The Fourth of July
July 4, 2008
Today is a very special day. In the Calendar of the Book of Common Prayer, today is the day when we remember the translation of Martin, Bishop of Tours in the fourth century AD.
At the age of 10, Martin, against the wishes of his parents, went to the church and became a catechumen. At the age of fifteen, he had to serve in the army and, a few years later at the gates of the city of Amiens, he met a beggar and gave him half his cloak to clothe him. That night, as legend has it, he had a vision of Jesus wearing the half-cloak, and so he was subsequently baptised at the age of 18. Two years later he was convicted that he shouldn’t serve in the army, just before a battle with the Gauls at Worms, was imprisoned for cowardice, volunteered to go unarmed to the front of the battle, but before his superiors could agree, peace was made.
Once released from military service, Martin went to serve under Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers, after whom the term after Christmas before Easter is named in Oxford, and who defended Trinitarianism against the Arian heretics. Hilary went into exile and Martin became a hermit, but when Hilary returned, Martin and he set up a monastery which was a centre for evangelism in the surrounding area and Martin himself travelled and preached through Western Gaul. When he was consecrated Bishop of Tours in 371, he enthusiastically destroyed the apparatus of pagan religion.
The writer to the Hebrews exhorts us:
Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever. Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings. - Hebrews 13.7-9
The significance of this day, the fourth of July, lie in its challenge to us to follow the example of God’s faithful servant Martin, and obey Jesus’ word that ‘whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me’, hold fast with Martin our faith in God the Holy Trinity, and like him preach the gospel of Christ that many would turn ‘from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.’
July 4, 2008 at 9:53 am
Thanks for this, Daniel. Before now, I had considered the 4th July to be a rather boring, insignificant day, it’s highest feature being it’s falling between the two much more pleasant sounding dates, known in English as “the 3rd of July” and “the 5th July”. You have opened my eyes to something of real significance that is commemorated on the date, thank you.
July 4, 2008 at 11:09 am
I was pleasantly surprised that this was not a post celebrating ‘Independence Day’!
July 4, 2008 at 11:14 am
That would be treason.
July 4, 2008 at 11:28 am
Daniel,
I realise I’m displaying my ignorance here, but I’m a little confused as to what exactly is meant by the word “translation” in this context and whether commemorating the “translation” of a saint is any different from commemorating the saint? In the BCP Calendar you will find 4 July listed as “Tr. St. Martin” and 11 November as “St. Martin, Bishop [of Tours]“.
Normally I would understand translation in the sense of Hebrews 11:5 (AV):
“By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”
That is, translation = being taken to heaven without seeing death. But I find this a little strange (to say the least) with respect to Martin of Tours for a number of reasons I won’t go into now (but can elaborate on later if you would like me to).
Anyway, I checked the OED which gives the following possibilities for translate:
1) to remove a bishop from one see to another;
2) to remove the dead body or remains of a saint, or, by extension, a hero or great man, from one place to another;
3) [a] to carry or convey to heaven without death; [b] also, in later use, said of the death of the righteous.
Although I’m Anglican and am quite familiar with the BCP I’m confused when it comes to the commemoration of many of the saints. I suppose it comes largely from my background in a form of Anglicanism which is suspicious of all things remotely smelling of popery
Looking at my BCP calendar I spot the following days possibly referring to “translation”:
20 June: Tr. of King Edward
4 July: Tr. of St. Martin
13 Oct: Trans. K. Edw.
Why does King Edward appear to get two days for his translation? Why does Martin get one day for his translation (4 July) and another (11 November) for himself) when the rest of the saints just get a day without referring to their translation? Can you or anyone else explain what is going on here?
July 4, 2008 at 11:29 am
@ Daniel: Not only treason, but a celebration of sin (cf Romans 13:1)
July 4, 2008 at 12:46 pm
It’s the second sense of translation. I’m not sure of the rationale behind it.
Regarding point 5, I agree, and I have addressed this in my post ‘Long to reign over us’.
July 5, 2008 at 1:47 pm
Translation coming of course from the supine form of transfer: in Latin, transfero, transferre, transtuli, translatum.
So a perfectly appropriate term for moving a bishop between sees or moving bones around!