Apostleship of Prayer

St. Stanislaus, the Bishop of Krakow, excommunicated King Boleslaus II of Poland for his injustices, cruelty, and immoral life style. The King saw this as treason and on April 11, 1079, while the Bishop was celebrating Mass, he entered the church and killed him with a sword. Nine hundred years later Pope John Paul II, who had been Archbishop of Krakow, returned to his native land for the first time after being elected Pope in order to celebrate the anniversary. As we reflect on his homily at that time, let us pray that the resurrection may not only give us hope but also courage as we strive to make good decisions and live moral lives.

Every person goes forward. He or she goes forward towards the future. Nations also go forward. So does all humanity. To go forward, however, does not only mean to endure the exigencies of time, continuously leaving behind the past: yesterday, the years, the centuries. To go forward also means being aware of the goal. … The words that Christ spoke in his farewell to the Apostles express the mystery of human history, the history of every person and of all persons, the mystery of the history of humanity. Baptism in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is an immersion into the living God, into “Him who is” as the Book of Genesis puts it; into “Him who was, who is, and who will be” according to the Book of Revelation (1:4). Baptism is the beginning of an encounter, of a unity, of a communion for which earthly life is merely a preface, an introduction. The fulfillment and completion belong to eternity.

All of life which opens up in view of this sacrament assumes the aspect of a great and fundamental test: a test of faith and of character. St. Stanislaus has become, in the spiritual history of the Polish people, the patron of this great and fundamental test of faith and of character. In this sense we honor him also as the patron of the Christian moral order. In the final analysis the moral order is built up by means of human beings. This order consists of a large number of tests, each one a test of faith and of character. From every victorious test the moral order is built up. From every failed test moral disorder grows. We know very well from our entire history that we must not permit, absolutely and at whatever cost, this disorder.

You must be strong, dear brothers and sisters. You must be strong with the strength that comes from faith. Today more than in any other age you need this strength. You must be strong with the strength of hope, hope that brings the perfect joy of life and does not allow us to grieve the Holy Spirit.

Today’s Readings: Acts 9:1-20; Psalm 117:1bc, 2; John 6:52-59

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