The Miracle of Saint Martin

Contributed by Pete Range, Saint Martin Theology Teacher

During these winter months, when the days seem so long because the earth is so barren, we often long for the miracle of spring. And every year, as the snow slowly melts and spring blossoms we’re born again with the realization that everything in nature points to resurrection. But often, if we look hard enough in our daily lives even in the midst of being buried under snow, we can find semblances of resurrection, even if it’s just waking from our sleep. Nonetheless, to get us through the last few months of gray and slush I wanted to share a quick story that has brought a warm smile to my face during these cold months.

December had been a really difficult month for me. Burdened by the extra work of a graduate class and unrealized dreams in the classroom, I was struggling professionally and personally. It all seemed to come to a head when one day while dismissing my students a few were horsing around in the back of the classroom. I had stepped outside with one of my students to quickly do an exit interview, but when I heard the crash I quickly jumped back into the room. Standing around and laughing were a few boys and girls who had accidentally bumped into the file cabinet and knocked off the 2 feet tall Saint Martin statue that watched over the class. I had inherited the statue from our previous freshmen theology teacher, Andrew Staron and I believed he had inherited it from someone else. It had watched over the class for the 3 years now I’ve been teaching and was always a reminder to me to be loving, be patient, be kind and never give up. But now it was broken, and while most of the class was shocked and saddened, those few who showed a lack of remorse hurt. Nonetheless, I didn’t overreact, I was upset, but after all it was just a statue I told myself. And after a very brief investigation I talked to the parties responsible and the importance of behaving at all times – but ultimately I told them people are more important then things and so I told them I loved them and they left the room.

A few weeks later, after some other students made a make shift memorial for Saint Martin including a sign in marker that read ‘R.I.P. Saint Martin’ I gave up hope that it was going to be fixed. Although I told the students who broke the statue they were responsible for fixing it, I knew it was beyond fixing. Some other recourse would have to suffice. December marched on into January and Saint Martin remained as crumbled as I was.

Then, one night while doing a little research late in my classroom, I came across a saint, whose name I’m amiss to remember at this point; who as the legend goes performed a miracle of sorts with a broken vessel. The legend has it that he was walking home one evening and ran into a young boy who was crying over a broken dish that was made of glass and very expensive. The little boy, fearful of his punishment and with no money to fix the vase asked the saint for help. At once the saint puts his hands over the broken glass and miraculously it was restored. Now I’m no saint, but I’ve seen the Lord work in mysterious ways so I’d figure I’d give it a shot with the Martin statue. I checked out the hallway and made sure it was all clear and I walked to the back of the classroom where the broken statue still laid crumbled. I know this may sound crazy that I would even try this, but if you know anything about me you’d probably say I’m a little crazy anyway. Nonetheless, figuring this might be my last option to get the statue fixed I placed my hands over the statue, closed my eyes and whispered to God, “Lord, I believe in your healing power, and I know this is just a statue, but if it be your will let it be new again, in Jesus’ name, Amen,” and then I opened my eyes…

And the statue was still broken. Still in 20 pieces I smiled as I realized I indeed did not have saintly powers. So I prepared by the end of the week to simply have the statue thrown away.
The next morning, however, one of my first period students came up to the room about 7:45 a.m., that time of morning that I’m still waking in preparation of that first class, and caught me off guard as she asked for the statue. It was Essence Flores, the quiet, but perky young freshmen who innocently asked if she could take the statue home to try to fix it. Remembering nothing of the night before I said sure thinking there was no way possible that the statue could really be fixed. After two weeks I had nearly forgot that Essence had taken the statue home when one morning she came walking into the classroom with something hiding under a sheet. Her face was beaming with a smile from ear to ear as she placed the object down on the desk in front of me, “Surprise, Mr. Range!” she exasperated as she lifted the sheet off of the resurrected Martin statue. Newly painted, perfectly restored I remembered at that moment what seemed to be my silly prayer to the Lord, “Let it be new again, in Jesus’ name.” God answered the prayer, and He did it through an unexpected way, through an unexpected person. Essence was so proud as she explained how she fixed it and how her family helped out, and I was so proud of her. Martin was fixed and in a small way my faith was restored; restored in the belief that God answers prayers and can bring newness out of what was destroyed, newness out of the old, and life out of death…
In Mark’s gospel we’re told in chapter 6 that Jesus was not able to perform miracles in his home town because the people did not believe in him. Maybe it was time for me to believe again, to have a little faith. Now, I know this is just a story of a statue, but for me it was about believing again, about being open to the Lord answering prayers in unexpected ways, and ultimately about resurrection. Martin like my winter spirt was crumbled, but through the help of loving kindness both of us were made whole again. So if the snow gets you down or if something is broken in your life or in your heart, ask the Lord to heal it, for as sure as He can restore a statue, and as sure as He will bring the new spring - He will bring healing, and He will bring resurrection.