The Feast of St. John Cantius
is today. Click here for information. Monsignor Ronald Knox had a particular fondness for this saint, and mentioned him in several sermons. He was especially fond of one incident in the saint's life. On one of St. John's pilgrimages, he was attacked by brigands. He happily gave them what little money he had, and told the thieves that there was no more. After they had departed, he remembered that, upon the advice of friends, he had sewn some coins into his clothes. He did have more money, but he had forgotten ! So he charged after the astonished robbers, yelling, "Wait ! Wait ! I do have more !" The bandits were so embarrassed by his extraordinary generosity that they not only didn't take these coins, they even gave back what they had stolen from him. (The 'coals-of-fire' principle in action !)