Light of Compassion
Autumn deepens, and with it comes the time when light withdraws becoming softer, inward.
It is in this turning that Saint Martin arrives, on November 11th, bringing with him a simple, luminous gesture: the act of sharing one’s own warmth with another.
Saint Martin and the Beggar, c. 1375–85 - Jaume Serra - Pere Serra
According to legend, Martin was a Roman soldier who, one cold night in 335, met a beggar trembling by the city gate. Moved by compassion, he cut his cloak in two and wrapped half around the man. That night, Martin dreamed of Christ wearing his cloak.
When he awoke, the garment was whole again: a sign that what is given in love returns as light within.
In rural tradition, this day is called the Summer of Saint Martin, a brief return of warmth before winter. It is said that the sun itself smiles in response to Martin’s act of kindness.
Saint Martin and the Beggar, c. 1375–85 - Jaume Serra - Pere Serra - particolare
In old villages, geese were roasted in memory of the story that Martin once hid among them to avoid being made bishop, but their cackling revealed him. Since then, the goose feast has symbolized truth revealed and the joy of community. Families bake spiced biscuits, chestnuts, and sweet bread, sharing food as a gesture of gratitude and compassion.
We can create paper or glass lanterns and walk together at dusk, singing.
The lantern is the soul’s vessel, it shelters the inner flame.
It reminds us that sunlight fades, but the light of the heart can be kindled anew through compassion and warmth. In this walk of light, what begins as a small flame becomes something shared: a gentle fire carried from soul to soul through the winter.
To celebrate we can:
Make a lantern from natural materials and light it at sunset.
Tell the story of Saint Martin simply, letting children feel the beauty of giving.
Share bread or fruit with someone else.
Walk together in quietness, carrying light through the darkening world.
