Nov. 3rd - St. Martin De Poress

Today, we celebrate the memorial of St. Martin de Porres, who was born in Lima, Peru in 1579. At the age of 15, he became a lay brother at the Dominican Friary in Lima. Following in the footsteps of St. Dominic, he spent his whole life there, as a barber, farm-laborer and infirmarian, who takes care of the sick brothers.

In his spare time he would feed the mice in the back yard and they would come when he called them.

He had a great desire to go off to some foreign mission and be martyred. Since, he would not receive this grace, he martyred himself by devoting himself to severe penances.

Whenever he would contemplate the sufferings of Jesus, he began to weep. He had an exceptional love and devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and spent long hours in prayer before Jesus truly present in the tabernacle. He desired to receive the Eucharist as often as possible. As a religious brother, he was very obedient, and dealt with his religious brothers with profound love which comes from pure faith and humility of spirit. For the poor, he provided food, clothing and medicine. Many called him, “Martin the Charitable” because he looked at everyone as his own brothers and sisters, and considered them to be better and more righteous than himself. Just as Padre Pio, was able to fly in the air, and bilocate, so Martin de Porres, bilocated, and was seen in flight, yet he lived 400 yrs. before St. Padre Pio. St. Martin, the charitable, in a special way came to follow the way of charity.

In 1639, he died at the age of 60 and is pictured with a broom as a reminder how he enjoyed menial tasks and He is pictured with mice because they would harken to him when the called them.

Today, let us imitate his example, by spending extra time with Jesus truly present in the Eucharist, so that we may truly live a life of charity.