Homily: Feast of St. Martin De Porres

Feast of St. Martin De Porres (Rm 9:1-5) “A Foot in Two Worlds”

St. Paul had a sense that he did not quite fit in. He considered himself a Jew, but he was part of the Christian sect of the Jewish faith. He struggled with following the Jewish law. Paul could not understand why Gentiles needed to be Jews before they could commit to Christ. He was not afraid to listen to the Spirit and move with the promptings of the Spirit. This got him into many arguments. Other religious people considered him lax and unorthodox.

Paul felt out of place in the Jewish faith. He also felt a little out of place among gentiles. This was a tension that Paul dealt with throughout his life. It seems appropriate that we read from Paul’s Letter to the Romans on this feast of St. Martin De Porres because St. Martin had to stratal different cultures and racial groups as well as he lived out his life in Peru.

St. Martin struggled with fitting in his whole life. His father was Hispanic, and his mother was of African descent. His father would acknowledge him as his son at times. At other times he would not. Martin was left to find his way in the world. He learned to be a barber. Barbars were not like we experience them today. When Martin lived a barber also practiced medicine.

Martin De Porres was drawn to religious life. He wanted to be a Dominican. Because he was biracial the Dominicans were reluctant to accept him. He worked around the priory doing menial jobs. It was obvious that he was saintly. Eventually the Dominicans let him be a brother.

He ministered to other people living on the margins. He helped slaves. He reached out to those of mixed race. Because of his own situation, he was empathetic to all those who did not belong. He knew what it was to endure prejudice and to be unwanted. With so many people who feel alienated in our world he is a saint for our time.

Reflection Questions:

1.    Am I caught between two cultures? What are they?

2.    Am I suspicious of others who are different? Who might they be?

Dear Parishioners,

          We lost a good friend this week, Dr. Jerry O’Keefe. Jerry was a veterinarian by trade. He was also a leader in our Catholic community. If there was a project in the local Catholic Church that needed an advocate the last 50 years, Jerry was all in. He sat on boards at Sacred Heart, Seton and Alleman. He was active in Cursillo and the Christian Family movement. He was also a great supporter of the various building projects that we have had at Sacred Heart in the last few years.

          Jerry was one of the first people to invite me to his house when I came to Moline. I will miss him a great deal. If we want to have a role model in life Jerry would be an example of Christian living in every way.

          May Our Lady Lead him home,

          Fr. Mark