Salve, Regina, Mater Misericordiae.
Praise be Jesus Christ.
Today we celebrate the memorial of St. John Cantius.
St. John Cantius was born near Auschwitz in Poland in the year 1403.
He was the son of pious country people and received his primary education in his native town,
and then being sent by his parents to the Academy of Krakow,
he soon impressed all of his professors and colleagues with his pleasant and amiable disposition.
He was always happy, but he was also serious.
He was humble and godly, and won the hearts of all who came in contact with him.
Having made excellent progress in both the study of philosophy and theology,
he graduated first as bachelor, and then as master and doctor.
He was ordained a priest, and then appointed professor of theology at the same academy.
He was also a professor of theology at the Academy of Krakow, where he studied.
After a short time, his superiors then decided to make him a parish priest in the diocese of Krakow.
Being afraid, however, of the great responsibility of parish work,
St. John Cantius soon left the parish and was again appointed professor of sacred scripture at the Academy of Krakow,
which position he held without intention.
He remained a parish priest until the time of his death.
He was known especially for his extreme humility, and also his charity towards the poor.
He distributed to the poor all the money and clothes he had,
retaining only what was absolutely necessary to support himself.
He slept but little, and when he did sleep, it was on the bare floor.
He ate sparingly until he was full.
He ate sparingly and totally abstained from meat.
He made one pilgrimage to Jerusalem with the hope of becoming a martyr among the Turks,
but that desire escaped him.
He made four pilgrimages to Rome on foot.
During his lifetime, he performed various miracles, and these were multiplied after his death.
He died at Krakow in the year 1473 at the age of 70.
He died at Krakow in the year 1473 at the age of 70.
He died at Krakow in the year 1473 at the age of 70.
He died at Krakow in the year 1473 at the age of 70.
And he was canonized in 1767.
And we see in St. John, Christian Eve,
actually a unique example of a priest who was canonized
without being a bishop,
without being a martyr,
without founding any order,
and without himself being a member of an order, a third order member.
He was simply a holy priest and performed his duty faithfully,
blessed with some talents.
He had a great mind for philosophy and theology
and not blessed with other talents.
He wasn't able to handle the responsibilities of being pastor at a parish,
but he simply used the abilities that God did give him,
used them generously in the Lord's service.
And so this reminds all of us that we too simply need to be the saint
that God has called us to be
in the place that divine providence has assigned to us,
using the abilities that God has given us for his glory
and humbly acknowledging the ones that he has not.
St. John Cantus, pray for us.
Thank you, Jesus.
Thank you, Lord.
Amen.