St. Martin of Tours, BpC - November 11th

"O God, Who knowest that we depend on no strength of our own: mercifully grant that by the intercession of blessed Martin, Thy Bishop and Confessor, we may be kept from all that is hurtful. Through our Lord." - Roman Catholic Daily Missal, 1962

St. Martin, born in Sabaria at Pannonia, was ten years old, when against his parents’ wishes he went to a Church and asked to be enrolled amongst the catechumens. At fifteen he enlisted as a soldier, and served first in the army of Constantius, and then in that of Julian. At eighteen, when he had given part of his cloak to a poor man at Amiens, he was strengthened by a wonderful apparition of Jesus Christ and eagerly received baptism. Then leaving the military life, he was received among the acolytes of Hilary, the bishop of Poitiers. Later made bishop of Tours, he built a monastery, where with eighty monks he lived in a most holy way for some time.

When he was seized with severe fever at Candes, a village of his diocese, he had pity on his disciples, and thus prayed to God: “Lord, I am still necessary for your people, I will not refuse the labor.” Shortly after, when death was imminent, the enemy of mankind appeared him. “Why are you here, cruel beast?“, said Martin. “You will find no deadly sin in me.” With those words he gave back his soul to God at the age of eighty one, famous for many miracles. - 1960 Breviary

In Christ Crucified and the Most Victorious Heart of Jesus.