King Saint Fernando III was born in the monastery of Valparaiso in Spain in the year 1199. His father was King Alfonso IX of Leon and his mother, the saintly Lady Bereguera. As his parent’s marriage was annulled by Pope Innocent III, Saint Fernando was actually raised by his grandfather, King Alfonso VIII of Castile, and his mother. He was also an excellent role model for young Fernando, who wanted nothing more than to be a knight of Christ.
Fernando was still a young man when he became king of Castile. His kingdom was in tatters, as there had been numerous raids by both Christian and Moor into Castile, as well as internal rebellions.
On the day Fernando became a knight, he prayed: “Christ, my Lord, I am in Thy hands, the same way this sword is in mine. Show me, my King, what Thou wantest of this Thy knight.”
In the silence and stillness of the night, Fernando heard Christ answer him:
“I want to make your whole life like a representation and marvellous parable so that the coming centuries may contemplate the war that I, Eternal King and Universal Lord, wage against the powers of darkness, to conquer the entire earth for my Father. Fernando, you will be the noble and considerate king who leads his vassals in this great enterprise, the courageous and mortified King who, above all others, charges ahead in the midst of danger and endures the strain of hard work and the fatigue of battle. You will be the generous and magnanimous King who in victory does not worry about his treasures, but distributes the spoils among his faithful knights.”
God granted Fernando a glimpse of the life that he was going to live, a life full of struggles, hardships and warfare. Yet his soul did not quake at the prospect, for he knew that he would be doing God’s will, and that God would be with him as long as he remained true.
Saint Fernando was a man of clear and deep faith, who realized that everything depends on God and that it is He Who grants victory. He knew, nonetheless, that the Lord never wants to help those who are lazy, but to assist with grace those who do everything that is in their power. As a consequence of his holy intentions, all of Saint Fernando’s ventures met with success. He was absolutely invincible, personally as well as while directing his armies, conquering hearts and minds as completely as he conquered cities and strongholds.
The legacy of King Saint Fernando III is far-reaching and eternal. It was he who had permanently combined the Kingdoms of Leon and Castile. At a time when the crusading efforts of all the rest of Christendom hardly sufficed to maintain a foothold on the coast of the Holy Land, Fernando inflicted on medieval Islam its greatest defeat up until that time.
King Fernando had been known as “the Saint” during his lifetime. Soon after his death, he became the object of public veneration and that same year Pope Innocent IV declared that King Saint Fernando of Castile enjoyed the reputation of “having always followed the path of obedience to the Divine precepts, and that he greatly contributed to the spreading of the worship of the Holy Name of Jesus.”
The body of Saint Fernando is incorrupt and can still be seen in the Cathedral of Seville, for he rests enclosed in a marvellous gold and crystal casket worthy of the Castilian king.
King Saint Fernando is the only king whose earthly crown has never been taken away, for his golden crown still encircles his head as he reclines beneath the statue of the Virgin of the Kings, awaiting the day of resurrection.
Other Saints of the Day
1. Saint Joan of Arc
2. Saint Anastasius XV
3. Saint Giuseppe Marello
4. Saint Luke Kirby
5. Saint Venantius
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