Casimir, who was to become one of the patrons of Poland, and also patron of Lithuania, was born in Krakow in 1458 into a large family, the third of thirteen children of Casimir, a Polish king, and Elizabeth, daughter of the Emperor of Austria, who was a Catholic and sought to educate her children in the faith. According to the biographersIn addition, St. Casimir had two good teachers: Father John, with a reputation for wisdom and holiness, and Professor Callimachus, who for years helped the king of Poland in the instruction of young people.
From the age of 17. Casimir was at the side of his father, King Casimir IV Jagiellon, with the public affairs, and accompanied him to Lithuaniafrom where the Jagiellons came from. His greatest desire was to please God. Being the son of the king, he dressed simply, without luxuries. He mortified himself in eating, drinking, looking and sleeping, it is written. Many times he slept on the floor. His favorite spiritual devotions were the Passion and Death of Jesus Christ - he meditated on the agony of Jesus in the garden - and Jesus in the Sacrament.
Adored Jesus
He took advantage of the rest and the night to spend hours adoring Jesus in the Holy Host. He was generous in time and goods with the poor. They wanted to marry him to a daughter of Emperor Frederick III of Austria, but Casimir refused to marry, because of his decision to live celibacy. He became ill with tuberculosis, passed away March 4, 1484, aged 26, in Lithuania, and was buried in Vilnius.
120 years after he was buried, his tomb was opened and his body was found. incorrupt body. On his chest they found a poem to the Virgin Mary that he recited frequently and that he ordered to be placed on his corpse when he was to be buried.
