[Salvation]

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for: April 11, 2013
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: O God, for whose honor the Bishop Saint Stanislaus fell beneath the swords of his persecutors, grant we pray, that we may persevere strong in faith even until death. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

RECIPES

• Pierogi
• Polish Potato Pancakes

ACTIVITIES

• Namedays
• What is a Nameday?

PRAYERS

• Novena to St. Bernadette

LIBRARY

• Now Is the Time to Remember All These Martyrs and to Pay Them Due Honour | Pope John Paul II
• We Give Praise and Thanks to God That the Gospel Seed Has Borne Abundant Fruit | Pope John Paul II

Easter: April 11th

Optional Memorial of St. Stanislaus, bishop & martyr

Old Calendar: St. Leo I, pope and doctor

St. Stanislaus was the Bishop of Cracow, Poland. A champion of the liberty of the Church and of the dignity of man, he defended the lonely and the poor. When he reproached King Boleslaus II for his immoral life, the king himself killed him during Mass. He is the patron saint of Poland.

According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, May 7, is the feast of St. Stanislaus. In Poland his feast is celebrated on May 8, which is the day he died.

Also the feast of St. Leo the Great is today and in the Ordinary Form his memorial is celebrated on November 10.

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St. Stanislaus of Cracow
Stanislaus was born in 1030 and was educated at Gnesen and at Paris. After his ordination to the priesthood he was made a canon of the cathedral at Cracow as well as archdeacon and preacher. Upon the death of the bishop of Cracow, he was nominated bishop of the diocese by Pope Alexander II.

The king at the time, Boleslaus II, trying to strengthen his own power, led an expedition against the grand duchy of Kiev, making himself very unpopular with the nobles of the country, who opposed his policies. St. Stanislaus of Cracow sided with the nobles, led by the king's brother, Ladislaus, and this brought him into conflict with the king.

Stanislaus had opposed the king before for his tyrannical ways and once confronted him boldly for his immoral behavior when Boleslaus had abducted the wife of a Polish nobleman and carried her off to his castle. No one seemed willing to face the king from a fear of his rage, but Stanislaus boldly went to the king and threatened excommunication if he did not change his ways. Furious, the king promised revenge on the bishop. Later, Stanislaus sided with the nobles in their opposition to the king's political policies, and the king accused him of being a traitor and condemned him to death.

At first the king commanded his soldiers to kill the bishop when he was celebrating Mass at St. Michael's chapel in Cracow, but the soldiers refused, fearing to bring down upon themselves the wrath of God. Undeterred, the king himself entered the church, drew his sword, and killed the bishop, ordering his soldiers to dismember the body.

Pope Gregory VII placed the country under interdict and Boleslaus fell from power, fleeing to Hungary, where he entered the monastery of Osiak to do penance for his crime. Stanislaus, canonized by Pope Innocent IV in 1253, is one of the patron saints of Poland. — The One Year Book of Saints by Rev. Clifford Stevens

Patron: Archdiocese of Cracow, Poland; Poland.

Symbols: Bishop being hacked to pieces at the foot of an altar.

Things to Do:

• Sometimes evil has to be confronted boldly, whatever the consequences. Brave men like St. Stanislaus of Cracow risked death in facing evil. There is little chance today that we will ever be in that danger, but we must always be willing to defend the truth, and it should be very clear, in the face of genuine evil, where we stand. Christ our Lord can expect no less from us. Say an extra prayer today for the gift of fortitude.

• Learn a little more about the city of Kracow where both St. Stanislaus and Pope John Paul II came from.

• For those who are extremely interested in knowing more about Polish history this online book, Polish Americans and Their Communities of Cleveland may prove to be a good source of information.

• The final work of Franz Liszt is the unfinished oratorio St. Stanislaus, for which he left two scenes (one and four) and two polonaises. Learn more about this oratorio here and if you are able find a copy and listen.

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Meditation: John 3:31-36

Saint Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr

He does not ration his gift of the Spirit. (John 3:34)

Have you ever been inspired by the stories of the saints who did marvelous things in the name of the Lord? Have you ever been touched by stories of how the first Christians were able to pray with people and see them healed? Maybe you felt inspired to try to imitate them—only to find your enthusiasm wane. “I don’t have the words to say. I don’t have the gifts. I don’t even know how to do these things.”

Well, today’s Gospel passage is for you, because it tells us, loud and clear, that God has given each of us his Holy Spirit. Even better, he hasn’t just given us a little part, or more to some and less to others. Each one of us has the entire Holy Spirit, the same Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead.

What does that mean? Your dreams of seeing loved ones come to the Lord can come true. Miracles really are possible. Changed hearts, forgiveness, transformation—they all have a chance!

It all starts as you wake up every morning and tell yourself, “I have the Holy Spirit in me.” Gradually the sense of powerlessness will give way to a new faith and confidence in what the Lord can do in you and through you.

Find a way to start. You could set a goal for yourself that by the end of next week, you will have told a co-worker about one way that God has worked in your life. You don’t have to get it perfect—especially not the first time—but you can be confident that you will get better with practice! Or maybe you can find a friend to go with you and visit a sick member of your parish. Together, you can offer to pray with that person and ask for Jesus’ healing power. Again, don’t be discouraged if you aren’t bold enough to do this right away. Don’t worry if the results aren’t remarkable at first. It takes time to learn how to work with the Spirit. Just remember: he lives in you, wholly, completely, and fully. He will form you into his vessel of grace!

“Lord, I believe that your Spirit lives in me. Grant me the courage to start stepping out in faith. I want to be a blessing to the people around me!”

Acts 5:27-33; Psalm 34:2, 9, 17-20