November 3
Saint Martin de Porres
Dominican Lay Brother, Mystic
(1579 – 1639)
“Everything, even sweeping, scraping vegetables, weeding a garden and waiting on the sick could be a prayer, if it were offered to God.”
Saint Martin de Porres
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Saint’s Life Story
His Youth and Apprenticeship as a Barber
Martin was born on November 9, 1579, in Lima, Peru. He was the illegitimate son of John de Porres, a Spanish knight, and Anna, a freed Panamanian slave. Martin was apprenticed to a barber-surgeon when he was twelve to learn medical skills. Under Peruvian law, descendants of Africans and Native Americans were barred from becoming full members of religious orders. The only route open to Martin was to ask the Dominicans of Holy Rosary Priory in Lima to accept him as a “donado”, a volunteer who performed menial tasks in the monastery in return for the privilege of wearing the habit and living with the religious community.
Dominican Lay Brother
In 1594, he became a Dominican lay brother at Rosary Convent in Lima. At first, Martin was a service boy and later was promoted to an almoner. Martin served in various offices in the convent – a barber, a surgeon, infirmarian, and wardrobe keeper. Martin’s life in the convent was not easy as he was called by one of the novices a mulatto dog and one of the priests mocked him for being illegitimate and descended from slaves. This did not stop Martin from caring for the poor and the sick throughout the city.
His Gifts
Martin’s life reflected God’s extraordinary gifts: ecstasies that lifted him into the air, light filling the room where he prayed, bi-location, miraculous knowledge, instantaneous cures, and a remarkable rapport with animals. His charity extended to beasts of the field and even to the vermin of the kitchen. He would excuse the raids of mice and rats on the grounds that they were underfed; he kept stray cats and dogs at his sister’s house.
Martin became a formidable fundraiser, obtaining thousands of dollars for dowries for poor girls so that they could marry or enter a convent. Many of his fellow religious took Martin as their spiritual director, but he continued to call himself a “poor slave.”
Martin De Porres spoken as follows to his Dominican brothers when admonished him for bringing an elderly, dirty beggar off the streets and allowing him to take the saint’s own bed while he cared for the sick man.
“Compassion is preferable to cleanliness. Reflect that with a little soap I can easily clean my bed covers, but even with a torrent of tears I would never wash from my soul the stain that my harshness toward the unfortunate would create.”
His Ministry to the Poor and Slaves
Martin was put in charge of the convent’s food distribution to the poor and ministered to African slaves brought to Peru. Martin was assisted by his close friend, Saint Rose of Lima. His immense efforts to help the poor combined with his holiness and penances caused him to be venerated by all. In Christian art, Saint Martin de Porres is depicted holding a broom, with a dog, cat, and mouse at his feet due to his love of animals. Martin died in the Rosary Convent in Lima, Peru on November 3, 1639. He was canonized over 300 years after his death in 1962 by Pope Pius XI.
Born: November 9, 1579, in Lima, Peru
Died: November 3, 1639 in Lima, Peru
Beatified: April 29, 1923 by Pope Pius XI
Canonized: May 17, 1925 by Pope Pius XI
Feast Day: November 3
Patron Saint: Barbers; Interracial Justice; Those Suffering Discrimination
Source:
Reflection
Perhaps we all should pray for a smile like Saint Martin’s and build up our facial and spiritual muscles by sharing it with everyone.
Saint Martin de Porres overcame an illegitimate birth and discrimination even from his own Dominican order, being called a “mulatto dog” and mocked for being a descendant from slaves. These problems did not stop him from becoming a spiritual director, raising funds for poor girls so they could marry or enter the convent, distributing food for the poor, providing medical assistance to the sick, and charity to those in need all while doing penances and being holy. He used both skill and holiness to bring healing into people’s lives. So, no matter what your background and start in life is, with God’s help through constant prayer, you can also do great” things that may be seem small to aid your fellow men and woman locally or even around the world.
Who are the people that you exclude from your life or keep at a distance? Reflect on the subtle, or not so subtle, ways you discriminate against people who are different from you. Listen for how God might be calling you to a greater inclusion of others.
Prayers
Saint Martin de Porres,
You experienced the pain of rejection and prejudice, yet responded with love and forgiveness,
Teach us to overcome hatred and division in our own lives and help us to be instruments of peace and reconciliation in our world.
May your example inspire us to work for a world where all people are treated with dignity and respect.
Help us to follow your example in our own lives, to seek not our own glory, but to serve others with a generous heart, especially the poor, the sick, and the marginalized.
Through your prayers, may we grow in humility, charity, and faith, and may we one day share with you, and all the saints, the joy of eternal life in heaven.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Saint Martin de Porres, pray for us. Amen.
Saint Links
Aleteia – St. Martin de Porres was a skilled surgeon and heale
All Saints & Martyrs – Saint Martin de Porres
Anastpaul – Thought for the Day – 3 November – The Memorial of St Martin de Porres OP (1579-1639)
Angelus News – Saint of the day: Martin de Porres
Catholic Culture – St Martin de Porres
Catholic Exchange – How Can We Live Like St. Martin de Porres? by Constance T. Hull
Catholic Ireland – Nov 5- St Martin de Porres (1579- 1639) Dominican, religious brother
Catholic News Agency – 7 fascinating facts about St. Martin de Porres, the first black saint of the Americas
Cradio – St Martin de Porres
Daily Prayers – Martin de Porres
Editions Magnificant – Saint Martin de Porres Dominican Coadjutor Brother (1579-1639)
Franciscan Media – Saint Martin de Porres
Independent Catholic News – St Martin de Porres
Loyola Press – Saint Martín de Porres, 1579-1639 Feast day November 3
1575 – 1639
Newman Ministry – Saint Martin de Porres
Saint for a Minute – Saint Martin de Porres
Saints for Sinners – Saint Martin de Porres
Saint Mary’s Press – Saint Martin de Porres (1579-1639)
Saint of the Day – November 03 St. Martin de Porres
Saint Resources – St Martin de Porres
uCatholic – Saint Martin de Porres
Video Link
St. Martin de Porres – YouTube Video (Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network – USA)