Word to the Wise
Tuesday, November 3, 2009 - St. Martin De Porres, O.P. - Dominican Brother and Patron of Social Justice
[Romans 12:5-16ab and Luke 14:15-24]Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the holy ones, exercise hospitality. [Romans] Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame. [Luke]
When I was very young, growing up in North Louisiana, it was not unusual to see a statue of [then, Blessed] Martin De Porres in the small churches (Catholic or Protestant!) that served predominantly African-American congregations! That statue was a small ray of hope in the then racially segregated society in which these congregations gathered! That statue remains a ray of hope in many ways since even though segregation is illegal, racial discrimination is still a factor in all American society and not just in the Deep South. This is one of the principal reasons that St. Martin De Porres, O.P., a half-caste man who lived in 16th and 17th century Lima, Peru, is the patron saint of Social Justice. He began and lived his life in a rigidly stratified society where discrimination/segregation was practiced to a high degree. St. Martin spent much of his life as an unordained Dominican "Lay Brother" serving as the doorkeeper (porter/janitor) of a Dominican priory in Lima. In this role he became renown for the ministry described in the two short passages from the ordinary readings for this date. He was a one-man social services agency! One of his primary symbols is his broom! He was a contemporary of two other Dominican saints in Lima - St. Rose of Lima and St. Juan Macias! In short, he was a holy man who served everyone without distinction who came to his door. That example should inspire us (or at least make us squirm)! In a nation founded in large part on immigant peoples, where resistance to immigrants is now rampant (strange and tragic irony), St. Martin De Porres is a reminder to us that social justice is a continuing challenge. The most recent waves of immigrants to our land are African, Hispanic and Asian - all "people of color." We are all standing at the door. Are we welcoming others or are we sending them away as threats to our comfort? St. Martin De Porres, O.P. is also the patron saint of the Southern Dominican Province, U.S.A., of which I am a member. As such, he is a reminder to all of us Dominican friars in the South of our commitment to follow his welcoming and serving example. AMEN
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