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Contents © 2005
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.

ROAMIN' CATHOLIC
March 2005

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SAINT MARTIN OF TOURS, LA MESA

Saint Martin of Tours church, at the intersection of El Cajon and La Mesa Boulevard, was founded in 1921 to serve the growing Catholic population of La Mesa. The same year the parish built a mission-style chapel. In 1948 they moved their chapel to the present property and enlarged it, yet it was soon outgrown. The current church was completed in 1965. The old chapel remains in use on the property.

The parish patron is the fourth century soldier who became the wonder-working bishop of Tours in Gaul (now France). Saint Martin once gave his cloak to a beggar whom he encountered. The following night, in a dream, he had a vision of Christ wearing the cloak and he heard the words: "Martin has covered me with his cloak." In honor of their patron, a 15-by-15-foot mosaic depicting Saint Martin on horseback giving the poor man his cloak hangs over the main entrance of the church.

Seven stained-glass windows illuminate each side of the nave, featuring apostles, saints, and Our Lady. Between them hang framed mosaic Stations of the Cross. Bronze statues housed in alcove shrines line the walls in parallel positions like sentries guarding the church. Votive altars glowing with many candles flank the chancel; Our Lady of Grace to the left and on the right Our Lord with his Sacred Heart exposed and wounded palms lifted in blessing.

The tabernacle is enthroned on its own white marble altar at the rear-center of the sanctuary. The presence within is illustrated by the crucifix above. Simple violet wall hangings to either side of the crucifix, and matching altar cloths, set the tone for lent. The priest's chair faces the nave, but being set to the side does not obstruct focus on the altar and tabernacle.

I attended the "Last-chance Mass," at 5:30 p.m. on February 13; the first Sunday in Lent. Monsignor Patrick O'Neill, in residence, celebrated. A cantor led the singing and played a baby-grand piano below and to the left of the altar.

Monsignor dispensed with a procession and hymn, quietly entering the sanctuary from the sacristy with one altar girl. After the Sign of the Cross he greeted us in a crackly Irish brogue, and led directly into the "I confess." The Kyrie was spoken responsively.

A woman in black slacks and purple blouse gave the readings. The first was the account of the Creation and Fall of Adam from Genesis. The second, from Saint Paul to the Romans, set forth Christ as the Second Adam. Between these the cantor sang David's Psalm of repentance and we answered with the refrain, "Be merciful O Lord for we have sinned." Monsignor O'Neill then proclaimed the Gospel: Saint Matthew's account of the Temptation of Christ in the wilderness.

Monsignor began his homily noting that he has been a priest for over 60 years, and in all that time there is no question he hasn't heard. One question that always comes up concerning the first reading is this: If God is all-knowing, why did he create man, knowing he would sin? "We must remember," he said, "that God lives outside time, in an eternal now; everything is present before him. This includes both man's sin and the way God himself would remedy man's sin by sending his Son, Jesus Christ."

Speaking of God's infinite perfections, he told us, "Great philosophers like Plato and Aristotle showed how every thing in this world has a cause. Therefore all things taken together must have one cause; the causa increata or uncaused cause. And Saint Thomas Aquinas used that to prove the existence of God. If anyone doubts the existence of a God who caused all existence, let him just go out on a clear night and look up. There's his proof. It must have been an all-powerful and all-wise being who made all those stars and planets and meteors. And if this One, the Uncaused Cause, causes knowledge in us, he himself must possess all knowledge to an infinite degree. Now since God is infinite in all perfections, he did not need to create the world to make himself happy. But since among his perfections, the greatest is his love, he wanted to create a being outside himself with whom he could share his love. This is why he created man in his own image."

At this point Monsignor began a running commentary on each of the readings. He pointed out that Adam fell into sin almost immediately after his creation. Every one of us also fell in and with Adam since "we were all present in the loins of Adam." No mere man, not even one like Moses, could repair the damage of sin. Since the offence was against God it was infinite, and required an infinite satisfaction. Christ, the "Second Adam" as Saint Paul calls him, undid by his perfect obedience the disobedience of Adam and all his progeny. Christ's contest with the tempter is an example of that perfect obedience which led him to the Cross for our salvation.

Comparing the divisiveness of prominent "Evangelical" sectarian preachers — many of whom are self-made millionaires — with "the one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church," Monsignor O'Neill concluded with an exhortation for us to remain faithful to Christ in his one true Church and not to be led astray by the religious errors of the world.

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