To celebrate Martinmas, Jeffrey’s school held their annual lantern walk. As the story goes, St. Martin grew up the son of a Roman soldier and he himself joined the Roman army. While on horseback in Amiens, he noticed a naked beggar being ignored by others as the beggar was requesting food or clothing. St. Martin, having no money, took the red cloak off of his back, cut it in half and handed half of it to the beggar. This act of kindness caused St. Martin to run late and the city gates were shut by the time he arrived at his destination. Left with no choice, he nestled down next to a tree root and sought shelter under his half of the cloak. He noticed lights flickering in the woods as he noticed a long single file procession of lanterns. He followed them all the way up to the glory of heaven where he was met by the son of God. And Christ thanked St. Martin for clothing him, for Christ had been the beggar in spirit. As a sign of thanks, Christ gave St. Martin a warm white cloak. When St. Martin awoke, he found his red cloak was gone and left in its place was the white cloak. From that day forward St. Martin vowed to serve God and Christ. When he met with the Emperor to be rewarded for repelling the Teutons, he replied “Up to now, I have served you as a soldier; allow me henceforth to serve Christ. Give the bounty to these others who are going out to battle. I am a soldier of Christ and it is not lawful for me to fight.” To which he was accused by Julian of cowardice and thus imprisoned, but finally released after striking a deal. St. Martin left the army and pursued a solitary life devoted to Christ.
The lantern walk featured a procession of students, teachers and families walking in a procession, singing songs while the children carry the lanterns they made in class. It is said that St. Martin recognized the divine spark in the beggar in Amiens and thus gave it the protection of his cloak. The lanterns that the children make are symbolic of our individual divine spark and the lantern represents the protection of that spark. Our flame began shining at Michaelmas, and we must protect our flame as we carry it into the darkness. Every light that shines offers relief to the darkness.
“No one who lights a lamp hides it away or places it under a bushel basket, but on a lamp stand so that those who enter might see the light. The lamp of the body is your eye. When your eye is sound, then your whole body is filled with light, but when it is bad, then your body is in darkness. Take care, then, that the light in you not become darkness. If your whole body is full of light, and no part of it is in darkness, then it will be as full of light as a lamp illuminating you with it brightness.”
Luke 11: 33-36