Lest You Remain

who have placed their hope in Christ, gather around the Immaculate Mother of Our Savior” and that “she — the rescuer of the people — continues to come to our aid” ( Insegnamenti di Giovanni Paolo II , IX, 2, p. 1907). As he recalled her struggle with Satan, whom she fully defeated by her Immaculate Conception, the Holy Father addressed the following words to the Immaculate Virgin: “The hope of vic- tory was given to us through your Immaculate Conception. We fly unto your pro- tection ...” ( L’Osservatore Romano , December 9-10, 1991, p. 5). Mary Immaculate, “in the glory which she possesses in body and soul in heav- en is the image and beginning of the Church as it is to be perfected in the world to come” (LG, 68). And, “in the Most Blessed Virgin, the Church has already reached that perfection whereby she exists without spot or wrinkle.” Faithful Christians are called to strive for perfection and holiness and, as they do so, they “turn their eyes to Mary who shines forth to the whole community of the elect as the model of virtues” (Ibid., 65). It is, therefore, no wonder that “Mary, the noble Daughter of Zion, helps all of her children, regardless of where and in what conditions they might live, so that, in Christ, they might find the way leading to the house of the Father ” (John Paul II, Redemptoris Mater , no. 47). This truth is clearly manifested in the life of the Servant of God Stanislaus of Jesus Mary Papczy<ski . The Servant of God Stanislaus was born in Poland in the village of Podegro- dzie, formerly belonging to the Diocese of Cracow, on May 18, 1631, as the young- est of eight children. His parents were Thomas Papka or Papiec and Sophia nee Tacikowska. At baptism, which took place on the day of his birth, he was given the name John. He received his initial Christian upbringing from his, parents who were both well formed in the Catholic faith. From his earthly mother, Sophia, he learned ardent veneration of the Most Holy Virgin Mary and, thanks to her intercession, managed to overcome his initial difficulties with studies at elementary school. After he had completed elementary school, he continued his studies mostly at Jesuit colleges. However, in the academic year 1649-1650, he was taught by the Fathers of the Order of Pious Schools, where, by God’s decree and with His help, the seed of his religious and priestly vocation was sown. According to the custom of those times, he changed his last name to Papczy<ski and remained in the secular world for four more years, continuing his studies and waiting until the Order of Pious Schools regained the right to accept religious vows from its members. This was not possible for a while because, in 1646, that order was turned into an association without the right to make religious vows. After completing a two-year course of philosophy, he entered the Piarist novitiate in Podoliniec on July 2, 1654, and received the religious name of Stanislaus of Jesus Mary. During the first year of his novitiate, he made such progress in the religious life that, at the beginning of his second year of the novitiate, he was sent to study L EST Y OU R EMAIN W ITHOUT W ORK IN THE V INEYARD OF THE L ORD 96