St. Juan Macias
1585-1645

September 18

“What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” asks the poet, Mary Oliver.*

Young Juan Macias born in Spain and living as a orphaned shepherd, might have replied, “As I prayed to my good friend and patron saint, John the Evangelist, he told me it would be in ‘distant lands.’ ” In truth, it was lived in Lima, Peru.

Juan began life in the new world by herding cattle, but soon he applied to be a lay Dominican brother at the Monastery of La Magdalena, desiring deeper union with God. At the age of 37 he received the habit, followed by profession of vows a year later. Assigned as monastery Porter, like his friend and contemporary Dominican, Martin de Porres, Juan served for 22 years. Daily he welcomed hundreds, rich and poor, who came to the gate for alms.

Juan enriched the spiritually destitute with catechetical instruction, and gave Gospel wisdom to the newly-poor who needed practical business guidance. At his peaceful death he was fondly remembered for his devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and Our Lady’s Rosary. Not a “wild life”, but “precious” indeed in its humble dedication to God’s kingdom by living out the Gospel to the poor!