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"By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness."
—Galatians 5:22
Over 50,000.
That’s how many self-help books are readily available to every American, often with the luxury of two-day delivery. In this materialistic world, we’ve come to assume that joy is just another item we can have delivered to our doorstep. From books and drugs to even friendships and families — everything seems to be for sale. In Japan, for example, it’s possible to rent a companion for a day. Here in the United States, the business of renting wombs is thriving.
Despite a deep hunger for happiness, so many Americans find themselves trapped in despair. The number of drug overdose deaths has reached an all-time high, and suicide rates continue to soar. Clearly, true happiness cannot be ordered like a product or service. Even the ancient pagans understood what we’ve forgotten: happiness comes from living a life oriented toward God. (1)
Today, we commemorate a man whose smile radiated the kind of joy that words can’t capture — a joy so profound that it touched the hearts of all who saw him. St. Martín de Porres, the patron saint of our Southern Dominican Province, was born in Lima, Peru, in 1579, and today we honor him as an exemplar of true spiritual joy.
A Son of the Americas
St. Martín de Porres was very much a son of the American continent. His mother, Anna Velasquez, was a freed Panamanian woman of African descent. His father, Don Juan de Porres, was a Spanish nobleman.
One touching aspect of St. Martín’s life involved his friendships with St. Rose of Lima, the Dominican mystic and nun, and St. Juan Macías, another Dominican brother we commemorated a few weeks ago. By all accounts, the bond of these three South American saints was one of mutual encouragement, a shared dedication to charity, and a common pursuit of holiness.
In contrast, the pride of Don Juan de Porres strained his relationship with his saintly son. For many years, Don Juan struggled to accept his mixed-race son. But through the quiet witness of his son’s humility and holiness, Don Juan eventually experiences a conversion and comes to accept and embrace Martín.
Healer of Bodies and Souls
From a young age, Martín trained as a barber-surgeon, a vocation that allowed him to heal both bodies and souls throughout his life. At age 15, he entered the Dominican convent as a lay brother. His humility and deep love of poverty shone through in every aspect of his life. His wardrobe consisted of only two old, patched habits. Much like St. Dominic, St. Martín devoted his nights to prayer and often slept on the floor. Yet, despite these austerities – or perhaps precisely because of them – his joyful spirit never wavered, even in the most challenging times.
As the infirmarian at the Dominican convent, St. Martín de Porres shone like a beacon of healing in the bustling streets of Lima. He tended to the sick with a tenderness that wrapped around them like a warm blanket, offering solace in their darkest moments. One biography beautifully captures his essence: "He showed [the sick] the love of an angel, consoled them when they were discouraged, and served them on his knees." His compassion knew no boundaries; he embraced all people, from the wealthiest Spaniards, cloaked in fine silks, to the poorest Indigenous and African peoples, worn and weary from hardship. No matter their background, he received each one with a radiant smile that lit up the dimmest rooms, instilling hope and comfort in their hearts.
His powerful smile was a form of silent preaching. Whenever Martin sensed someone was troubled or harboring resentment, he sought to ease their hearts with his patient and joyful sympathy. His joy was contagious, pointing beyond himself to the love of God.
Later in life, even when stricken with malarial fevers, Martín continued his tireless work, exemplifying self-denial and penetrating the depths of Christian charity. This dedication was evident through his interactions with both the poor and the rich alike. Benefactors trusted him completely, confident that their donations would serve the neediest. His deep love of poverty made him an excellent steward of their generosity.
The Joy of the Cross
As Bishop Barron observes when contemplating a most poignant depiction of the Crucifixion: “that is the image of a joyful Man!” (2) Despite the agony of the Cross, there is joy because of love. Much like Christ Himself, St. Martín de Porres knew that joy is found in love — a love rooted in self-sacrifice.
St. Martín’s life mirrors this truth. Throughout his life, he had a profound devotion to the Passion of Our Lord, often meditating on Christ's sufferings with great tenderness and compassion. His joy was not the fleeting kind that comes from external comforts but the deep, abiding joy that comes from self-giving love — a joy not diminished by suffering but enriched by it. His smile reflected the joy that can only be found when we love God first and our neighbor as ourselves.
St. Martín de Porres reminds us that we are all called to embrace the Cross and live with a love and joy that radiates to everyone we encounter.
"I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete."
—John 15:11