Born in 1453 to the king of Poland, Casmir lived a very disciplined devout life of faith even as a teenager: sleeping on the ground as a means of penance, spending a lot of the night in prayer, and dedicating himself to lifelong celibacy. He had a very strong devotion to the Blessed Mother and to the Eucharist. He was known for being a peacemaker, promoting peace and reconciliation in his kingdom rather than turn to war or aggression. He reigned briefly as the king of Poland when his father was out of the country, but died of a lung disease at the age of 25 while visiting Lithuania; he is the patron saint of that country.
In our first reading from the book of Sirach today, the author asserts that our worship of the Lord and our participation in the liturgy of our faith should also be reflected in the way we live out God’s law in our daily lives. Our actions of mercy and charity and the way we live out our daily lives should reinforce our worship of the Lord. To live a moral life of faith should be seen as a form of worship and a form of prayer. Yet, it is still important to participate in the formal liturgy of the Church. As in most things in life, balance in our life of faith is important.
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