St Martin De Porres

Discussion in 'The Saints' started by padraig, Nov 7, 2020.

  1. padraig

    padraig Powers

    When I was young there was a huge devotion in Ireland to the Super Saint Martin De Porres. A statue in many homes and Churches and the wonderful little St Martin Magazine, so simple and pious.

    This seems so counter cultural as why would a saint from South America and of a different find a home in little Ireland? The answer of course is that he answered prayers so well and holiness leaps boundaries and opens all hearts.

    But it is a good Sign of a Church , so often accused of racism that the Church from its earliest days took this poor little Mulatto to her hearts.

    One time St Martin was nursing an old priest with an infected leg who used to call Martin a, 'Mulatto dog'. Far from making the saint angry it made him even kinder and hearing the priests wish he made him a caper salad and fed it to him himself.

    Afterwards he healed the priests leg leaving it as good as new.

    Black saints lives matter.:)

    https://www.stmartin.ie/product/saint-martin-magazine-print-subscription/

    [​IMG]

     
    Sam, HeavenlyHosts, Suzanne and 2 others like this.
  2. Krizevac

    Krizevac Archangels

    I remember the magazine well. St Martin de Porres pray for us
     
  3. padraig

    padraig Powers

    Te Deum likes this.
  4. padraig

    padraig Powers

    There is a wonderful story about a passing soldier who was put up in St Martin's little Priory and shared his room for the night. In the middle of the night he woke up and the room was filled with flames and smoke while Martin slept on soundly. The poor soldier in alarm woke the little saint who told him not to worry and made the Sing of the Cross. At once the smoke and flames vanished as though they had never been there.

    It had, of course been an attack of the Devil. I always thought it was a wonderful act of the Providence of God that the solder had been allowed to witness this thing as otherwise such attacks may have remained hidden. The way St Martin handled it indicates these attacks were commonplace.

    https://www.churchpop.com/2015/04/30/the-haunting-stories-of-5-saints-who-battled-demons/
     
    HeavenlyHosts, Suzanne and josephite like this.
  5. SteveD

    SteveD Powers

    About 50 years ago an Irish relative told me that, in Dublin, black (are we allowed to say that now?) doctors were very popular and never lacked patients. I asked why and she said 'Oh, that's because black people are rare in Ireland and people associate a dark skin with St. Martin de Porres'. In some pubs apparently a black person could drink free all night because of their rarity and this association with the Saint. (But that was a long time ago in an age of innocence and piety).
     
  6. josephite

    josephite Powers

    I once read, that the other friars in St Martins monastery, got upset with St Martin because he was keeping and collecting food to feed the poor but this was attracting rats.

    So they insisted that St Martin stop collecting food for the poor or somehow get rid of the rats.

    On hearing this St Martin said a little prayer and then commanded all the rats that had taken up residence in the priory to come out from there hidey holes and to leave the monastery. He told the rats that God would look after them outside and they must leave as their presence was upsetting the peace of his brother friars.

    To the Monks amazement, the rats from the monastery immediately gathered at the door and obeying St Martin they went outside, never to return.
     
    Sam, HeavenlyHosts, padraig and 3 others like this.
  7. Te Deum

    Te Deum Archangels

    My gran aunt had great devotion to St Martin.... he was called on for all manner of troubles. My sister has the relic now. I have a statue of the Saint. Once when one of the cows (I grew up on a farm) went down for hours, and things did not look good, my gran aunt took the relic out to lay on the beast. No sooner done, it nearly knocked her over getting to it's feet! No vet needed! I could tell lots of wonderful stories she relayed to us about this saint. She had great faith. I remember to pray to him often because of her, although I'm a St Pio fan myself
     
  8. padraig

    padraig Powers

    I suspect that the one of the reasons the Irish turned to St Martin De Porres was that when they turned to him things got done. He got their prayers answered. But also perhaps because the Irish love a good story and there are so many good stories about St Martin.

    This is rather like for instance St Therese and St Joan of Arc. At the outbreak of the First World War in France neither of them had been declared saints yet but hardly a Catholic French soldier went to the front without a picture or medal of little Joan or Therese on their person and tubs loads of candle wax burned by mothers , wives and sweethearts before their statues.

    'When I die , I shall let fall a shower of roses upon the Earth'

    ..and when her grave was opened there was the overpowering smell of roses....

    [​IMG]


     
    Last edited: Nov 8, 2020
  9. padraig

    padraig Powers

    In Ancient Times saints were confirmed by popular acclaim, by the saints being recoginsed by local people as being a Saint and calling out in the Cathedral or Church for the departed to be Declared a saint. This Sense of the Faithful (Sensum Fidelium) was a recognised as a Cultus a spiritual following. Even today a person who ides needs a Cult or push from the Faithful to really get off the gorund.

    We saw this so well in the case of Pope St John Paul 2 when at his funeral the local Faithful shouted out with one voice, 'Santo Subito., declare him a saint quickly.

    This is why Ireland became called the island of Saints and scholars, locals recognised saints very quickly, I suppose there is hardly a parish on the island without some saint in the background.

    [​IMG]

     
  10. padraig

    padraig Powers

Share This Page