Today, we celebrate the feast day of Martin de Porres, a Dominican brother from Peru from the 16th century. Martin was very much discriminated against in colonial Latin American society, being the illegitimate son of a Spanish nobleman and a freed African slave. The shame Martin’s father felt over this reality caused him to abandon his family. However, Martin never gave up: he used his gifts to contribute to the Body of Christ, even though that was not always so easy for him. Martin's compassion for the poor, for animals, and for the sick of Lima made him a legend in his own time. Even in the midst of a society and a Church that greatly discriminated against him, his compassion and humble nature won over people's hearts and brought many to God. The broom became his symbol, because he would bring a broom with him to clean the living quarters of the sick and the poor when he would visit them. He eventually founded an orphanage and a children's hospital in Lima, Peru to care for the poor, and even a refuge that would care for sick and injured animals. From the alms he collected, he fed over 150 poor people a day. Martin was canonized as a saint by Pope John XXIII in 1962 – he is the patron saint of the poor and of social justice. He is still known today as the saint of the broom.
As we hear about Martin de Porres today, of his simplicity and humility, we think about how his approach to faith is so unlike the Pharisees in the Gospel today, who in arrogance and pride think they are better than everyone else, who try to trap Jesus and scrutinize his every move. They even criticize Jesus when he tries to heal someone, failiing to understand his explanation that he is not violating the spirit of God’s law. Unlike the prideful example the Pharisees give us today, Martin de Porres and the community of saints give us a humble example of faith to follow on our journey.
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