Father Casimir Wyszynski

fear?” (Ps 27:1). To someone present nearby he gave an assur- ance: “My spirit is strong, very strong,” and, using the words of Christ, he slowly entered into a dialogue with the Heavenly Fa- ther: “Into your hands, Father, I commend my spirit.” 346 Three hours before his death, Father Casimir asked for the holy sacraments andwhen theywere brought to him, he received the Holy Eucharist with difficulty, but with an awareness that he had realized his earthly agenda in full, and he stated that he needed nothing else. With his last words Benedictus sit Deus , he started the newassignment facing himnow: adoration and praise of God eternally. Although he spoke no longer and needed nothing else, yet God knew that Father Casimir was leaving his brethren orphaned. Probably for the sake of these men deep in sorrow, He sent a winged “artist,” who settled outside of the dying man’s cell just after midnight and gave a wonderful two-hour concert. It was an unusual bird which his brethren had never seen or heard before and which never came again. Its performance began deep in the night when only birds without a beautiful voice are active, be- cause blackbirds or nightingales do not sing at midnight in Octo- ber. This bird sang wonderfully, delighting with its voice the brother keeping vigil at the side of the dying Father Casimir and the servant making bread for the next day. Perhaps this bird’s ap- pearance was the reason why the brethren remembered other birds which Father Casimir liked very much and which were not afraid of himandwillingly came to him. In their testimonies, they even recalled specifically one of themwhich made itself so com- fortable in Father Casimir's cell as to take liberties. Once this bird even “disrespected” its host’smanuscript and even dared—as Fa- ther Fischer stated—to soil the Holy Bible. Father Casimir was forced to banish the ill-mannered bird from his cell while clearly indicating the reason for the “eviction.” 347 346 A. Fischer, Życie, cnoty i śmierć święta …, 74. 347 Ibid, 71; PositioWysz , 411, (testimony of Br. John of Saint Mary Rodrigues). 205 A Man of Prayer and Love of the Eucharist