Word to the Wise
Tuesday, November 3, 2015 - Tuesday in the 31th Week in Ordinary Time
[Rom 12:5-16ab and Luke 14:15-24]Since we have gifts that differ accourding to the grace given to us, let us exercise them: if prophecy, in proportion to the faith; in ministry, in ministering; if one is a teacher, in teaching; if one exhorts, in exhortation; if one contributes, in generosity; if one is over others, with diligence; if one does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness." [Romans]
NOVEMBER 3, ST. MARTIN DE PORRES, O.P.
Today is the feast of the humble Dominican brother, Martin De Porres, whose mercy toward the poor at the door made him a patron saint of those who work for social justice. Martin was of mixed race. His father was a Spanish soldier and his mother a former slave. He entered the Dominican order at a young age and served as a barber and infirmarian, but his fame came from his ministry of mercy and charity at the front door of the priory in Lima, Peru. His duties included being the porter/janitor, but he fed and cared for anyone who came to the door. He slept in a kind of broom closet near that door, which is why he is often portrayed with a broom. A legend has him making a deal with the mice that if they would stay out of the priory, he would feed them, so mice are also shown along with the broom!
Martin's sanctity prevailed over racial prejudice which had delayed his profession in the Order and kept him from any consideration for ordination. When I was a boy, I saw statues of him in African-American Protestant churches in the area where I lived. He is one of the most popular saints in Latin America and our Southern Dominican Province chose him as our patron.
Our nation still has a long way to go in overcoming the scourge of racial prejudice. The recent violent disturbances and confrontations over law enforcement in African-American communities and the slogan, "Black Lives Matter," should serve as a reminder of progress yet to be made. We can pray with our brother, Martin De Porres, that we all have the strength and courage to confront racial and ethnic prejudice wherever it occurs. AMEN
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