ST. JOHN OF CAPISTRANO | PATRON OF THE SOLDIERS
Our inspiration today was popularly known as the "Soldier Saint." He lives the virtues of honesty, integrity, obedience and self-denial.
Maybe, we will not be able to guess immediately why he was given that name because he was a successful lawyer and is now the patron saint of jurists and legal experts.
He is none other than St. John of Capistrano. Capistrano is a small town in Abruzzo, in the kingdom of Naples. Italy, during that time was divided into small kingdoms, so it was under a king who had a great influence in the life of our saint.
St. John was born on June 24, 1386 in Capistrano, son of an influential German Knight. He studied law and being a good lawyer, the king of Naples appointed him governor of Perugia. He married a wealthy lady, but their marriage was never consummated. When war broke out between Perugia and Malatesta, a neighboring kingdom, John was betrayed and was imprisoned. While in prison, he dreamed that St. Francis of Assisi was inviting him to become a Franciscan. Upon his release from prison, he obtained dispensation from his marriage and was admitted to study for the priesthood. Coincidentally, his professor in theology was the future St. Bernardine of Siena.
After his Ordination, St. John travelled throughout Italy, Austria, Hungary, Poland, Russia and Bohemia to preach and to help St. Bernardine to reform the Franciscan Order for a more rigorous and strict discipline.
They also propagated the devotion to the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary for which they were accused of heresy. But they were soon acquitted by a commission of Cardinals who approved the devotion.
St. John was chosen by God to deliver Europe from the Ottoman Empire or the Islam. When the Turks came to invade Rome and Vienna, Pope Callistus III commissioned St. John to lead a Crusade to fight them. He gathered 70,000 Christians and marched ahead of them for the encounter. Through their valor and with the help of God they won, and 120,000 Turks were defeated that day. Many were killed and the others fled. Mohammed who was wounded, gave up his plan to conquer the Christians. From this battle, St. John got the name "Soldier Saint.” He died on October 23, 1456 and was canonized in 1690.
Lord, we pray that through the intercession of St. John of Capistrano, jurists and lawyers may follow his examples of honesty and integrity in giving impartial judgement.
How honest am I in my relationships, actions, words and thoughts?