Lest You Remain

salvation, thus breaking completely away from sin. Their conversion has to be a radical one, and their internal change—total and profound. It ought to be outward- ly expressed by remorseful tears because of sins and sorrow over the spilled blood of the Lord. 36 Repentance for committed sins leads to establishing a heartfelt union with Christ. The Savior then becomes so close to a Christian that there is no more room for sins which until now excluded one from God. Father Papczy < ski draws our attention to the possibility of freeing ourselves from venial sins through meditating the Lord’s Passion and to a chance of cleansing ourselves from our spiritual filth, which he calls “lesser offenses.” 37 In order to help Christians draw even closer to Christ, Fr. Stanislaus asks us to share pains with the suffering Savior. Our deep feelings must awaken at the sight of the scourged and derided Lord. It is impossible for a Christian heart to remain unmoved by this shocking picture. Father Papczy < ski calls “barbarian and inhuman” a soul that does not mellow at the sight of the Son of God being so terribly humiliated. 38 For Fr. Papczy < ski the suffering Christ becomes in meditation so close to the Christian that he desires to suffer with the Savior and to experience all His pains, which have become His lot. 39 Sharing in suffering brings about a wish to follow Christ in every salvific deed according to His appeal: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up is cross, and follow me” (Mt 16:24). By the cross, which a Christian ought to take upon himself, Fr. Stanislaus means voluntary mortification, long-lasting penances, slander, contempt, injustice, and every other anguish. Our cross may also be illness, poverty, misfortune, lack of basic necessi- ties, and any other set-back. Christ admonishes us that we ought to accept the cross with a joyful heart, doing so out of love for Him and according to His example. 40 One particular moment of Christ’s Passion is emphasized by Fr. Papczy < ski as an example to follow. It is His prayer to the Father for His executioners: “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” (Lk 24:34). The Servant of God has no doubts that everyone has enemies and thus has something to forgive them. 41 He Christ in the Spirituality of the Servant of God, Fr. St. Papczy < ski 207 36 Ibid., III, 1, s. 22. 37 Ibid., I, 1, s. 4. 38 Ibid., IV, 1, s. 34. 39 „Cum te videam sanguine perfusum, vellem oceanum transmeare lachrymarum: cum te videam susque deque concisum, omnes tibi plagas meas afflictionum, calamitatum, dolorum, aerumnarum, maerorum, tentationum, infamationum, iniuriarium, et quorumvis adversitatum, molestiarum, acer- bitatum, mortificationum, etiam curarum sollicitudinum anxietatum omnium punctures, omnia vul- nera animi cordisque mei humillime consecro”. Christus Patiens , III, 1, s. 22 n. 40 Ibid., V, 4, s. 47. 41 Orator Crucifixus , I, s. 4.