Saint Martin the Knight, also known as Saint Martin of Tours, is the patron saint of the needy. Read on to find out more about this important saint.
San Martin Caballero, like Santa Muerte, is very popular in Mexico, where he is invoked by those in need, for good luck, financial success, business improvement, for those looking for a new home, or for any endeavour involving travel. He is the patron saint of horsemen and long-distance divers. His feast day is 11 November.
History and biography of Saint Martin Caballero
Saint Martin the Knight was born in 316 in occupied Roman Hungary. At that time, Christianity had become a legally recognised religion, but it was neither popular nor widespread.
His parents were pagans, but he discovered and converted to Christianity as a teenager. As a teenager he served in the army of ancient Gaul (now France).
At the age of ten, Martin converted to the new religion, although he was not baptised at the time. At the age of 15, Martin was conscripted into the Roman army, where he later became the head of the imperial cavalry.
After several years of distinguished service in various battles, Saint Martin the Knight had an experience that changed the rest of his life. He met a poor beggar and when the man asked Martin to help him find some clothes, Martin took his own cloak and tore it in half, giving half to the beggar.
After this event, Martin had a dream in which he saw Jesus Christ putting on part of his garment and telling the angels that Martin had clothed him. After this vision, Martin received the first Christian sacrament, baptism (See: Why baptism is the first sacrament of Christians), was baptised and proclaimed himself a soldier of Christ.
Around the age of 20, Martin made it clear to his superiors that he would no longer fight, following his formed Christian conscience. He refused his pay before a battle and announced that he would not take part in it.
His proclamation came before a battle near the modern German city of Worms. His superiors accused him of cowardice and ordered his arrest.
Martin offered to prove his sincerity by going into battle unarmed. This was seen as an acceptable alternative to imprisonment, but before the battle could take place the opposing army agreed to a truce and there was no conflict. Martin was subsequently exempted from military service.
Now free from military service, Martin could devote himself entirely to the service of Jesus Christ and the Church. He travelled to Tours where he began to study with Hilary of Poitiers, now recognised as a Doctor of the Church.
Martin’s studies continued until Hilary was forced into temporary exile, probably for refusing to take part in a political dispute.
He gave up fighting for the Romans, and although he was imprisoned for it, he was eventually released. In later life, St Martin became Bishop of Tours in France, where many miracles and interventions are attributed to him.
Over the years, Martin was persecuted for his Christian beliefs, but he remained true to his convictions. He often developed relationships with pagans (like his parents) to tell them about Jesus Christ, and some of them (including his mother) converted to Christianity.
After the death of the Bishop of Tours, Martin reluctantly became the next Bishop in 372 because he was the most popular choice of the people in the area.
He founded a monastery called Marmoutier, where he concentrated on prayer and helping the needy until his death.
When he died at the age of eighty on 9 November 401 AD, Martin’s body was taken by boat to Tours for burial.
It is said that the boat moved without oars or sails, accompanied by the sound of heavenly music, and that the trees along the river, bare and ready for winter, blossomed as it passed.
Saint Martin Knight and Santeria
He is usually depicted cutting his cloak in half and offering a piece to a usually naked beggar crouching beneath him. This is why he is invoked by those who need the help and kindness of strangers.
In many Latin American countries and Mexico, Saint Martin is associated with moneymaking, gambling and better business. This is partly due to the prominence of the horse (and the horseshoe) in the saint’s iconography.
Because Martin travelled extensively and was often at crossroads in his life, he is associated with the Santería orisha Eleggua.
Amulets packaged with his image are very popular in Mexico and the United States; often the art and amulets associated with him have horseshoes.
Unlike the Irish tradition of hanging a horseshoe with the ends up, the horseshoes in these amulets are usually hung with the ends down.
Martin destroyed pagan temples and built churches where the temples had stood. In his images, St. Martin is depicted astride a cavalry horse (caballero means “horse rider”) wearing the insignia of a Roman centurion.
Such is the popularity of Saint Martin in Mexico that many amulet packs made for other saints and for purposes other than money or business luck include images of this beloved horseman.
Novena to Saint Martin the Horseman
To make this novena to San Martin Caballero, the opening prayer is said, followed by the daily prayer and the closing prayer, after which the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be are said.
Opening prayer: Father, by his life and death St Martin Caballero offered you worship and praise. Renew in their hearts the power of your love, so that
neither death nor life will separate us from you.
Neither death nor life shall separate us from you. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Day One: St Martin Knight took it as God’s teaching to have meekness and humility. Proud or conceited thoughts were not part of his Christian soul. Therefore, his relationship with God was like that of a loving father with his child.
As a loving father, God can only want us to be happy. So St Martin Caballero realised that happiness can only be found in total surrender to God’s holy will. His rule of life was to pray “Thy will be done” and to act accordingly.
Day Two: Love is not only to God, but to understand that He loves us and for this love He sent His only Son to die for our sins. Dear Father, since you have loved us so much, teach us to love others. This was the motto of St. John, which inspired the life of St. Martin Caballero. His love and gratitude to God found expression in loving and helping others in whatever way he could.
Third day: Saint Martin was called the Father of the Poor. Dear Saint Martin, obtain from God and his Holy Mother Mary the grace to deepen our awareness of the greatness of God’s love for us, so that we may seek true happiness in the loving service of God and our neighbour for God.
Fourth day: Faith comes by hearing, by listening to the Word of God. Saint Martin heard the Word of God in the proclamation of the Scriptures in the Church. In the simplicity of his faith, he tried to live in the spirit of the Gospel. God rewarded him by giving him a deep understanding of the revealed truth and the grace to express it in word and deed.
Day Five: St Martin had an unwavering hope in God. He trusted in God’s power to save us, revealed in the Gospel. With the Virgin Mary, he believed that what the Lord had said would be fulfilled. He trusted God, our loving Father, to give us everything we need.
Day Six: Martin tried to keep his mind and heart focused on God. His prayer came from the depths of his soul. Martin prayed with humility and perseverance, and God was pleased to answer his prayers in a wonderful way. He will pray for us before the throne of God in heaven.
Seventh day: Martin worked voluntarily within his Dominican family and for those outside. He understood that such work requires self-discipline and contributes to the good of the society in which we live. Martin is an inspiration to us in his willingness to work at whatever needs to be done.
Day Eight: Martin died at the age of sixty. He had worked hard and prayed faithfully. He now lives in the glory of God, sharing the blessing that is the reward of all who serve God faithfully in this life.
Ninth day: Many favours received through the intercession of St Martin continue to be reported. The working of miracles is God’s seal on the saint’s holiness. During his life and after his death, God signified Martin’s holiness by the miracles he worked.
Concluding prayer: Loving Father, through the intercession of St Martin, grant us the special intention of this novena (state your intention) and all that we need. Grant that, like Martin, we may live our lives trusting in faith, persevering in prayer and charity for all.
In this video you can see how the prayers and novenas to Saint Martin Caballero are made:
Prayer to Saint Martin of Tours
Blessed Saint Martin the Knight, you were born a pagan, but from your childhood you were chosen to be a prince of the Church, and when you became Bishop of Tours, many people were helped to free themselves from the forces of evil only by hearing your prayers and blessings.
With much humility we ask you to intercede with Our Lord so that we may be worthy of the virtue and forgiveness of the Holy Spirit, who can lead us from darkness to light, forever.
Blessed St Martin Caballero, obtain for these servants forgiveness and love for our brothers and sisters, so that we may be compassionate towards them.
Grant us the desire to love each person as if they were a member of our family, so that they may be pure of heart and have no evil interest in us. May each of us, as you have done, enjoy the presence of God forever and ever. Amen.
The miracle of St Martin Caballero
Martin was known for having many different prophetic visions that came true.
People also attributed many healing miracles to him, both during his lifetime (when God reportedly healed a leper after Martin kissed him) and afterwards, when people prayed to Martin in heaven to pray for their healing on earth.
During his lifetime, three people are said to have risen from the dead (all in separate incidents) after Martin prayed for them.
One famous miracle associated with Martin’s life happened when he was a soldier and was walking along a road when he came across a half-naked beggar.
Martin had no money with him, so when he realised that the beggar did not have enough clothes to keep him warm, he used his sword to cut the heavy cloak he was wearing in half and shared it with the beggar. Later, Martin had a miraculous vision of Jesus Christ wearing the cloak.
He once convinced a group of pagans to cut down a tree they were worshipping, while Martin stood directly in the path of the fall, praying that God would miraculously save the tree to show the pagans that God’s power was at work.
The tree miraculously swerved in the air as it fell to the ground, and all the pagans who witnessed it trusted Jesus Christ.
An angel once miraculously helped Martin persuade an emperor in Germany to release a prisoner who had been sentenced to death.
The angel appeared to the emperor to announce that Martin was on his way to visit him and ask the emperor to release the prisoner. When Martin arrived and made his request, the emperor agreed because the miraculous appearance of the angel convinced him that it was important to help.
There are miracles in the life of every saint, angels and archangels like St. Raphael the Archangel (see: Miracles of St. Raphael the Archangel), the disciples of Jesus also did them, there are even miracles done by God and only written testimonies have taught us that for this to happen people have to have great faith.
See the anecdotes of Saint Martin Caballero in this video:
Prayer to St Martin Caballero
Dear God, if your followers still need my services, I will not try to avoid them. The work must be done. I have fought every good fight to the end.
But if You ask me to continue to stand in the defensive line of Your House, I will never falter, so that Your strength will never be exhausted.
I will do the work you entrust to me. As long as you command it, I will fight under your banner.
Blessed Saint Martin Knight, you who came into this world as a non-Christian but were chosen by God as a child to be the leader of the Church and Bishop of the city of Tours, knowing that many Lamas were forgiven and freed from the influence of Satan by your prayer, patience and wisdom.
O Saint Martin, who cut off his own cloak to clothe Our Lord who was disguised as a beggar, we humbly ask for your intercession before Our Lord Jesus Christ and help us to be worthy of the grace and mercy of the Holy Spirit who leads us from darkness to light towards the eternal kingdom, for ever and ever. Amen.
Here is another prayer to St Martin for you to pray in faith:
Prayer to St Martin Caballero for Business Fortune
The prayer to St Martin Caballero for business fortune is said the moment you arrive at your office or shop.
Saint Martin, you are the patron saint of luck, work and money. Give my business luck, may I never need a job. Please bless me, O Lord. Give me good luck in my business, may I always have a steady stream of customers.
I ask this in Your name, O Lord, bring money into my pockets, bring money into my purse, bring success into my purse, bring riches into my home. Hear my prayers, Jesus Christ, protect me from those who would see me fail, I ask this in the name of the Lord my God. Amen.
If you like, you can pray the prayer to St Expeditus for the business that will help you succeed.
Pray seven Our Fathers and seven Hail Marys in honour of St Martin the Knight.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRBduX_y0oo
Prayer to St Martin Caballero for happiness, work and money
The prayer to Saint Martin Caballero for happiness, work and money should be said in the morning before leaving the house. You can also know the prayer to San Expedito for work.
Blessed Saint Martin Caballero, full of the Spirit of the Lord, who always had inexhaustible charity for those in need. You, full of love and generosity, when you saw the old man frozen with cold.
When the Saviour appeared to you wearing half a cloak to thank you for what you had done for him and said to you, “Today you have covered me with your cloak”, you decided to leave the army and dedicate your life to God and to the salvation of souls, and since then you have been a propagator of the faith and a holy man, totally devoted to the needy.
Glorious Saint Martin, you who were able to work wonders and marvels, who won the hearts of all with your happiness, your goodness and your kindness, and who never ceased to work for the good of the people, give me your hand and help me to get out of every lack and scarcity that afflicts and weighs me down today.
In the name of Almighty God, Saint Martin Knight, remove all that hurts me and give me work and prosperity. O blessed relief, give me your holy protection, help me, I beseech you, in these difficult times.
May the Lord deign to give me merit and happiness with blessings in my work, in my business, in abundance and prosperity, so that I may freely help those in need.
St Martin, please intercede for me, deliver and protect me and all my loved ones from all evil. Amen.
Say the Creed, Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be.
In this video we leave you with the prayer to St Martin Caballero to attract happiness and money:
Miraculous prayer of St Martin Caballero
All the saints have a prayer to ask for miracles, St Francis of Assisi (see: Prayer to St Francis of Assisi to ask for a miracle) has one that is very powerful, and St Martin Caballero has his too, and here we teach it to you:
O Blessed Knight Martin, who, being merciful and loving, clothed a poor man who was freezing in the cold with half of the cloak you gave him, I ask you to look at me and appreciate my poverty, and by your mercy intercede for me before God and Jesus Christ, so that I may find help for all my spiritual and material needs (mention your request here).
Prayer to St Martin Caballero for work
Compassionate Knight of Saint Martin, you were generous and dedicated. You never spent a day of your life idle. Help me now, in these difficult times, to find suitable employment.
I do not want to be without work. Through your prayers, I hope to be placed in a situation where I can make the most of all the gifts God has given me.
Intercede for me that I may be guided in finding possible opportunities.
If I am employed, obtain for me the graces to be faithful and diligent for the glory of God, my own good and the good of all those we serve.
Ask God to give me health of mind and body and generosity to meet the needs of others. This I ask through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer to St Martin Caballero for Love
O God, who is glorified in the life and death of Bishop Martin, make love flourish; we pray for the wonders of your grace in our hearts, so that neither death nor life can separate us from your love.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and lead us to eternal life. Amen.
If you wish, you can pray the prayer to St Michael the Archangel for love, which will help you to complement the prayer to St Martin for the love of your life.
Saint Martin Knight Key and Red Ribbon
When he was a young soldier, Martin met a beggar in Amiens. The beggar was naked and very cold. Martin took off his red cloak and cut it in half with his sword. He gave one half to the beggar and used the other half to dress himself.
That night, Martin had a vision in which Christ appeared to him, just as Christ appeared to St Paul (See: Conversion of St Paul). The vision spoke to him and told Martin: “A simple catechumen has clothed me”.
A catechumen is one who is being instructed in the Christian faith. In the early centuries of Christianity, this was a long process of instruction, and Martin was deeply committed to it. From this ancient history we have the custom of placing the image of this saint in all kinds of shops, which is why he is considered the patron saint of merchants.
This image is venerated with a religious character, as a product of Santeria and magic, since around it are placed the amulets that give protection to the commerce, such as aloe vera, garlic, red ribbons and blessed palms to make an altar in the commerce.
Watch this video to see another biography of San Martin Caballero:
St Martin Knight Catholic Prayer
Lord, if your people still need my services, I will not shirk the work. It will be done. You have fought excellent battles. But if you ask me to continue to hold the line in defence of your camp, I will never apologise for failing the army. I will do the job you set me. As long as you command, I will fight under your banner. Amen.
In this final video, we leave you with the patron saint of merchants, Saint Martin Caballero:
