On December 17th, the Church celebrates the memory of St. John of the Woods. He and St. Felix of Valois founded the Order of the Holy Trinity for the Redemption of Captives in Cerfroid, France.
Photo: Wikipedia
Newsroom (16/12/2024 17:03, Gaudium Press) Saint John of Mata was born in Provence, France, on June 23, 1160, to a noble family. The arms of the house of Mata represented a captive carrying chains with these words as a motto, “Lord, free me from these chains, from these bonds”.
While his mother was awaiting his birth, one day, when she was particularly recommending herself to the Blessed Virgin, she appeared to her, saying: “Don’t be afraid. You will give the world a son who will be holy and the redeemer of Christian slaves. He will be the father of many children who will fulfill the same ministry for the salvation of souls.”
His parents raised him to love God and the Virgin, and from an early age, the boy responded to their care. He studied at the University of Aix-en-Provence and, on returning home, decided to retire to the desert, choosing the region of Beaume, where Saint Mary Magdalene had lived in penance.
The devil attacked him rudely, but he was overcome by a courage similar to that of St. Anthony and other solitaries. After a year of solitude, Our Lord recommended that he finish his studies because He wanted to serve him.
John went to the University of Paris to study theology. One day when he was praying before a crucifix in the convent of St. Victor, he heard a voice say to him three times, “Seek wisdom, my son, and make my heart glad!”. He returned to his studies with new vigor and became so well-versed that the masters of the university offered him the title of doctor. He refused at first, however, St. Peter appeared to him and ordered him to accept in the name of the Lord.
As a professor of theology, St. John of the Woods was ordained a priest. When the bishop laid his hands on him saying, “Accept the Holy Spirit”, a globe of fire appeared over his head.
On the day of the first Mass, at the moment of elevation, the astonished audience saw an Angel dressed in white appear over the altar, carrying a blue and red cross on his chest. He stretched out his crossed hands over two captives, one of whom was a Christian and the other a Moor. St. John then explained that God was calling him to find an Order for the Redemption of the Captives. To this end, he went to Pope Celestine III.
Meeting with St. Dominic and St. Felix de Valois
At that time, Saint Dominic was studying in Palencia. One day, a poor woman came to ask him for alms to help her rescue one of her brothers who was a slave of the Moors. The saint, who had nothing to give, offered himself. As the woman didn’t want to sell him, Saint Dominic threw himself at the foot of a crucifix, begging God to come to the rescue of the captive and the other Christian slaves. Then the Crucified One answered him in a loud voice, “My son, it is not you. I want to entrust you with this work, but John, a doctor in Paris. I reserve for you another ministry, which you will exercise among Christians”.
St. John and St. Dominic later met in France, when they established their Orders there.
St. John had left Rome. In Faucon, he met Saint Felix of Valois, who joined him in consecrating his designs.
The Order of the Holy Trinity for the Redemption of Captives was approved by Innocent III on December 17, 1198, together with the bull Operante divine dispositionis. On the day of the Virgin’s purification, February 2, 1198, Innocent III gave them the habit of the new Order. When he put it on, he told them that the three colors that made it up were the symbols of the Holy Trinity. White represents the Father, blue the Son, and red the Holy Spirit. And he added the words: “Hic est ordo aprobatur, non a Sancto fabricato, sed a Deo solo summo – This is an approved Order, made not by saints, but exclusively by the supreme God”.
The two saints retired to France where they founded the Serfroit Monastery and dedicated themselves to their work.
His struggles were unspeakable and were accompanied by numerous miracles. He organized an expedition to Africa, where he rescued many Christian captives. On a second trip, he fell into the hands of the Muslims, was beaten, and left bleeding in the streets of Tunis. He recovered, gathered the Christians together, and boarded a ship that took them to Rome. The vessel was attacked, its sails torn and its rudder broken. St. John of the Woods made a sail out of his cloak and the ship was brought to the shores of Italy in six hours. This saint also founded numerous convents and preached the Crusade against the Albigensians.
When Innocent III convened a Council in Lateran, King Philip Augustus chose St. John of the Woods as his theologian. However, God already desired him in heaven, as the saint fell ill and died on December 17, 1213. He was canonized by Urban IV in 1262.[1]
[1] Cf. Abbé Joseph-Epiphane Darras. Grande Vie des Saints.
Compiled by Dominic Joseph
