Lumen 2018

ther Stanislaus considered preaching the word of God to be a noble calling of a priest who, in turn, was to be a spiritual leader of the faithful. His sermons possess many characteristics that are required in contemporary homiletics. They are relatively short, but rich in their moral and theological content. As a preacher, Fr. Papczynski takes the psychological needs of his listeners into consideration. He speaks very vividly, makes references to everyday life, uses a lot of comparisons, suggests conclusions — all of this in order to keep the listeners interested. At the same time, he amazes them with his variety of ideas and rhetorical forms, with his knowledge of the works of the most prominent theologians and church writers, with his knowledge of historical events. Father Stanislaus “captivates the listeners with the power of the word that he proclaims and inflames them with the fire of his own passion.” His delivery is suggestive but free from ar- tificial pathos. This wonderful orator does not reproach the listeners, to the contrary; he is compassionate towards them, he inspires trust and hope. He remembers that he should not merely appeal to the emotions, he tries to convince his listeners and persuade them to change their lives. 201 The famous preacher from Rzeszow and Warsaw was remembered by many long after his death. Even at the beginning of the 20 th cen- tury, Dr. Casimir Lubecki 202 wrote about Fr. Stanislaus Papczynski’s preaching activity with great enthusiasm. The Sensitivity of a Spiritual Director According to a register of the Piarists, members of the Warsaw house, dated May 15, 1663, 203 when Fr. Papczynski arrived in War- saw, he was also entrusted with the duties of a confessor. The other five priests of the Warsaw house fulfilled this duty, too. The confes- sors were divided into three groups: those who only heard confes- sions of the Piarists of the Warsaw house, those who heard confessions of the students of the local college, and those who heard confessions of the people from outside the religious house and from 129 At the Piarist Fathers