Bible
Study: Philippians 3, 3 to 8 and Luke 15, 1 to 10.
There is great joy in heaven when one sinner repents. Each time we make
up our mind to change some bad habit or stop some sinful act, God is happy and
all the Angels and Saints are rejoicing in heaven. The truth is that it doesn’t matter how many
times we make such a decision, God is always happy whenever we turn from our
sins.
Think of the joy you feel each time you lose something precious and then
find it again after a hectic day of searching. There is some inner calmness in
your spirit and a sense of accomplishment. That is just how God feels each time
we make a decision to serve him wholeheartedly and walk in uprightness.
St. Paul in today’s first reading says he counts everything as loss because
of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus. That is to say, nothing else
matter in life so long as we know Christ and follow him closely. Indeed in our
decision to repent, we are telling God that we stand for him. We give him joy
by so doing and he in turn makes us happy.
Nothing is as bad as a sheep who is lost but refuses to follow his
master back to the fold. This is called despair. It is an extent we reach in
our spirituality that we begin to resign ourselves to fate; whereby we tell
ourselves that there is no need trying to be good since we have always been
bad. Before God, nobody is irredeemable. Let us give God joy by returning home.
Today we remember St. Martin de Porres. At a young age, Martin's father
abandoned him, his mother and his younger sister, leaving Martin to grow up in
deep poverty. After spending just two years in primary school, Martin was
placed with a barber/surgeon where he would learn to cut hair and the medical
arts.
When Martin was 15, he asked for admission into the Dominican Convent of
the Rosary in Lima and was received as a servant boy and eventually was moved
up to the church officer in charge of distributing money to deserving poor. During
his time in the Convent, Martin took on his old trades of barbering and
healing. He also worked in the kitchen, did laundry and cleaned.
Martin grew to become a Dominican lay brother in 1603 at the age of 24.
Ten years later, after he had been presented with the religious habit of a lay
brother, Martin was assigned to the infirmary where he would remain in charge
until his death. He became known for encompassing the virtues need to carefully
and patiently care for the sick, even in the most difficult situations.
Martin's life reflected his great love for God and all of God's gifts.
It is said he had many extraordinary abilities, including aerial flights,
bilocation, instant cures, miraculous knowledge, spiritual knowledge and an
excellent relationship with animals. Martin also founded an orphanage for
abandoned children and slaves.
In January of 1639, when Martin was 60-years-old, he became very ill
with chills, fevers and tremors causing him agonizing pain. After his death,
the miracles received when he was invoked in such greatness that when he was
exhumed 25 years later, his body exhaled a splendid fragrance and he was still
intact.
St. Martin de Porres was beatified by Pope Gregory XVI on October 29,
1837 and canonized by Pope John XXIII on May 6, 1962. He has become the patron
saint of people of mixed race, innkeepers, barbers, public health workers and
more.
Let us pray: Lord Jesus, may my repentance bring you joy. Amen.
Be Happy.
Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you.
Fr. Abu
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