he has arrived at the endpoint of happiness,¹ which is eternal glory,² to which may we be led by him who with the Father and the Holy Spirit, et cetera.