Today’s saint: Martin de Porres wonderfully exemplified a person whose life was thoroughly devoted to love of God, and love of neighbor! He lived in Lima, Peru, at the same time of St. Rose. His father was Spanish and his mother was a colored freed-woman from Panama. At 15 he became a lay brother at the Dominican Friary at Lima, and spent his whole life there as a barber, farm laborer, almoner, and infirmarian among other things.
Unable to go to the foreign missions, so that he could give his life to Christ as a martyr, he made a martyr out of his body by intense and severe penances. In turn, God gifted his with many graces and wondrous gifts, including aerial flights and bilocation.
In our first reading today, St. Paul describes an all-embracing and pure love that those possessing Christ have. It is honorable, just, pure, lovely, gracious and excellent. This is the type of love that St. Martin had. He showed this kind of love not only to humans but also to animals: he maintained a hospital for cats and dogs at his sister’s house.
He also possessed spiritual wisdom demonstrated by helping to solve his sister’s marriage problems, and resolving theological problems for the learned of his Order and for bishops.
Martin died on November 3, 1639, and was canonized by Pope John XXIII, on May 6, 1962.
May we, with Martin, this day find our peace - find our joy, find our hope - in God! - and may we communicate it lovingly to others!
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