The book of Proverbs tells us that if we are kind to our enemies, if we give them food when they are hungry and drink when thirst that we will “heap on their heads” “live coals.” Why? Well because the wicked cannot stand the righteous to begin with, much less when a good man is kind to them specifically. A saint's kindness is a reminder of the wickedness of the bad man and of the goodness of God. And the story of St. John Cantius (or of Kanty) is a story of this kind of charity, of a man hated for his virtue, of a Christian who loved uncompromisingly and showed grace in the way he spoke with others, even those with whom he disagreed..
John was born in 1390 in the Polish town of Kanti, which is near present day Oswiecim (aka Auschwitz). His parents were farmers, but when they noticed their son’s remarkable intelligence, they knew to send him to seminary at the university in Krakow. There he studied hard, attained a degree in philosophy, and was eventually ordained a priest. Immediately he began to teach at the university, and his fame spread among the students. He was so bright, in fact, that he helped advanced the field of physics, anticipating Isaac Newton.
However, he was not only known for his brilliance. He led a very strict life. He never slept on a bed but always on the floor; he never ate meat; he never road in a carriage, choosing rather to walk everywhere. He was also known to take care of the poor. Once, while he was eating with the other professors, a man dressed in rags walking by the building, begging. John shot right up, placed the little from his plate into a napkin and took it out to the fellow. In fact, for the rest of his life, he would only keep for himself what was necessary for living and would give everything else away to the poor.
For all of this, for his humility, virtue, and excellent preaching and teaching, John drew a lot of attention to himself and some of his colleagues became jealous. They conspired to have him sent off to a small parish church in Olkusz, Poland about twenty-five miles away so that he could leave them all to their mediocrity. And, obediendtly, John left.
As a new pastor, he was overwhelmed by the monumental responsibilities of being a parish priest. It was not that he was afraid to work, but rather that he understood only too well that he was responsible for the eternal souls of his people. The spiritual weight of the work was always on his mind. What’s more, the people didn’t like his lofty language or appreciate his austere way of living. But, when, after several years at the parish, John was called back to the university to teach, his parishioners begged him to stay. Many even walked with him from the little church back to Krakow, though eventually they did turn back when he demanded it.
John taught at the university for decades, living to the ripe old age of eighty-three. During that time, he made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Yes, on foot. He made four such journeys to Rome. And though he dealt with naysayers and critics, he always did so with love and compassion. His motto was Conturbare cave: non est placare suave; Infamare cave: nam revocare grave.
Take care not to confuse: it does not quiet pleasantly, Take care not to defame: since taking it back is painful
John clearly took seriously the words from the letter of St. James which tell us how dangerous is the human tongue. It is easy to throw verbal bombs into a conversation online. It is much harder to undo the damage. Much more effective in changing hearts and minds is kindness and even humor.
There is a story about John being invited to the home of a nobleman for dinner. When he arrived, a servant refused him entry because his clothes were so shabby that he was presumed to be a beggar. So, John returned to the university, found a nicer cassock, went back to the nobleman's home and was this time let in. But during the dinner another servant spilled some food on him. He quipped in the moment:
No matter, my clothes deserve some dinner because to them I owe the pleasure of being here at all.
John died on Christmas Eve, 1473, but his feast is celebrated on December 23rd. Shortly after his death, several miracles were reported around his grave, including flowers blooming in the dead of winter. He is listed as a saint Confessor, which means that he was a person of remarkable skill in explaining and defending the faith through writing or preaching. These saints are said to have confessed their faith to the world. St. John Cantius is the only Confessor saint who was not also a bishop. He is listed as a patron saint of students, to whom he was fond of saying,
“Fight all false opinions, but let your weapons be patience, sweetness, and love. Roughness is bad for your own soul and spoils the best cause.”
St. John Cantius reminds us, then, that even with those who are mean and cruel, even with those with whom we disagree on fundamental principles, we ought always be kind. Only righteousness advances the glory of God in the face of a world that derides us. And in a social media environment, particularly during election years, when we are alway so tempted to speak our mind no matter what, we should ask for St. John's intercession. Fight false opinions with patience. We must defend the truth, yes, but always with love.
St. John Cantius, pray for us!
Comentários