Subj : =?UTF-8?Q?December_23rd_=E2=80=93_St=2E_John_of_Kanty?= To : All From : rich Date : Sun Dec 22 2019 08:19:02 From: rich December 23rd =E2=80=93 St. John of Kanty Also known as John Cantius, John Kantius, John of Kanti Memorial =C2 =C2 23 December =C2 =C2 formerly 19 October =C2 =C2 formerly 20 October =C2 =C2 formerly 24 December in Poland (1390-1473) This patron saint of Poland and Lithuania was born in the village of Kanti near Auschwitz (where the Nazis had their infamous prison camp in World War II). His parents, Stanislaus and Anne Wacenga, finding their son extremely bright, saw to it that he attended the University of Krakow. There he won many academic degrees, culminating in =E2=80=9CMast= er of Theology=E2=80=9D. Except for a brief period in which he served as paris= h priest in Olkusz, Father John spent the major portion of his long career as a professor in his alma mater. John was a conscientious teacher, but he was more remembered for his holiness than for the originality of his scholarship. A man of sweet and winning disposition, he became noted for his acts of self-denial and his care for the needy. The two characteristics tied in with each other. What he denied himself, he gave to the poor. He slept on the floor, never ate meat, and when he made pilgrimages to Rome, he backpacked it all the way on foot. During his 83 years, Professor Kanti became a living legend at the University. A story is told that once when he was dining in the university refectory, a hungry beggar passed by the door. John at once jumped up and took all of his own meal to the hungry man. When he returned to his seat, he found his own plate full again, miraculously. It is said that in commemoration of this event, the university set aside each day a meal for a poor man. When dinner was ready, the vice president would cry out in Latin: =E2=80=9CA poor man is coming.=E2=80=9D T= he president would respond, =E2=80=9CJesus Christ is coming,=E2=80=9D and the = hungry guest would then be served. Because of his reputation as a teacher, after his death St. John's doctoral gown was used to vest each candidate for the doctorate at later commencements. Another story about his clothes refers to his cassocks. He was a welcome guest at the tables of the nobility, but once a nobleman's servants refused to admit him because he was wearing his usual threadbare cassock. John simply went home, put on a new cassock that he had, and returned to the dinner. During the meal somebody spilled food on the new cassock. The even-tempered professor wittily replied, =E2=80=9CNo matter. My clothes deserve some dinner because to them I owe th= e pleasure of being here at all.=E2=80=9D University life is and must be a peaceful life, far removed from politics and warfare. But even an academic community can become a field for bitter intellectual battles. St. John Cantius showed himself an ideal Christian scholar when he warned his students, as he did constantly, of the need of charity even when one is fighting against erroneous ideas. =E2=80=9CFight all false opinions,=E2=80=9D he would say, = =E2=80=9Cbut let your weapons be patience, sweetness and love. Roughness is bad for your own soul and spoils the best cause.=E2=80=9D Today we Catholics are engaged in battling many false ideas. Conflict often tempts one to do and say violent things, to offend against charity by showing disrespect for the human dignity of those who hold the false opinions. May we heed the advice of this Polish professor-saint, and defend the truth only by =E2=80=9Cpatience, sweetness = and love.=E2=80=9D =E2=80=93Father Robert Saint Quote: We must pray incessantly for the gift of perseverance. --St. Philip Neri Bible Quote: For My people have committed two evils. They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns--broken cisterns that can hold no water.=C2 [Jeremiah 2:13] <><><><> Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament Blessed be God. Blessed be His Holy Name. Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man. Blessed be the Name of Jesus. Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart. Blessed be His Most Precious Blood. Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete. Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy. Blessed be her holy and Immaculate Conception. Blessed be her glorious Assumption. Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother. Blessed be Saint Joseph, her most chaste spouse. Blessed be God in His angels and in His saints. --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2 * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4) .