126 Agere, or Acting Eschatologically I would suggest three aspects of developing the eschatological apostolate: praying, proclaiming the word, and performing deeds of mercy. A. The Apostolate of prayer and pious practices: a) in continuity with a well-established practice, it would be worthwhile to introduce the custom of singing the Vespers for the Dead throughout the Congregation (at least in our pastoral centers), as a specifi cally Marian element of the apostolate of prayer for the departed; b) our Marian Helpers Centers have so-called “Prayer Lines.” They are a perfect opportunity for evangelization, especially on behalf of people who have died in accidents, unexpectedly and totally unprepared to meet their Creator; it is possible to shape in this spirit the awareness of the faithful, whom we reach through our bulletins, so that they would commend such people to our prayers; c) the most perfect help for the departed is always the Sacrifi ce of the Eucharist. In his Testament II, our Founder decreed that two Masses be celebrated weekly at the Congregation’s expense: one for the deceased, the other—for the conversion of sinners. The fi rst Chapter celebrated after Blessed Stanislaus’s death recognized this instruction as contradictory to the vow of poverty. However, was it not a salvifi c intuition of our Founder not to benefi t from praying for the deceased, but to offer something of our own instead, so that our contribution would be apparent and tangible? B. The Apostolate of the Word: a) in our work of teaching, we’ll be always inspired by our Father Founder’s zeal, since he frequently encouraged the assistance for the souls in Purgatory (for example, see his famous sermon in Studzienna, his meditations on the last things, or his appeal to support the deceased expressed in his Mystical Temple of God). The vast domain of teaching and catechesis opens before us wide possibilities for eschatological instruction. Thus, it would be good to think about preparing appropriate homiletic and catechetic materials. b) The fact of death and burial is a special domain for our pastoral work. Frequently, the manner in which family and friends would live out these events may greatly depend on the quality of the sermon delivered at the funeral solemnity. The experience proves the importance of fi nding a right balance between expressing compassion and delivering an evangelical message. Undoubtedly, funerals are the domain of the “new evangelization.” c) Our retreat centers came up with a proposal for special retreats pertaining to eschatological matters—bereavement, for example. This initiative is worthy developing and cultivating in other Provinces of our Congregation;
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