MEMORIAL: MARCH 8
St. John of God was an impulsive man who lived in the 16th century in Spain. At the beginning of his life, the impulses of sin plagued him. He ran away from home, became a shepherd, and eventually joined the army. Here he formed many sinful habits. However, after being abandoned near the front lines of battle, John decided to stop his debaucheries, which eventually led to him being thrown out of the army.
Upon hearing a sermon from St. John of Avila, he decided to sell everything and live with the poor in the local hospital and suffered with them. After 40 days, he volunteered at that hospital as a nurse. Seeing the prejudice against the poor in the hospital, John left and begged for money and supplies to start his own hospital for the poor. While he was successful, he was criticized every step of the way.
At every turn, John jumped into situations whenever he saw the chance to love others. He bought clothing for children, ran into burning buildings to save patients, and saved those who were drowning while catching pneumonia. This pneumonia led to his death in 1550, and St. John of the God became the patron saint of booksellers, hospitals, and firefighters.
