by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI
Today we celebrate the Feast of St Martin de Porres ,who was born in Lima, Peru, in 1579. His father was a Spanish gentleman and his mother a freed slave from Panama. Inter alia, he is the patron saint of social justice and race relations. I recall my childhood days when my mother would show us a picture of St Martin while telling us stories about his life. How many of you tell your children stories of the saints?
We could learn much from the lives of saints such as St Martin de Porres, a humble Dominican lay brother, a man of self-giving love who truly understood how Christ wants us to live our lives. When I remember how angrily I would react as a child when others called me derogatory names in primary school because of my mixed heritage of African and Indian, I stand in awe of St Martin who responded with love to those who poured scorn on him because of his mixed heritage. He is known for his care of the sick, for animals, for his willingness to perform menial tasks, and for his works of charity.
I share with you below an excerpt from a homily given at the canonisation of this great saint by Pope John XXIII on May 6, 1962:
“The example of Martin’s life is ample evidence that we can strive for holiness and salvation as Christ Jesus has shown us: first, by loving God ‘with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind; and second, by loving your neighbour as yourself’.
When Martin had come to realise that Christ Jesus ‘suffered for us and that he carried our sins on his body to the cross’, he would meditate with remarkable ardour and affection about Christ on the cross. He had an exceptional love for the great sacrament of the Eucharist and often spent long hours in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. His desire was to receive the sacrament in Communion as often as he could.
St Martin, always obedient and inspired by his divine teacher, dealt with his brothers with that profound love which comes from pure faith and humility of spirit. He loved men because he honestly looked on them as God’s children and as his own brothers and sisters. Such was his humility that he loved them even more than himself, and considered them to be better and more righteous than he was.
He did not blame others for their shortcomings. Certain that he deserved more severe punishment for his sins than others did, he would overlook their worst offences. He was tireless in his efforts to reform the criminal, and he would sit up with the sick to bring them comfort. For the poor he would provide food, clothing and medicine. He did all he could to care for poor farmhands, blacks, and mulattoes who were looked down upon as slaves, the dregs of society in their time. Common people responded by calling him, ‘Martin the charitable.’
The virtuous example and even the conversation of this saintly man exerted a powerful influence in drawing men to religion. It is remarkable how even today his influence can still move us toward the things of heaven. Sad to say, not all of us understand these spiritual values as well as we should, nor do we give them a proper place in our lives. Many of us, in fact, strongly attracted by sin, may look upon these values as of little moment, even something of a nuisance, or we ignore them altogether. It is deeply rewarding for men striving for salvation to follow in Christ’s footsteps and to obey God’s commandments. If only everyone could learn this lesson from the example that Martin gave us.”
Fr Lawrence Lew OP reported that the Dominican Province of St John the Baptist in Peru held a grand celebration in the city of Lima on May 5 & 6, 2012, to mark the 50th anniversary of the canonisation of St Martin.. The relics of St Martin were taken from the Convent of Santo Domingo and carried in procession to the Cathedral where the Archbishop of Lima concelebrated Mass, which was followed by another procession of a statue of the saint through the streets of Lima. The relics of St Martin toured the country.
At his Angelus in Rome on May 6, 2012 Pope Benedict XVI invoked St Martin de Porres, asking him “to intercede for the work of a new evangelisation, so holiness may flourish in the Church.”
