St. John Kanti – October 20th
This Polish Saint was the son of good country-folk. Seeing how intelligent their son was, they sent him to the University of Cracow. He did well in his studies and became a priest, a teacher, and a preacher. John was also well-known for his great love of the poor. Once he was eating in the University dinning hall when he happened to see a beggar passing by the window. Immediately he jumped up and brought the man his meal!
There were some people who became very jealous of St. John’s success as a teacher and preacher. They finally managed to have him sent to a parish as the pastor. Here, he put his whole heart into the new life, but at first things did not go well at all. The people did not particularly care for John, and John himself was rather afraid of the responsibility. He did not give up, however, and his efforts brought results. By the time he was called back to the University, the people of his parish loved him dearly. They went part of the way with him and were so sad to see him go that he had to tell them: “This sadness does not please God. It I have done any good for you in all these years, sing a song of joy!”
Back in Cracow, St. John taught the Holy Bible and again became a very popular teacher. He was invited to the homes of rich nobles, but still he gave everything he had to the poor and dressed very poorly himself. Once he wore such an old cassock to a banquet that the servants refused to let him in. St. John went home and changed into a new one. During the dinner, someone spilled a dish of food on the new cassock! “Never mind,” said the Saint with good humor, “my cassock deserves some food, anyway, because without it, I wouldn’t have been here at all!”
St. John lived to be eight-three, and again and again during all those years he cleaned out everything he owned to help the poor. When people burst into tears on hearing that he was dying, he said, “Don’t worry about this prison which is decaying! Think of the soul that is going to leave it.”
From this saint I want to learn to do my duties for God alone, without expecting any reward here on earth.
