Công Giáo posted an update in the group
a week ago
Dio LansingREAD: “WHY WE SHOULD REVERE SAINT STANISLAUS” by FATHER TOM WASILEWSKI: Today is the feast of Saint Stanislaus (1030 – 79) who is the patron saint of Poland. Father Tom Wasilewski is a priest of the Diocese of Lansing, the pastor of Old Saint Patrick parish in Ann Arbor, and a native Pole himself having being born in the city of Szczecin. His family emigrated to the United States when he was 9-years-old. Why should we revere Saint Stanislaus? Father Wasilewski has this to say:
Saint Stanislaus of Poland is sometimes referred to as St Stanislaus of Szczepanów (do not try to pronounce it!) or Saint Stanislaus of Krakow (the capital of Poland at the time). He’s not to be confused with Saint Stanislaus Kostka, the young Jesuit seminarian who lived 500 years later! Saint Stanislaus of Poland, lived 1000 years ago, when Poland was newly Christianized, and died at the hands of King Bolesław II a martyr in 1079.
Stanislaus is the first native born Polish saint. Stanislaus was a son of Polish nobility and completed his theological and canon law studies in Paris. He was a man of education and influence who gave his life to serve the Lord. Upon the death of his parents, he gave away his considerable inheritance to the poor.
In 1071 Stanislaus reluctantly agreed to become the bishop of Krakow, Poland’s new capital. He was a bold preacher of the Gospel, helping to grow the new Catholic faith of Poland. Unfortunately, King Bolesław II did not live his Catholic faith at all. He was known for sexual scandal, depraved behavior and violence. Saint Stanislaus courageously spoke against these sins of the King and urged his repentance. Bishop Stanislaus felt forced to excommunicate the king who would not reform. King Bolesław was so enraged that he sent soldiers to kill Stanislaus, but the men refused to carry out the order. Bolesław then decided to take matters into his own hands, he ambushed and killed the holy bishop while he was celebrating Mass. The murder caused great outrage in the country, and when King Bolesław was forced out, he fled to Hungary. In later years he had a conversion, repented of his wrongdoing, and lived out the rest of his life in a monastery.
What can Saint Stanislaus teach us about holiness 1,000 years later? He is a shining example of courage and boldness, in speaking up for the weak and the truths of the Faith even when it’s dangerous to do so! He put his trust in God and stood strong in the Lord, even when the powerful king wanted his life.
Today we need courageous voices of Christians to speak out against the outrages of our time. Not just serious evils like abortion, transgenderism and immorality, but all evils. When we see our nation’s leaders treating those who sought refuge in our country unfairly or without due process, we need to speak out. We need to remind our leaders that a nation must regulate its borders with justice and mercy, not demonizing any particular ethnic groups but respecting the human dignity of all. We need to stand for law and order and due process and uphold our democratic ideals. We need to guard against the temptation of mixing our religion with politics, and against putting our faith in our government rather than in God.
It was Jesus who insisted His kingdom was not of this world. (Jn 18:36) And it is Jesus’ kingdom that we seek to expand, when we defend the human dignity of all and stand for truth and liberty and the laws of God. Saint Stanislaus would have had plenty to say if he lived in our times!
Saint Stanislaus, pray for us!
