December 23
St John of Kanty
23 décembre
St John of Kanty, also known as St John Cantius, was a Polish priest and scholar who lived during the 15th century. He was renowned for his academic achievements as a professor at the University of Kraków, where he taught theology and philosophy, and for his life marked by humility, generosity, and devout faith. Amid turbulent times in Poland, he became a model of Christian charity and intellectual honesty, often giving away his own possessions to help the poor. St John exemplified the union of learning and holiness, and his dedication to his students and the less fortunate made him a beloved figure in both the Church and the academic world. The Church celebrates St John of Kanty as a reminder that holiness can be pursued through everyday duties, in both pastoral care and scholarly life, and that Christian charity knows no boundaries. His feast invites all Catholics, especially those in the fields of education and science, to seek the integration of faith and knowledge, and to imitate his selfless love for others.
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Questions about St John of Kanty (Novus Ordo Missae)
The liturgical day
Mass readings
ReadingMl 3, 1-4.23-24
Thus speaks the Lord God:
Behold, I am sending my messenger
to prepare the way before me;
and suddenly there will arrive in his Temple
the Lord whom you are seeking.
The messenger of the Covenant whom you desire,
here he comes – says the Lord of hosts.
Who can endure the day of his coming?
Who can stand when he appears?
For he is like the refiner's fire,
like the lye of launderers.
He will take his seat as a refiner and purifier:
he will purify the sons of Levi,
he will refine them like gold and silver;
thus they will be able, in the eyes of the Lord,
to bring an offering in righteousness.
Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem
will be pleasing to the Lord,
as in the days of old,
in years long ago.
Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet,
before the coming of the day of the Lord,
a great and terrible day.
He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children,
and the hearts of the children to their fathers,
so that I may not come and strike the land with a curse!
– The word of the Lord.
PsalmPs 24 (25), 4-5ab, 8-9, 10.14
Lord, teach me your ways,
make me know your path.
Guide me by your truth, teach me,
for you are the God who saves me.
He is upright, he is good, the Lord,
he who shows sinners the way.
His justice guides the humble,
he teaches the humble his way.
The ways of the Lord are love and truth
for those who keep his covenant and his laws.
The secret of the Lord is for those who fear him;
to them, he reveals his covenant.
GospelLc 1, 57-66
When the time was fulfilled for Elizabeth to give birth,
she brought forth a son.
Her neighbors and relatives learned that the Lord
had shown great mercy toward her,
and they rejoiced with her.
On the eighth day, they came for the circumcision of the child.
They wished to name him Zechariah, after his father.
But his mother spoke up and declared:
"No, he will be called John."
They said to her:
"No one in your family has that name!"
They made signs to his father
to find out what he wanted to name him.
He asked for a tablet and wrote,
"John is his name."
And everyone was amazed.
At that moment, his mouth was opened, his tongue freed:
he began to speak and bless God.
Fear came upon all the neighbors,
and all these events were talked about
throughout the hill country of Judea.
All who heard them
kept them in their hearts and said:
"What then will this child become?"
Indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him.
– Let us acclaim the Word of God.
Liturgical texts: © AELF — aelf.org