8th March, St John of God, Confessor

St John of God, Confessor

St. John of God was born in Portugal in 1495. After a stormy youth, at the age of 40 he was one day listening to the word of God, when he felt himself so inflamed with divine charity towards his neighbour, that he distributed all he possessed to the poor and consecrated his life to their service. The love of God is one with that of our neighbour, says the Gospel, for men bear in themselves the image of the heavenly Father, whose sons they are, in virtue of their union with God and Jesus by grace.


Through his disinterestedness, and thanks to alms (Epistle), which St. John obtained for the erection of two  hospitals at Granada, "he enriched the Church with a new family" (Collect), which took the name of Brothers Hospitallers of St. John of God, and which, imitating Christ in His apostolic life, devotes itself to the healing of bodies and of souls. A great fire having broken out in a hospital, he fearlessly rushed into the flames and saved all the sick, because the fire burning in his heart was greater than that which raged around (Collect). St. John, whose divine love caused his name to be joined to the name of God, was continually absorbed in the contemplation of heavenly things (Introit). Struck down by a severe illness, after receiving the last sacraments, he fell on his knees and died pressing to his heart the crucifix. This happened at Granada in 1550.

Leo XIII declared him Patron of hospitallers and of the sick and commanded his name to be placed in the Litanies of the dying.

Following the example of St. John of God, let us fill our hearts with the fire of divine charity which will purify us Of our vices and let us have recourse to the protection of this saint that we may always be provided with the remedies which conduce to eternal life (Collect).

Os justi meditabitur sapientiam, et lingua ejus loquetur judicium; lex Dei ejus in corde ipsius. * Noli aemulari in malignantibus: neque zelaveris facientes iniquitatem.

The mouth of the just shall meditate wisdom, and his tongue shall speak judgement: the law of his God is in his heart. * Be not emulous of evildoers: nor envy them that work iniquity.
(Psalm 36:30-31,1 from the Introit of Mass)

Deus, qui beatum Joannem, tuo amore succensum, inter flammas innoxium incedere fecisti, et per eum Ecclesiam tuam nova prole foecundasti: praesta ipsius suffragantibus meritis; ut igne caritatis tuae vitia nostra curentur, et remedia nobis aeterna proveniant.
God, who didst cause blessed John when burning with love of Thee, to walk unscathed through flames, and who by him didst enrich Thy Church with a new religious order: grant through the help of his merits, that our vices maybe healed by the fire of Thy love, and that we may receive remedies unto eternal life.
(Collect)

From the Catholic Encyclopaedia: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08472c.htm