Word to the Wise
Thursday, November 3, 2016 - Thursday in the 31th Week in Ordinary Time
[Phil 3:3-8a and Luke 15:1-10]THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2016 ST. MARTIN DE PORRES, O.P. [Philippians 3:3-8a and Luke 15:1-10. Scriptures may vary at Dominican locales] "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." [Luke] The accusation made by the scones and Pharisees against Jesus describes Martin De Porres perfectly! He was the doorkeeper at the Dominican priory in Lima, Peru and received anyone and everyone for food, clothing, healing, etc. It did not matter who they were or what their social standing was in that very stratified society in the late 16th - early 17th century. He is the patron of the Southern Dominican Province to which I belong. When I was a boy growing up in the still segregated society of the South, I once saw a statue of Martin De Porres in a non-Catholic African American chapel. His reputation extended beyond Catholic piety. In our own day, figures like Mother Teresa still inspire us. We Dominicans have three saints from Lima: Martin, Rose and Juan Macias who transcended or broke societal and cultural barriers to reach out to the least and the less cared for. There will always be scribes and Pharisees to criticize anyone who dares to do this. With Martin, today, we can pray for openness and a caring heart that will lead us to imitate him. AMEN
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