Saint Who?
Saints Who Achieved Sanctity Young
Saint Casimir of Poland
Layman († 1484)Feast: March 4
Casimir’s father was the king of Poland, and his mother was the daughter of an emperor. Unsurprisingly, Casimir received an excellent education, with the help of a holy and learned tutor.
Casimir’s teachers taught him about Christ’s sacrificial love for us on the cross, but it was Casimir himself who found creative ways to respond to that love. He was still a young boy when he took up penitential practices, such as sleeping on the ground, spending part of the night in prayer, and wearing a hair shirt, all out of love for Christ. Despite these private penances, he remained cheerful and was generous with the poor.
Casimir was fourteen years old when his father ordered him to go to Hungary with an army. If the Poles won the battle, Casimir would be named their king. But when he arrived at the frontier, Casimir wisely recognized there were many reasons to turn away from battle and returned home. His father was furious, but the pope was on Casimir’s side. Casimir refused to ever take up arms again. He reconciled with his father and served as a viceroy in the king’s absence on one occasion. He decided to live a celibate life, and he died of a lung disease when he was only twenty-three years old.
Holy Spirit, grant us wisdom
when we make important decisions in life.
