Saint Martin de Porres

Feast Day: November 3

The father of Martin de Porres was a Spanish knight & adventurer and his mother a colored freed-woman from Panama.  Martin de Porres was born on the 9^th of December, 1579 in Lima, Peru.  Don Juan de Porres left Martin’s mother and just sent money every now and then.   Martin grew up in poverty and bore the stigma of having mixed blood and the shame of being an illegitimate child.  

When Martin turned 8, his father sent money for him and his sister to go to school. At age 12, he became an apprentice to a barber-surgeon where he learned to cut hair as well as to draw blood, prepare medicinal herbs, set broken bones and to properly care for the sick.  It was also during this time that he became a servant in the Holy Rosary Dominican priory.  At fifteen, he was allowed to become a lay brother at the Dominican Friary and was placed in charge of the infirmary.

St. Martin de Porres spent much time in prayer and meditation and had a great devotion to the sacrament of the Eucharist.  God endowed him with many supernatural graces and lights.  There are recorded instances when he was seen bi-locating or was inside the chapel levitating and so filled with love for Christ.  He went about curing the sick and giving alms to the poor; helped the farm laborers, Negroes and mulattoes.  He was good-natured and charitable and thus gained the name “Martin the charitable”.  He is also known as the first Black Saint from the Americas.

Patronage:

Animals: St. Martin de Porres is the patron saint of animals, especially for those who care for and show kindness to them.

Racial Harmony: He is also venerated as a symbol of racial harmony and social justice due to his mixed-race heritage and his tireless efforts to help all people, regardless of their background.

Prayer to St. Martin de Porres:

O compassionate St. Martin de Porres, you who humbly served the marginalized and cared for the suffering, we turn to you in our times of need. You, who showed love to all, regardless of their race or station in life, inspire us to follow your example of boundless charity.

Help us to embrace humility and find joy in serving others, especially those who are most in need. Intercede for us, dear Saint, in our petitions for healing, unity, and harmony among all people. Pray for us that we may become instruments of God's love and peace in the world.

St. Martin de Porres, patron of animals and advocate for social justice, we seek your guidance and intercession. Amen.

Reflection:

*What amazes me about Saint Martin de Porres is his profound humility.  He had suffered much and had experienced terrible humiliation yet instead of wallowing in self-pity  or  instead of redeeming himself by compensating or retaliating he continued to live in self- imposed poverty and reached out to the sick, the poor and the oppressed.  To me, this is a clear evidence that he was able to transcend the prejudice and humiliation he went through in his childhood.

 This reminds me of the quote from Mother Teresa about if you are humble nothing can hurt you.  Here's an  accurate quote on that one:

"Humility is the mother of all virtues; purity, charity and obedience.  It is in being humble that our love becomes real, devoted and ardent.  If you are humble nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know what you are.  If you are blamed you will not be discouraged.  If they call you a saint you will not put yourself on a pedestal." 
-Mother Teresa of Calcutta, 'The Joy in Loving' page 363

 To Martin de Porres, only God suffices. His knowledge of the greatness of God, made him aware of his dignity as a child of God as well as his nothingness.  Though he is nothing, God loves him profoundly.  This experience of God’s love is all that mattered.  God’s love redeemed Martin and healed him of his pains.  To Saint Martin de Porres, God’s love was the source of all the love he generously shared to the poor, the sick and the unwanted and he looked on these poor people the way he looked at himself - a child of God.

* In God’s great wisdom, He chose Martin de Porres, an illegitimate, Negro to be a Saint to show that His love is universal.  

* St. Martin de Porres' life reminds us of the profound impact one person can have through simple acts of kindness and selfless service. His example teaches us to look beyond outward appearances and prejudices, to see the inherent dignity in every person, and to treat all with love and compassion.

As we celebrate his feast day, let us reflect on how we can emulate his virtues in our own lives. May we find joy in humble service, reach out to those in need, and work towards a world where all people are treated with dignity and respect, regardless of their race or background. St. Martin de Porres, pray for us and help us be agents of love, unity, and peace in our communities and in the world.