For All the Saints

November 1^st is All Saints and November 2^nd is All Souls, the days we commemorate and remember with gratitude all those who have died in the faith. From the early followers of Jesus who established the Church like St Peter and St Paul, many of whom were martyred, to those friends and family who have inspired and encouraged us in our walk of faith, we use these days to remember their lives and to be grateful for their inspiration.

One saint who features in the story of chaplaincy is St Martin of Tours. St Martin came to faith in Christ while he was still serving in the Roman army. While preparing to take up his vocation in the church, he met a shivering beggar outside the city walls. The story goes that he took his sword and cut his long red cape in half, giving half to the beggar. That night, the beggar, who was actually Jesus, came to him in a dream, saying to the angels, “‘Here is Martin, the Roman soldier – he has clothed me’. The short, cut cloak (capella) became the symbol for chaplaincy and the origin of the word chaplain.

We can be inspired by those Christians who have gone before us and be encouraged by their stories in our own journey of faith and like St Martin, treat strangers in need as if they were Jesus.