Saint Martin de Porres was born on December 9, 1579, in Lima, Peru. He was the illegitimate son of wealthy Spanish knight Juan de Porres and a freed slave woman from Panama, Anna Velasquez, who was of mixed raced. At the age of fifteen, Martin became a "resident oblate" in the Dominican Friary in Lima and was accepted as a lay brother nine years later. He had a desire to be a foreign missionary somewhere to earn martyrdom, but he spent his whole life in Lima working as a barber, farm laborer, almoner (one who collects and distributes alms for the poor), and doctor's assistant, among other things.
Martin was blessed with great graces and miracles such as: curing the sick, aerial flights, and bilocation. He was very humble and called himself "Brother Broom". He treated all with love and did not discriminate against anyone who needed help. Not only did he love all people, but animals as well, even rodents, and he maintained a hospital for cats and dogs in the house of his sister. In his charity, he also started an institution for poor children to educate them and to teach them a trade so that they would have better lives; and he established an open garden planted with fig trees which was accessible to all the poor for food.
Saint Martin died on November 3, 1639 of typhus (a disease that is contracted from lice, mites, or fleas), probably contracted due to his contact with animals. He was carried to his tomb by bishops and noblemen. He was canonized by Pope John XXIII on May 6, 1962. He was also the first Black saint of the Americas and a contemporary of Saint Rose of Lima. Saint Martin is the patron saint of nurses and health care assistants, sick livestock, and is called on against rats and mice.
Sources
Lives . . . of the Saints: For Every Day of the Year, revision of the original edition by Rev. Hugo Hoever, S. O. Cist., Ph. D., 1993-1955 by Catholic Book Publishing Co., N.Y.Saints for Young Readers: For Everyday, Second Ed., Vol. II, revised and edited by Susan Helen Wallace, fsp, 1995, Pauline Books and Media, Boston
Encyclopedia of the Saints by Clemens Jockle, Alpine Fine Arts Collection (UK) Ltd., London. 1995.)
The Order of Preachers (Dominican) Website http://www.op.org/curia/JPC/booklets/brosistr.htm#DePorres
Collect:
Lord,
You led Martin de Porres by a life of humility
to eternal glory.
May we follow his example
and be exalted with him in the kingdom of Heaven.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
First Reading: Philippians 4:4-9
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do; and the God of peace will be with you.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 22:34-40
But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, to test Him. "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" And he said to Him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets."
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