The Life of San Martín de Porres

San MartinThe history of our Martín friend begins from the visit of Juan de Porres, a Spanish horseman of the Order of Alcántara, to the city of Lima, Peru and that worked like diplomat under the orders of King of Spain Felipe II. Its stay in the Peruvian city was short and of proceeding. During this time it had the occasion to know Ana Vela'zquez, a young mulata of Panama that resided in Lima. Both they established a friendship, of which was born two children: Martín and Juana. Martín saw the light the 9 of December of 1579. But his father wanted it to recognize, neither to him nor to his sister. Martín was not born black, but mulato; their shoulders were wide; its strong arms; its raised front; its black eyes; its nose smaller than great; its heavy lips... It was baptized in the church of San Sebastián of Lima, the same temple where also Santa Rosa of Lima baptized itself. Already from his first years, it was possible to be appreciated in Martín, a Christian sense of love to his resemblances. One tells that it loved the poor men singularly and it aided them of his savings; a money that had to give its father him when it visited to him. Also one says that when was going to buy feeding products that her mother ordered to him, never gave back the change correctly to him, "there are lost some currencies"... and is that Martín did not let in any the most needed occasion give alms to. Our santo began to be known between the inhabitants of the city by his charitable soul, not by the amount that he gave, but by the age that that good boy had; its composure, its humility... The simplicity of heart of Martín left dazzled its father, who moved by his conscience took it to Guayaquil (Ecuador), country where he was destined. The 8 years of age, Martín entered a primary school, but its stay in this city would last only two years, since Don Juan fué named Governor of Panama

Martín works like "barber"

Friar Martín returned to Lima to continue its studies, but at the age of 12 years it began to work of "barber". The main occupation of our saint in the barber's shop was the one to extract teeth and teeth, to prescribe grass, to alleviate pains, to tear with the bistoury the buccal tumors... were a species of "doctor". It quickly began to know the art ointments and the balsams, how the irritation of a pain is alleviated, how the fevers are appeased, how the deliriums are fought, how a blood flow stops... This does not clear that also it had to shave or to cut the hair in some occasions. The barber's shop was frequented by the most distinguished of the city of Lima, since the elegance of Martín attracted the horsemen and the diplomacy. As much it liked east world that was also offered like volunteer in the hospitals. At night, far from resting, it spent hours in candle in his house saying in front of an image of Jesus Crucified.

Enter the convent of the Dominican ones

Feeling apt for the service of the others and love of delivery to Jesus Christ, to the 15 years of age it went to call to the Convent of the Rosary of Lima of the Dominican Brothers to enter like friar. But it was only accepted like "donated" brother, that is to say, like tertiary regular, a special order for seglares eager to take a religious life. To him it did not concern east treatment to him differential, only wished to be in the house of God and to serve to him faithfully, although outside in the last step. Its work was the one to sweep (of there the nickname of "Fray broom"), to clean the cells, to make messages, to help in the kitchen, in sacristy, in the orchard... in short, he was a servant for everything and all. In the first years of his stay in the community, it happened totally unnoticed between the friars, anybody paid attention to him and often, by his condition of mulato, he was criticized. To first hour in the morning, lining the dawn, the first mass was celerbrated there, it agreed in her, and later it entered contemplation with the sacred host of which was very devotee. They had to spend about 15 years so that outside accepted definitively in the congregation as brother I talk (Dominican brother of right plenary session like the other members of the community).

The treatments of Friar Martín

The extraordinary facts in the life of this saint are countless, as they are the treatments, miracles, ecstasies... Fray Martin exerted during long time the work of nurse in the convent. And the occasions were many in which it appeared mysteriously in the cells of the patients to aid his necessities right at the moment at which they needed it. Often it made treatments "miraculous", like for example, when an old shoemaker arrived at the convent with the fingers engarfiados and counterfeited by reuma dolorísimo. Friar Martin took its hand and signaled de la Cruz on the ill fingers. But that one shoemaker was not in agreement with the remedy, thinking that saint made fun of of him. So that the old one went away calm, it put a homemade remedy to him. He did because he prepared some things and he bandaged the hands to him. To the following morning, oh miracle, the old shoemaker noticed that not only he did not have any pain but that could move the fingers and arms, feeling all the rejuvinated body. The bandage took off quickly to discover what wonderful ointment had put him the friar and saw that it was a piece of shoe sole! One tells that in another occasion it cured such with procedures to a doctor to whom they had diagnosed to him that did not have human remedy and that it had left few days of life. When Fray Martin got to visit to him, it asked to him the wife who gave an orchard him of almonds. Martin occurred it to drink all whole one and it foretold to him that of there to two days, he himself would go in person to the convent to give back the visit to him. And thus it happened exactly.

The social and humanitarian action

The work of barber contributed its great knowledge to him in the art of the treatment, but Fray Martin first of all applied the resource of the oration. The convent of the Rosary of Lima became an authentic hospital, since Fray Martin gathered all the street patients of the city. Although at a first moment the superior ones reproached this attitude to him, since it broke with the rules of the community, governed by the closing, in the end gave permission him so that that one outside "his particular hospital". But it still kept hours to visit ill people in his own homes, hospitals, religious communities... the Martin poor man did not have nor time to sleep! Thanks to San Martin de Porres, also were based two Asylums for orphaned children and children, the calls Asylums and Schools of Orphans of Santa Cruz, the first establishment of that sort in Lima. The santo fame ran by all the homes of the city. Hardly there was only one that santo did not take the gift of his medicines or their consolations. It reconciled to marriages, it arranged enmities, it reconciled people, and it fomented the religion. The friars of the convent asked themselves but when to duer to me? When he rests? And where?

His love to the animals

In documents of the beatification process one also tells that Fray Martín "took care in taking care of and also feeding not only the poor men but the dogs, to the cats, the mice and other creepy-crawlies, and that made an effort to put peace not only between the people but between dogs and cats, and cats and mice, also restoring non-aggression pacts and promises of reciprocal respect". He is not stranger who in the convent, the dogs, cats and mice ate of the same plate when Fray Martín put the food to them. One tells that way of the convent went a day and that in the street it saw a dog bleeding by the neck and on the verge of falling. One went to him, it reprimanded to him sweetly and it said these words to him: "Poor old; you wanted to be too ready and you caused the fight. It left bad the case to you. Sight now the spectacle that you offer. They see with me the convent see if I can remediarte ". It went with him to the convent, laid down to the dog in a straw carpet, registered the wound to him and it applied its medicines to him, its ointments. After remaining one week in the house, it dismissed to him with light taps to the back, that he was thankful wagging the tail, and good advice for the future: "you do not return to the old ways - it said to him -, that you are already old for the fight;.

Another anecdote that explains its love to the animals is the following one: it is that the convent then was infested of mice and rats, which nibbled the clothes and the habits, as much in sacristy as in the cells and the wardrobe. After the friars solved to take drastic measures to exterminate them, Martin de Porres felt afflicted for that reason and suffered when thinking that those innocent animals had to be condemned of that way. So, having found to one of those beasts it said to him: "Small brother rat, hear me well: you no longer are safe here. He sees say to them to your companions who go at heart to the located shelter of the garden. I commit myself to take to them eaten there, on condition that they promise to me not to already come to cause damage in the convent ". After these words, according to he counts himself, the "head" of the rat tribe quickly took to the warning to all the army of rats and mice, and could see one long procession of these animals marching past throughout the corridors and of the clusters to arrive at the indicated garden.

Life of mortification

The Martin Friar also took a mortification life, fasting constantly, nourishing with a little bread and water during the cuaresmal time, feeding itself on insipid grass, roots... Sometimes he was forced by his superior ones to stop (to demote, not to do…) these mortifications and to eat like the others. During the night he destined many hours of oration in the chapel of the convent in front of the image of Jesus crucified, of most holy sacrament or the image of Our Lady of the Rosary...

The death of Friar Martín

But everything has its aim, and Martin de Porres by very saint who outside, also touched the hour to meet to him with God. Year 1639 ran, when it was affected of typhus. The friars of the community went to their room and he said to them with great sufferings: "There am the aim of my peregrination here on the Earth. I will die of this disease. No medicine will be of benefit ". Also it declared that one was not single at that moment: that they were to his side the Virgin, San Jose, Santo Domingo, San Vicente Ferrer and Santa Catherine of Alexandria. Fray Martin constantly died the 3 of November of 1639 giving kisses crucifijo that it had in the hand. The 8 of August of 1837 were declared devout and the 6 of May of 1962, the Pope Juan XXIII declared saint to him..

San Martin de Porres: November 3rd

Invocations and patronages: It is the pattern par excellence of the patients, protector of the poor men (next to San Vicente de Paul and San Camilo de Lelis) and also of the barbers. Next to San Antonio Abbot, him the intercession in the animals can be requested please..