The fast and furious pace of the Saintly Sixteen continues today as Martin de Porres faces Maria Skobtsova. To get to this round, Martin defeated John of Beverley and Dymphna while Maria took down Thomas à Kempis and Quiteria.
In yesterday's saintly action, Richard Hooker and his three-legged stool buried Phocas the Gardner and will face the winner of tomorrow's battle between Anna Alexander and Eglantyne Jebb in the Faithful Four.
As we get deeper into the season, many of the Lent Madness faithful must decide between two saints they voted for in previous rounds. Oh, the agony! And yet in the end, despite all the amazing saintly souls, only one will emerge victorious.
Martin de Porres
St. Martin de Porres Velázquez, born in 1579, died in 1639, and lived his entire life in Peru. After years of disrespect and oppression, he was eventually admitted as a lay brother of the Dominican Order.
Martin was known for his kindness to those with no hope; his compassion to the sick, the weary, and children; his healing abilities; and his miracles.
In artwork, windows, statues, statuettes, medals, holy cards, posters, and books, he wears the Dominican lay brother habit, often with a broom (because no chore was beneath him), sometimes with a dog, a cat and a mouse or a bird.
He is a media star, too. Among the movies and television shows depicting his life are the 1963 film Fray Escoba (Friar Broom) and 1975 Un mulato llamado Martin.
A character in the popular 1980 novel A Confederacy of Dunces prays to Martin for justice for black factory workers. Jazz pianist Mary Lou Williams honors him with “St. Martin De Porres,” a track from Black Christ of the Andes.
Martín de Porres Velázquez - St. Martin of Charity - St. Martin the Charitable - the first Black Saint from the Americas - Saint of the Broom – pray for us.
Maria Skobtsova
Being a Russian Orthodox nun living in Nazi-occupied France, you might think that Maria Skobtsova would not have much in the way of kitsch. You would be wrong.
Maria excels not just at poetry, not just at theology, and not just at Nazi-fighting, but also at kitsch-producing. Behold, for starters, this lovely icon. It includes a quote from her, as well as the crucifix she showed the German official who asked her where she was hiding the Jews during her interrogation. (Not without a sense of humor, was Maria.)
She also has her own street in Paris! That’s right! Smack dab in the 15e Arrondissment, a street sign memorializes the life of “Mère Marie Skobstova,” (In English the sign reads: Resistance member assassinated at Ravensbruck)
Oh, did I not mention she was an artist?
YOU BET YOUR BORSCHT SHE WAS. Look at this icon she embroidered! (That’s embroidery, y’all.)
And this one, that she drew, of a Russian saint who I’m sure is very holy, but appears to be doing a little dance!
Now, perhaps you are a bit sad, because what you are looking for is some fun kitsch. Some wacky kitsch. You’re in luck!
If you truly want to follow in the poetry-writing, icon-embroidering, beer-drinking footsteps of Maria, then firstly, you need a crucifix. I recommend this one. It is an excellent size to brandish in the face of any fascists you might encounter in your daily life. Carry it in your pocket and if someone asks you to do anything evil, pull it out and wave it in their face! Also wards off vampires, so: bonus!
You’ll also need a notebook, for those flashes of inspiration. There are many to choose from, of course. We have the inappropriately-religious themed (that’s….not what that verse is about) to the humble-brag themed, to the hipster meme-approved! Definitely something for everyone! (My money is on Maria owning the last one.)
To conclude on a more solemn note, Maria did leave a final, poignant bit of herself behind, as well as a lot of amazing work and inspiration. While she was in Ravensbrück, she traded her bread rations each day for a bit of colored thread, so she could continue to make art. She embroidered icons, including one of the British landing at Normandy, until she died. Her work, up until her final moments, was bringing light and joy into the lives of those around her in any possible way she could, even in the worst possible conditions. And miraculously, her final work survived the camps.
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159 comments on “Martin de Porres vs. Maria Skobtsova”
While very moved by Marian the Lutheran's remembrance - and keenly aware of the (sadly) increased need to "never forget" and to "never let it happen again" my vote goes with Martin. I am with Wallace "As someone who never saw a saint who looked like me, I’m pushing for Martin all the way to the finish line!" May Martin make a clean sweep of the 2018 bracket, but am I the only one who sees the irony that Martin's kitsch is of yet another person of color with a broom (or mop, or duster or apron....)?
No... it occurred to me as well.
Maria, I just picked a saint named Maria,
For Marty I had planned
To take a Halo stand, but gee--
Maria, a beer-sipping nun named Maria--
Her kitsch, her quips, her guts--
To Hitler she said, "Nuts to thee!"
Maria--
To the last she found ways to make art
In the hope all around her could take heart.
Maria-- today I am voting Mariaaaaaaaa...
I did the same. Thought it would be Martin and changed to Maria. Both are so worthy! Thanks for the lyrics!
Clever!
Brilliant! I may be singing this all day.
Still don't know for whom to vote. I may just see the current score and vote for the underdog (no, that's not a clue).
Anna for gold!!!
Anyone who has made it to the Elate Eight is not eligible for several years. But -- when he/she is next eligible, let's see them again!
Good call Olivia.
But Martin should not be voted for because he's the underdog!!!!! How demeaning for such a righteous man!
I hate to see either of them go!
Please can both win... This is such a difficult choice. I wanted to vote for both, but didn't (in this round anyway). In the end, as my collie invited me to play, I went for Martin. I hope he put his broom down to enjoy the animals he is depicted with. And if Maria prevails, I will be delighted too.
I voted for Maria. I think she might get the golden halo. Martin's broom will stick with me as a reminder that no job is beneath me.
Oh, Megan! What a wonderful collection of 'stuff!' It surely will sway many votes for Maria, but I still must cast my fate with Martin. There is something about a person who steadfastly serves even when castigated for an accident of birth.
Love them both but as I lost family in the camps, I choose to honor Maria.
Ohhh, this is so hard!!! Whoever loses, please bring them back.
As a curler, I declare the saint of the broom to be the patron saint of curling! Sweep!
Icons are not kitsch! Good grief.
Anyway, I love Martin de Porres. But I have Maria on my bracket as the Golden Halo winner. Seeing she's so far ahead, I voted my heart: Martin.
It's a really tough call, though, and I think since Maria is more recent, and since she gave her life for others, she'll have no trouble sweeping this round. I'd never heard of her till Lent Madness this year. She's now lodged in my heart along with Martin, but he still got my vote today.
Nor are icons drawn . . . iconography literally means image-writing.
Martin voter here, but I must say I love Megan Castellan's writing, which is consistently enchanting.
I was all about Martin for his humility and desire to be useful until I got to Maria's embroidery. As a fellow embroiderer, I can certainly identify with trading bread for thread in order to create beauty and leave something behind. This Lent I have been stitching on a piece with the prayers of Sir Francis Drake; it's taken me all Lent to finish the first prayer (I'm on the last line now) and I'm debating whether to put it aside for next Lent to do the second one, making this a three-year piece, or whether to set it aside only temporarily and pull it out again in a month or two. It's been a very meaningful piece to work on during this season and especially in the challenging news cycle we are enduring now.
https://www.123stitch.com/item/My-Big-Toe-Designs-Disturb-Us-Lord-Cross-Stitch-Pattern/MBT-190
I love this:
Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.
Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas
Where storms will show Your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.
We ask You to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.
Celia: That prayer is beautiful. Can you give me the attribution as I would like to use it for worship in my EfM group?
I clicked on the link sue provided for the cross-stitch design. But then I did a search for the prayer itself. I found it at lords-prayer-words.com., a prayer site. Here's the url for the version I used: http://www.lords-prayer-words.com/famous_prayers/disturb_us_lord.html.
I will note that sue's version has a cool conclusion which is not included in the prayer: "This we ask in the name of our captain, who is Jesus Christ."
I love Martin... But Maria is one of my new favorites! (How have we not mentioned (or did I miss it?) that she briefly became the mayor of the southern Russian town of Anapa, was put on trial there for being a Bolshevik, but was let off because the judge was a former teacher - whom she later married???)
What we need for today is a saint that protects those who are persecuted and wields the cross in the face of fascists.
Sorry, Martin. Apparently, again this year, a lifetime of good works doesn't measure up to fighting Nazis. You still got my vote.
Martin is certainly a compelling choice with his humility and wit (two characteristics not usually found together). The image of him with his broom surrounded by a dog, cat & mouse all eating peacefully out of the same bowl is moving as well as charming. However, I feel a much greater affinity for someone in more recent history, someone with photos and genuine artifacts. Maria seems very, very real to me. While I’m sure her history has been embellished, her acts of charity and courage in the face of the Nazi regime are inspirational. I am also swayed by the fact that Israel, at Yad Vashem, recognized Yelizaveta Skobtsova (Mother Maria) as Righteous among the Nations. Yad Vashem is Israel’s Holocaust Memorial. For Israel to honor a Christian in their somber memorial speaks volumes to me.
My vote is for Mother Maria.
Yes, so true for me as well.
Thank you for that wonderful information about Yad Vashem.
Such a hard choice...went with Maria. She reminds me of my Danish priest friend who had such a profound influence on me when I came to the Episcopal church. Artistic and defiant in the face of evil, two qualities I admire in both women. Maria is my new favorite saint and an example for our time.
What a line up! But, Martin. Humble domestic and champion of the oppressed. And the cats, obviously.
Terrible choice. Martin today - for the mention of the children
I love both these saints. But Maria speaks to me more, and has for a long while. I am inspired by her work in Nazi occupied France and blown away by the last bit of information in her write-up today!
Maria's loyalty was to those whose need of justice was greatest-"I will act for justice and for the relief of suffering. I will try to love my neighbor." If we were true Christians, we would all wear the Star." "The way to God lies through love of other people, and there is no other way. At the Last Judgement I shall not be asked if I was successful in my ascetic exercises or how many prostrations I made in the course of my prayers. I shall be asked, did I feed the hungry, clothe the naked visit the sick and the prisoners: that is all I shall be asked." Mother Maria of Paris. That and she died at Ravensbruck.
Only one small comment: She wrote an icon.
She did not draw it. Otherwise a great Lent Madness so far. Hard choice, but my heart (and vote) went to Martin
Like & agree (except my vote went to Maria).
Megan, I knew it had to be you writing Maria’s kitsch up—totally your voice! Good kitsch, too! Is there a picture of the Ravensbrück embroidered icon?
I voted happily for both in prior rounds, but today it’s Maria for me, with my friend Megan’s delightful advocacy.
I fell in love with Martin ever since the bracket for 2018 was first released. I was delighted to learn his was the first "Animal Shelter" and you can read about his being the "Unofficial Saint of Veterinarians" aka Dr. Doolittle of the 16th century at http://www.catster.com/lifestyle/st-martin-de-porres-unofficial-patron-saint-veterinarians (also includes trekkies, for some reason, which is why there is a Star Trek still on the blog). I also found there are many homeless shelters named for him, including one in Seattle WA and one in my own state of Maine in Lewiston. Naturally, there are animal shelters named for St. Martin, including this one in Dania Beach in FLA of nokillnetwork.org, “St. Martin’s” was formed in 2003 to help meet the needs of the neediest dogs in the world of rescue – the handicapped and homeless. The dogs are all provided with veterinary care and loving homes, either permanent or foster. In addition, the dogs are provided with any necessary rehabilitation and physical therapy. “St. Martin’s” also provides medical care to animals belonging to the poor and the elderly in the community, who otherwise would not receive any medical care at all. And, when possible, we help other kinds of animals in need, such as injured ducks. Finding there was a middle school named for him in New Haven CT (that provides tuition-free, extended day education for low-income families), I can only imagine there must be other schools named for him as well... his impact on the world today is immeasurable!
This was super tough for me, but ultimately I went w/Maria. Speaking of kitsch, I was given a fairly large statue of Martin, as a gift for my first communion. Odd gift, but I always remember it sitting on my dresser. In any event...Maria got today's vote.
I clicked through thoroughly intending to vote for Martin, but my heart went to Maria. Tough, tough choice, today.
Martin served God's people during his life and died at 60.
Maria served God's people and persisted in resisting against evil powers during her life and therefore was assassinated/executed/murdered by the Nazi's at Ravensbruck at 54.
Yes, Maria already has Marytr's Robe (Rev. 6:11), but a Golden Halo goes nicely with a white robe.
Maria Skobstova pray for us in whose time fascism has once again reared its ugly head, may God grant us even a portion of your truly Christian persistence in resisting the powers of evil.
I'm voting for Martin because of his life of faith and service, also because of his saintly patronage of just causes and of so many in need. St. Martin de Porres candles are big sellers in the bodegas in my neighborhood, too. When I bought one, the cashier told me that his mom always told him to acquire money, especially if it was honest!
This was hard. The tipping point for me was that Maria Skobstova was martyred for her faith.
Maria is going all the way!
Not even a hint of hesitation for me today. Maria lights my night sky as a faithful example - standing our ground for Christ when confronting (excuse my histrionics) our recent hard right turn towards autocratic crazy. Love to the end!