Saint Martin of Tours

Name ______Date ______

Directions: Read the biography and answer the questions.

Even though Christianity was legal in the Roman Empire when Saint Martin of Tours was born in the early fourth century, it was not easy to be a Christian. Martin’s parents were pagans and disapproved of their son’s desire to become a Christian at only ten years old. At the age of fifteen Martin joined the Roman army in the cavalry but his love for God grew so strong that he refused to fight saying to his superior, “I am the soldier of Christ; it is not lawful for me to fight.” He was put in jail as a coward, but eventually released from service to the Empire. He became a monk and priest and traveled around what are now the countries of Italy and France preaching the gospel. In 371 the people of Tours convinced him to visit their city so that they could make him their bishop. He reluctantly agreed and spent many years organizing new monasteries and setting up parishes for communities of Christians to gather together to worship God. Saint Martin is usually shown in art and iconography as a Roman soldier cutting his robe in half for a poor beggar. As the story goes, he dreamed that Christ was wearing the half of the robe he gave to the beggar telling him to become a full, baptized Christian.

1. Who did Saint Martin of Tours defy in order to become a Christian? ______

2. What makes it hard to be known as a Christian today? ______

3. How can you live as a “soldier of Christ” like Saint Martin of Tours? ______