Tuesday. November 3, 2026. Saint Martin de Porres was born in Lima, Peru, to a Spanish nobleman and adventurer and a freed daughter of a slave from Panama. His father abandoned the family when Martin and his sister were very young. His childhood poverty made him sensitive to the plight of the poor, especially the orphans to whom he would devote much of his time and resources. Even as a child, Martin would give the family’s scarce resources to the beggars whom he saw as less fortunate than himself. When he was 8, his father had a change of heart and decided to claim his mulatto children despite the gossip. He made sure that both were afforded a good education and had enough money. At the age of 12, Martin began an apprenticeship with a barber/surgeon. He proved extremely skilful at this trade and soon customers, who at first were sceptical of the young coloured boy, came to prefer and ask for him. Always a devoted Catholic who spent much time in church, in a vigil of ecstatic prayer, he would continue this practice throughout his life. Martin joined the Dominican Order of Preachers as a lay-brother. He practiced barbering and healing and performed many miraculous cures. He extended his healing gifts, going to servants and treating their ailments. He often challenged his brothers on their racial attitude and frequently insisted on performing hard and menial tasks. Martin’s spiritual practices were legendary. He would often fast for extensive periods of time on bread and water. He loved all-night vigils, frequently praying by lying down as if crucified, sometimes kneeling but, miraculously, a foot or more off the floor. Equally legendary was his love of animals. He would feed and heal all animals that came into his vicinity, and they understood and obeyed him. Martin fed, sheltered, and doctored hundreds of families. He also provided the requisite dowry of 4,000 pesos to enable at least 27 poor young women to marry. He established the Orphanage and School of the Holy Cross, which took in boys and girls of all classes and taught them trades or homemaking skills. At 60 years old, he became very ill with chills, fevers, and tremors causing him agonizing pain. He would experience almost a year full of illness until he passed away in 1639, surrounded by his brothers and reciting the Credo, his life ending with the words “et homo factus est.” His funeral was attended by thousands from all walks of life. After his death, the miracles received when he was invoked were so great that when he was exhumed 25 years later, his body exhaled a splendid fragrance and he was still intact. Saint Martin’s life reflected his great love for God and all of God’s gifts. He literally lived the last will of St. Dominic: “Have charity, guard humility, make your treasure out of voluntary poverty.” (Marisol: My Morning Prayer)
To you, Saint Martin de Porres, we lift our hearts filled with devotion. With your unbounded charity and your humility, Ester and I offer our petitions to you. “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’—which is the first commandment with a promise—‘so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.’” (Ephesians 6:1–3) “Charity is no substitute for justice withheld.” (St. Augustine of Hippo) Kindness, donations, or charitable acts cannot erase or fix a failure to give someone what they have rightfully earned or deserve. As detailed in discussions on Catholic 365, true love requires fulfilling the obligations of justice before or alongside acts of generosity. Pour out on our families the precious gifts of your solicitous and intercession; show to the people of all races and colors the paths of unity and of justice; implore from our Father, so that through mutual benevolence in God, we may increase the fruits of grace and merit to others the rewards of earth and eternal life.
WORD Today. Luke 14:15-24. One of those at the table with Jesus said to him, “Blessed is the one who will dine in the Kingdom of God.” He replied to him, “A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many. When the time for the dinner came, he dispatched his servant to say to those invited, ‘Come, everything is now ready.’ But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves. The first said to him, ‘I have purchased a field and must go to examine it; I ask you, consider me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have purchased five yoke of oxen and am on my way to evaluate them; I ask you, consider me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have just married a woman, and therefore I cannot come.’ The servant went and reported this to his master. Then the master of the house, in a rage, commanded his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ The servant reported, ‘Sir, your orders have been carried out, and still there is room.’ The master then ordered the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedgerows and make people come in that my home may be filled. For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.’”
Dearest Lord God, thank You for the gift of a new day and for the many blessings You continue to shower upon me. Give me a generous heart; help me share the blessings I have received.
The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones. (Shakespeare)
Business Enterprises are not Legacy: the wake you leave, let the Montinola Cumagun Care Foundation’s Good Work speak, not our family name.
Our Lady of the Impossible, grace those late in life but had more in life who tried to be their brothers’ keepers for those who have less in life – “Ester and I pray for your blessings to grace our children, and their children’s children, their children’s children,, to wholeheartedly support The MONTINOLA-CUMAGUN CARE FOUNDATION OBJECTIVES: (1) Special Children SPED, “A child’s mind is the most precious thing to waste.” (The motto of the American Negro College), and the Handicapped Senior Citizens – Physical Therapy. (2) Financial Support for Diocesan priests and Grade School Teachers for the rural areas. (3) Computer Start-up Education Tools for selected public schools and (4) Selected Start-up Management and Financial Support for Small Businesses. “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” Luke 12:48. “The sin of the rich man was not that he did wrong things, but that he did nothing.” (William Barclay, in A.G. Cumagun Autobiography Song of Myself Memoirs, Looking Back at Serendipity, 2002) Our Lady of the Impossible, “Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection was left unaided…” Bless the Montinola Cumagun Care Foundation. Let Its Wake Speak.
Ester’s morning BP was 110/70. HR 75. O2sat 97%. Temp. 36.4
Last Night’s BP 120/80. HR. 67. O2sat 96%. Temp 3
Tony’s morning BP was 110/70. HR 55. O2sat 98%. Temp. 36.6
Last Night’s BP 110 /70. HR 73. O2sat 97%. Temp. 36.6
Beata John Paul 1, watch over Amy Ylagan’s PT recovery, Cristina C and Justice Jun’s health, Ester’s stoma adhesion recovery, and our autistic son John Paul’s emotional stability at 57.
Mama Mary walks us through the entire Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious angles of the life of our Savior when we pray with her in the Rosary.
October is the month of Our Lady of the Rosary. For many sinners, she and her Rosary have been the lifeline that pulled them back to Jesus.
Rosary means “garland of roses.” The family that prays together stays together. Daily Rosary trains the whole family in humility and obedience, becoming a cohesive garland of lives linked by strong faith, hope, and love for God and each other. Let us pray the Rosary with Mama Mary.
FOR THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED AND SOULS IN PURGATORY
In Memory of all those who left us. We remember you in the morning and at night. You are always with us. We pray for the souls in Purgatory.
Blessed Mother Mary, I bring to you for your intercession the souls of Amb. Manuel R. and Dolores G. Cumagun, Juana Cumagun, Annette Cumagun, Lina Beltran, Judge and Mrs. Dolores Cumagun, Gov. Primo & Magdalena H. Gaffud, Dr. Trino, Sr. & Angeles Montinola, Betty, Luie, Trino, Jr. Montinola, Bernardino, and Isabel Jalandoni. Dr. Terry Lirio-Montinola, Dr. & Mrs. Tomacruz, Akira Tsusaka, Boy Eugenio, Jesus Ibañez, Sen. Nene Pimentel, Santiago Ranada 111, Patria Manuel, Dr. Mariano Laurel, Rene Datu, (Ateneo ’54 – Jimmy Ongpin, Atty. Ato Gonzales, Buddy Joaquin, Fr. Unson, Msgr. Tantoco, Atty. Art Alafriz, Robert Arevalo Ylagan, Maximo Abesamis, Jr., Jesse Paredes), Atty. C. Platon, Araceli Rivera, Col. Tanseco, Dr. E. Fores, Dr. J. Caedo, Christine Syjuco, Leni Panganiban, Raul Boncan, Atty. Spanky and Dolly Perez, Amb. Albert del Rosario, Nellie Valdez, Toti Herbosa, Tec Syjuco, AL, Umberto (Beck) Gonzales, Rufo Colayco, Dr. Rolando A. Florendo