11/3/2015 – Reflection on St Martin de Porres on his memorial feast day –

    When I served as a missionary in Ecuador, I learned about St Martin de Porres, who lived in the neighboring country of Peru.  Martin was of mixed race, born of a Spanish father and a mother who was a freed slaved.  Living in colonial South America, Martin faced a lot of discrimination and racism, but he followed the call to serve God with great humility and courage. He became a Dominican brother at the urging of the other Dominicans after feeling that he was not worthy to do so We all can learn a lot about Jesus from the life of Martin de Porres, a man who loved animals, who would clean out the houses of the poor with a broom that he would carry around with him.  Martin died in the early 17^th century, but his canonization in 1962 by Pope John XXIII showed how he always lived in the hearts of the people.  He is the patron saint of social justice.  May our prayers join with his.