December 23 + Saint John of Kanty

John Cantius, born in Poland in 1390, was a country lad who made good in the big city and the big University of Krakow. After brilliant studies he was ordained a priest and became a professor of theology. He was a serious man and a good teacher. He ate no meat, slept on the floor, and rested little. Though John was hard on himself, he was patient and kind to his students, who loved him in return.

The inevitable opposition which saints encounter led to his being removed from the University by some jealous faculty members and he was sent to be a parish priest at Olkusz. An extremely humble man, he did his best, but his best was not to the liking of his parishioners. Although the people liked him for his generous spirit, John was not successful as a parish priest. After some time he returned to Krakow and taught Scripture for the remainder of his life.

John was known to all the poor of Krakow for his kindness. His goods and his money were always at their disposal, and time and again they took advantage of him. He kept only the money and clothes absolutely needed to support himself. Four times he made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, carrying his luggage on his back. When John died at age 83, people had already claimed him as a saint.