November 3: Christian feast of St. Martin of Porres (d. 1639), healer and advocate of social equality and inter-ethnic harmony; guide of healers and human rights activists.
Looking at my interfaith prayer calendar, I found this entry for today. I think it's the most beautiful coincidence. St. Martin de Porres is a Peruvian mulato (son of a Spanish nobleman and a former slave from Panama) who was given to a doctor at age 10 by his poor mother. He worked healing the sick and later entered a Dominican monastery where he became a servant in the infirmary. Because of his healing and piety, he was allowed to become a "brother" despite being black (which would have disqualified him)--probably because he was better at healing than any of the white brothers! He was a friend of Sta. Rosa de Lima and part of the whole religious movement that bucked the caste system. St. Martin would bring Indians and slaves into his room and the infirmary, and when he was forbidden to do so, he established a hospital and an orphanage. All with lots of humility and with such amazing results that his administrators and superiors had to go along...at least pretending that they were supporting him.
Although the people of Lima started trying to get Rome to declare him a saint (with all the requisite proofs), it took over two hundred years for the Vatican to budge. It was not until 1962 that he was declared a saint. What perseverance!
I'm not sure what the lesson is here. Maybe that for justice and racial harmony to win it takes a long time? Actually, I'd rather think that this coincidence is a reminder that we are all linked. That there is a "great cloud of witnesses" that is praying with us and that Ashley's healing is part of the ongoing struggle for wholeness in our broken world. AND, of course, a reminder that it is good and fitting that on Nov. 3 we are all praying (like San Martin) for healing and human rights in Ashley's life.
Thank you, God, for this little miracle. Heal Ashley. Bless Barack Obama. Bless us as we pray.
Amen
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