Saint Martin de Porres (1579-1639)

Martin de Porres lived in Peru in the 16th century. The sin of racism was alive and well, and he, being of mixed race, was treated like a slave. His family lived in poverty because his Spanish father abandoned them after Martin was born. As an adult, Martin joined the Dominican order and lived the Beatitudes of Christ by caring for the sick, feeding the hungry, and comforting the sorrowful. He is a great model of forgiveness for what he endured at the hands of racists. (Taken from "Take Ten: Daily Bible Reflections for Teens.")