Saint Martin de Porres, Pray for Us

Readings: 1^st: Phil 6:10-20; Ps 22; Gos: Lk 14:15-24

This brief reflection was written by Fr. Njoku Canice Chukwuemeka, C.S.Sp. He is a Catholic Priest and a member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans). He is a missionary in Puerto Rico, the island of enchantment. He is the Chancellor of the Dioceses of Fajardo-Humacao, Puerto Rico; the Parish Priest of Parroquia la Resurrección del Senor, Canóvanas and the Major Superior of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans), Circumscription of Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic. For more details and comments contact him at:  canice_c_njoku@yahoo.com, canicechukwuemeka@gmail.com.

Today, the Tuesday of the thirty first week of ordinary time, the church honors a great and humble saint, Saint Martin de Porres, religious.

Martin de Porres was born in in Lima, Peru in 1579 to a Spanish knight and a Negro woman from Panama. At the age of fifteen, Martin became a lay brother at the Dominican Friary at Lima.

As a Dominican lay brother, Martin de Porres lived a life of fasting, prayer, and penance. He also spent his whole life there as a barber, farm laborer, and infirmarian.

He cared for the sick of the city, and the slaves brought to Peru from Africa. After much hard work, Martin died on November 3, 1639, and was canonized on May 6, 1962.

In today’s gospel, Jesus employs a parable to teach about the kingdom of God. Through his parable, Christ reminds us that God is always inviting us to his table and that he loves to spend time with us.

Indeed, like those initially invited to the banquet in Christ’s parable, many of us have many “plausible excuses.” So, instead of responding faithfully to this special invitation, many of us are distracted by many things.

These things that distract us may not be harmful in themselves, but are the wrong priorities in our lives. Despite this, God’s invitation comes to us with a great sense of urgency.

Hence, this message continues to resound every day, “the Kingdom is here,” and we cannot postpone our response any longer. So, let us set aside all these excuses and say yes to Christ, the Lord of our life.

Saint Martin de Porres, Pray for us

Peace be with you

Maranatha!