Saint Martin de Porres

Today the Catholic Church remembers a saint from the Americas – Martín, son of a Spanish nobleman and a freed black slave. Despite the prejudices of his time he was allowed to become a lay brother in the Dominican friary in Lima, Perú. There he took upon himself the humblest tasks but was also noted for his knowledge and practice of healing. Trained as a barber which included learning about medicine, he also knew natural medicine. Many regarded him as a miracle worker.

There are many stories about Martin, some of his ability to be in two places at once (bilocation), others of his love of animals and his power to have a dog, a cat, and a mouse eat together from the same bowl. But there is one I especially like.

Martin would take the poor from the streets of Lima to his cell in the friary and let them rest on his bed as he cared for them. His superior ordered him to stop. But Martin continued to care for the poor in his cell. When his superior found out, he severely reprimanded Martin, who humbly responded, “Pardon my error and please be so kind as to teach me. I did not know that the command of obedience takes precedence over the command of love.” Henceforth, Martin was able to care for the poor and sick as he saw fit.

St. Martin de Porres is thus rightfully the patron saint of social justice as well as race relations. He ought to be the patron saint of natural medicine as well.

It is fitting that the first reading for the liturgy today happens to be from Romans 12.

As I read it this morning, I could not help but be struck by Romans 12: 10:

Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.

As I often do when I find a particularly moving passage in the lectionary readings, I check out several translations. The one above is from both the New American Bible and the New Revised Standard Version. The Spanish versions were weak, but the Jerusalem Bible really struck me:

Never be condescending but make real friends with the poor.

That’s been the gift I’ve received here in Honduras – to be able to make real friends with the lowly – with Gloria, Ovidio, Jesús, and so many others who have accepted me into their homes and have shared their lives with me.

As I ponder this verse, I also think that those who come to Honduras to help should take this in mind, especially the admonition to “never be condescending” and the final part of the verse “do not be wise in your own estimation.” So often we think we have something to give to these poor people, forgetting that they too may have deep wisdom and knowledge to share with us.

It was for this reason that I began several of my presentations in Iowa last month talking about the richness of Honduras, especially the richness of the Honduran people. It is condescending to just talk about them as "the unfortunate poor." They are a people with dignity and with resources and resourcefulness. If I had as little as some of them have, I would never survive.

I also think of the current crisis here in Honduras. If only all those involved really associated with the lowly, the resolution would be very different.

And so I pray that I may take to heart the way of life that Paul commends in Romans 12. And may all who live here and all who come to help see the wisdom of the God found there.

***

The story from St. Martin de Porres's life is taken from Robert Ellsberg's All Saints, a book I heartily recommend for its short accounts of the lives of holy men and women from all traditions.

I took the photo of the statue of St. Martin in the friary in Lima where he lived.