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November 3 | The Great Rehumanization
A.D. 1579–1639
What’s the secret to overcoming the difficulties and struggles the world throws at you? Just ask Saint Martin de Porres.
Martin was born in Peru, to unmarried parents: a Spanish nobleman and a former African slave. After his father abandoned them, Martin was raised by his mother, who struggled to thrive in Peru, where discrimination and racism ran rampant. Despite being seen as a second-class citizen (or worse), Martin made it his mission to treat every person with dignity, love, and charity.
For many years, Martin lived as a volunteer Dominican friar (Peru had laws against people of African descent joining religious life officially). Eventually, the Dominican community was so blown away by his holiness and dedication that they let him join as a real friar. He cared for the poor, the sick, anyone and everyone.
And this is the greatest lesson we can learn from Martin: when he encountered the dehumanization that so often invades our world and our lives, he didn’t respond with hate, anger, or rebellion. Martin responded with a relentless spirit of rehumanization.
Want to transform your life and the world around you? Focus on rehumanization.
What is rehumanization? Rehumanization is an effort to reverse the effects of dehumanization by restoring human dignity, helping each and every person develop a healthy sense of self, and reprioritizing people above money, objects, systems, and institutions.
Rehumanization is about learning to be human again, which may sound strange, but it’s amazing how often and in how many ways the average person experiences dehumanization.
Dehumanization takes many forms. Some things are dehumanizing by their very nature, for example: violence, slavery, abuse, injustice, torture, poverty, discrimination, gossip, objectification and genocide. There are many other things that can be dehumanizing, such as: work, technology, debt, humor, laws, entertainment, social media, and even education.
Rehumanization is about learning to see ourselves and others as human again. In order to see and value the humanity of another person we have to be able to see and value our own humanity. Emotionally healthy human beings desire good for each other. At our best, we are kind, well-meaning, generous, compassionate, benevolent, thoughtful, sensitive, tender, warmhearted, and empathic.
It is time to turn our efforts toward the great rehumanization of the human family. It’s time to focus on things that support humanization. It’s time to celebrate those things that bring out the best in people.
HOW HEALTHY IS YOUR SENSE OF SELF? WHAT SITUATIONS OR PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE MAKE YOU FEEL DEHUMANIZED?
Wherever I see dehumanization, I will respond with rehumanization.
This reflection is brought to you from book title.
Feast Day: November 3
Feast Day Shared By: Saint Sylvia
Patron Saint of: People of Mixed Race, Hair Stylists, Public Schools, and Public Health
Symbols: A broom
Also Known As: The Saint of the Broom
Canonized: May 6, 1962
Canonized By: Pope John XXIII