Praedicatores misericordiae (XI): Saint Juan Macias

Saint Juan Macias (biography on Wikipedia) was a Dominican cooperator brother, that is a brother who was not ordained a priest, who lived in Peru in the late 16th/early 17th century. He is known for his great charity and his works of mercy towards the poorest of the poor, just like his friend and brother in the Order, Saint Martin of Porres.
He is commemorated on 18 September, and remains a witness to and an example of the active practice of mercy, as Pope Paul VI emphasized in the homily for the canonization:



As a religious he made his vows an eminent form of love for God and neighbor, for he "wanted only God for himself." In his porter's lodge he combined an intense life of prayer and penance with direct help to others and the distribution of food to veritable crowds of poor people. He even set aside a good portion of his own food so that he might give it to the hungry in whom faith enabled him to see the special presence of Jesus Christ. In short, was not the whole life of this "father of the poor, the orphan, the needy" a palpable demonstration of the fruitfulness of evangelical poverty when this is lived in full?
When we say that Juan Macias was poor, we do not mean the kind of poverty that can never be sought or blessed by God: the poverty which is culpable or due to passive inertia with regard to earning a legitimate sufficiency. We refer rather to that dignified poverty which seeks a modest livelihood through work.

How carefully and effectively Juan Macias devoted himself to his duties, before and after entering religious life! His employers and superiors gave clear evidence on this point. He always worked to win a livelihood for himself and his sister and for the many on whom he bestowed his charity. The bread thus earned is the fruit of socially creative toil and is an example to others. It brings human nature to perfection, redeems it, and conforms it to Christ. It also fosters in the soul a child-like confidence that the Father, who feeds the birds of the air and clothes the lilies of the field, will not fail to give his children what they need: Seek first the kingdom of God and the righteousness of God, and all these things will be given you besides. 

(From the homily of Pope Paul VI for the canonization of Saint Juan Macias.)