Have you ever seen someone so in love with our Blessed Mother that they
just light up whenever they talk about her? That's exactly how Saint Martin de
Porres was with Mary, the mother of Jesus. Martin lived in Peru about 400 years
ago, and he wasn't a fancy priest or a bishop; he was a humble brother who
swept floors, did laundry, and took care of sick people at his monastery. But
here's the beautiful secret: while his hands were busy with brooms and
bandages, his heart was always praying the Rosary and thinking about Our Blessed
Mother.
Martin never went anywhere without his rosary beads. People said his fingers
were always moving through those beads, even when he was walking down the
street or feeding the poor. He didn't wait for some special, quiet time to pray,
he turned every single moment into a conversation with Mary. Imagine that!
Sweeping the floor? He's praying a Hail Mary. Washing dishes? Another decade of
the Rosary. Martin understood something really important: you don't need to be
in a church or have everything perfect to talk to Mary. She's always listening,
whether you're in your bedroom, on the bus, or doing your chores.
What's really amazing is how Martin saw Mary as his real mother, not just
Jesus' mother. When he had problems, he ran to her. When he was happy, he
thanked her. When someone was sick and he didn't know how to help them, he
asked her to show him what to do. And you know what? Mary always came through
for him. There are stories of Martin performing incredible miracles, healing
people who were dying, appearing in two places at once, even talking to animals,
and Martin always said it wasn't him doing these things. It was Mary working
through him because he asked her to help.
Martin also taught everyone around him to love the Rosary. He gave rosaries to
poor people, to sick people, even to people who didn't believe in God yet. He'd
sit with someone who was scared or lonely and pray the Rosary with them, and
somehow, by the end, they'd feel peaceful and loved. Martin knew that the
Rosary wasn't just words, it was like holding Mary's hand. Each Hail Mary was
like telling her, "I trust you; I love you, and I know you love me
too." He made the Rosary feel like the most natural thing in the world,
like breathing or smiling.
The coolest thing about Martin is that he never acted like he was holier than
anyone else. He was humble, really humble. He called himself "Martin the
dog" because he thought he was just there to serve everyone else. But that
humility is exactly what made his love for Mary so powerful. He didn't pray the
Rosary to show off or because he had to. He prayed it because he genuinely
loved Mary and wanted to be close to her. And Mary, in turn, made him into one
of the most beloved saints in the whole Church. She took this poor brother who
society looked down on and showed the world that God's love doesn't care about
your background, God only cares about your heart.
So, what can we learn from Saint Martin? Maybe it's this: loving Mary doesn't
require anything fancy. You don't need to be perfect, you don't need to know
big words, and you don't need to wait until you feel "holy enough."
Just pick up those beads and start talking to her, like Martin did. Tell her
about your day, ask her to help you with your problems, thank her for the good
stuff. Martin showed us that the Rosary isn't just a prayer, it's a friendship with the best mom in the
universe. And if a humble brother with a broom could become a saint by loving
Mary this way, then maybe, just maybe, we can too.
©2025 James Dacey, Jr., OFS
