|
LOGO
Logo of Saint Martin – Catholic Social
Apostolate
The logo of St. Martin-CSA portrays the
sharing of the mantel. It depicts the dream of the organisation: that
the rich and the poor can live in love and solidarity and share with
each other whatever they have. One needs to notice that the two figures
in the logo are equal. This visualises the idea that neither one is
more important; that the poor and the rich have something to give to
one another. It is as in the life of St. Martin of Tours: Martin shared
his mantel with the poor man, but the poor man did something even
greater to Martin. He helped in his conversion. He made him realise
that what he had been given in life was there to be shared with others.
The poor man brought out the love that was hidden somewhere in Martin's
heart.
Active Non-Violence
Martin of Tours was a soldier. After his
conversion, when he was called up, he refused to go into the fight. He
was challenged by Julius Ceasar and accused of cowardice, but Martin
replied that he was ready to go to the frontline, only armed with the
cross of Christ. During his whole lifetime, Martin remained a great
promoter of peace and a non-violent lifestyle. Even after he had become
Bishop he was called all over Europe to reconcile warring parties and
to build peace. His actions remain an inspiration to our work in the
field of Active Non-Violence and Human Rights.
Blue
sword, which is also a cross
The blue sword in the logo is the sword, which
was used by St. Martin to cut and share the mantel into two pieces. It
also symbolises the two-edged sword as mentioned by Jesus: the sword
that is compared with the Word of God . The word of God should be our
strength and our only weapon to use. In our logo, the sword is also a
cross. The cross stands for our Christian faith, which keeps motivating
us in our work.
St Martin of Tours and the sharing of
the mantel
St. Martin of
Tours is the Saint after whom St. Martin-CSA was named. The life of
this Saint seemed to relate so well to the work of the organisation
that it became an obvious choice.
The event in Martin's life that is most famous is his encounter with
the poor man. Martin encountered this poor man during a very cold day
in wintertime. The man was almost naked and was begging along the road.
Martin was struck by the suffering of this poor man and on the spot cut
his long mantel into two pieces and gave one half to the beggar to
cover himself. That same night, Martin saw in his dream Jesus, now
dressed in the part of the mantel, which he had given to the poor man.
This dream became a turning point in the life of Martin. He came to the
understanding that he could meet Jesus in his needy brothers and
sisters. From that time onwards Martin dedicated his life to the poor
and neglected people.
Read
the explanation of the painting
|
