St. John of Matha was born in France. He was a happy, pure boy, who loved God and His Blesses Mother very much. His father sent him to school, and John did well in his studies. As he grew older, many people began coming to him for advice and counsel, and he decided to become a priest so that he could help them more.
When St. John said his first Mass, God showed him that he was to spend his life working to free Christians held as slaves by the Moslems. He founded an Order of priests called Trinitarians to help him in this mission.
St. John’s work was blessed by God, and many Christians were freed. Their Moslem owners were very angry with John. But he was not afraid. In fact, he would have liked nothing better that to die a martyr.
Once, when he was going to Africa to Rome, the Moslems tried to sink the ship on which he was traveling. Holding a Crucifix in his hands, John knelt on the deck and began to pray. Soon the ship reached Rome, unharmed!
St. John died two years later.
By often thinking of the great charity of St. John and his priests, we will find it much easier to do good deeds to our neighbor.
