Daily Meditation for November 4, 2024

Saint Martin de Porres—the low-born “mulatto” (mixed race), who was finally accepted as a Dominican Lay Brother and became a miracle worker saint in his native Lima, Peru—is commemorated today. He served his monastic community by sweeping the grounds and receiving the poor. His fame spread as healer of mind and body, even for animals. We are told about his wisdom in the story about the local mice which were chewing and destroying the altar linens of the monastery. Martin was sent to eliminate the offenders. Instead, he talked to the mice, promising to feed them with table scraps if they stopped chewing on the altar cloths. It worked and Martin is always pictured with a broom in hand and a mouse at his feet. In this period of political division, let’s ask St. Martin to coach us to respect the dignity owed to all … even the animals!

By Judy Kramer, OSB