The Fast of Saint Martin

November 11 is the Feast of St. Martin, an appropriate day for Veteran's Day in the United States as St. Martin of Tours was a soldier who experienced conversion and became a holy monk. His feast was celebrated as a Solemnity in the Middle Ages, and the day after his feast, November 12, began the pre-Christmas Fast or the Fast of Saint Martin.

Saint Martin Renouncing His Sword by Simone Martini (c. 1321) Located in the Lower Church of the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi in Assisi, Italy

Confraternity of Penitents members observe this fast. Those at the Novice 2 level and above would follow it according to our Rule and Constitutions (one full meal and one smaller meal per day with no solid food in between unless a bite to eat needs to be taken for strength. In that case, the bite to eat and the smaller meal, if put together, would still be less food than that taken at the larger meal.) The days of abstinence remain the same as they are all year (no meat on Mon, Wed, Fri, and Sat). Please see the Rule and Constitutions for details.

Affiliates and those not yet at Novice 2 level of formation as well as all others can observe the Fast of St. Martin in some way by abstaining from certain foods (sweets, snacks, for example) or by praying extra prayers, giving alms, and/or performing works of mercy, all good activities for those at Novice 2 level and above as well. 

More information on the Fast of Saint Martin is on this link:

http://www.penitents.org/fastofstmartin.html

The article is part of the Confraternity of Penitents Penance Library which is linked to from the CFP home page at penitents.org 

The importance of the Fast of St. Martin is to prepare the soul spiritually for the coming of Christ at Christmas. In this same vein, it is good spiritually to focus on Advent as a time of prayerful preparation and to attempt to slow down the busyness of preparing Christmas with all its secular emphasis. 

Another way to assist in a prayerful preparation for Christmas is by praying the Stations of the Crib on this link, also in the CFP Penance Library:

http://www.penitents.org/stationsofthecrib.html

This is available in print form from the CFP Holy Angels Gift Shop on this link:

http://www.cfpholyangels.com/search.aspx?find=stations+of+the+crib

May the Holy Spirit show us how each of us how to observe the Fast of Saint Martin so that we will become receptive to the graces which the Lord wants to bestow on us during this holy time.

Let us pray for one another and for all doing penance worldwide.