#john of matha

[laku-incarnate]

Statues of John of Matha, Felix of Valois and Saint Ivan (detail), Charles Bridge, Prague, Czech Republic.

[servus-immaculatae]

St. John of Matha (1160-1213 A. D.) was born of noble parents at Faucon in Provence, France. After a brilliant success in his studies at Paris, he became a priest. At his first Mass, he had an inspiration to dedicate his life to the ransom of Catholic warriors made slaves by the Muslims in the Crusades. To prepare himself for this work, he went to visit a hermit, St. Felix of Valois, to be instructed in the practice of perfection. When he revealed his plan, St. Felix was convinced that the design was from God, and offered to help him. Together they founded the Order of the Holy Trinity to ransom the captives. Soon, countless vocations came to the Order. The Trinitarians traveled with the Crusaders, teaching the soldiers, taking care of the sick, and dealing with the redemption of the captives. St. John of Matha managed to free a great number of Catholic slaves in Morocco, Tunis, and Spain. On his second trip to Tunis in 1210 A. D., he suffered much from the infidels, who were enraged at his zeal and his success in exhorting the slaves to remain constant in their faith. On his return with the 120 Catholics whom he had ransomed, he found that the Muslims had damaged the rudder of his ship and ripped its sails to prevent its safe arrival and cause the ship to perish at sea. But St. John of Matha, full of confidence in God, begged Him to be their pilot. He sewed together the cloaks of his companions and made new sails. Then, with a crucifix in his hands, he recited his Psalter as the ship sailed. They had a successful voyage and landed safely in the port of Ostia, near the mouth of the Tiber. ---- The Order of the Trinitarians founded by St. John of Matha was an extremely useful apostolate to maintain the Crusades in the elevated spirit intended by the Church when she convoked them. It was a most noble apostolate that indicates the close solidarity of this Saint with the movement of the Crusades. Today those who speak against the Crusades do a very bad thing. The true saints were cooperators with and enthusiasts of the Crusades. The main goal of the Trinitarians, which was to ransom the captives, also had a favorable effect on the Crusaders, who had less fear to be captured and remain slaves of the Moors for a long period of time, or even indefinitely. St. John of Matha and his Order gave them the hope to be ransomed and return to the fight. Therefore, the work of the Saint was a very important support for the Crusades.... English translation of today’s collect: O God, Who through Saint John didst from heaven deign to institute the Order of the Most Holy Trinity for ransoming captives from the Saracens: help us through his merits, we beseech Thee, to freedom from bondage of body and of soul, Through our Lord.

[incelebrationofthesaints]

Today is the Feast of St. John of Matha

John was born at Faucon, Provence, on June 23, 1160. He was educated at Aix, but on his return to Faucon, lived as a hermit for a time. He then went to Paris where he received his doctorate in theology, was ordained there in 1197, and then joined St. Felix of Valois in his hermitage at Cerfroid. He confided to Felix his idea of founding a religious order to ransom Christian prisoners from the Moslems, and late in 1197, the two went to Rome and received the approval of Pope Innocent III for the Order of the Most Holy Trinity (the Trinitarians), with John as superior, in 1198; they also secured the approval of King Philip Augustus of France. The Order flourished, spread to France, Spain, Italy, and England, sent many of its members to North Africa, and redeemed many captives. John died at Rome on December 17, and his cult was approved in 1655 and again in 1694. 

Source: http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=693