Subj : March 4th - Saint Casimir
To   : All
From : rich
Date : Sat Mar 03 2018 09:06:40

From: rich <richarra@gmail.com>

March 4th - Saint Casimir the Peacemaker
(1458-1483)

Saint Casimir was Prince of Poland, the =E2=80=9CPeacemaker,=E2=80=9D and p=
atron saint
of Poland and Lithuania. Casimir is also considered the patron saint
of bachelors, having committed himself to virginity in his youth, and
despite doctors' advice, maintaining a strict vow of celibacy
throughout his life. Throughout his life, Casimir embodied the
Christian tenets of love, peace, and obedience, leading his
contemporaries to greatly admire what they termed his =E2=80=9Cheroic virtu=
e.=E2=80=9D

Born the second son of Casimir III, King of Poland, Casimir was one of
13 children. The next king in the line of succession, he was educated
by the learned and pious John Dugloss, at the insistence of his
equally virtuous mother, Elizabeth of Austria. Pious from an early
age, Casimir soon embodied all Christian virtues through the
instruction and modeling of these important figures in his young life.

Despite the luxuries of the royal court, Casimir chose a life of
austerity and penance. He fasted daily, wore a hair shirt beneath his
robes, slept on the floor (despite the finest of beds), slept little
(preferring to spend his nights in prayer), and attended Mass each
day. He was frequently observed to enter into ecstasy at Mass, while
contemplating the Passion of Christ. His days were spend in charity,
working amongst the poor and ill, providing with his own hands for
their needs. Referred to as the =E2=80=9Cfather of the poor,=E2=80=9D he ma=
intained a
cheerful and charismatic disposition, constantly ministering to those
in need, and through his model, encouraging others to do the same.

At the age of 15, Casimir's father dispatched him in command of an
army to Hungary, to assume the throne there at the request of
dissatisfied Hungarian nobility. The sitting king of Hungary raised an
army, and stood in wait of Casimir's troops. For his part, Casimir =
was
against both the invasion of Hungary and his assumption of the throne,
but obediently followed his father's commands. En route to Hungary,
Casimir found the conditions of the Polish troops disheartening, with
many deserting due to the poor pay and harsh conditions. Upon the
advice of his generals, and secure in the knowledge that Pope Sixtus
IV had sent an emissary to his father opposed to the invasion, Casimir
returned home certain that his decision was the correct and righteous
one. His father, of course, did not agree, and forbade him from moving
back into the castle, relegating him to confinement for 3 months.
Eventually he was released, but never again took up arms, even with
his father's continued urging. Instead, he devoted himself fully to
his studies, prayer, and penance, making a vow of celibacy (again
angering his father who was looking for a good political marriage for
him).

Saint Casimir was sick throughout most of his life, and at the age of
25, foretold the hour of his death. He died at age 26, and was buried
at Vilna, where his relics still rest in the church of Saint
Stanislaus. Numerous miracles were reported at his tombside, including
the healing of the blind, the ill, and the raising of the dead.

122 years after his death, Saint Casimir's was opened, that his rel=
ics
might be translated to the marble chapel of the same Cathedral.
Despite the years, and the poor physical state the tomb and church
were in, the Saint's body, wrapped in robes of silk, still intact, =
was
found whole and incorrupt, and emitting a sweet fragrance. Under his
head was found his hymn to Our Lady, which he had had buried with him.


Saint Quote:
=E2=80=9CWho it will be able ever to repeat the pains, the strains and the
sufferings that Jesus suffered in such little time. We see Jesus in
the garden of the olives, after being separated from His Sorrowful
mother, how he is pale and trembling with fear, his face to the
ground!=E2=80=9D
--Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows

Bible Quote:
Now those men, when they had seen what a miracle Jesus had done, said:
This is of a truth the prophet, that is to come into the world.  (John
6:14)


<><><><>
Daily, daily

Sing to Mary
Sing, my soul, her praises due!
All her feasts,
Her actions worship
With heart's devotion true.
(Prayer attributed to Saint Casimir)
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 * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4)

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