Saint of the day: San Casimiro

Saint of the day, Saint Casimir: Casimir, born of a king and in the process of being a king himself, he was filled with exceptional values ​​and learning from a great teacher, John Dlugosz. Even his critics could not say that his conscientious objection indicated softness. As a teenager, Casimir lived a highly disciplined, even strict life, sleeping on the floor, spending much of the night in prayer, and devoting himself to celibacy for life.

When the nobles in Hungary they became dissatisfied with their king, convinced Casimir's father, the king of Poland, to send his son to conquer the country. Casimir obeyed his father, as many young men over the centuries have obeyed their governments. The army he was supposed to lead was clearly outnumbered by the "enemy"; some of his troops were deserting because they had not been paid. On the advice of his officers, Casimiro decided to go home.

Saint of the day, San Casimir: the reflection of the day

His father was bothered by the failure of his plans and locked up his 15-year-old son for three months. The boy decided not to be involved in the wars of his day anymore, and no persuasion could make him change his mind. He returned to prayer and study, keeping his decision to remain celibate even under pressure to marry the emperor's daughter.

He reigned briefly as King of Poland during his father's absence. He died of lung problems at the age of 25 while visiting Lithuania, of which he was also Grand Duke. He was buried in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Reflection: For many years, the Poland and Lithuania have disappeared into the gray prison on the other side of the Iron Curtain. Despite the repression, Poles and Lithuanians remained steadfast in the faith that has become synonymous with their name. Their young protector reminds us: peace is not won by war; sometimes a comfortable peace is not obtained even with virtue, but the peace of Christ can penetrate any repression of religion by the government.