TODAY is not only the Armistice of 11/11/1918 – the commemoration of the end of WW1 – Today we can also celebrate a Feast Day called Martinmas, a Festival of inner light in the outer darkness.
Legend tells that on this bitterly cold night in the 4th Century, Martin of Tours, a reluntant Roman soldier, met a poor beggar, who was half-naked & freezing. Feeling a great empathy, going against orders to disperse all vagrants, Martin removed his heavy military cloak, cutting it in two, with his sword, to give half to the beggar.
That night, The Being of Christ appeared to Martin in a dream, wrapped in the same piece of cloak Martin had selflessly given to the beggar, & said: “Your compassion is a garment of sanctuary for love.”
From that cold night on, Martin became the patron Saint of beggars, drunks & outcasts, dedicating his life to assisting pariahs.
Friends, as we journey into the darkest time of the year, in what feels like a Dark Night of the Soul for humanity, it is increasingly important for each of us to enkindle warmth & light not only in our hearts, & minds, but in our deeds, which can then become a refuge & a beacon of light for the world.
On this day, Children in Steiner (Waldorf) Schools around the world, hear the story of St. Martin, sing songs, & as darkness falls, venture out into the night with their lanterns walking along a path lit with glowing luminaries, carefully carrying their lanterns in a mood of quiet reverence.
This symbolic act brings home the deeper truth, in the words of Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism: “There isn’t enough darkness in all the world to snuff out the light of one little candle.”
The gently glowing lanterns of Martinmas will give way to the candles of the Advent Spiral, as we draw nearer to the Solstice, showing how our inner light must shine ever brighter against the coldness of war, & the greed of materialism.
Celebrating Martinmas serves as a reminder that each of us has a divine spark that we must ferry out into the world & share with others.
As outward nature sleeps, our human nature must be wakeful!
Every one of us is a mix of good & evil – & the times call for us to become alert to how the two play out in us. The social sphere is often where we met those parts of ourselves in the other.
We have to honestly ask ourselves: As the solider, would we pass or harass the beggar?
May the solider became an aid worker – a Samaritan humanitarian – Christ Carrier – Ἅγιος Χριστόφορος, Hágios Christóphoros
~hag
