Prosa de Sancto Martino

In the manuscript codex of Saint Victor of Paris, which contains Gregory’s books on the Miracles of Saint Martin and also a few treatises from the book On the Glory of the Confessors, there is a prose, as it is there called, and a prayer on Saint Martin, which I would rather believe to be a small work from an ancient collection and indeed a compilation, excerpted from ancient Missals. But it seemed well to include it here, because perhaps to some these things will appear such as may have a place among the works of our Gregory. PROSE ON SAINT MARTIN. The Catholic Church of peace sings of Martin, the priest of Christ, throughout the whole world, and every heretic flees in fear from his name. Pannonia rejoices as the mother of such a son, Italy exults as the nurse of so great a youth, and the threefold division of Gaul contends in a holy dispute over to whom he ought to belong as bishop; but let all rejoice that they equally have him as a father, while the soil of Tours cherishes his body. Hence the whole people of the Franks and of Germany applaud, who saw the Lord in his garment to be beheld. He is celebrated in the regions of Egypt, and also among all the wise of Greece, who feel themselves unequal to the merits of Martin and to his healing. For he calms fevers, puts demons to flight, knits together paralyzed limbs, and by his prayer restores three bodies of the dead to their former life. He destroys sacrilegious rites, and to the glory of Christ gives idols to the flames.

Performing the mysteries with bare arms, he was endowed with heavenly light; with eyes and hands he was suspended with all his strength toward heaven, he spurned all earthly things. Christ was never absent from his mouth, nor justice, nor anything pertaining to the true life. Therefore we all beseech you, O Martin, that you, who showed many miracles here, may also from heaven always pour forth for us the grace of Christ by your supplication, etc. Almighty everlasting God, fount and origin of all good, who are glorified in the blessed bishop Martin: the praise of his virtue, and the strength of his fortitude, the glory of his sanctity, and the beauty of his form, the love of his heart and the suspension of his soul, the light of his user and the guide of his journey; who in him refashioned the likeness of your image with marvelous expression, and through him exhibited to us the form of your purity, as it were palpable; whom.

Since he loved justice, inspired by you, and hated iniquity, you anointed him with the oil of exultation, not among your ordinary participants, but among the greatest partakers of your Only-Begotten; hear, with him interceding, our supplications weighed down by the heavy burden of sins, and grant that his prayers before your mercy may blot out the stains of my crimes, that his example may summon me to higher things by the fragrance of his works, that his miracles may terrify evils, that the fragrance of his charisms may draw me to run after you in the scent of your ointments, that the rain of his teaching may soften the hardness of my heart, and that every grace which he received from you, not by his own merit, may advance the increase of my devotion and salvation. Through him.