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St. Martin de Porres, The Apostle of Charity
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November 3, 2020On May 6, 1962, Pope St. John XXIII canonized St. Martin de Porres saying, “A springtime flower has opened in the Church.”
At the birth of Martin de Porres in 1579, the city of Lima had only been established 43 years earlier. The Gospel seed was still “fresh” in the land and St. Martin de Porres, the Apostle of Charity, would be part of a new generation of friars dedicated to the preaching of Jesus Christ in the land of South America. Baptized in the same font as St. Rose of Lima at the Church of St. Sebastian, St. Martin learned from a very early age to treasure God as his heavenly Father.
At the age of twelve, St. Martin chose the trade of barber—which then included the duties of minor surgeon, doctor, and pharmacist. When he entered the Order in 1594, St. Martin had already established quite a reputation among those in the city as a compassionate barber who seldom took money for his services and often spent his mother’s money on the poor in the marketplace rather than purchasing food for his small family.
As a Dominican brother, Martin continued in his profession as barber and as the infirmarian for three hundred friars, bishops, and the poor alike. St. Martin’s care for the rich, the poor, the sick, the oppressed, those who oppressed him, and even animals is a reflection of his love for Christ—his identification of his brothers and sisters as siblings in the family of God the Father.
On one occasion a man who had suffered badly in a brawl was brought into the infirmary. He was bleeding profusely and covered in mud. As a result, after the man had been healed and left the infirmary, the sheets were left filthy. Another brother showed them to St. Martin and remarked, “And now to try to get them white again!” St. Martin was not amused. For, while he could bear the most awful of insults to himself and his character, he could not stand to hear even the slightest of offenses to fraternal charity. He responded, “Brother, with the application of a little elbow grease, water and soap, the sheets will be white again, but the soul needs other things! Only tears and penance can cleanse it from the lack of charity.”
St. Martin knew that there was no comparison to the God who became man. He looked not within himself or even his brothers to discover the strength he needed to care endlessly for those in need. Instead, he looked to Christ Crucified—He grew up looking to the Crucified Christ and beginning in this humble state on his knees, it should be no wonder to us that when he left his contemplation of the wounded Son of God, he would see His face in all those whom he encountered. St. Martin de Porres died clutching a crucifix on November 3, 1639.
Learn more about St. Martin de Porres in this free eBook.
